Vintage Linen Soak

If you have vintage linens that have yellowed with age, you may find this recipe helpful.

In a large roaster or pot, fill with hot water and several slices of lemon. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and add your linens. Use a wooden spoon to push down the linens until they become completely submerged and saturated with the water. Cover the pot and leave overnight.

Rinse well, wash with mild detergent and water as usual and then lay the items out in the sun to dry.

Have A Safe And Happy Memorial Day!

They are dead; but they live in each Patriot's breast,
And their names are engraven on honor's bright crest.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What's Scenting The Cottage Today?

Dark Irish Soda Bread and it smells heavenly! This recipe bakes 2 loaves so share one with a neighbor as I do, or freeze one for another day.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/4 cups buttermilk (I make my own for this recipe by adding 2 tbsp lemon juice to 2 cups of milk and then adding more milk up to the 2 1/4 cup mark. Let sit for about 5-6 minutes and it's ready to use!)

Add all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour all of the buttermilk into the bowl at once and stir using a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed. Pour the contents onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead for a minute. Cut in to 2 portions and shape each loaf into a round, pressing down on the top just to barely flatten it. Place the 2 loaves on a large baking tray (I line mine with parchment but if you have nonstick you don't need to). Sprinkle the tops of your bread with just a bit of wheat flour and slash a cross into the top of each with a sharp knife. Allow the loaves to rest for 10 minutes and then bake on the middle rack of your oven for 30 - 40 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. (My oven only takes 25-30 mins so watch your bread after about 20 mins or so)





Would you like to top off your wonderful bread with some Orange Irish Whiskey Marmalade? You can make your own with a store bought marmalade and a few minutes!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup good quality orange marmalade
2 tablespoons of Irish Whiskey (I use Bushmills)

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until a candy thermometer reads 200 degrees. Stir in the marmalade and cook until the thermometer reads 240 degrees.
Stir in the Irish Whiskey and cook, stirring until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. Spoon the marmalade into a clean jar and store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
This recipe makes about 1 cup.

Serve on your Irish Soda Bread or any toast that you like.

So Easy Breakfast Cobbler...

If you have hurried mornings, or even if you don't, you'll love waking up to this breakfast! You may not even need to set your alarm clock, the aroma wafting in to your bed chamber will have you tempted to start your day early.

Ingredients:
4 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 cups granola cereal

Instructions:
Place apples in your crock pot and mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours (overnight) or on high 2-3 hours. Serve with milk.
Yields: 4 servings

For The Frugal

Do you like to sew, knit, crochet or do crafts? Visit http://www.freepatterns.com and you can download free patterns! Check out their site, I think you'll love it!

Did You Know...

That you can stop spaghetti boil over or it sticking together if you add a small piece of butter or a few teaspoons of oil to the water? The same holds true for rice. Give it a try the next time you prepare it for dinner!

Civil War Recipe...Rumbled Eggs

Most cookbooks of the civil war period had entire sections devoted to cooking for the sick and invalid. Sadly, it was an all too common status in the years of the war, and long afterwards. Also included in the category would be those who, while otherwise healthy, had lost or damaged teeth and consequent difficulty chewing hard foods. Here is a rumbled egg recipe from the Godey’s Lady’s Book magazine.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 oz. butter
1 tsp. cream or milk
Buttered toast

Beat up three eggs with two ounces of fresh butter, or well-washed salt butter; add a teaspoonful of cream or new milk. Put all in a saucepan and keep stirring it over the fire for nearly five minutes, until it rises up like a soufflé, when it should be immediately dished on buttered toast.

Irish Guinness Cake...

Cakes rich in fruit have always been popular in Ireland. One favorite variation on the fruitcake theme was the "porter cake". Since Ireland had an active porter tradition of it's own before Guinness came on the scene, it was only a matter of time before it made its way into the local fruitcakes, and the tradition very quickly spread downcountry.

There are hundreds of porter cake recipes across Ireland. Most of them now call for Guinness since porter is harder to find.

Have ready a 9-inch springform pan, or a 9-inch round or square pan with high sides
(3 inches high or so).

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup butter or margarine, cut into cubes
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup finely chopped citron, candied orange or lemon peel
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 3/4 cups soft dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 cups Guinness or other stout
4 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 325° F / 160° C.

