Hens and Roosters

I spent the first 11 years of my life in a downtown Cincinnati apartment and had very little acquaintance with chickens, but I was always fascinated by them.  Our Grandma lived in rural Vandalia outside of Dayton, Ohio, and she had lots of chickens.  When we weren’t trying to avoid getting pecked by them or trying to chase them from the outhouse before we went in, we sometimes got to feed them.  I notice in this 1942 picture that Mother had made my little sister and me short sets for the summer.  This was very unusual because although my parents married as teenagers, my 20-something father went back to the early 1900s for his rules and he didn’t like to see his women in slacks or shorts.

We saw chickens in wooden crates in the butcher shop at the old Sixth Street market but otherwise, our only contact though the years has been at  county fairs. 

For Mother’s Day in 1994, my oldest daughter made two handpainted aprons for me which featured my favorite morning glories and a flamboyant rooster. 

After the aprons became worn, I cut out the painted portions, not being sure what I would do with them.    The remnants surfaced this past week and I made a wall hanging from one section - fusing the rooster and flowers onto a background fabric and adding borders. 

I didn’t want to put the other section back into a box for another 4 or 5 years, so I made a table cover with it, fusing and using a blanket stitch to sew it down. 

I like the bright colors and cheerfulness of the two pieces and especially like the idea that I’m able to get some more enjoyment out of this beautiful painting.

Peach Lasagne

I just discovered this recipe last summer and used it several times when peaches were at their best.  I watched a TV demo on Lidia’s Italian Cooking and thought it sounded wonderful.  It’s a good way to use leftover Italian or French bread.  I would recommend using a hearty bread rather than your favorite supermarket white loaf.

PEACH LASAGNE

Fruit Layer:

• 3 lbs. ripe peaches
• Juice and grated peel of one lemon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Bread Layer:

• 6 Tblsp. butter
• 8 slices hearty bread, sliced fairly thin
• 1-1/2 Tblsp. sugar

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 4 Tblsp. butter
• 3 Tblsp. slivered almonds

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Peel peaches and cut into 1/4″ thick wedges.  Place peach slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, lemon peel and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.  Set aside.

Slice bread into the equivalent of 8 thin slices.  In this case, I used some leftover Italian bread.

Melt 3 Tblsp. butter in large skillet and lay in half of bread slices.   Brown on each side.  Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices.  Sprinkle slices with 1-1/2 Tblsp. granulated sugar.

Line the bottom of a 9″ baking dish with half of the browned bread slices - should just cover the bottom without overlapping.  Spoon half of peaches/juices on top, arrange a second layer of bread over surface and a final layer of peaches.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and cut in butter.  Mix in slivered almonds.  Crumble over the top of the peach lasagne and bake covered for 50 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes longer.

 

Serve warm.

Victory Quilt - 1940s Sampler - Completed

On Mother’s Day, I received Eleanor Burns’ new Quilt-in-a-Day book, Victory Quilts - 1940s Sampler Quilts.  I made each of the 20 blocks in the book and posted them (see my Quilting category). 

I made sashing and completed assembling the quilt which fits a queen-sized bed.  I chose darker colors because it was going to be on a bed where a dog and children play quite often and I was mainly looking for something sturdy which would stand up well to pets and kids.

The top went together very easily but I made major problems for myself by deciding to use as much as possible of my big pile of scraps to do the backing.  I used dryer sheets as the foundation for every scrap I could find and also used some full-sized orphan blocks down the center of the backing.  This was very time-consuming but I was happy to have so many bits and pieces of the last six years of quilting stitched into the back of the quilt.  Then, I started a simple meander quilting pattern on my Bernina and had nothing but trouble.  Needles broke, thread broke, and generally it was a nightmare which I’d never attempt again.  I assume the many ridges and edges of small pieces added to the foundation made it too cumbersome for the machine. 

Now, that the quilt is finished, I’m satisfied with it and learned some useful lessons in the process.

Shannon’s Curry Chicken Salad

This chicken salad with curry, apples and almonds has become our favorite over the past 4 or 5 summers.  Following is the recipe for one generous serving but, of course, it can be multiplied by as many people as you want to feed.  I like to have this salad with a good homemade roll.

SHANNON’S CURRY CHICKEN SALAD (One Serving)

• 1 cup of cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 tart apple, chopped (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith)
• 1 Tblsp. toasted slivered almonds
• 1 Tblsp. raisins
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I like to use Hellman’s Light)
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder

In a small bowl, combine chicken, apple, almonds and raisins.  In a cup, combine mayonnaise and curry powder.  Mix the mayonnaise mixture with the chicken mixture, cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. 

