our kitchen

A cold, rainy day - usually an excuse to bake some of my famous Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Another interesting pass time on rainy days is clipping new recipes to try out later, but the old tried and true favorites are the family's everyday standbys.

 

My recipe collection is

HERE

 

Why not take a minute and skim through it? Oh, and you'll want to add it to your bookmarks so you don't forget where we keep it.

 

Links - my favorite kitchens

 

 

We remodeled a bit last spring - Click HERE to see the slide show.

 

 

 

 

Quick Kitchen ABC's

Add a small amount of quick cooking oats or grated potato to a stew to thicken it.

 

Bag apples, with green pears, peaches or tomatoes to help them ripen more quickly.

 

Chicken soaked in buttermilk for 3-4 hours before cooking will be moist and tender.

 

Don't salt vegetables during cooking; it draws out liquid and they won't cook evenly.

 

 

In matters of style, swim with the current;
in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
  Thomas Jefferson

 

 

 

2 cups lard make 1 pound
2 cups butter make 1 pound
4 cups flour make 1 pound
4 cups coffee make 1 pound
2 cups granulated sugar make 1 pound
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar make 1 pound
2 cups brown sugar make 1 pound
3 cups chopped meat make 1 pound
2 cups rice make 1 pound
2 cups stale bread crumbs make 1 pound
10 shelled eggs make 1 pound
2 tablespoons butter make 1 ounce
4 tablespoons flour make 1 ounce
3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons make 1/4 cup
2 cups make 1 pint

 

 

 

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends,
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a better place, Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, This is to have succeeded.
_Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

Nana's kitchen is and has always been, for me, the heart of the home. Some of my fondest memories from childhood center around the kitchen at my Nana's. I can close my eyes and see it plainly. A smallish room with one large, south facing window. A big round oak table and chairs centered in front of the window. A huge silver and black "Majestic" cook stove heated the room... winter AND summer. Cabinetry was an assortment of free standing oak pieces that were both beautiful and convenient. I've always thought someday I would reproduce it for my own kitchen. The only draw back being it would cost a small fortune to acquire such works of art in a modern antique store.

There was an oil cloth on the table and the accumulation of clutter from daily life on the farm found its way there between meals. Laying the table for dinner, my job when I stayed with Nana, usually included putting away various and sundry misplaced items first.

A dark green roller shade, behind crisp white curtains, was lowered to reduce the sun's glare on the table during the day. Sometimes, even now, the act of lowering the sun screens in my porch takes me back through time to that room. (I chose dark forest green shades to cut the glare. No doubt as a subconscious return to Nana's kitchen.)

The smell of freshly baked bread, the act of whipping cream, and the feel of using a certain paring knife all have the ability to transport my memory back to Nana's kitchen.

 

Laundry Room Secrets

• To remove wet stains from table linens - pour lemon juice through wet fabric and sprinkle with table salt. Place in the sun for a few hours. Rinse then hang in the sun to dry. In warm weather lay them out on the grass to dry. Chlorophyll in the grass will naturally brighten whites.
• To remove set-in stains - soak them in a washing machine filled with warm water and one cup of non-chlorine whitener or stain remover (such as Biz), then was with a mild laundry soap. Rinse twice to remove any leftover detergent.
• To have beautifully crisp linens for your table - iron using a small amount of liquid starch in a spray bottle filled with water.
• To store linens - choose a well-ventilated closet. Bundles of fresh or dried lavender or sachets will keep them smelling lovely and repel moths.
• Folding starched linens for storage weakens the fibers along the fold. Instead, roll them around sheets of acid free tissue and tie them with ribbon. An added benefit... no creases to iron or flatten before use.
• It is a common misconception that white sheets and towels should be bleached first and fabric-softened later. Bleach weakens fibers and fabric softeners reduce absorbency.
• Wash linens in warm, gentle cycles and remove them from the washing machine as soon as the final spin cycle stops.
• Line dry if possible. If you must tumble dry linens, remove them as soon as they're completely dry. The longer they tumble around in that dryer, the sooner you'll have to replace them.

 

• Purchase the best quality, 100% cotton, bed linens you can afford. The higher the thread count the softer, more supple and longer-lasting they'll be. An ample supply would be:
• Two sheet sets per bed
• Two pillowcases for each pillow
• Winter blankets and comforters suitable to your climate for each bed
• A lightweight summer blanket per bed
• 100% cotton towels are most absorbant. An adequate supply:
• Two wash clothes, four hand towels and two bath towels for each family member
• Guest linens - all of the above, plus two fingertip towels per person

 

 

A Day Of Worry Is More Exhausting Than A Week Of Work!