Line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with waxed paper (butter the sides a little to help the wax paper stick), and brush with a little melted butter or margarine.

Sift the flour and spices and half the baking soda together into a large bowl or food processor with the metal blade fitted. Mix well or pulse until combined. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, or pulse, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the fruit, lemon rind and sugar, and stir or pulse to combine. (If using the food processor, you can pulse the mixture a little more to chop the fruit more finely.)

Add the beaten egg to the mixture and mix or pulse briefly again. Dissolve the remaining baking soda in the Guinness; then add this to the mixture as well and stir or pulse until well combined.

Pour (or scrape) the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Then lower the temperature to 300°F / 150° C, cover the top of the cake loosely with a sheet of waxed paper, and bake for a further 1 1/2 hours.

The cake should be a deep brown color and firm to the touch when finished. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in its pan before turning it out and peeling off the waxed paper. When it's out, dust the top with confectioners' sugar or icing sugar.

This cake keeps very well in an airtight container for a week and also freezes well. Some like to pierce it with a knife and "feed" it a little more Guinness before serving, say a few teaspoons full. Don't overdo this, you don't want the cake to fall apart.

Serve it with fresh unsweetened whipped cream.

For The Love Of Quilts

I love handmade quilts, they are a masterpiece of the heart. Many of the quilts of yesterday took a lifetime to make. Perhaps the mystical part of quilts—the aspect that makes them almost human—is the countless hours of work and devotion it took to create them.

Beyond their beauty and usefulness, quilts possess a magic that will never die, for all of life's hopes and fears, loves and hates have been sewn into them. A partial unraveling of quilt history reveals that the oldest example of patchwork, a canopy for an Egyptian queen, dates back to 960 B.C. In the earliest quilts, grass and leaves or feathers were used for the filling. After the top had been meticulously pieced together, the three layers were assembled and laid over a quilting frame supported by legs, sawhorses, or chair backs. In the South, the quilting frame was often suspended from the ceiling. The layers were then joined together by quilting, the running of stitches through the three layers of material.

The origin of quilts are somewhat sketchy. The name derives from the Latin meaning "stuffed sack." I imagine the quilt maker stitching away at her labor of love and perhaps wondering where it will be years after she (or he) is gone. Some quilts hold layers of meaning, others are stitched just for the job of keeping warm. Our job, if we own one of these treasures, is to lengthen their life by protecting them to the best of our ability. A few enemies of our treasured quilts include light, dirt, humidity, heat, insects, and pressure, among others.

Never put any quilt in direct light, whether natural or artificial. I have had a couple of my quilts fade due to the sun and though I still love them, they can never be returned to their freshly made, colorful splendor. In antique quilts the fabrics were either colored with natural dyes or the "new" synthetic dyes, which began to be used toward the end of the 19th century. With few exceptions, most of these dyes were not very color-fast, which is why we see greens that have faded to yellow or dull blue, purples that have faded to tan, and blacks have disintegrated the fiber completely. Even today, the dyes currently available can fade fairly rapidly when exposed to light.

Before you put a quilt in storage, take time to clean it. Bugs like to eat food stains and spray starch. Be sure to take care of any problems before storing your quilt. Usually, just a good vacuuming will take care of any problems. Place a 12" x 12" square of screening (with the edges covered with masking tape) over your quilt and gently use a hand-held vacuum to remove surface dust. Consider wet cleaning only as a last resort and realize that it will deteriorate your quilt to some extent. Be sure to consult some knowledgeable sources before attempting to wash an antique quilt. Never have your quilt dry-cleaned; the chemicals used can be very harsh to the fibers and are never completely removed.

Never store your quilts in plastic bags. Textiles need to breathe. When excess heat and moisture build, mildew will inevitably occur. Once the quilt is spotted with mildew, it is very difficult to remove the stains. Instead, if you need to store your quilts in a closet or other enclosed space, wrap them in clean, un-dyed, un-bleached muslin. Be sure to remove them from storage every three to six months. Spread them on a flat surface and air them out, first on one side and then the other. I like to hang mine on quilt racks and let them have their turns at displaying their loveliness. While you have the quilt out, be sure to inspect for signs of bugs or new stains.

