Wonderful Workbaskets

I just love my workbasket...when I have the time to work on my projects that is. It's always waiting for me when I have a few minutes to sit and stitch. Right now I'm working on some crocheted lace to edge a pair of embroidered pillowslips for a Christmas present. I'm also crocheting a blue baby blanket. I have 4 favorite patterns that I make up for baby presents, and have made one for each of my 9 grandchildren, with the exception of our oldest grandson, Samuel. I don't remember what was going on in our lives 9 summers ago, but somehow Samuel didn't get a blanket. In Julie's family they just added a baby girl, Cecily, number six, and I took her blanket with me when we visited them in West Virginia. Julie and I were talking about how Samuel didn't receive one, and I realized that although it was a little late, I should make him one to pass on to his children in time. I have made them all in different colors, but I had enough blue yarn on hand, so started right in when I got home. It will bring about a sense of completion for me...and hopefully a good memory someday for Samuel as he brings it out and wraps up his first son. I have another workbasket I treasure as well. This one belonged to my maternal grandmother, and shows the wear of many years. She sewed and mended for her family of 8 children from this basket. When I received it, it had a cache of antique buttons, several embroidery hoops, scraps of material and lace, and round crocheted windowshade pullers. There were also several pair of small mending scissors, mostly broken, with stubs of marking chalk. I have used the buttons on many projects and loved the feel of the old smooth white and cream buttons. There is a connection somehow with this grandmother that I never knew, when I look at these things that she used and touched.
Her name was Mabel Estelle Erskine, and she died in 1935.

Here she is on her wedding day in 1909...and maybe she brought her workbasket with her into her marriage, or received one for a wedding gift. In any case, workbaskets were an important part of a womans' life...and I still like to sit in the evenings and stitch, even though the necessity has turned into a hobby.

Thought on thankfulness for this day:

"Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace as thunder follows lightning." Karl Barth

Thanksgiving Thoughts

It seems that November always goes by too quickly, and I don't have enough time to reflect on the giving of thanks, having a thankful heart, or the kernel of thanksgiving enough. I'm glad that we do have a holiday and a month of days devoted to this, and I'm trying to think about it more deeply this season, and find scripture references and good quotes to reflect on. The framed embroidery above states the end of fall feeling often portrayed in our homes and on Thanksgiving day itself. This passage came to my attention:

Exodus 34:21-22

"You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year."

As I work toward the Feast of Ingathering this year on Nov. 27th I want to always be reflecting on thankfulness, culminating in a rich, rewarding gathering together.

This is the quote I am thankful for today...and meditating on:

"O Lord, I am astonished at the difference between my receivings and my deservings, betweeen the state I am now in and my past gracelessness, between the heaven I am bound for and the the hell I merit. Who made me to differ, but thee?" The Valley of Vision

More Birthday Celebrating...

Julie's two sisters, Joy and JoAnn decided to celebrate their birthdays together this year. Joy turned 35 today (Nov. 4) and JoAnn turned 29 last Thursday. Since Joy lives in Washington State, John, JoAnn and I traveled 4+ hours on Friday to reach her home. We enjoyed a dinner together on Halloween evening, using a tradition that we started when they were just small. We got some dry ice and put in in some apple cider.... to make it boil, boil, 'double, double, toil and trouble." We served it with some yummy tortellini chicken soup and cheese bread that Joy made.

On Saturday night 8 of us went to the Cheesecake Factory in Portland. It was a wonderful place for a special celebration. Here's Joy enjoying her slice of cheesecake with a candle.

The cheesecake is presented so beautifully, especially when you tell them it's your birthday! This is Joy's selection....raspberry white chocolate, her favorite.
And here's JoAnn enjoying her piece of Creme Broulee' cheesecake. I think the staff thought the girls were twins after we told them that they were both celebrating their birthdays....we got a laugh over that.

Before Church on Sunday morning, Joy made up three 'Dutch Baby' casseroles. It takes a lot to feed her large family along with three guests! This is a quick, pretty, and yummy breakfast. It is especially good with a twist of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. (Also good with Joy's wonderful homemade raspberry freezer jam). It's amazing how family celebrations are often centered around good food. I suppose that's why the Holy Days were often called feasts and festivals in the Old Testament.

