Show & Tell Friday for October 30

For show and tell today, I want to show a few of my antique cards. Most of these are not dated, but one that I looked at today has a date of June 1898 written on the back.

First, a few of the Scripture cards. I imagine these may have been given to the original owner by her Sunday School teacher, many years ago.

Psalm 25:14

Psalm 37:5

Psalm 37:7

1 Peter 5:5 -- I love the autumn theme of this card.

Another with a fall-like look.

This late-fall or early winter scene is framed with pansies and a robin.

Lastly, this harbor scene framed within a teapot is an ad for Corticelli Spool Silk.

I have a shoebox full of these delightful cards, and have scanned more to show next week.

For now, that's my Show & Tell for today. To see what others have shared for Show & Tell Friday, head on over to My Romantic Home.

Happy Show & Tell Friday!

Show & Tell Friday for October 23

More fall baking...

This has been a busy day with a lot of unusual activity going on... Mr. T had an unexpected day off, so he is using the time to put in a new, more energy-efficient picture window we bought. Then I got a call from an old friend I hadn't heard from in ages. In the midst of this I was doing some baking -- partly because it's been a long time since I've baked cookies, and partly to help warm the house up while the picture window was being changed over. I decided that my show & tell today would have to be my baking!

The cookies on the lower racks here are favorite ones to bake in the fall, probably because they contain both cranberries and pumpkin pie spice.

The photo also shows my favorite stacking racks which make it possible to cool a lot of cookies in a very small space!

Would you like the recipe? I thought you might, so...

CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp. apple pie spice OR pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (craisins)
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a large bowl beat the shortening and butter for 30 seconds, till softened. Add the sugars and beat well. Add the eggs and extracts; beat again. Sift together the flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into the shortening mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Drop the mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten each one slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass which has been greased and dipped in sugar. (You will only need to grease it for the first use.) Bake at 375º for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies, I think -- I didn't keep track.)

I adapted this from Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter. Some of my best recipes come from this source.


And the other cookies are chocolate malted cookies.

They contain malted milk powder and milk chocolate chips and also call for semisweet chocolate chunks. I usually use just semisweet chocolate chips in place of the chunks, but this time I happened to have on hand a Lindt Intense Dark chocolate bar, so I chopped it up and put it in the cookies.

The recipe for these? Of course...

CHOCOLATE MALTED COOKIES

1 cup butter-flavor crisco
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder
2 Tblsp. chocolate syrup
1 Tblsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients; beat for 2 minutes. Add egg. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape into 1” balls and place about 2” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375º for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 3-4 dozen cookies.

I love malted milk flavor, so I think these are the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. The original recipe called for making them larger -- rolling them in 2” balls -- but you will get a lot more cookies this way.


And there's my Show & Tell for today. To see what others have shared for Show & Tell Friday, head on over to My Romantic Home.

Happy Show & Tell Friday! And happy baking, too!

A quiet prayer corner

Of course as believers we can talk to God anywhere, at any time. But it's also important to have a quiet place where we can spend time in prayer at the start of each new day. My "prayer place" varies. In warm weather I love to have my quiet time on our screened front porch, with birds singing all around. Sometimes I will pray in a comfy living room chair. But now, as the cool weather comes on and it's still dark outside when I have my prayer time, I like this cozy corner in our bedroom.

There's a chair, a little lamp, a small quilt for warmth and a little table with a coaster for my mug of tea.

What about you? If you don't have a quiet corner for your prayer time, look around your house for such a space. You will find it such a blessing!

One confused cactus

Last week I was doing a bit of dusting and decluttering on my sewing desk, which is located in a dormer window. A small flowering cactus resides on that window sill, and I was reminded that it had been some time since I'd watered it. And, while doing so, I noticed it was budding. (I've always called this a Christmas cactus, since we were given it at Christmas in a decorative planter a number of years ago. It has, however, bloomed for both Thanksgiving and New Year's, so who knows what it actually is.) This takes the cake, however -- it is blooming in mid-October!

This shot shows another bud at the top left of the plant.

Our colorful leaves outside are falling fast. So it's fun to see a jolt of color indoors. I love little unexpected surprises like this!

Show & Tell Friday for October 16

For show & tell this week, I am going to show a few more of my fall items. I think I may have showed a couple of these before, I'm not sure.

