GETTING THOSE BULBS IN THE GROUND

 Today was supposed to be a little warmer

and I had put some projects off in the

 garden counting on that last warm day.  Wrong!

 It is 58 degrees which isn't that cold so

 I did go out with my husband  to wrap the birdbaths better and plant a few bulbs. 

 I found some on sale at Menards and am anxious to see how many of the perennial ones come up next

 year too.  With the recent increases

 in cost of living we aren't spending

 much on bulbs this year.

The leaves are almost off the trees.

This maple is in our neighbors yard:

We don't have window treatments in

our living areas because we love to 

see our trees.  Of course, that comes

with a lot of raking though in the fall.

Our view of the yard below:

Several of the items we see

out our living room windows:

This year we enjoyed a cover over

this deck frame but now we

took it off for the winter:

All the birds baths and statuary are

ready for the cold.

What have you done to get ready

for the coming season?

YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN BAKERY

 

I attend a Bible Class for Seniors each week and frankly am glad to have this opportunity to "unload" a lot of calories.  I love to bake so this gives me a place to try things out and keep learning.

I tend to write short recipes without details because I figure if someone is going to bake

something I post - they probably already have a basic understanding of baking:

The Cranberry Bar Recipe is right here.

Click and follow the link to Taste of Home

I think Sugar Cookies are required to

deal with life:  I suggest you always 

keep an assortment of seasonal cookie

cutters on hand for EVERY season!

Age old tried and true recipe for

Sugar Cookies:

You will need 1 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 ½ cups sugar, 3 eggs, 3 ½ cups sifted flour, 2 tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp baking soda if using icing (1 tsp if not using icing) ½ tsp salt

This makes about 36-40 medium sized cookies

Use a kitchen aid to mix dry ingredients – if not a big bowl and a mixer works too.  In a separate bowl cream the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs together and ad this a little at a time to the dry mix.  Some people refrigerate their dough now – I just keep going.  Using a floured surface – roll out to about ½” and cut dough with cutters.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes (less if convection)

Decorate when cool Icing:  Mix together 2 cups confectioners sugar, 2 egg whites, food coloring if desired – can be messy!

COOKIES AREN'T JUST FOR CHRISTMAS

 When I was a teenager my Mother was a

waitress at a restaurant and worked the dinner shift. On Fridays and Saturdays 

I went to work with her and helped out.  I refilled the coffee makers and made ice cream desserts.  The restaurant was in Newport News, Virgina and was called Mr. B's. Their logo was a big bee.   Mr B had passed away

but Mrs. B (Velma Bane) still ran it and was

in her senior years.  Her daughter and son

and law helped her.  She had an Italian baker

in a side kitchen who made all the pies.  I would go back and help her by washing her

dishes.  She talked and I listened.  She

 told me "you always put everything away after you use it and exactly in the right

 place". I remember drying the measuring cups and spoons and then putting them in a special drawer.  She had her own baking

 area off the side of the main kitchen.  I have been thinking about her lately - Pearl Cardamone was her name.  Her pies were amazing.  I think she was the one who influenced my love of baking.

I am so glad that we can bake whatever

we like whenever we like.  For example,

Gingerbread Boys aren't

 just for Christmastime.

Here is my recipe which I have

 had for a very long time.

Gingerbread Boys

Use appropriate cookie cutter and I

used the small (not the tiny one though)

This recipe made 60 small cookies which could be iced although I did plain

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1 cup molasses, 2 Tb Vinegar, 5 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 Tb ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves and cinnamon dots for eyes and buttons

Thoroughly cream the shortening, sugar and salt, then stir in egg, molasses and vinegar.

Add dry ingredients together and add to shortening mix.  Chill 3 hours (I need to say I did not do this but my kitchen was not hot like in the summer)

On a floured surface - roll out cookies a hand full of dough at a time.  I rolled mine about 3/8" deep.  ***Press the cinnamon dots into the dough before baking.  BAKE AT 375 degrees about 7 min regular oven - 6 min convection

If you are going to

ice the cookies - put the 

cinnamon candies

on last.

And if that isn't enough, what about some

Pecan Sandies.  I just made these using

Pioneer Woman's recipe:

I did add 1/3 cup of water to the recipe

 - not sure why I needed it but the dough

 was much more manageable.

A REAL PIONEER WOMAN IN BOONVILLE

 I have shared several posts about a town

 west of Columbia called Boonville and

 a town east of here called Fulton.

Today my husband and I went over to

Boonville to the Visitors Center.  The

town along the Missouri River

 is now 200 years old. 

When we ride over to Boonville , I usually take photos of the old Victorian and Edwardian homes and their gardens. 

 I have posted some of these before here on

my blog but today the with the colors of

the leaves - everything was aglow:

I took these photos from in

inside of our car.

I always admire this Bed and Breakfast:

It looks like it has a new name 

and a fresh new look.

What I want to share about now

is the fascinating story about the

real life pioneer woman who

first settled there.  Her name was

Hannah Cole.  I have read all the

documents I could find about her on

line and I am in awe about her

personal quality of endurance.

Hannah was actually originally from Virginia as I also am.  Here is her story if you would 

like to read all the many details about her.  I would not have made a very good pioneer woman myself because I don't like to be cold.  How this woman raised 9 children

without a husband is absolutely amazing.

A few weeks ago I was on a crafting roll

and created some Ephemera for a few of the history centers in nearby towns for them to sell.   Here are the ones I made about

 Hannah

Cole for Boonville:

No photo was ever taken of photo but that

is a photo of her youngest son,

Samuel, when he

was old.  

I have visited Roslyn Heights before

and taken photos so I made these

for them:

These were for our Boone County

History and Culture Center and depict 

one of the first families who built

 Maplewood House here

in 1877, the Lenoir's.  their

daughter, Lavinia married Dr. Frank

Nifong who founded the local

Boone Hospital.

And lastly this was one of the ones

I did for the

Churchill Museum in Fulton:

It always feels good when

 something

is done. 

ITALIAN CREAM CAKE from Victoria Magazine

 I could not wait to try a recipe from the

new November/December 2021 of Victoria 

Magazine.  The one that I am speaking 

about is the ITALIAN CREAM CAKE 

on page 94 from the article "Cakes of

Christmas":

I made a 3 layer cake

 (instead of 2 layers)

and it tastes yummy. 

I love to bake!  I know that

many of you do too. 

 Do I plan to

try any of the others?

  How about that German 

Chocolate Cake on page 98? 

 That might

be calling my name next.