Blogtoberfest Day 16: Autumnal Tea Towels and Menu

Part of the pleasure of change of seasons is experiencing little decor and menu changes. With the change of colour outside, I bring out of the linen closet tea towels in the rich, warm tones that echo those of the falling leaves. I have probably stated before that I use tea towels regularly and very rarely use paper towels. The tea towels tend to fall into several categories: old and worn ones for mopping up all sorts of messes and spills, clean and slightly faded towels are used to dry off freshly washed produce or slightly dampened to provide a temporary cover for dough, extra absorbent towels such as terry or waffle weave are usually reserved for drying clean hands, pretty and decorative towels are used to dry my hand-washed china and Pyrex with linen a must for glassware and crystal, and, at the end of the list, are the tea towels that I find so attractive or decorative that I cannot quite bring myself to actually use. I know, from the number of tea towels that I find at the thrift store, that many people do not use the tea towels that they have had in their possession. There are often very utilitarian designs alongside the souvenir towels. I suspect that they were received as gifts by people that do not actually realize how useful a tea towel might be. I am not really complaining when I get to bring home what they have not used but I am concerned that quality and quantity of tea towels has diminished. How often will you find an example like this one in 100% linen from Ulster Weavers named 'Tibbles and Woo"?


This example still has the paper label stating that it was made in Hungary with the pattern called 'Love Birds'. When I travel, I sometimes see souvenir and decorative tea towels but they are rarely made of linen and tend not to have the same quality of graphic design. I was tempted to compare these two vintage examples with modern, Autumnal themed towels that I also own and I have to confess that they were not interesting enough to bother photographing them. I do know that orange and brown were really done best in the late 1960's and early 1970's when these tea towels were probably made but I am sure that manufactures now could do a better job than they tend to do. Fortunately, great designs are available from some crafters on Etsy and other hand made market places. I am also thrilled to have found that Emma Bridgewater has re-issued some of her mother-in-law, Pat Albeck's amazing designs. Pat Albeck really is the mother of graphic tea towels and I will do a post about her shortly as she is so inspiring.


I mentioned menu changes above. This is a wonderful time of year for soup! Most recipes make enough for generous servings and left-overs which are perfect for lunch. Today, I made Tuscan Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup with Swiss Chard which I found in Fit Pregnancy magazine over ten years ago.

Tuscan Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup with Swiss Chard -serves 6

3 slices bacon or 2 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 (15 1/2 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained
1 lb. squash, peeled, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups Swiss chard, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook for 2 min.
Add onion oregano, and rosemary. Saute for six minutes or
until onion is soft. Stir in broth, beans, squash, and garlic;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 min. Stir
in Swiss chard and cook for 10 min. more or until squash and greens
are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutritional information per 1 cup serving: 210 calories, 3.5 grams fat,
21 % protein, 7 grams fiber.

I rarely use bacon and today used turkey instead of chicken stock. I had slightly more squash, stock and Swiss chard than the recipe called for but that just meant there will be leftovers for lunch. With it we had a simple Bruschetta made from day old baguette(much thriftier way to buy bakery bread), 1 tomato diced with about 5 cloves of garlic. After slicing the bread, I drizzled the slices with olive oil, spooned around a teaspoon of tomato mixture on each slice along with a small amount of mozzarella and bake each slice on a baking sheet and rack for about 5 to 7 minutes at 350 F.

Thrifting and some thoughts

Going to the thrift stores can seem to be more than slightly addictive. For someone who likes to make things it offers all sorts of potential materials to alter or work with. Often I find raw materials: lengths of fabric, ric-rack and seam-binding and buttons. Other times I find things to be transformed: worn-out purses with hardware to be re-used, shrunken sweaters, hats, damaged linens and broken jewellery. This habit that started when looking for raw materials has transformed the way I shop and how I look at things. I have always been cautious about how I spend money while still having an eye for luxury and quality. When I was looking for sweaters to felt, I started to notice sweaters that suited me and were in beautiful condition. I also started to find other articles of clothing that suited me and before long I was looking to the thrift store first for most of my wardrobe. I have often been able to find very good quality labels, like this cardigan from Holt Renfrew and try out colours I do not usually wear, like this turquoise.