 

I've Learned....
by - Omer B. Washington

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

 

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

 

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.

 

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

 

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

 

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.

 

I've learned that it's not what happens to people. It's what they do about it.

 

I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

 

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you'll see them.

 

I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

 

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

 

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

 

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

 

I've learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

 

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

 

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

 

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

 

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

 

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

 

I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

 

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.

 

I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

 

I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.

 

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

 

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

 

I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

 

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

 

I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

 

I've learned to love and be loved.

 

I've learned ...

 

Some things we've learned sitting at Nana's kitchen table:

 

 

 

We're baking a pie just now, but we'd love to take time out to tell you about some of our favorite recipes, household hints, entertaining ideas, and Web finds. The ol' kitchen table is the best place for sharing such things with friends - so grab some coffee, pull up a chair, and let's have a good old-fashioned chat.

 

Nana's kitchen can be the most wonderful place on a rainy day. Sometimes on a dark, stormy day, with the rain making little rivers down the window pane, it's much too wet to go outside. So we just come in the kitchen and bake up a storm. It's very hard to have the "Rainy Day - Nothin' To Do Blues" with the smell of a cake or a pie making your nose twitch and your mouth water.

 

 

 

 

A well-run home is a microcosm of sanity in a world that is plainly mad.
If a home doesn't make sense, nothing does.
                     _Henrietta Ripperger

 

"Life is like an onion,
you peel off one layer at at time
and sometimes you weep."
_Carl Sandburg

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
Forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day;
Begin it well and serenely
And with too high a spirit
To be cumbered with your old nonsense.
author unknown

 

This day is all that is good and fair.
It is too dear,
With its hopes and invitations,
To waste a moment on yesterdays.
_Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Take 1 large field, half a dozen children, 2 or 3 small dogs, a pinch of brook and some pebbles. Mix the children and dogs well together; put them on the field, stirring constantly. Pour the brook over the pebbles; sprinkle the field with flowers; spread over all a deep blue sky and bake in the sun. When brown, set away to cool in the bath tub. Dry thoroughly and store in clean white linen for the night.

 

Supper Prayer For A Busy Family
unknown

Dear Lord in heaven,
Thank you for our family
And thank you for our food
And thank you for this time tonight
We promise to not be rude.

 

We're going to share a quiet night
A simple family meal
To get in touch with who we are
To share just how we feel.

 

 

 

COMFORT FOOD

This poignant tale (reprinted here with permission from the Author,
Stephanie Ray Brown) gives the perfect definition of what Comfort Food is really all about.

 

"Are you sure they taste all right?" I asked my husband Terry as he took his third bite of my scalloped potatoes.

As he put the lid on the casserole, he told me once more that they were just fine. As a new bride, I was having trouble with my husband's choice of words. Fine can mean so many things. Like fine to eat or fine if you are not comparing it to my mother's. His vague statement did little to reassure this new bride if the potatoes were worth eating.

But as my husband honked the car horn, I knew that was my signal that we must be on our way. So with sweating hands -- not from the heat of the casserole, but from nerves -- and a racing heart, I was off to our first potluck dinner. This was our first, not only as husband and wife, but also at our new church in the city. And, since it was in the city, I thought scalloped would be better to take than just plain mashed potatoes.

When we got to the basement, I hoped that I could sneak my casserole in. But no such luck! One elderly man wanted to check out what was in my pot, as he teasingly told us he only eats food when he knows what it is, as well as who made it. Then there were the ladies with their laundry baskets of food. Many of them carrying their beautiful baked goods in the prettiest baskets I had ever seen. I was so embarrassed that I only brought the potatoes, as well as a pitcher of lemonade in a recycled milk jug.

Feeling a little uncomfortable because I didn't bring very much and not knowing a soul besides my new husband, I joined the back of the line that had formed quickly after the preacher gave the blessing. I found myself wondering if we'd ever fit in this city church of 220 members. That may not seem like many people, but my home congregation had a membership of 20 -- and that was on a good Sunday. I had also been among family.

Homesick and hungry, I waited in line.

As I got closer to the food, I noticed most people were getting food from one silver pot. Curious, I lifted the silver lid to find navy beans and memories of home. Surrounding the pan were little bowls of sweet onion (my mom's favorite), homemade tomato relish (like my Granny made), and wedges of cornbread (just like my mom had showed me how to make for my first 4-H project.) But as I glanced down in that big pan, there was only a small amount of beans left. Did I dare do what I wanted and scrape the pan clean? Or should I be polite like my mom had raised me and leave the last bite for someone else? She must have read my mind, because the owner of the pot smiled at me and scraped that last bit of beans in my bowl.

