• Mama’s teacakes…

    June 18, 2014 / 5 Comments

    Sharing a nostalgic post today from My Southern Heart.  Originally published October 12, 2009.

    When I was growing up, there was only one car which my Dad took to work.  This meant, of course, I walked to school.  Granted, we didn’t live on a farm after my toddler years and it wasn’t a five mile walk through blizzards, but there were some cold, rainy, snowy days on my .31 tenths of a mile to and from school.

    One of my sweetest memories is coming home from school to find my Mama there and the wonderful smell of something baking.  Sometimes, there were sweet potatoes baking in the oven as part of our supper or Mama’s special meatloaf that I’ve never been able to quite duplicate.  Often there were cupcakes…warm and ready to be iced.  My favorite, however, were Mama’s vanilla teacakes…a bit like a sugar cookie but fatter and softer like a cake.  Often they were iced with Mama’s special chocolate icing.

    One day this past week, we were watching an old episode of The Waltons (I love the Waltons!).  Grandma Walton had made her special sugar cookies or teacakes.  Right that moment, I wanted one of Mama’s teacakes more than anything in the world.  After the show, I searched through Mama’s cookbook which I had compiled until I found it…the recipe for her teacakes.  I baked them on a Pampered Chef baking stone instead of Mama’s old cookie sheet which is long gone.  I also “dropped” them on the cookie sheet instead of rolling them out.  I dipped a slightly moistened juice glass in sugar then “flattened” each one out.  Next time, I won’t flatten them so they’ll be fatter and softer, but they were still delicious.

    Just one bite of that teacake, and I was a teenager coming home from school again to find warm teacakes in the oven…

    Mama’s Tea Cakes

    1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

    1 & 1/4 cup sugar

    1 egg, beaten well

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    1/4 cup milk

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    2 & 1/2 cups flour

    Cream the butter.  Add sugar gradually.  Add egg, milk and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture.  Roll out mixture to about 1/4? thickness.  Cut with round cutter and bake on a greased baking sheet at about 375-400 degrees.  Delicious iced, especially with chocolate, or sprinkle with sugar.

    Enjoy….

    Read here to find out when and how I discovered that I had actually NEVER lived on a farm!  

    That was an identity crisis!

  • Doc Martin…

    June 17, 2014 / 5 Comments

    Any Doc Martin fans out there???

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    My next-door-neighbor recently loaned me the first four seasons of the wonderful British medical comedy/drama series.  I began watching and immediately fell in love with the cantankerous, socially inept doctor played so brilliantly by Martin Clunes.   I had seen Martin Clunes in a couple of other films where he was warm, outgoing and smiling, so it took me a while to adjust to this version of the adorable actor…but I quickly did.  I spent most of that weekend glued to the television (not something I usually do).  When one installment ended, I couldn’t wait to see the next one!  

    Set in the fictional seaside village of Portwenn, it is actually filmed in Port Isaac, Cornwall.  Seeing Cornwall is now on my “Bucket List”, along with the rest of the British Isles.

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    I ordered all six series from Acorn TV on ebay and waited…impatiently I might add, although their delivery was prompt.  Then I watched the last two series and loved it even more.  Season six ended on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait until they produce Season 7.  Sadly, from what I’ve read, Season 7 will probably be the end of Doc Martin.

    Check your local library for Doc Martin or pay the nominal fee to Acorn TV to see the series on your computer monitor or television.  Then, laugh and cry along with the rest of the world.  Doc Martin is that good!

    Below is a youtube clip of an interview with a smiling, animated Martin Clunes.  There’s also a clip of him with Louisa, the local school headmistress (principal), played wonderfully by Caroline Catz.  You will fall in love with Louisa too! 

    If you can’t get enough of Martin Clunes and you’ve seen all six series of Doc Martin, then watch this wonderful documentary Martin Clunes did – “A Lion Called Mugie”.  Set in Africa, it’s a beautiful story and one you will enjoy.

  • Summer porch days…

    June 16, 2014 / 3 Comments

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    I was awake early this morning.  With the temp in the low 60’s, I enjoyed my coffee and the sound of songbirds on the porch.  On cooler afternoons, the porch is the scene for enjoying bowls of ice cream and playing a game with the grandchildren.  Right now, it is overcast with a temp in the 80’s and the porch is the place for drying my clothes on a folding rack (my dryer is broken but the repairman is due here tomorrow).

