Plates as Garden Decor
If you do country auctions or flea markets, particularly if you occasionally buy box lots, you may always have on hand a stack or two of unrelated patterned porcelain or stoneware plates. A new use has developed for these pieces no matter if they have chips or cracks and are of different dimensions the plates can make attractive edging for flower gardens. Place them on end, partially buried in the garden soil or mulch.
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By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.
Charles Wadsworth
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The Mouths of Babes
The Dinner Party
A woman hosted a dinner party for people from work and everyone was encouraged to bring their children. All during the sit-down dinner one co-workers three-year-old girl stared at the man sitting across from her. The girl could hardly eat her food from staring. The man checked his tie, felt his face for food, patted his hair in place, but nothing stopped her from staring at him. He tried his best to just ignore her but finally it was too much for him. He asked her, Why are you staring at me? Everyone at the table had noticed her behavior and the table went quiet for her response. The little girl said, I just want to see how you drink like a fish!
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Easter and Spring Memories
By Rita Redd
My early Easter and spring memories started at my grandmothers (Loma Redd). We called her Mama. The thrill of dyeing eggs the old fashion way. Watching her bake a cake and prepare other dishes for Easter dinner. Mama always made my Easter dress and bonnet. Peddling that old Singer sewing machine in a song-like rhythm. She would look at a dress in a store window and then draw the dress on a piece of paper. At home she would cut the dress pattern using a brown paper bag.
I remember trying to go to sleep on the night before Easter, while all the time I was wondering how many goodies would be in my Easter basket. Time seemed to stand still as a child. Dinner on Easter Sunday seemed to never end. Then it was time for the Egg hunt.
I remember the lavender blanket of ground cover called Thrift. It was the only time of year we trampled the flowers without the adults objection!
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Versatile Vinegar Used for Many Things in Old Days
Vinegar had many uses around the household years ago...and they’ll probably still work.
For example:
1. Vinegar added to water in which corned beef is cooking will help make it more tender.
2. Rubbed over meat, vinegar makes it tender.
3. When boiling old potatoes, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water and it will keep them from turning dark.
4. When polishing a stove, go over it first with a bit of vinegar to remove the grease.
5. Vinegar is a fine cleaner for pots and pans that have acquired an odor from cooking fish.
6. Used with salt, vinegar removes ink stains from your fingers.
7. Hot vinegar will remove paint stains from glass.
8. When clothes have had too much bluing, give them another rinse in clear water to which a little vinegar has been added.
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Cleaning Mixtures
People used to make their own cleaning mixtures since the items they had were limited. Does anyone have recipe for a cleaning mixture?
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Old Fashion Custard
We have a request from Jean for an old fashion custard recipe.
Send in your favorite custard recipe so we may share!
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Cup Custard
Recipe of Lizzie Fink Hostetter nee Long
From South Annville, PABorn 1881
Contributed by Franklin T. Wike, Jr.
cup sugar
3 eggs
1 qt milk
vanilla
cinnamon
Directions:
In an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs on medium for 2 minutes. Add milk, beat 1 minute more.
Add vanilla, mix well. Pour into buttered baking dish, top with cinnamon
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
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Mothers Brownie Recipe
Remove teddy bear from oven and preheat oven to 375.
Melt 1-cup margarine in saucepan and remove teddy bear from oven again.
Add margarine to 2 cups sugar and take shortening can away from JR.
Measure 1/3-cup cocoa and bathe cat.
Apply antiseptic and bandages to scratches sustained while removing shortening from cats tail. Assemble 4 eggs, 2-tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour then take smoldering teddy bear from oven and open all doors and windows for ventilation.
Measure 1-tsp. salt & a cup nuts and beat all ingredients well then let cat out of refrigerator.
Pour mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake 25 minutes then rescue cat and take razor away from Billy.
Explain to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn and throw cat outside while there’s still time and hes still able to run away.
Answer the door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden hose in man’s front door mail slot and remove burned brownies from oven.
FROSTING
Mix the following in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup margarine
Take the teddy bear out of the broiler and throw it away-far away.
Answer the door and meekly explain to nice police officer that you didn't know JR. had slipped out of the house and was heading for the street.
Put JR. in playpen.
Add 1/3-cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Answer the door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden hose in man's front door mail slot. Promise to pay for ruined carpet.
Tie Billy to clothesline.
Remove burned brownies from oven.
Start on dinner!
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Pot Herb
What is it? One of our readers remembers it being used in stews and other dishes. It was kept on the spice shelf in a jar and believed to be a mixture of different herbs or spices. Please help us out.
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Share Your Kitchen Tips!
Please share your ideas with our readers, such as easy recipes, canning, old recipes and cooking tips.
Supermoist Banana Bread
Legacy of Buffy Diehl, 1933-1986
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter a 9x5 loaf pan.
cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
3 ripe (medium) mashed bananas
2 eggs, (separate yolks and whites)
tsp vanilla
tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar in large bowl.
Thoroughly mix banana, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon juice and baking soda.
Add to butter and sugar mix
.Beat egg whites until stiff.
Gently fold in mix.
Stir in 1 tblsp hot water.
Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake about 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.
Turn out and cool completely.
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Phone Call
A woman was making telephone calls, like we all get, to different households. A little boy answered and whispered, Hello. The woman asked if his mother was there. The little boy whispered, Yes. The woman asked if she could speak with her. The little boy whispered, No, she’s busy.
The woman asked if his father was there. The little boy whispered, Yes. The woman asked if she could speak with him. The little boy whispered, No, he’s busy too. The woman asked if anyone else was there, the little boy whispered, Yes, the fire department is here.
The woman said, May I speak with one of them? The little boy whispered, No, they’re all busy. The woman asked if anyone else was there, the little boy whispered, Yes, the police department.
The woman said, may I speak with one of them? The little boy whispered, No, they’re all busy too. The woman said, may I ask what they’re all doing?The little boy whispered, They’re all looking for me.
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Published in U S Legacies Magazine April 2003
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