"Hi! I'm Ruth. Sure nice of you to come tonight and for helping me get rid of that last bit of beans. Now I can go wash it!" as she took her pot to the kitchen.

As I ate that bowl of beans and cornbread with sweet onion and homemade tomato relish, many of the church's members stopped by and introduced themselves. But instead of feeling uncomfortable, I was at ease. Isn't it amazing what our favorite comfort food can do? As my husband packed the empty casserole dish back in the car, he smiled at me as he said, "Told you everything would be fine." This time I knew what fine did mean. Not only had my scalloped potatoes been fine, but this new church was going to be just fine too. It may be a church in a city, but it was full of fine people who had down home menus as well as manners.

Especially a lady named Ruth and her pot of beans.

Stephanie Ray Brown - Savvysdad@aol.com 

 

Pin Wheels—In February 2006, clamdigger wrote to tell us: "On bad days my Nana would be baking a green apple pie. When all the dough was made and put either for crust or topping there would be some pieces left over. Nana would re-roll the dough in a flat sheet and then cut it into long strips. Then she would sprinkle cinnamon and white sugar over these strips. Then she would roll them up and cut off the odd ends. She would put them in the oven with the pie. Of course they being the smaller of the two it did not take long for them to be done. I always got these special treats before my Grampa got a piece of the pie. They are the fondest memories of my Nana outside of rain I cherish the most.
Thank you for letting me tell you my most cherished memory of my Nana."

 

 

Housework is something you do
that nobody notices
until you don't do it.

 

A single conversation across the table
with a wise man is worth a month's study of books.
       Chinese Proverb

 

Be careful in your selection. Do not choose too young. When once selected give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them in hot water. This makes them sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well sweetened with love and seasoned with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with a study fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared they will keep for years.

 

 

 

Each recipe is plain, and tried,
And some good housewife's honest pride,
Some home's delight.
And should your effort bring no prize,
I say not where the trouble lies—
'twere impolite."

 

 

The most important thing about a man
is his Philosophy of Life - not his bank account.

 

 

 

HANDY HOUSEHOLD HINTSfrom one of my grandmother's old cookbooks, circa 1900.
Some are helpful, some will make you laugh out loud. And, some... well, some can only be described as... HUH????
See if you can figure 'em out.