When you return the quilt to storage, fold it in a different way. If you had folded it in half last time, then fold it in thirds this time. Don't crush your quilt and fold it as little as possible. When you fold it, do it so the backing is on the inside. The most wrinkles will occur on the inside of a fold. You can minimize the wrinkles by cushioning the folds with crushed, acid free tissue paper or a roll of muslin.

Enjoy the wonderful quilts you have stitched, inherited or adopted, but be sure to care for them so other generations will be able to enjoy them too.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes?

Bake some Chocolate Potato Cupcakes! This recipe will also make a double layer 8 inch cake or you can use a bundt pan. Frost with whipped cream topping or your favorite frosting and enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 oz. plain chocolate, melted or 4 level tablespoons cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cooked mashed potato
1/2 cup butter
4 tablspoons milk
2 eggs

Cream the butter and sugar with the mashed potato, then add the melted chocolate or the cocoa. Add the beaten eggs, alternately with the flour and the salt. Finally pour in the milk, mixing well, to make a soft dough. Fill muffin tins or grease two 8inch cake pans and divide batter equally between them. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 15-20 minutes for cupcakes and 25-30 minutes for cake pans. Cake is done when toothpick inserted comes out clean. The tops will also be springy to the touch when done. Cool and then frost with whipped cream or desired frosting.

Recycle Your Dryer Lint...

One of the reasons we clean out dryer lint is to prevent fires, as it's highly flammable. Why not use it to start a fire where you want one, such as when you go camping and need to have a camp fire?

One way to do this is to pack lint into a small section of toilet paper or paper towel tubing to take on your camping trips. The lint will light quickly and get your kindling off to a good start.

Another method is to make fire starters by packing lint into the cups of paper egg cartons. Pour melted candle wax over the lint. Cut the egg carton apart into 12 separate fire starters and simply light the edge of the paper egg cup and place next to your kindling to get a good blaze started.

Did You Know...

That you can use cold cream to clean your child's plastic doll? It removes the dirt without removing any color from the doll's face or body.

Mix N Match Quick Breads

The weather has me inside the cottage today so you will find me in the kitchen enjoying my favorite hobby, baking! If you love baking quick breads too, you will love this post. I'm reposting it for new visitors to my blog because I don't want you to miss this one! You can mix and match numerous ingredients and have fun creating new bread recipes for gifts and tea. Happy Baking!


You can also make muffins with this recipe. (Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups Mix-n-Match (see below)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds (your choice)
Mix-n-Match (one or more of the following to equal 2 cups)
Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots, chopped
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries, pitted and chopped
Coconut, grated
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit 1 cup sugar)
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped
Pineapple, crushed and well-drained
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well-drained
Sweet Potatoes or Yams, cooked and mashed, or grated
Zucchini, grated and well-drained
Directions:
Sift together dry ingredients.
In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together.
Stir in vanilla and your choice of Mix-n-Match.
Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts.
Spoon into 2 well-greased loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
For Muffins:
Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Tasty MIX-N-MATCH combinations:
Carrot-Raisin-Walnut
Pumpkin-Raisin-Sunflower seeds
Apple-Cranberry-Walnut
Cranberry-Orange-Walnut

Purple Clover...

There is a flower that bees prefer,
And butterflies desire;
To gain the purple democrat
The humming-birds aspire.

And whatsoever insect pass,
A honey bears away
Proportioned to his several dearth
And her capacity.

Her face is rounder than the moon,
And ruddier than the gown
Of orchis in the pasture,
Or rhododendron worn.

She doth not wait for June;
Before the world is green
Her sturdy little countenance
Against the wind is seen,

Contending with the grass,
Near kinsman to herself,
For privilege of sod and sun,
Sweet litigants for life.

And when the hills are full,
And newer fashions blow,
Doth not retract a single spice
For pang of jealousy.

Her public is the noon,
Her providence the sun,
Her progress by the bee proclaimed
In sovereign, swerveless tune.

The bravest of the host,
Surrendering the last,
Nor even of defeat aware
When cancelled by the frost.

Emily Dickinson

Let Them Eat...

Pie! Ok, so the quote is cake...but at this time of year I love pie! Delicious, homemade pies bursting with delectable, mouthwatering ingredients encased in a light, flaky pastry. What could be better on a warm spring or summer day?