This adorable little Indian corn ornament is made from tri-beads, chenille stems, and raffia.

Here are a couple more of my fall hot pads. Often I will buy a small amount of beautiful print fabric with no project in mind. That was the case with these. The hot pads were the perfect use for them.

One of the sets of autumn-themed coasters I have made.

This pumpkin is actually a candle holder.

These tall leaf-trimmed mugs (I have two of them) are among my favorites.

This little pitcher features a maple leaf and is fun to use for maple syrup.

This autumn mug has a patchwork country scene.

Here's the back of the patchwork mug.

I was given two of these mugs as a gift. I love their simple handmade look.

This Thomas Kinkade autumn mug was also a gift. It's one of my favorites.

Last but not least here are two other lovely fall mugs. I have four of these -- two with maple leaves and two with oak leaves.

And there's my autumn Show & Tell for today. To see what others have shared for Show & Tell Friday, head on over to My Romantic Home.

Happy Show & Tell Friday!

Show & Tell Friday for October 9

Today I want to share some of my fall favorites... things I get out or use every fall. It's my favorite season and I have slowly collected some fall items over the years which I enjoy every autumn.

First, a couple of little fall magazines. I was fortunate to inherit a stack of these New Hampshire Troubadour magazines. The first one is from September 1950.

October 1950.

In recent years, the New Hampshire Troubadour has begun being published again. (For more information, you can check out New Hampshire Troubadour .) Here is the current issue:

I use this fall basket for reading material in the living room.

This fall teapot is a real favorite of mine.

The fall spoon rest was a gift from my daughter.

I made several fall hot mats a few years back. Here is one of them in the center of the dining room table, with a Fiesta sugar & creamer set on top.

There are silk autumn leaves in the garland over the picture window.

A closer look at a corner of the garland.

And there's my autumn Show & Tell for today. To see what others have shared for Show & Tell Friday, head on over to My Romantic Home.

Happy Show & Tell Friday!

This week's menu...

Menu for the week...

As I've mentioned before, I like to take part in Menu Plan Monday when I can, but lately I just don't seem to get around to posting menus on Monday. That's partly because I plan my meals from Thursday to Thursday, which is our grocery shopping day. Since I've just finished planning this week's meals, I thought I would share:

THURSDAY: Country Chicken and Vegetables, Baking Powder Biscuits

FRIDAY: Crab Quiche, Home Fries, Fruit Salad

SATURDAY: Hot Dogs, Homemade Baked Beans, Coleslaw

SUNDAY: Crockpot Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Applesauce

MONDAY: Barbecue Shepherd's Pie (made with leftover ribs), Green Beans

TUESDAY: Potato Soup, Cheese Bread

WEDNESDAY: Hamburgers, French Fries, 3-Bean Salad

THURSDAY: Pork Chops with Apples, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

And there you have it. Always subject to change, of course!

Show & Tell Friday for October 2

My time is limited today, so my show & tell will be even more simple than usual. Yesterday I got to thinking about custard cups... how cute they are and how often I use them. I very seldom make custards, except as an occasional treat for my dad, because I really don't care for them myself. But I do use custard cups a lot -- for various steps in recipes, for microwaving an egg for myself, for a side dish of applesauce, etc. with a meal, for holding the au jus for French dip sandwiches, or for serving a small portion of something to a child.

I don't have a real custard cup collection, but maybe I should start one! I will show a few of my custard cups.

Ordinary plain glass Pyrex® custard cup (on a vintage Fiesta ware saucer)

Fiesta ware custard cup (newer version) also on a vintage Fiesta saucer

You couldn't bake a custard in this cup, a vintage plastic one from the 1940s. My grandkids like their raisins in these.

A vintage ribbed glass custard cup.

The bottom of this cup has a bunch of grapes molded into it. Cute!

And here is my very favorite custard cup. I don't know how old this is. I bought it at a flea market in 1977.

I just love the scene on this cup, and the painted green top edge. I keep this one above my kitchen sink to hold my scrubbing sponge, so I can enjoy seeing it whenever I wash dishes.

After taking all these photos, I remembered some apple-shaped glass custard cups that I have, but that will have to wait for another day.

So there's my simple Show & Tell for today. To see what others have shared for Show & Tell Friday, head on over to My Romantic Home.

Happy Show & Tell Friday!