This is just a reminder to please check your email address in the contact form because if there is just one letter off or one error my responses back to you will come back to me as non deliverable. I feel a bit sad when I cannot answer you back and feel you might think I do not answer my emails.
I read every email that I receive, sometimes it takes me awhile to get back if I have a lot going on here but if I do not it is due to a snag in the email, either it did not forward or there is a typo when typing in your email address.
I will use this post to answer some questions that I could not answer due to email issues. Also many of you notice things in the background of the photos and will ask questions so I will also address some of these.
About the apple peeler above. I prefer to press the apple with the large side into the prongs and let it start peeling at the bottom end of the apple going from smaller to bigger as the spring will move the cutter back as it gets to the bigger part. We got ours from Lehmans but they are on amazon now. Ours is a table top, not the suction cup one. The one we have cranks down to hold it to the table. I do not know which is better as this it the one we have.
When we keep Windsor (our 1920s icebox), cooled down, this is how we do it. Since we cannot get block ice we freeze 2 liter bottles.
The coldest part of the icebox is in the bottom so that is where I keep dairy.
We only use Windsor for an icebox if we need extra cold space due to visitors because after a few months and the heat we have with no ice delivery man we decided it was time to figure out how our ancestors made it without the ice in the south.
We are still working on this as I am canning more and our goal is to be very minimal grid dependent.
When sugaring fruit it will reduce the size of the fruit and make a fruit syrup and be delicious in pies.
I am sorry, I do not know the names of my roses and I wish I did.
We should have marked the bushes in the yard when we planted them. I wish I did and I guess this is a lesson of what we should do when we plant.
We are doing better now as we have a gardening diary/journal but this is too late for the things we have already planted.
The screen door is one that Charles built. We have it so that our bird "Bell" can have space to fly around the room to get exercise. There are many dangerous things in a home for a bird. The kitchen especially with the stove, ceiling fans are very dangerous but we do not have them anymore as we removed all of our ceiling fans.
We use table top fans and have them in each room to use as needed.
This is Bell and she is a Cockatiel. Our other little bird Bootsy, a lovebird passed away last year during a procedure at the vet.
Some of my vintage linens, runners and doilies are homemade by me and some are not. I like to purchase vintage linens from thrift stores for little cost and repair them. This is a linen dresser scarf with crochet and tatted edging. As you can see the tatting needs repair. Tatting is very difficult to repair but can be done if it is very carefully picked back and tie in the thread at the beginning of a set and replace a new tatting set.
Yes, we do grow cilantro and parsley here in the deep south heat but we grow it very early spring and fall because it will bolt quickly occasionally it will survive throughout the summer, it depends on the weather. This year has been entirely too hot for me to be out in the garden like I used to do. I am looking forward to fall gardening.
Email questions about line dried laundry and stiffness.
I actually prefer the crispness of line dried sheets. As far as Towels, it seems to be that people have become spoiled to the softness that comes with the use of dryers. Advertising makes us feel we must have softness but high electric bills can reflect the use of clothes dryers and if a softener is used that just puts chemicals on the laundry..
Rinsing the laundry well is the most important thing to do with laundry. Rinse them well and pray for a windy day and you can get that softness.
Also pull the corners of the towel and snap them and that will help to release the stiffness.
The best way is to start your children off with line dried laundry and they will not have the expectations :) Sun is free and helpful to sanitize the laundry :)
A very recent question I could not answer because there was an error on the email address, can you still purchase scrub boards. I am not sure which scrub board you saw in a picture as I have three types. But the answer is yes, I have seen them in thrift stores, antique stores and on the internet. I hope this helps.
Yes I do most often set the table. We always eat at the table, at times we will serve our plates at the stove and take it to the table. For those that have noticed, yes we did get a larger breakfast table this year. :) Some of you are very good at detail! We had a small drop leaf and we purchased a larger vintage drop leaf at the thrift store. :)
And... Yes this fabric tablecloth is some of the fabric I purchased for the new kitchen curtains that I did not make.
No, I am not making bread as often as I did but I do still make it.
We are trying to eat more seasonal and bread is more of a cold season thing to do. Also to convert to whole wheat you can remove 1/4 of all purpose or bread flour add 1/4 whole wheat and let the family get used to the taste slowly, then half and half and so on.