Early pies were mostly meat pies, and it wasn't until after the Crusaders returned to Europe in the 12th century with a taste for Arab confections that honey, sugar, and fruits began to be incorporated into pies.

The first all fruit pies became popularized in England during the 1500s, and it's known that Queen Elizabeth I grew very fond of them. She also loved tarts highly sweetened with sugar. Numerous recipes for pies were developed by chefs employed by the nobility, and pies and tarts eventually became a pleasurable treat enjoyed by all.

Great care should be taken in heating the oven for baking your pastries. If you can hold your hand in the heated oven while you count to twenty, the oven has just the proper temperature and it should be kept at this temperature as long as the pastry is in; this heat will bake your little lovely to a light brown and will give the pastry a fresh and flaky appearance.

Here are a few vintage tips for you that will be sure to help you have a successful pie baking experience.

Apple pie will have a new flavor if you grate a little orange rind into the sugar and sprinkle over apples in usual way. Or, sprinkle the sliced apples with a few drops of lemon juice and dot with butter. This gives your pie a little something extra. I like to pre-cook my apples on the stove top to soften them a bit before putting in the pie shell. It ensures the apples will be perfectly baked when the pie is done.

Cream pie or custards will not become watery if milk is scalded before using. When a custard pie shrinks from the crust, it has been baked in too hot an oven. The oven should be hot for the first eight or ten minutes, in order to bake the pastry so that it will not become soaked with liquid. Then reduce the heat or the custard will boil.

Meringue will always stand up high and perfect if a generous pinch of baking soda is added to beaten egg whites. Here's a tip for your meringue...add four or five marshmallows cut into pieces or 1/2 cup miniature ones, to meringue just before spreading. These marshmallows give both flavor and body to the meringue. The latter is important if your pie is to stand for sometime before serving. Keep those portions of your meringue pie unbroken and fluffy by cutting with a knife dipped in cold water.

Have quick and thrifty cream pies anytime. Use the flavorful packaged pudding powders. Prepare as directed on the package. You can vary with nuts, coconut, fruits, or by layering or marbling different flavors.

If a flaky upper crust is what you love, before putting the pie in the oven, brush top crust lightly with cold water. The result will melt in your mouth.

For a nice shiny appearance to your top crust, brush before baking with milk or with milk mixed with a little egg.

Egg wash for glazing pastry: the yolk of 1 egg and 1/2 cup evaporated milk or sweet cream. Beat the yolk of egg, add the milk or cream to it and use to brush over the surface of your pastry, applying it with a soft pastry brush. This mixture can be refrigerated for a few days.

To keep your fruit or pumpkin pies from becoming soggy, brush the sides and bottom crusts with the beaten white of egg, then sprinkle lightly with flour and add the filling. This prevents juices from soaking through the crust.

To keep juice in the pie, mix the juicy fruit filling with sugar and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca. I especially love this tip for my blackberry pies.

For well filled custard pies without spilling: Pull rack part way out of oven. Set pastry-lined pie pan on rack. Pour filling in clear to top. When pie’s filled, slide rack back into oven.

If you love lattice crust on your fruit pies, weave strips of pastry on waxed paper. Slip hand under paper, then quickly flip lattice top over onto fruit. Much less mess than attempting to weave your crust on to a the fruit itself.

After crimping the edge of the pie crust, lift the edge of the crust gently all around with your fingers. This keeps the dough from sticking to the dish while baking and makes it easier to take out the pieces of pie.

To keep “shells” (crusts baked before filling is added) from bulging or shrinking during baking, fit the sheet of dough carefully into the corners of of your pie pan. Do not leave any air spaces between pan and dough. Prick the bottom with a fork. Of course, you can purchase pie weights or use beans to keep your crusts down as well.

Fasten the upper and lower edges of two crust pies together tightly. Brush the lower edge with water. Press the upper edge down with a fork or fold into scallops with the finger tips.

Don't forget...prick or slash the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Happy Pie Baking!

Storing Away Your Winter Sweaters?

Instead of moth balls, try using dried lavender blossoms, dried mint leaves, or cedar shavings (the kind available as pet bedding works well). The odor of these natural materials are pleasant, yet they repel moths, and there are no dangers involved as with moth balls.