Makes one delicious serving.

 

Sweet and Sour Pickle Sticks

In the 20 years we lived in the country and had a huge vegetable garden, I made every type of pickle, many of them prizewinners at the county fair, but this is my personal favorite and the only pickles that we ran out of before canning season came around each year.  The cucumbers can be cut in any shape - slices, spears, or small ones could be left whole - but fairly thin sticks were always cut for these pickles. 

I used to put up 20 or 25 jars during the summer, but since I’m alone now, I make up a small batch to last through the summer barbecue season.  This recipe makes 3 one-pint jars.

SWEET AND SOUR PICKLE STICKS

• 6 medium sized pickling cucumbers (not the waxed type found at the supermarket), enough to fill 3 pint-sized Mason canning jars
• 1-1/4  cup plus 2 Tblsp. white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tblsp. pickling salt
• 1 Tblsp. celery seed
• 1 Tblsp. plus 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. mustard seed
• 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar

Cut cucumbers into strips and pack into sterilized jars.  No need to peel, but trim off the ends.  The freshest cucumbers make the crunchiest pickles.

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, pickling salt, celery seed, turmeric, mustard seed and sugar.  Bring to a boil - then boil 5 minutes longer.  Pour over the cucumbers in the jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.

Wipe jars clean, put lids on jars and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack before storing.  I’ve found an asparagus steamer is good for processing just a few jars.  Let cure for 2 weeks before using. 

This is a good web site for information on canning and preserving foods.

Zucchini or Yellow Squash Relish

In the 20 years that we had a country home, my husband had a huge garden where he harvested every kind of vegetable but was especially fond of growing zucchini and yellow squash.  I was overwhelmed with the quantity of produce and as a novice at country living, felt I had to use every single zucchini in the bottomless basket that he brought in every day.  I found a lot of recipes and this is one of my favorites - a sweet/sour relish that I made in large quantities and canned for the coming winter.

Now, that my husband has passed away and I’m living in a little bungalow with a small yard, I pick up my produce at the grocery store or farm markets and make a small amount of relish at a time - in this case, 1-1/2 pints. 

ZUCCHINI OR YELLOW SQUASH RELISH

• 2-1/2 cups chopped zucchini or yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
• 2 Tblsp. pickling salt

BRINE:

• 3/4 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. celery seed
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

FOR THICKENING RELISH

• 1/2 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tblsp. white vinegar

In a medium sized bowl, combine the zucchini/squash, celery, onion, red pepper and pickling salt.  Cover and let set at room temperature at least 8 hours.

Drain vegetables, rinse and drain again.

In a large sauce pan, combine the BRINE mixture:  3/4 cup vinegar, sugar, celery & mustard seed, and turmeric.  Bring mixture to a boil, then add the drained vegetables.   REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND LET STAND FOR 2 HOURS.

Return the pan to medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Add the thickening ingredients:  Cornstarch and vinegar mixed together.  Let relish simmer at medium heat for 15 minutes.

Pour relish into sterilized jars and cap.  Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.  I’ve found an asparagus steamer is good for processing just a few jars.  Let jars cool on a rack before storing.  Allow relish to cure for a week before using for best flavor.

This is a good web site  for information on canning and preserving foods.

Optional:  Add one-half of a medium dried red pepper to the jar after filling.  This “hot” version won a 2nd place ribbon at the Hamilton County Fair (Ohio) in 1988.

Yield:  1-1/2 pints

Last-Day-of-School Dresses

When I was going to school in the 1930s and 40s, the last day of school was in mid-June.  I always associate the day in Cincinnati with very hot weather, tiger lilies blooming, and my mother making me a “last-day-of-school dress”.   In the first grade (above), the dress was yellow silk with accordion pleated skirt and brown bows.  It was a beautiful dress and all the little girls in my class gathered around me to touch and admire the silky smoothness - before World War II when silk was a common commodity in dress-up clothes.

In 1942, Mother made a more grown-up dress of a beautiful light blue fabric.  She often made a dress of the same fabric for my little sister and we’re shown here with my cousin, Dixie, just after her First Communion.

In the sixth grade, my sister and I had dresses of a lovely blue voile.  We had just moved from downtown Cincinnati to the East End area where there were small well-kept houses with Victory Gardens.  

 I graduated from the 8th grade in 1945 and Mother made a beautiful white outfit with a flared skirt and eyelet top.  It was the fashion in our school that year to wear white socks with white sandals.