• Remove the smell of onions or garlic from your hands by holding them under cold running water and passing the back of a good carving knife carefully over your skin
• Gummed tape sticks more readily if a few drops of vinegar are added to the moistening water
• A pinch of soda added to gravy will help to reduce the excess of grease
• Bay leaves in your flour tin will discourage weevil from growing
• To hang a picture - rub plaster wall with a cake of soap before driving the nail
• Half of an apple placed in the cake box will keep the cake fresh several days longer
• Sponge grass stains on non washable materials with wood alcohol to remove them
• Place silverware in an aluminum pan and pour the potato water over it. Cover with a tight lid and let set for several minutes. Wash and scald, you'll be amazed at the results.
• Most vegetable flavors are improved by adding a tiny bit of sugar along with the seasonings
• Add a tablespoon of salt to your starch water - your clothes will iron easier
• Add a tablespoon of salt to the water when you boil eggs - it keeps them from cracking and helps them peel easier
• Put a tablespoon of salt and soda in the scalding water when dressing chickens and the pin feathers will come out easily
• If you find your scissors dull, readily sharpen it by cutting through a piece of sandpaper several times
• If grease spills over onto the stove and starts burning - throw a handful of common salt over it
• If something runs over in the oven and starts burning - again, throw a handful of common salt over it
• Dip a new broom in hot salt water before using - this will toughen the bristles and make it last much longer
• Dip the spoon in hot water to measure lard or butter - the fat will slip right off the spoon
• Drop a leaf of lettuce into the pot to absorb the grease from the top of soup. Remove the lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose
• When frying meat - to prevent splashing - sprinkle a little salt into the pan before putting the fat in
• If you need sour milk for baking and have only sweet milk on hand, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk to sour it
• Heavy cakes are often caused by too slow an oven, or by too much sugar or shortening
• Add left over corn to the pancake batter for a special breakfast treat
• Meringue will not shrink if you spread it on the pie so it touches the crust all the way around and bake in a moderate oven
• If a cracked dish is boiled for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the crack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and it will be so strong it will stand the same usage as before.
• No frosting is necessary if you sprinkle lots of powdered sugar on top of cake before putting it into the oven
• Roll raisins in flour before stirring them into a cake to prevent them from going to the bottom
• If your sauerkraut is too sour, add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, before canning
• Hang a piece of string over the edge of jelly or jam glasses before pouring in sealing wax. This makes for easier removal of wax when you open a glass for table use.
• Brush meat with cooking oil and season only after it has browned to keep it from drying out.
• Cookie dough that is to be rolled is much easier to handle after it has been in a cold place for 10 to 30 minutes. This keeps the dough from sticking as too much flour used in rolling it out causes cookies to be hard and brittle.
• When making cake icing or candy consisting of mild or cream and sugar, add one teaspoon of ordinary table syrup for each cup of sugar used. Boil in the usual way. The finished product will be much smother and not so apt to become sugary.
• Eggs should be at least three days old before using in cakes.
• If home churned butter is called for in cooking, use equal parts of butter and lard or other shortening.
• When making griddle cakes, grease the pan for the first cake. After that rub a piece of raw potato over hot griddle instead of more grease. The cakes brown nicely and there will be no smoke.
• When making fruit pie, sprinkle the sugar under the fruit instead of on top. The juice will boil up through the fruit and not out over the top.
• When cutting cream pies dip the knife in warm water and none of the filling will stick to the knife.
• Toast the nut meats and while hot add a little butter. Then your nut bread will take on a new aristocracy.
• Meringue will always stand up high and perfect if a generous pinch of baking soda is added to beaten whites.
• A few whole cloves in the kettle of frying fat will give the doughnuts a better flavor.
• Dry biscuits are caused from baking in too slow an oven and handling too much.
• To glaze the top of rolls, cookies or pies, brush the top before baking with 1 egg white slightly beaten with one tablespoon milk, then bake..

• A few NEW tips and tricks from my Mailbox! There's some interesting stuff here, too.

• Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
• Use a meat baster to squeeze your pancake batter onto the hot griddle- perfect shaped pancakes every time.
• To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
• To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard boiling.
• Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan - the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.
• To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
• To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop skillet will be much easier to clean now.
• Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces - no more stains.
• When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake.
• If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato - it absorbs the excess salt for an instant fix me up.
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator - it will keep for weeks.
• Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish.
• Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.
• When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
• To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
• Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
• Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes or future use in casseroles and sauces.
• If you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
• Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
• To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area for instant relief.
• Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march - see for yourself.
• Use air freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leave a lovely smell to the shine.
• When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
• NOW Look what you can do with Alka Seltzer:
• Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.
• Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
• Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
• Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
• Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

 

1. take time to WORK - it is the price of success.
2. take time to THINK - it is the source of power.
3. take time to PLAY - it is the secret of youth.
4. take time to READ - it is the foundation of knowledge.
5. take time to WORSHIP - it is the highway of reverence and washes the dust of earth from our eyes.
6. take time to HELP & ENJOY Friends - it is the source of happiness.
7. take time to LOVE - it is the one sacrament of life.
8. take time to DREAM - it hitches the soul to the stars.
9. take time to LAUGH - it is the singing that helps with life's loads.
10. Take time to PLAN - it is the secret of being able to have time to take time for the first nine things.

 

 

FOOD LINKS: Lots to Look at, lots to eat!

• Pioneer Woman Cooks - My NEW favorite. Be warned though - if you go here it will take HOURS to see evey corner of her site. And you must see every corner of her site
• Victoria Taylor - The Blog - I love cooking with these products!
• Betty Crocker - The first place to look for Kitchen Help
• Chef2Chef Culinary Portal - If you love to cook try this site!
• CooksNook - Gourmet Foods & Cooking Implements
• King Arthur's Flour - Fabulous Baker's Recipes & Catalogue!
• 101 Cookbooks - Fun and informative
• Farmgirl Fare - Awwww
• a`le carte - A Favorite
• Reluctant Gormet - Lots of good stuff
• More Links coming as we find 'em.

 

We love to surf for great FOOD LINKS when time permits. Mostly we stay too busy being busy to do much surfing. So. . . if you've got any really great ones to suggest, drop us an e-note and we'll run on over and check it out. We might even add it to our own List.

 

 

Home | Nana's Cottage | Holiday Village | Web Site Design | Art For Sale
Award Winning Web Sites since 1996Please respect my copyright ©