Well, now the fall birthdays are over, and simmering as good memories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOY, we love you!

Tarte Tatin

Flaky Egg Pastry:
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1/4 confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large egg, cold, beaten

Caramelized Apples:
8 Tbs. butter
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar
6 large Granny Smith apples (about 3 lbs.), peeled, quartered and cored

Tangy Cream topping:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/2 cup chilled sour cream

1. For the pastry: Pulse the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients; process until the mixture resembles cornmeal, 7-12 seconds. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl; add the egg and stir with a fork until little balls form. Press the balls together with the back of the fork, then gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic, then flatten it into a 4 inch disk. Refrigerate at least thirty minutes. ( The dough can be refrigerated overnight; let stand at room temperature to warm slightly before rolling it out.)
2. Unwrap the dough and turn out onto a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle with additional flour. Starting from the disk center outward, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, strewing flour underneath to prevent sticking. Slide a rimless baking pan or pizza peel under the crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate while preparing the apples. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. For the apples: Melt the butter in a 9-inch ovenproof skillet; remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. Following the illustrations on page 916, arrange the apples in the skillet by placing the first apple quarter cut-side down and with an end touching the skillet wall. As you continue to arrange the apples, lift each quarter on its edge while placing the next apple quarter on its edge, so that the apple quarters stand straight up. Fill the skillet middle with the remaining quarters, placing them cut side down.
4. Return the skillet to high heat; cook until the juices turn from butterscotch to a rich amber color, 10-12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, using a fork or the tip of a paring knife, turn the apples onto their uncaramelized sides. Return the skillet to the highest heat; boil o cook the uncaramelized sides of the apples, about 5 minutes longer.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Slide the prepared dough from the baking sheet onto the apple filling and, taking care not to burn your fingers, tuck the dough edges gently up against the skillet wall.
6. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the skillet on a wire rack; cool about 20 minutes. Loosen teh edge with a knife, place a serving plate on top of the skillet, and, holding the plate and skillet together firmly, invert the tart onto the serving plate. Scrape out any apples that stick to the skillet and put them back into place. ( The tart can be kep for several hours at room temperature, but unmold it onto a dish that can withstand mild heat. Before serving, warm the tart for 10 minutes in a 200 degree oven. )
7. For the topping: Beat the heavy cream and sour cream at medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until the mixture thickens and holds soft but definite peaks. ( The topping can be made a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Accompany each wedge of the tart with a generous dollop of topping.

Sausage Souffle

1 lb. pork sausage links (fresh, mild)
6 slices of bread (or more)
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 1/2 cups milk

Day before: Fry sausage. Drain and cut into 1/3rds. Cut bread into cubes. Alternate layers of bread cubes, sausage and cheese in a buttered casserole dish. Beat the eggs. Add salt, dry mustard and milk. Pour over ingredients in the casserole. ( Use spatula to smooth it flat.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted comes clean.

JoAnn's Birthday Brunch

We had a fun birthday brunch for JoAnn yesterday,featuring another one of her favorites, sausage souffle. We served it up with homemade applesauce and a pot of tea. Pumpkin bars were the finishing touch for this pumpkin-loving daughter.

I love this casserole, and it has been a family favorite for many years. We generally serve it on all holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas mornings. I like it because I can make it up the night before, then pop it into the oven early in the morning. It puffs up so pretty in the oven and tastes so good. I treasure my recipe card too, because my Mom gave me the recipe and the card is filled out with her handwriting. Mom is gone now and I like these little reminders of her and her days in the kitchen. The recipe follows below...

This is 27 years ago, when JoAnn turned two and had her first pumpkin dessert. I made this pumpkin cake for her birthday and Halloween many times.

Here she is today, still enjoying those tasty treats and gifts on her birthday.

Happy Birthday JoAnn!!

A very happy 29th birthday to my dear sister, Joann! I hope your day was special, I was thinking of you all throughout it.

Love Julie