Although I have on occasion been surprised by what I find, the best clothes tend to come from specific stores. One of my favourite sources is the Nearly New Shoppe at the Cathedral. This is were I found this Liberty of London and it is not the first Liberty item I have purchased there. I have also found some of my beautiful vintage handbags and costume jewellery that I will feature in a future post. Many of the donations made to this charity shop are made by people who bought quality items that were made to have lasting value. With a few exceptions, this is not now the norm in the retail world and is a refreshing advantage when it can still be found in the thrifting world.

Along with the Liberty print shirt, I found two silk shells, one black and one winter white, that will be good under jackets, a black and white gingham shirt in silk and another old purse to add to my collection. At some point soon I would like to actually model the garments that I thrift like my favourite thrifty fashion blogger, Missa. First I need to figure out how use a tripod or a mirror and then maybe I could grow a few inches and lose a few pounds (and about ten years). I am kidding about the second part but I am starting to think a lot about a vintage diet. After teaching pilates in the fitness world for ten years and living the ballet world for much of my childhood, I approach the idea of a diet with many reservations. That said, I have been thinking a lot about how our society eats now as compared to how our grandparents ate and I think that there is a need for further examination. It would seem that I am not the only one to think about this as Queens of Vintage has wondered this and the Imperial War Museum in London is featuring an exhibition on the Ministry of Food. While I would not say that I am fat, I no longer fit into some of my favourite vintage finds or some of my favourite clothes from the past. In an house with three young boys, it would seem likely that I am simply eating a little too much for a forty-something woman whose favourite physical activities do not involve snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Just as I am not inclined to make resolutions at New Year's, I will not declare that I am on a vintage diet but I am certainly going to think a little more about easy it is to eat a chocolate bar and how I really do not need to eat the whole thing to enjoy it. I do hope to bring some war ration recipes to the blog and with time, I may be able to use the lovely vintage buttons on a jacket for a slightly smaller me.

Shrove Tuesday and Vintage Aprons

My kids love Shrove Tuesday (or Pancake Day as they sometimes refer to it). They are not alone in loving pancakes and having them for dinner is extra special. Shrove Tuesday celebrations can be communal and have more recently included connections to the Catholic traditions of Mardi Gras. The Cathedral where the children sing holds such a supper but yet again our family activities did not mesh with the event. We usually prepare two batches of pancakes (one egg-free for me) and have them with maple syrup and sausages (mild Italian are not traditional but are preferred). I thought that since this post is mostly about food it would be the perfect opportunity to share some recently acquired vintage aprons. They were all found on the same day, at the same thrift store at fifty per cent off. I have found fewer and fewer decent aprons lately and the prices have been going up so findinf so many good ones on sale was a special event. This one appears to be home-made and uses an eye-bending print. You certainly would not want a whole garment made out of this fabric but an apron is just fine.

This one is also hand-made and uses french seams to join the panels. I love print as it reminds me of delftware. My pancake recipe is very basic: 1-2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 Tbsp. melted butter or oil, 2 cups of flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt. Whisk the liquids together, mix the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients and stir out most of the lumps. Pour out batter onto a med-hot griddle or skillet (buttered or oiled depending on how much seasoning there is). When the bubbles in each cake have popped and the edges have dried, flip the pancakes. Finish cooking and serve hot!




I really love this apron especially for the deep pockets and the orange seam binding; it also appears to be hand-made. The pockets go all the way to the bottom of the apron and would be perfect for house-keeping supplies. The print suggests the 1950's to me. When I made the second batch of pancakes I increased the milk to 1 3/4 cups and added a powdered egg-replacer or you could use the usual amount of milk and use a flax seed and water egg substitute. In the past I have used other milks(rice, soy, etc.) with success and have even used water as my liquid (pancakes are a bland food, but water makes them too bland in my opinion). I chose to make my pancakes buckwheat and substituted 1 3/4 cups light buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup chickpea flour for the all-purpose flour used for the rest of the family. Do not be discouraged by the taste of uncooked bean flour in the batter. Just don't taste it after all you would not taste the batter if it has raw eggs would you? I also added 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum as it tends to improve all gluten-free baking.

This apron will go with my other gingham smocked and chicken scratch aprons. It looks like it has had a pretty hard life but I couldn't leave it on the rack when I was bringing home all the others. I have other green gingham aprons but not the darker shade which works well with the black embroidery thread navy ric-rack. Pancakes were a weekend ritual when I was growing up and one of the few foods that my Dad had learned to make. We have continued that tradition and Number 3 makes excellent pancakes on his own. Our weekend mornings have tended to be busy so the tradition has waned a little but Shrove Tuesday should help that.