Moth balls are poisonous and are considered a pesticide. Avoid inhaling moth ball fumes and do not use them around young children and pets.

Let The Sun Shine In...

Will you be cleaning your cottage windows this spring? Try drying the inside panes with up-and-down strokes, and the outside with back-and-forth motions to see which side has smudges. It will save you from going from one side of your window to the next trying to figure out which side is streaked.

Heirloom Measurements...

There was an issue with blogger and this post disappeared so I am posting it again in the case someone wanted to save it and was unable to.

Measurements:
1 coffee cup = a scant cup
1 tumbler = 1 cup
1 peck = 2 gallons - dry
1 pinch or dash = what can be picked up between thumb and first two fingers; less than 1/8 teaspoon
1/2 pinch = what can be picked up between thumb and one finger
1 saltspoon = 1/4 teaspoon
1 kitchen spoon = 1 teaspoon
1 dessert spoon = 2 teaspoons or 1 soup spoon
1 spoonful = 1 tablespoon, more or less
1 saucer = 1 heaping cup (about)
1 penny weight = 1/20 ounce
1 drachma = 1/8 ounce
60 drops thick fluid = 1 teaspoon

1 ounce =
4 1/2 tablespoons allspice, cinnamon, curry , paprika or dry mustard
4 tablespoons cloves or prepared mustard
3 1/2 tablespoons nutmeg or pepper
3 tablespoons sage, cream of tartar or cornstarch
2 tablespoons salt or any liquid

1 pound =
2 cups liquid
4 cups flour
8 medium size eggs with shells
10 eggs without shells
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar or packed brown sugar
4 cups grated cabbage, cranberries, coffee or chopped celery
3 cups cornmeal
2 cups uncooked rice
2 3/4 cups raisins or dried currants

Butter the size of an egg = 1/4 cup or 2 ounces
Butter the size of a walnut = 1 tablespoon
Butter the size of a hazelnut = 1 teaspoon

Temperatures:
very slow oven - below 300 degrees F
slow oven - 300 degrees F
moderately slow oven - 325 degrees F
moderate oven - 350 degrees F
moderately hot oven - 375 degrees F
quick oven - 375 - 400 degrees F
hot oven - 400 - 425 degrees F
very hot oven - 450 - 475 degrees F
extremely hot oven - 500 degrees F or more

A sensitive plant in a garden grew,
And the young winds fed it with silver dew,
And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light,
and closed them beneath the kisses of night.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant," 1820

Strawberry Crumb Squares...

Today I was in the mood to bake something so took out my recipe for Raspberry Crumb Squares. I'm out of sugar free raspberry jam so I used my sugar free strawberry jam in it's place. I always use the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" cubes to reduce fat but feel free to use real butter and full sugar jams if you prefer.

I double the batch and individually wrap these in saran wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze. They are great to pull out for breakfast, tea, or when you just want a nice snack.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (or I can't believe it's not butter cubes)
1 cup brown sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups quick oats (uncooked)
1- 12oz. jar of raspberry jam or jam of your choice (I use sugar free)

Cream butter and then beat in brown sugar. Gradually add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well and stir in oats.

Place 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x12 pan (I double the batch and use 11x14 glass pan). Spread the preserves carefully over the bottom crust, not quite to the edges.


Spread the remaining crust mixture over the top of the jam and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool (unless you prefer them warm with sugar free vanilla ice cream balanced atop;) Cut into squares and enjoy! These bars freeze very well.

What is a Mother?

A mother is someone to shelter and guide us,
To love us, whatever we do,
With a warm understanding and infinite patience.
And wonderful gentleness, too.
How often a mother means swift reassurance
In soothing our small, childish fears,
How tenderly mothers watch over their children
And treasure them all through the years!
The heart of a mother is full of forgiveness
For any mistake, big or small,
And generous always in helping her family,
Whose needs she has placed above all.
A mother can utter a word of compassion
And make all our cares fall away,
She can brighten a home with the sound of her laughter
And make life delightful and gay.
A mother possesses incredible wisdom
And wonderful insight and skill
In each human heart is that one special corner
Which only a mother can fill!
Katherine Nelson Davis

Happy Mother's Day to my mother and all of the mothers reading this today!