    I love the ferns.  They remind me of walks on the mountainside in Oregon where the ferns grew wild and plentiful.  The fuchsia plant sits on a $5 red garage sale table.  It’s a thirsty plant!  What would a porch garden be without herbs and petunias?  The only problem with the herbs (sage, sweet basil, rosemary and spearmint) is they’re challenged to get enough sun on this covered porch.  We’ll see how they do.  Hopefully, I will get enough to be able to cook with them occasionally.

    My next-door-neighbor was discarding the white rocker and asked me if I would like to have it.  I was delighted.  It needs a fresh coat of paint and a cushion in the soft sage green.  I saw one at Lowe’s the other day – just need to go buy it.  The settee, blue chair and green chair all came from Lowe’s.  The outdoor rug was a good buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond.  I think I paid about $37 for it and it’s one of the larger sizes.  My daughter found the cute Dragonfly table for me at Walmart.  It was one of my Mother’s Day presents this year and I love it!

    If it stays overcast and cools down a little this afternoon, I think I will curl up on the wicker settee and continue reading the third in a wonderful series entitled Alaskan Courage by Dani Pettrey, a great new author.

    How are things on your summer porch?

     

    Sorry the pics take so long to load!

    I’m working with a new camera & photo software

    and it’s not too user friendly!

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  • Days gone by…

    June 15, 2014 / 2 Comments

    Yesterday, I traveled with my daughter and three of  her children to see a parcel of land (almost six acres) for sale.  It was the perfect afternoon to be in the country with clear blue skies overhead and a strong breeze blowing through all the trees on the property.  And there were plenty of trees:  an apple orchard, a long stand of black walnut trees, mulberry, oak, maple, large hackberry trees and an assortment of beautiful evergreens.  My daughter has been “homesteading” to some degree at their home in a suburb of Des Moines for quite some time.  She longs for land and a place to have a very large garden, chickens and maybe even dairy goats.  I come from a long line of Scottish farmers.  Maybe she inherited some of that love for the land.

    The farmhouse on the land was built in 1920 and has seen better days.  It has no central heat or air conditioning.  There is a substantial wood stove in the family room which would heat part of the house.  The hope was to be able to move the house to another part of the land and build their new home where the old house stood.  I think each of us had pictured decorating an old farmhouse!

    The beautiful setting reminded me of traveling with my parents as a child to visit aunts and uncles living in the country.  Sadly, my parents sold their farm before I was born.  I would have loved growing up in the country!  I remember visiting my Aunt Lillian and her family on a farm in Mississippi.  I loved it!  My cousins and I would pick blackberries by the train trestle.  We might have returned with a few chiggers but we also returned with big, juicy blackberries!  Aunt Lillian would make a delicious blackberry cobbler on the old wood stove.  She would also make tender huge biscuits just like Mama’s.  Perhaps they inherited their gift for cooking from my grandmother.

    The wood stove always fascinated me.  Even as a child, I wondered how she knew when the temperature was right for baking those delicious cakes, pies and biscuits.  Somehow, it seemed like magic but, even as a child, I knew it couldn’t be that simple.  I knew even then there was work involved.

    I’m a little too “old” to start homesteading now but I do admire those who are investing in their future by learning from days gone by…

    By the way, if you’re interested in enjoying food actually prepared on a wood burning stove, visit here to learn about a visit to the Living History Farms in Des Moines, Iowa, where you can do just that!  Also, here is a good article about how the cooks of yesteryear determined the temperature of their wood stove!  The wood burning stove at top was featured in Country Living.

  • Almost six months later…

    June 14, 2014 / 4 Comments

    Once again, the months have flown by.  Life has been busy with travel, sewing, knitting, writing and family!  I’ve fallen behind on reading blogs and leaving comments as well as keeping up with Sweet Journey Home.  I intend to do better!

    I enjoyed a wonderful visit in Dallas with my younger son and his precious family in April.  I loved every minute of it!  Who knew I still had the energy to play on the floor and keep up with a two & a half year old and a ten month old?!  Well, okay, maybe “keeping up” is stretching it just a bit!  The adorable photo at top was taken at a beautiful lake in Dallas.  We had attempted taking photos of the girls and their sweet family of four, but between the wind gusts and two little girls wanting down to play – it was funny!