How do I sterilize canning jars if I do not have a dishwasher?
I wash them in hot soapy water and rinse them well. To sterilize I put them in my water bath canner and bring them to the recommended temperature per the canning books for the length of time required. I do not give out a lot of canning information because I follow the guidelines. If you do not have any canning books you can go to the national center for home food preservation. Different parts of the country and world as far as that goes has different directions. Elevation is a big factor in pressure canning.
Canning is not difficult. It is not as easy as some things but once you get started it is easier after learning what to do.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_us...
Many of my red and off white dishes are Johnson brothers vintage and non vintage. Also some are Windsor ware and Royal Staffordshire.
This seems to be a very popular question, this runner has embroidered Crinoline ladies. You can find patterns to make them on the internet. Just type in Embroidered Crinoline Ladies pattern.
They are lovely on bedding and pillow edges as there are also patterns for the skirts to be crochet on the ends of pillow cases. They are beautiful on cushions.
What is my favorite vegetable to plant? This is a hard one to answer as I love growing carrots, herbs and many things but I truly look forward to spring so I can grow snow peas or sugar pods some call them.
Many of them never make it into the house as they are delicious to snack on raw. They are crispy and taste so good, we love to snack on them while out in the garden and when we do get enough for a meal we like to put them in stir fry.
Do we get bugs in our pantry? I put as much as I can in glass jars. Fresh fruit or a potato going bad might bring in some gnats but that can be corrected by removing the item or do better with keeping a check on the fresh vegetables.
I did make the mistake of not getting all of the sugar in jars and got some sugar ants once. I also air seal what I can with the food saver. I had to buy the jar sealer attachment online because the store bought one did not come with a jar sealer but did have a port to use one.
Where do we find our vintage furniture? Mostly at thrift stores or yard sales. Some we already had. I like to paint the furniture unless it has a very nice oak pattern. Most of our items that we did purchase were very inexpensive and needed repair. Just because it is scratched or falling apart does not mean it cannot be put back together again.
Our laundry drying racks I purchased on amazon. I have two racks that fold up like this one and one wooden rack. I use this white metal one the most.
Yes I am making soap now....
But I am too new at it to give out recipes for soap. My mother did not make homemade soap so I have always been timid to make my own soap. Finally with some encouragement from my friend Catherine I finally started making my own soap.
I wish I had not waited all of these years to start making soap. My Grandson's allergies made me want to get over my fears of making soap and I am glad I did because he is doing fine with this soap. Just do your research for basic soap and start there.
One very frequent questions...
How do I read your older posts?
Go to the home page, if you are using a computer then click on a topic such as living like the past or cooking from scratch etc. Once you click on that scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page and there will be numbers to take you all the way back.
I lost part of my posts early on when changing my website so this will take you to the beginning of what I have.
If you are using a tablet or phone just select Menu and do the same thing, select a topic and then scroll all the way down. I hope this helps.
That is Bernadette in the front page photo on this post. She is one of our three dogs. Bernadette was a rescue baby from a very bad abuse situation and she had some serious injuries. She is a black pekingese and is three years old now and with much patience, obedience training, and just loving her she has gotten over most of her issues from being abused.
Our Katherine is a Dachshund and is 10 years old now and she has had two spinal surgeries and with home therapy she has regained her mobility. She is actually running again.
Elizabeth is our delicate fur baby, she is a Cocker Spaniel/Dachshund mix and had a bit of abuse when she was a puppy and is sensitive to sounds. She is 7 years old now and still scares easily. We love our fur babies. There is a pet section on my blog that tells about them.
For now this will be my last question,
Why do you not show the Shabby Cabby Camper anymore?
Well, we had a leak in the Shabby Cabby and it damaged the floor. Charles and I decided to strip it out and replace the floor. We are doing this in stages as we are older and getting down on the floor to rip it out has not been easy. We have half of the floor ripped out and the new plywood laying in there to put down then we will move to the other half. We will work on this off and on but have not done any work on it in several months.
When we finish I will certainly post about it :)
I guess I will stop here for now. Do not forget if you are using the email contact form on my blog to carefully type in your email address and check over it to make sure it is correct. :)
Grandma Donna