Ironing...

"I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare."
— Tasha Tudor

These days we have so many non-wrinkle fabrics that we don't have to spend much time ironing, however, if you still have a few items that need to be pressed, or you iron your linens, you may find these tips helpful.

Did you know that if you spin dry your clothes at lower speed they will have less wrinkles in them? The higher the speed the more the wrinkling. Take your clothes out as soon as the spinning is over and shake them well to remove tangling. Put to dry immediately. Once completely dried, remove and fold immediately and you will have very few wrinkles to iron out. I launder our cottage curtains often and this has been very helpful in cutting down my ironing time.

Placing aluminum foil below the cover of your ironing board helps to cut your ironing time as well. The foil reflects heat, thus ironing both sides at the same time.

When pressing pants or jeans, iron the top part on the wrong side. Iron the legs on the right side. This gives the pockets and waistband a smooth look.

Loose threads or ravels can easily be snipped if you tie a small pair of scissors to the end of your ironing board.

The Scent of Rosemary Shortbread ...Heavenly

I know what you're thinking but give these buttery little morsels a try. I think you will be very pleased and surprised! Some people are put off by the notion of herb cookies but the combination of the taste of the rosemary shortbread with a nice earl grey/lavender tea is divine. The flavor improves with age (best 2 days after), keeping for about a week in the cookie jar (if they last that long please give me your secret for self control) and they can be frozen to pull out and thaw for tea anytime you need a sweet.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour salt and rosemary until well blended. The dough will be somewhat soft. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles 1 1/2x2 inches in size. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops.
Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Sewing Tips...

When basting on one of your sewing projects, thread the needle, but don't cut the thread from the spool. This way you won't have to stop and keep re-threading your needle.

Speaking of thread...to prevent yours from becoming tangled when you are hand sewing, knot each strand separately instead of knotting them together. It sounds to easy but this has really worked for me.

To keep your work area neat and tidy, tape a small bag to your sewing table or work area to get rid of your threads and scraps. When the bag is full, just throw it away and replace with a new one.

Upside Down Blueberry Cake...

Ok...I know I'm supposed to be on a "blogging break" but I just couldn't help myself. I had to sneak in to the computer and post this delicious recipe for you!

I LOVE blueberries and always have them on hand. If you're also a blueberry lover, try this recipe for teatime or dessert. Lucious!

BLUEBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1/2 cup butter (I use "I can't believe it's not butter" cubes for my baking)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cups blueberries
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar (can use Splenda)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In heavy, oven-proof skillet (10 inch..I use cast iron but you can also use a baking pan for this recipe), melt butter. Add brown sugar, then blueberries. Beat eggs well. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk, then dry ingredients; beat well.

Pour into skillet, completely covering berries. Bake about 45 minutes until berry juice bubbles around edges. When done, cover with serving plate and invert. Scrape any remaining berries or sugar mixture from pan. Best served warm.

Put a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream on this....ooo la la!

Help For Your Hands...

To remove garden stains from your hands, try placing about 1/2 tsp. sugar with the soap lather when you wash your hands. You will be amazed at how easily the stains are removed and your hands will be smooth and clean.

Celtic Salmon Of Knowledge...

If you love celtic lore as I do, I thought you may enjoy finding out what the salmon of knowledge is about.

Legend has it of how a boy called Fionn became a wise man by being the first person to eat the Salmon of Knowledge. Fionn would go on to lead a band of hunters and warriors known as the Fiana and become one of the greatest heroes in Celtic Mythology.

The story is set at the River Boyne, which is at its largest flowing through counties Louth and Meath in Ireland. In this river lived a magical salmon. Its skin shone like silver and it ate hazel that grew on the riverbank. The fish was called the Salmon of Knowledge. A druid had foretold that anyone who ate the salmon would gain its magical powers and have the knowledge of all things. An old poet, Finnegas who lived along the Boyne had spent many years trying to catch the salmon. He had hoped to be the first to eat it and gain its magical powers.

One day a young boy came running towards him. "Who are you?" asked Finnegas, "why are you running?".

"My name is Fionn" said the boy. "My father has been killed in battle, now his enemies want to kill me too".