My daughter really liked this apron and insisted that I buy it! She loves the high waisted short skirts that are in fashion right now and this apron mirrors that trend even though I suspect it is almost as old as me. Our daughter likes to bake so a full bib apron is more practical for her but maybe she will want to take this apron when she sets up her own home. The batter for pancakes can have many variations but it is universally thicker than the batter for crepes. Sour milk and butter milk make excellent pancakes and require a little more baking soda. I have had pancakes made with over-ripe banana puree, rolled oats, chocolate chips and even left-over egg nog (before my egg allergy). It really does not need to be a special day to have pancakes for dinner; they can work very well when you have nothing else planned and not a lot of time. The ingredients are most likely in your kitchen and substitutions work surprisingly well.

My Creative Space: Autumnal Inspirations

Autumn is an exciting time in our household: two of our children have birthdays, the concert season starts up again and cooler temperatures inspire many of the indoor pursuits that make a house a home. While I am not presently playing any concerts, I have benefited as if I had. The beautiful bouquet of flowers pictured here was presented to my husband at a concert he played on Monday night and I get to enjoy them!

Today is my eldest child's nineteenth birthday and it somehow seems a bigger deal than many of his other birthdays. I am walking around somewhat in shock that I am old enough to have a nineteen year old child. It really seems like only yesterday we were driving to the hospital with Mozart's Duo Concertante playing on the car stereo. I remember waking up from a nap and having my water break, then leisurely taking a shower and then eating some toast and tea. Number One was born a few short hours later and our whole world changed. Every body's life changes when they have a baby but ours changed differently than most as we soon discovered that our new son had Down Syndrome. This is not a post about disability but inspiration. I like to think that my son's special needs have inspired me to be creative even if creative means figuring out how to laugh at a situation rather than cry. I have certainly needed to find time for myself so I could make things and I feel fortunate that my temperament was accustomed to doing so. Because there are many things that Number One cannot do, I have learned to see more of what is there (in the world) than what is not and relish the little things like fall flowers and chocolate cake. The birthday cake I made today is our standard recipe using the Moosewood Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe. The whole family enjoyed about half of it after singing Happy Birthday and really the day did not seem so shocking after all.

Here is another Autumnal tablecloth that is inspiring me to keep the cake keeper in use. See what others are inspired to create at Kristy's blog

My Creative Space: Patience or four more sleeps

Patience is a great skill for creative people to acquire. Sometimes we just need to trust that all the work and preparation will lead us to our desired outcome especially when we are not sure what the end product will be. Years of gardening has nurtured the skill in me. You would not bother to plant something without the belief that it will grow but the speed and habit of that growth are never absolutely known. This peony is a case in point. This is our ninth summer in this house with much of the present garden already established by the previous owners of the house. The garden possesses another peony just outside our dining room window that has produced a profusion of blossoms faithfully every summer. There was this other plant that we were fairly sure was another peony but we had yet to see it bloom. The condition for peonies were being met in its location so it was somewhat baffling that it had never bloomed and we could have given up on it. I decided that I would give it one more year in its spot before I would move it. This year we have this beautiful solitary bloom. Definitely worth the wait!


I am pulled away from actually making stuff this week: I am processing an unfruitful appointment with a specialist about a chronic health problem, my daughter got a body cast today that will stay on for six weeks this summer to help correct a spinal problem and I am preparing for the trip to England with the Choir. Of course, I am still planning new projects and am always doings some of the mental preparations for a multitude of plans. Active creativity this week is to be found problem solving and making family meals to suit our sudden heat wave. I like to prepare food that is seasonal and the ingredients pictured here make a salad that I wait all year long for. I love fresh strawberries but would never dream of buying them out of season. We have some developing plants in our veggie patch but not enough for this salad yet. The recipe for the dressing is simple: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp. oil, 3 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. sesame seeds, 1 tsp. Poppy, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 chopped scallion. Whisk the dressing up and toss with spinach, sliced strawberries, and almonds or sunflower seeds. The two smaller pyrex dishes are recent thrifts and go with the Butter print bowl that I already have. I will keep my eyes open for the lids and other pieces of refrigerator sets. The cheerful prints and colours make me understand why there are obsessive collectors of pyrex.