     

     

     

    My firstborn and his sweet family are now living in Montana where he has accepted a position with a pediatric group there.  They love Montana and especially love living in the mountains in the midst of outdoor activities!  Their sweet mom grew up snow skiing in New York and is looking forward to teaching the girls.  The photo below was taken in route to Montana after spending the night with me after a day’s journey here.  They are amazing, talented young ladies and so much fun.  They stay busy with piano, violin, soccer and running cross-country.  I can’t wait to visit them in Montana – hopefully in August!

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    I am loving living close to my daughter and her precious family.  I was enlisted to pitch in to help for the month of May since my busy daughter literally had to be in several places at the same time – piano and guitar lessons, swimming, soccer and school!  I don’t know how she does it all and maintain a busy home, but she manages it beautifully.

    My firstborn, almost 6’2″, grandson is taking driver’s education classes now.  He has taken up guitar as well as piano.  Occasionally, I will hear him playing a great song and ask him what it is.  Apparently, he’s creating his own music now!  I love that he has become interested in the old classic movies and comes over for some movie time with grandmom!  So far, we’ve seen “Foreign Correspondent”, “The Birds” and “Arsenic & Old Lace”.  Currently, we’re watching “Our Green was My Valley”.  It usually takes a couple of visits to see them since he’s busy and time is limited.

    Bryce

     

    This photo was taken one afternoon when the girls were here for a visit.  They are so much fun and sweet sisters!  They have so much energy and are busy with swimming, soccer, piano and school.  I’m glad they enjoy coming here for some fun time with Grandmom!  I would advise you not to play a “memory” game with my ten year old granddaughter.  She’s just about undefeated.  I don’t think she inherited her memory from me!  😉

    Sweet sister love…

     

    This adorable little bundle of energy is amazing with his big dimples, ready smile and instant yell of  “Grandmommy!!” when he hears me come in the back door.  He’s so much fun and it’s a treat at my age to “play cars” once again.  He likes his hair in a “high-top-fade”.  Grandmommy likes the curls all over his head.  😉

    KandM

     

     

  • Catching up…

    January 15, 2014 / 3 Comments

    January in Des Moines is not for the faint of heart.  After a couple of weeks with frigid well-below-zero temps, the days that followed spoiled us with the temperature in the mid-thirties.  I ventured out yesterday and was nearly blown away with a fierce wind that made the actual 29 degrees feel more like -50!  I’m not kidding.  I did my banking at the drive-up window and my deposit slip almost flew out of my hands before I could reach the rock in the drawer to anchor it down.  Next stop was for a much needed haircut and purchase of necessary hair products.  The water here is so hard (no water softener) that it does a number on my hair!  Last stop was the grocery store for a few supplies.  Today the temperature is a windy 17 degrees.  Think I will stay in where it’s warm and knit!

    Last night, I took the ingredients to my downstairs friend’s condo and she showed me the secret for making her delicious orange chicken with broccoli, carrots & rice that she served when I was her guest a couple of weeks ago.  Basically, we repeated the same delicious meal she served and enjoyed it once again!  Since it is no fun cooking for one, we decided to cook together occasionally and try to recapture the joy of cooking.

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    I seem to have lost my mojo for writing these past few weeks, so this blog post is by way of catching up.  I had a wonderful visit with each of my sons and their families before Christmas.  I helped put up a Christmas tree and decorate for the holidays in Louisville and then in Dallas.  The visits were wonderful and I miss them all!  I arrived back in Des Moines on the 17th of December.  I was battling a sinus infection and didn’t feel like even putting up a tree!  I spent a fun Christmas day with my daughter and her family and then on the day after Christmas, we all traveled back to Kentucky.  I spent ten hours in a van (coming and going!) to enjoy a quick 48 hours with my oldest son and his family and it was worth it!  We had a wonderful visit – just wish it could have been longer.

     

    Baking cookies with my two year old granddaughter!

    Next year my youngest granddaughter will be baking cookies with us!

     

    Now it is time to catch up with reading my favorite blogs as well!