Watkins Hearthside Cook Book

      Since "wear, stains, bent cover" are common descriptions of this charming 1952 book on Rarenonfiction.com, Etsy, and Ebay ads, a simple deduction is that cooks of the time made good use of the little spiral-bound text. My mother's copy fell into my hands about a year ago, but I hadn't looked through it until recently, at which time I fell headlong into a time warp.

     Perusing Watkin's book, it is easy to comprehend the beginning effects of consumerism, modern food storage and prepackaged food items as they combine with and emerge from the 'totally from scratch' cooking of pre-war generations. Even the illustrations demonstrate a change from the traditional - there are a few full color photographs of menu selections but many more of the stylistic two-color graphics.
     Despite the evolution of cuisine and its preparation,  I like to believe that a statement in the preface of my old Hearthside Cookbook probably is timeless, "the heart of the home is in the kitchen".

      A note about the Watkins Company: J.R. Watkins began selling liniment door-to-door in the mid 1850's, later he added baking products such as spices and vanilla. Housewives must have approved because the direct-sales company boomed by the 1940s. Economic shifts caused Watkins to file bankruptcy in the 1970s but some of the products are still carried by stores like Walmart, Schnucks and Target.

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

     Alfredo sauce is so simple and inexpensive to make at home that I'll splurge on a good wedge of Parmesan to grate and stir into a saucepan of bubbling white sauce. While fettuccini noodles boil on a back burner, a large chicken breast leftover from last night's meal is cut up and added to the sauce (which we like heavy on the garlic). When the noodles are cooked just right, I place them in a bowl, ladle over the creamy sauce and chicken, and top with a sprinkling of chopped green onions for a bit of color. Served with buttery garlic toast, we can close our eyes and imagine we're dining on a red-checkered tablecloth in Tuscany.

Goldfinches Visit for Breakfast

     A wintry cold Saturday morning with dark skies and leafless trees provides little of interest outside my big kitchen window. However while preparing breakfast today, I heard some excited little twitterings and glanced up to see several goldfinches gathered at the tube feeder that hangs from the eave near the window. The tiny acrobats hung upside down on the multiple perches, feasted on Niger seed, and frequently jockeyed positions.

     Even in their gray winter plumage, the little canary-like fellows brightened the morning and were such delightul companions that I tarried in the kitchen - washing the breakfast dishes in the sink and baking a batch of cookies - just to be in their cheerful presence.

Leprechaun Poop

     Do green M&Ms and chocolate-covered raisins resemble Leprechaun poop? Well having never seen any, I can't answer with any certainty but the power of suggestion is convincing enough. A good sense of humor is also essential  (and a penchant for anything chocolate!)

     The grandkids, neighbor kids and a couple of deserving adults were the recipients of these homemade St. Patrick's Day gifts, that were fun to assemble. Unfortunately for our sweet teeth (or maybe fortunately for our waistlines) there was no candy leftover for us!

Zucchini Apple Bread (Gone Green)

     Usually on St. Patrick's Day, I make a loaf of Irish Soda bread. This year I put tradition aside and baked a loaf that is appropriate only because it offers a bit of green - zucchini in the batter and leprechaun dust on top! Actually one small bag of shredded zucchini left in the freezer influenced my decision on what to bake, so we ended up with a zucchini apple bread. Spiced with cinnamon, studded with chopped pecans and glazed with thin icing,  the sweet bread was served for a late dessert with a wee bit of Baileys Irish Cream. It was perfect for breakfast (with coffee!) the next day as well.

Man Cave - Signed In

     A new home for Michael and family meant a basement room designated for the boys (men are included in this broad category because, as we all know, the only difference is in the price of their toys.) While at the moment, walls and floor are concrete, and furnishings at a minimum, I know there are big plans for future embellishment. However, for Mike's birthday I gave him a piece of wall art that displays required conduct of visitors, friends and family.

     The backing is a smooth piece of 1/8 inch birch that I painted black; the words were generated on my PC and printed on  four pieces of card stock, which were cut to size and decoupaged onto the panel. Because I wanted a good protective finish as well as an attractive appearance, I applied four coats of Mod Podge matte sealer. Finally two holes were drilled at the top corners and a length of black cord was threaded through and knotted to serve as a hanger. Project finished - son pleased with his newest piece of decor!

Sweater Repurposing - Ankle Warmers

     This beautiful wool cardigan was a favorite of mine for several years but it had acquired a few moth holes and become misshapen (wider and shorter) so I figured it was ready for either the trash bin or a charity box. 

     However the sleeves were in good shape so my frugal nature kicked in. With sewing shears, I cut a nice straight line across both, level with the wrist edges. (Because the pattern on the lower part of the sweater was so pretty, I also cut it off to save for a later project.) After folding the ends under, and fashioning a cuff, I slip stitched each to keep them in place, and add a big leather/brass button for embellishment.

    These are called ankle warmers on Etsy and Pinterest, but they almost transform my comfortable leather shoes into sweater boots. I love 'em!

Sweet Norbert's Story

     A beautiful little boy, a life cut short by tragedy, a mother's tremendous anguish - all evoked by the soft shy appearance in this old photograph. Norbert was born in  August of 1927, the third child of hardworking Polish immigrants, Walenty and Sophie Janus. The family lived near an industrial area in Grand Rapids, close to the Grand River, and the children attended St. Adalberts Catholic grade school. So devout were they, that the highlight of the children's lives was not birthdays but the celebration of their First Holy Communion at the beautiful basilica at St. Adalberts. (Norbert is shown below in a commemorative photo, dressed in fine clothes,  neatly combed hair and shined shoes. The carefully orchestrated pose also displays the boy's rosary and his adorable hesitant smile.)

     When Norbert was almost eleven years old, he was playing with some other children on the train tracks that flanked the neighborhood. While I am not sure of the particulars, it seems the boys were jumping among the couplers of an idled train; somehow Norbert lost his footing and took a dreadful fall. Unconscious, he was carried home and then to a hospital, where he died from a severe brain injury just a couple of days later. The grief and pain that his parents suffered remains unimaginable.

     Pictured at left are two of Norbert's three siblings - Chester (my father) and Dorothy, two and four years older respectively. Littlest sister, Theresa, who was born in 1933, is not pictured. 

King Cake

     Mardis Gras in the St. Louis area is celebrated with a big parade, beads, masks and drinking. We have never joined in that big city tradition but enjoy the event in a quieter way at home. Jambalaya simmers on the stove, Hurricanes are sipped out of tall glasses, and a King Cake is served for dessert. This year I did not follow the original custom of baking a simple ring of dough but instead made a white cake, which I frosted and sprinkled with sugar in the Mardis Gras colors of purple, green and gold. Everyone was anxious to check their cake slices for the ceramic baby (I used a tiny kitten figurine - hey it was a baby, of sorts!) to see who would have good luck in the coming year.