I could not believe that I found this Emma Bridgewater Biscuit tin for $1.99 with the sugar tin inside it for free. I am sure that whoever donated the tins did not understand how desirable Emma Bridgewater is. Tucked in behind is a lovely camisole from Jacob and a blue enamelled cast iron dutch oven that I believe to be Descoware as it is marked made in Belgium and I have done a little research as to its shape and colour. I am particularly excited about this find and feel it will clean up brilliantly. More about it in a future post except to say that a enamelled cast iron dutch oven has been on my wish list for quite a long time and I really had never expected that I would find it in a preferred colour and at thrift prices.

The photo here is of the thyme carpet starting to grow in the spaces of some rather ugly cement pavers on the east side of our house. I started planting the space between the pavers with thyme three years ago with replanting when some of the plants did not survive the winter. We now have a beautiful destination in the garden that smells delicious where once there was an eyesore. The patience gardening has taught me has allowed me to know to wait for things our family uses until I can find them second-hand and give them a second life. In parenting, I know that even when an expected chore is not always initiated by my children, it is right for me to continue expect that it eventually will be.

I need this kind of patience when I tell myself there are only 4 more (three when publishing this post) until I leave with my two younger boys for their choir trip to England. I know that I will experience many inspiring sites and sounds that will fill my creative space for a long time. For other creative spaces, check out all the other posts linked on Kristy's blog

Lucky Me!

Look what came in the mail! I won a give-away from Nadine at Little Lovelies. This little crocheted Egglet is simply darling and beautifully presented. Following her blog is very inspiring and I am very excited that I get to enjoy Nadine's work firsthand. It is great to look at creative projects that use a skill that I do not have. Lately, crocheting has drawn me in and all I can do is a simple chain. Nadine has been showing her work in making granny squares with inspiring colour combinations.
Also tucked into the parcel are three covered buttons. Take a closer look.



I love buttons and will just be enjoying looking at these for quite a while. Hours were spent going through my Mum's button box when I was a kid and I have told her that I want to inherit it! She feels pretty much the same as me about buttons so she takes this request seriously. When I was a child, I visited a lot of fabric stores but my favourite was a haberdashery or notions shop called Buttons and Bows. Apparently it is still at the same location so I will need to visit it in my next visit to Victoria.


I was also lucky the other day because we had the opportunity watch our sons dance both Monday and Tuesday night. It is wonderful to see the culmination of the year's work and dedication but the thrill is to see how much they enjoy themselves. So why the skillet pictured at here you ask? Well with the two boys at pre-performance rehearsals, we had the chance to eat a quick vegetarian meal. But what to make? We have onions, garlic and tomatoes along with some pasta and cannellini beans in the pantry. I had the makings of quick, impromptu pasta dish. I chopped two onions and slowly browned them in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook them slowly enough to bring out the onions sugars and then add 2 to 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Chop two tomatoes (mine were vine-ripened but unfortunately not organic) and slowly cook them down (around 7 minutes). Add the rinsed and drained beans to heat. While putting this together I found a block of cream cheese in the refrigerator which was perfect for holding the dish together and marrying the flavours (I only used half the block) and added a small amount of Parmigiana and chopped,fresh flat leaf parsley(from the window sill) before tossing it with the pasta. I photographed it before adding pasta as I had gluten-free quinoa fusilli and my husband and daughter had regular rotini. The meal conversation was very quiet compared to usual and somewhat refreshing to be without our vivacious carnivores.

Of course, seeing a special performance means dressing up a little. I have always loved linen and silks. I look forward to wearing this jacket in linen which is beautifully cut and embellished with the taupe skirt (pictured in the back ground). Recently I found a sleeveless silk blouse at the thrift store which works perfectly with this outfit(great print and fit too) and the jacket is the ideal base to one of my vintage brooches.


Another thrifting find is this vintage wicker handbag. I use my felted purses in cool weather but I like summer-like textures as it gets warmer. This purse is in good condition and although it does not have a label, it does say Empire Made on the inside. The Liberty scarf was found at our church's Nearly New Shop. If you love print and pattern, Liberty's can keep your attention for long stretches.

Nadine included a personal note in the parcel which was typed (with a typewriter) and information on creature comfots blog for making free postage labels. My old Smith Corona needs to be used again. Sharing my luck inspires me to have my own give away soon.

