As I am doing this post it is the last day of March (1944). We are still tweaking things in the house and moving a few things around but that will most likely be something that will continue for quite awhile.
I went through and cut up some of the most worn kitchen towels to use as paper towel replacements.
As many of you know I normally change out the tablecloth each month. I started to put my Easter cloth on but the family is scattered this year so I put one of my most vintage cloths because I like it.
The weather has been warm and breezy so I have been able to keep the windows open longer at a time. The only problem with opening the windows this time of year is the pollen but I just dust more often.
I do want to insert a little advice here since I mentioned opening the windows. It is my opinion the best way to deodorize laundry is sunshine. There is nothing that smells better than fresh washed and sun dried laundry. I have had to dry sheets and pillow cases in a dryer when the weather is raining for long periods and I am always disappointed in the outcome. They come out too soft and not deodorized. Line drying bed sheets, pillow cases and cotton undergarments is the most sensible thing to do.
Remember dark laundry will fade in the sun and always turn the dark laundry inside out and hang it if possible out of the direct sun. I only hang white dress shirts in the sun. I will hang other colors in the early morning sun and then move them to hangers out of the direct sun. This way they still are getting air/sun deodorized. But sheets, pillow cases, towels, cotton under clothing, kitchen towels etc go out in direct sunshine.
I have purchased second hand clothes from the thrift store and I notice that more often now they have a strong scent from laundry detergent. It takes many many washings to remove this scent and a few things it just will not come out of. Whatever fragrances they are using now is getting stronger. I am very concerned about these strong scents and especially for baby and children's clothing.
I always purchase unscented products unless it is a natural lavender. orange etc.
I made a ham and egg pie this week, that made Charles happy. Ham and egg pies go way back in time. I just make a pie crust and line a deep dish pie pan or a casserole dish as I have here above. I bake the crust until almost done. I don't have a recipe for ham and egg pie, and some make it a bit different.
I can tell you that I make a white sauce which my standard white sauce is 4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour and 2 cups of milk. Whisk together and bring to boil and constantly stir or whisk until thickened. Set aside...
Cut ham into cubes, boil cubes of ham in water to make a bit of broth. Sometimes I add carrots if I I am not cooking a side dish of vegetables other wise it is just ham, egg in white sauce gravy. I boil eggs, I normally boil 4 eggs to that white sauce recipe because if you cook the white sauce and put chopped boiled eggs in it and put it over toast it is called egg on toast or the other name is eggs ala goldenrod.
Anyway, I add the chopped eggs to the white sauce, the boiled ham and the carrots if they are in there, salt and pepper and the broth of the ham just to thin it down just a bit and bake it in the oven until bubbly at 350 degrees. Sometimes I put a bit of foil around the edges if it looks like the crust is turning dark.
I also solved our kitchen curtain issue. I didn't use the fabric I got because it just was not vintage enough. So I started looking for some vintage fabric and I found these very vintage curtains and I had a flash back when I saw them. I had forgotten how we pleated our curtains in the past.
So I got them and with a few adjustments I put them in the kitchen and laundry area.
Now it feels right. I used the crochet curtain in place of a sheer....
Yesterday I went out to the garden to gather some veggies to make soup...
I only need a little of this and that to make soup... That was collard leaves and this is spring onions...
So with a few pieces of chicken I boiled I washed and chopped up some veggies and made soup.
I was going to make egg noodles but I got behind time so I used some penne pasta from the pantry....
When I make soup and there is meat in it I cook the meat first, This was chicken, then make sure there is plenty of broth, (by adding water) and I add the ingredients 5 minutes apart The carrots, the 5 minutes later, the greens, the pasta or egg noodles then the onions.
This is a quick soup and very hearty, just boil it all down until the vegetables are cooked.
This is the finished laundry room window. I made cotton tie backs for both the windows.. I would love to keep our windows more uncovered but we live in an older section of town and I feel we need to have the extra back curtain.
What a perfect time for the roses to bloom. I have been watching this one from a tiny bud. My mother loved roses and I cannot help but think about her every time a rose blooms.
Another one that will soon open...
I have to be very particular about what kind of desserts I make now since Charles and I try and eat more healthy... Maybe some old fashioned tea cakes would be good in this covered dish. My recipe goes back a long way. I was given the recipe from a family friend that was 99 years young about thirty years ago. I loved her tea cakes and it was the recipe that she always used. Next time I make them I will share the recipe with you.
But I did surprise Charles with a Blackberry Jam Pie with the left over pie crust from the Ham and egg pie.
He was very happy :)
Blackberry Jam Pie
1 cup Jam ( jam and not jelly) jam is thicker and has more texture)
1 Cup buttermilk
1/2 Cup butter (softened)
1 Cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour (yes this is correct, only 2 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and sugar, add flour. Add well beaten eggs, add jam and buttermilk and vanilla.
Pour into slightly baked Pie shell and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees then set oven to 325 degrees and bake until set. top with heavy cream if you like when serving. You can also top with whip cream or ice cream.
This is one of those pies from long ago that people made during the great depression or hard times. It was the kind of dessert that families grew up on long ago. My recipe is yellowed and getting fragile so that tells you how old this is.
I guess I should have put this post under cooking from scratch section but I just wanted to talk about what has been going on here the last part of this breezy March 1944.
You can live like this too if you want to, all you have to do is just do it. Grandma Donna