In 1946, I was finishing up my freshman year at Withrow High School, a prestigious school at that time where my classmates were way higher economically than I was.  As you can see, I was very unhappy with my dress that year.  This was very unusual for me - I normally wore anything Mother lay out for me with no complaints, but this dress was of a matronly rayon-type fabric and all the girls in my upscale school were wearing sleeveless pastel shirtwaist dresses to class.  I knew I was going to look completely out of style in my grandma-goes-to-church dress.  In spite of my scowl, I wore the dress to pick up my report card and found that the stylish girls were all in shorts and casual clothes, ready to take off for swimming pools and tennis courts, and paid no attention to me at all.

Mother always talked about her favorite last-day-of-school dress which she described as being so beautiful.  After she passed away, I found this picture of her and understood better why she made me such a matronly, out-of-style dress.  It looked a lot like her favorite.

I felt bad that I had disappointed Mother by not liking the dress, but apparently I made an impression  because she never made another one like that for me.  For my senior class day at Withrow, she made my sister and me these beautiful light blue dotted Swiss dresses which we both loved. 

I don’t believe the tradition of last-day-of-school dresses was active in my era (except for my mother) and it certainly wasn’t alive for my daughters or now for my granddaughters and great-granddaughter.  Pity.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down-Cake

For 20 years, we lived in the country where my husband grew all kinds of fruits and vegetables.  One of my favorites was rhubarb, so when we relocated to a smaller house and yard almost 7 years ago, I planted some rhubarb and have some to use throughout the summer - plenty for one person.  But in 1989 when we had a lot of home-grown everything, I tried some different ways of using rhubarb and won a ribbon for this cake at the Ohio State Fair.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

• 6 Tlbsp. butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cup sliced rhubarb
• 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• Whipped cream and fresh strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a 9″ skillet.  I like to use a 50+ year-old cast iron skillet for this.

Stir in brown sugar. 

Lightly mix together the rhubarb and strawberries.

Arrange the rhubarb and strawberries over the top of the butter/brown sugar mixture.  Note:  Don’t do as I did once and try to increase the amount of fresh strawberries - it makes the topping too juicy.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer, cream shortening, sugar and egg.  Add dry ingredients and milk alternately, starting and ending with dry ingredients, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla and blend.  Spread batter over the fruit. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes until top of cake is golden brown and cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted in the center.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto large serving plate.  If some of the fruit sticks to the pan, just scrape it out while it is still warm and add to the top of the cake.

Let cake cool to room temperature and serve with some whipped cream and a couple of fresh strawberries.

This makes a really nice summertime dessert.

Easy Italian Bread

This is an easy Italian bread that I’ve been making for over 20 years.  With fast-rising yeast, a mixer with a dough hook, and directions for quick-mixing, in no time you’ll have two big loaves of hearty bread.

EASY ITALIAN BREAD

• 2 packages fast-rising dry yeast
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. salt
• 4-1/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1-3/4 cup water heated to 130 degrees F
• 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

In the large bowl of mixer, place yeast, sugar, salt and two cups of flour.  Mix to blend and add the 130 degree F water and oil.  Mix on medium speed with regular beater for 3 minutes.  Insert dough hook and beat for another 6:30 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep dough from being sticky.

Place dough on a floured board, cover with a cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.  Punch down dough and form into two long narrow loaves.  Place loaves on a greased pan, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Before placing loaves in oven, moisten your fingers and gently spread water over the top of the loaves.  Cut three slashes in the top with a serrated knife.  Place loaves in oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  These loaves measure approximately 15 inches long by 6 inches wide.

This is my favorite bread to use as garlic bread, bruschetta, French Toast, stuffing, bread pudding or in any recipe that calls for a sturdy old-fashioned bread.

Victory Quilts–Brave World Block

This is the final of 20 blocks I’ve been sewing and posting from Eleanor Burns’ new Quilt-in-a-Day book, Victory Quilts - 1942 Sampler Blocks.  See other blocks I’ve completed in my Quilt Blocks category.

This is an easy skill level block called “Brave World”.  It was a simple block to construct and I think it turned out very pretty.

The book was a Mother’s Day gift and I’ve had a lot of fun trying out each of the block patterns which will eventually be made into a sampler quilt.  Naturally, any one of the blocks or a combination could be used in a quilt and there are many suggested layouts throughout the book.  There are also patterns for some interesting borders along with instructions for assembling and finishing quilts.

This is a beautiful hard cover book with lots of pictures of quilts and also of World War II memories.  There are instructions for 6″ and 12″ blocks - 12 easy skill level, 3 intermediate skill level, and 5 advance level blocks - something for everybody.  I highly recommend the book.