My Creative Space: Completed WIPs and a seasonal recipe

Which one is the weed? Obviously the dandelion you say. Not so fast I say! The recipe mentioned above is not for dandelions. We have tried them but we really did not like them but maybe one day we will try them again. When the kids were little they would enthusiastically present the dandelions they picked just for me. For some gardeners the violets would create a lovely carpet of spring colour. The point of my photo is that in my garden, both of the pictured flowering plants are weeds. No matter how carefully I try to remove the violets (making sure that I have all the roots) they keep coming back and in the actual flower beds, choke out the plants that I am actively cultivating.

There are some wonderful things about Spring gardening: blossoms on the trees, waves of bulbs and the freshness of it all. It is rather difficult to be getting creative in the sewing studio when the garden beckons and seeing the violets in the lawn reminds me that I should try to get them out of the flower beds before they take over. So with limited crafting time and better weather, guilt becomes a strong motivator. The detail of the bulletin board is now evidence of a complete WIP. It really does not look any different than yesterday unless you look close up. After over 16 months it is finally varnished and ready to use.

The one above is for Number 4 and the one to the left is for Number 3. This was a project that was given as an incomplete Christmas gift to all three sons. It stayed an incomplete and unused gift. December weather interfered with the final finishing. I was afraid of using brush on varnish over the images and concerned about using spay varnish indoors. Even though I have a nontoxic spray varnish, I am much happier using it outside. The first two boards have copied images from the boys' favourite books: Graeme Base's At the Water Hole for Number 4 and Dragonology for Number 3. I did use copy written images so you could only do this for your own use and it would be preferable to use actual pages from the books. Being a book family, we would find it difficult cut up a book unless it was already irreparably damaged.

This the one for Number 1. I used purchased stickers that are reproductions of vintage travel stickers. In decorating his room, we gave it a vintage travel feel which helps in its use as an occasional guest room. The first two bulletin required a lot of careful, detailed scissor and glue work so the sticker were a treat to use. It is funny how when interruptions to the process (lack of time and weather in this instance) can lead to a dropped project. Of course, mother guilt eventually will put it back in play and I am pleased to say that these bulletin boards are ready to use.
More spaces of creativity can be found at Kristy's blog.

So what do you feed your family when there are distractions in the garden or other creative spaces. I recommend this family friendly dish originally found in the Canadian Dairy Boards annual Milk Calendar. Country-Style Spaghetti is a family friendly meal that is ideally suited for limited time and in between seasons type of appetite. We are having outdoor grilling weather at one moment and then it can rather quickly be raining heavily or blowing the next. It even uses an ingredient that might have been slated for the grill.

Country Style Spaghetti -serve 4 to 6

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. hot red chili flakes (opt.)
1/4 c. chopped pimento or sweet red pepper
1 lb. sausages (sweet or hot Italian) removed from casing and broken up
2 Tbsp. flour ( or tapioca starch)
2 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown sausage as you break it into chunks. When the sausage is getting brown, add the garlic, onions and hot pepper flakes. Drain off any excess fat.
2. Sprinkle meat with flour and cook a few minutes, stirring. Add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add nutmeg, salt, pepper and pimentos. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3. While sauce is cooking, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook until tender 10 to 12 minutes and drain.
4. Toss spaghetti with sauce, cheese and parsley. Taste and season if necessary.

Serve with any green vegetable and if you wish, garlic bread.

Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes



If you are looking for other recipes check out Randi's blogand see what else is in the Recipe Swap Box.

My Creative Space: someone's in the kitchen

On the kitchen window sill a gerbera is blooming again and suggesting the promise that is starting to occur outside. It is too early here to put out bedding plants and not all the grass is green and only some trees are in bud. The early bulbs are up and some I have even seen the odd magnolia in bloom. The will to put finishing touches on my WIPs is experiencing some sort of spring fever. We have had some wild extremes in our weather which has inspired me to cook food from two seasons in the same week. I suppose that it is quite old-fashioned to plan your meals by the season but it is an idea that comes naturally and seems to be embraced by many. Seasonally can be taken to mean what fresh food is in season or what the season inspires us to eat. We have jumped from chilly to hot days for more than a week and it has made meal planning interesting. Last Saturday was a lovely day and called for something grilled outside. My daughter was with me at the grocery store and made the request for pork brochettes, green beans and foil potatoes. If the side burner of our gas barbeque was still working, everything could have been cooked outside. The pork was marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano and threaded on skewars to grill. The potaoes were thinly sliced and tossed in olive oil and then wrapped in foil packets and grilled mostly on the upper rack. A third of the packets had the addition of chopped garlic and the family decided that we should do more garlic next time it is made. It was the first dinner to be eaten in our three season sunroom/screened porch.