"Do not be afraid", said Finnegas kindly. "Stay with me and I will look after you".

Fionn lived happily with Finnegas learning to be a poet. A poet was held in high esteem in Celtic civilization. Fionn thought that by becoming a poet of high esteem he would be protected from the warriors. In return Fionn would spend the day cleaning the hut and cooking the meals at night. He loved to listen to the old man telling wonderful stories.

One day Finnegas went out fishing as usual trying to catch the salmon. After a short time he came rushing to the door of the hut. In his hands he carried a huge fish. "I have caught the Salmon of Knowledge," he cried happily. "Now I will have great knowledge". Quickly Fionn lit a fire and soon the salmon was cooking. "Look after the fish, while I get some more firewood," ordered Finnegas, "but you are not to taste it", he warned Fionn.

Fionn sat watching the salmon cooking over the fire. He sat there dreaming of what wonderful powers the salmon would bring. As he sat dreaming looking at the salmon cooking he noticed a blister rising on the cooking salmon. Not thinking he burst the blister and in the process burnt his finger. Automatically he put his finger in his mouth to cool it down. Unknowingly he was the first to taste the Salmon of Knowledge. Finnegas came back and Fionn told him what had happened. Finnegas decreed "You will gain great powers, you must now go and become leader of the Fianna." And so it was.

Let Them Eat Cake...

These old fashioned recipes are taken from the book "Dr. Chase's Third, Last and Complete Receipt Book, Memorial Edition" by Dr. Alvin Wood Chase, M.D., published by F. B. Dickerson Company, Detroit and Windsor, in 1891.

Charity Cake Recipe
Sugar, 1 cup;
butter the size of an egg;
1 egg; stir to a cream;
add sweet milk, 1 cup;
flour, 2 cups;
cream of tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls;
soda, 1 teaspoonful
--Emily A. Hammond

Stir together ingredients and bake in a 350 degree oven 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

No other place so appropriate for a poor man's cake recipe, as to let it follow charity cake, for who needs charity any more than a poor man is likely to.

Poor Man's Cake Recipe
One cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoonful of butter
1 teaspoonful cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in the milk
1 egg
a little cinnamon, and enough flour to make it as stiff as pound cake.

Stir together ingredients and bake in a 350 degree oven 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For Your Locks...

Harsh chemicals in commercial shampoos, hair appliances, diet and the environment are some of the many things that take a toll on your hair. One solution is to create your own shampoo that restores your hair's moisture and sheen. Many of the ingredients you need may already be in your kitchen pantry, while the others are as close as your natural foods store or farmer's market.

If you have oily hair you may find this shampoo to your liking:

1 cup cold tap water
2 tablespoons dry peppermint (you can use a teabag)
2 tablespoons dry spearmint (you can use a teabag)
1 tablespoons dry sage
2/3 cup baby shampoo

Place the peppermint, spearmint, sage and water in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain the herbs out and mix the baby shampoo in with your herb water. Store in a plastic bottle.

For normal to dry hair you may enjoy this:

In a blender, combine:
1 ounce olive oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Store in a plastic bottle.

A Rainbow Of Stones...

The rainbow is a visible, cosmic declaration of the power inherent in each of us. In today's modern world, many of us sense that the connection with nature is something deeply lacking in our lives. Is it merely coincidence that so many people in so many countries, in different ages and times, from different cultures, attribute the same healing qualities to the same gemstones? I think not.

The seven color rays contain energy that can affect our emotions, health, activity level and much more. Use gemstones and their colors to increase the positive energies that already exist all around you.

Are you stressed out and feeling worried? Wear or place in your surroundings Agates, Green Adventurine, Rose Quartz, Rhodonite, Amethyst, Blue Agate, Herkimer Diamond, Yellow Topaz, Azurite Malachite, Black Onyx, Chrysocolla, Lapis Lazuli and Silver Gray Moonstone.

For serenity adorn yourself with Rose Quartz. It is the perfect teacher of self love. And with that love of self comes serenity and the peace that transcends understanding. What greater gift can we give ourselves than this? Rose Quartz enhances tenderness and kindness and encourages us to be loving and gentle.

When serenity lies within, peace lies without. Quiet confidence surrounds us when we know all is as it should be, and it touches all those in our circle, family and friends alike.