Later that evening, I prepared dozens of meatballs for the freezer and and meatloaf for the next day. I also used the thrifted stoneware mini-bundt pan to bake some gluten and egg-free banana cakes. This is what it looked like the next morning when I got up. Count the cakes! Number 3 admitted later that day that he had picked at it and that looked very obvious and he ate the whole mini-bundt but it was very good.

It was a rather chilly day so the meatloaf was perfect along with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes. We had strawberries and whipped cream for dessert with coffee from our not often enough used espresso maker (I have placed it on an eye-level shelf in one of the kitchen cupboards so it will not be a hassle to use). I do not usually serve out of season non-organic strawberries but I did have number 2 with me at the grocery store the day before; her interest in helping to plan and prepare the food persauded me.

Monday we ate an Indian meal with a meat recipe from one of my favourite modern cookbooks with rice,cauliflower and broccoli. While my children happily eat a spiced meat dish they tend to prefer their vegetables steamed just to tender. We repeated the previous nights dessert but without the coffee as we only had enough coffee for the next morning. Tuesday was busy with everyone on a slightly different schedule, so some of the meatballs were pulled from the freezer, spaghetti was boiled and jarred sauce was heated for those that like sauce accompanied by a store-bought crusty loaf toasted with garlic butter and served with green peas (frozen) and no dessert.

Wednesday it was warm again and I was inspired to make a simple coleslaw in a recently found pyrex bowl. I love this shade of yellow and find the square-round shape interesting. Apparently it came with a square lid with tab handles so I will keep my eyes open for a lid and may join the pyrex love flicker group in hopes of finding a trade. It is sitting on one of my vintage tableclothes which also feels spring-like.

Here is a new vintage cookbook that fills a hole in my library as my only barbeque cookbook is the Presidnt's Choice one which means it is full of recipes suggesting their prepared sauces and marinades. I have yet to cook from it but it helped to inspire Wednesday's menu.











I needed to go to the store for other reasons and was pleased to see a family package of wing steaks marked down before they expired. That was perfect served with rice and more broccoli. It also gave me the opportunity to use the steak knife set that my parents bought early in their marriage. I have always liked the look and feel of these knives and enjoy our relatively infrequent use of them. Steak for a family of six is not an everyday occurance and everyone enjoyed this meal. It was warm but windy, so we ate indoors.
The whole family seems excited to be switching into a more summer-like menu plan although we are still likely to have some cool days, I think the stews and heavier casseroles are over for this season. If anyone wants details of any recipes and how I alter traditional recipes to make them egg and gluten free let me know in the comments and I will happy to provide them. Link to Kristy's blog to what inspires others in their creative spaces.

Thrifty week and where it takes me

Not all of my thrifting is done at thrift stores. Garage sales are just starting up although I have yet to go to one this season and I have found some treasures at consignment stores. When I have shopped there I have be lucky to find that what I am planning to purchase is often at final mark down of fifty percent off. I have been looking for a small teapot for the sitting area of our bedroom; one that holds two china mugs worth. This one has a vintage, shabby chic look that works with the other china I have in the room and the painted white found furniture. The small bowl in the photo was also found at my favourite consignment store on the same day last week. I am loving the mid-century modern look to the colours and style of glazing and how it goes with the new cushions in my last post.
Here I have it with a vase that was my Grandmother's. My aunt said that she always remembered it in the house and after a little research I found out when and where it was made. Medalta
Potteries is part of Canadian history that reminds me of how our resource rich society used to use those resources for manufacture of domestic and exported goods. I am pretty sure that the vase dates from the forties. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to ask my Grandmother how she acquired it. The bowl is marked Mel-Bar, Canada and I have yet to figure out much about it. Any ideas?

Of course, like many others I am always on the lookout for Pyrex in appealing colours,patterns and good condition. Unfortunately, the consignment store only had one so-so piece of Fire-King. I was inspired to photograph two pieces found in the last year that make me think of Spring. The yellow piece is from the fifties and the aqua bowl is from the sixties. I belive the table cloth is from the early seventies as its fibre content is cotton and modal and the tag has a date. I use my vintage pieces daily as I do not want to create a museum, but to collect pieces that are both useful and pleasing.
Sometimes I am lucky enough to find vintage cookbooks. Ottawa has fewer used bookstores than in past so I now try to scan the shelves in the thrift stores. I am not just looking for vintage titles but anything that I find interesting and useful. There have been a few titles that I have wished to the thrift fairies and been blessed by a find. Most notable for me has been the Julia Child pictured here; an eighth printing(Dec. 1964) of the original 1962 edition. I have wanted it for a long time but ultimately was not interested in spending the money on a new version. There is something altogether singular about possessing a copy that was in existence as the contents of the book were changing how North Americans cooked or indeed how they thought of food. We certainly would not have the same Martha Stewart, who has so influenced our homes in the last 15+ years, if she had not worked her way through the book. Is any one else anticipating this film? Julia came to my rescue for Easter dinner. I had left the marketing a little late and was only able to buy a boneless leg of lamb. Now most of the recipes in my books suggest
butterflying and grilling such a beast but our barbeque had yet to be tried for the season and I prefer not to broil lamb as it is very smokey. Her book had a few options and I settled on using the Garlic and Herb Stuffing with very satisfying results. While I may not work my way through the whole book, I know that I will continue to consult Julia on a regular basis.
The first book on the right of the photo is the Good Housekeeping Cookbook in the 1949 printing of the 1942 original.
This book I have flipped through and found various helpful bits of information and I am now reading it from the beginning. I have yet to cook from it but there is an emphasis on basic technique and frugal planning and covers just about anything someone new to domestic cooking would need to know. The middle book is a 1958 revised version of the 1942 original called The Modern Family Cook Book. The author Meta Given seems to be well prepared for writing this cookbook which I found out by reading its still present dust jacket! (pretty rare for a 50+ years old cookbook)
I have used a scalloped potato recipe from the book which was very easy to prepare. It seemed simpler than the last time I made them which was a long time ago and I would say the results were not what I expected. I will have to try again but with a little more research. I think scalloped potatoes would look fabulous in this "Horizon Blue" covered casserole.

Modern Love, Vintage Love

Like most people, my loves may contrast but I hope show a little balance. Even though vintage domestica appeals to me on many levels, in order to have the time to do all that I need and want to do I require some very efficient modern equipment. Our Kitchen Aid Blender is one of my favourites in my kitchen arsenal. We are not really a smoothie or milkshake family (although those treats are sometimes enjoyed) nor do we have any more babies (and me pouting when my computer skills do not meet my expectations does not count) so why have a blender? Well number 1 has multiple disabilities that including chewing and swallowing and requires a pureed diet that is gluten and dairy free. Often we make ahead multiple (teen aged size) portions and use our Braun 400w hand blender but occasionally the foodie and sometimes disorganized/over-booked Mummie needs to just give him some of the family's Lamb Vindaloo with rice and veggies pureed in. He also loves fruit: bananas and whatever other fruit or juice we have on hand are a daily use for the blender. I love this particular blender because it beautiful, works perfectly, is quiet, is very well made (we have had a few of another brand die on us) and because it is last years model I bought it on sale.

In the same room we have a vintage kitchen tool that replaces several modern versions that have failed over the years. Like many people, we love our coffee! We are also more than a little particular about how it is made. We have and use a french press but find it is best for after dinner coffee (with dessert). We also have an espresso maker that we like (it was a gift) but it does not make the quantity we want in the morning. For many years we had a series of automatic drip coffee makers that ultimately have been a disappointment: the quality of coffee produced tends to deteriorate over the life of the machine, our last one leaked water (so you could not use the timer) just after the warranty expired and I had concerns about the plastics in contact with hot water and acidic coffee and a little bit with the fire hazard potential (I like to unplug the toaster, for instance). I have memories of making coffee for my parents back in the 70's (when they were about to come back in the house from working out in the garden) in a manual, ceramic Melita Coffee Maker. My Mum still has the coffee maker but was unwilling to part with it. So after scouring eBay and being unwilling to spend $30 on something that might break in shipping, I wished to the thrift fairies to find one in the thrift stores. Within a few weeks I found the cone and at another store I found the pot (not Melitta, but it fits). I could not believe my luck and was thrilled because it really makes the best coffee and all for under $7. It takes a little time and attention to pour the boiling water but the process smells great and makes the coffee that much more enjoyable; no worries about plastics and no planned obsolescence. The pot fits on our stove's warming element or we can put the extra in a thermal carafe. It even pours better than any automatic coffee maker I have ever used so it is nice to serve guests. I wonder if Melitta will bring back this coffee maker?