First Day of Fall

Since I last wrote on this blog, fall has officially arrived!  I have noticed a bit of color on the landscape and the corn fields are beginning to disappear. The temperatures have also cooled down, putting me in the mood to bake breads. I got a new bread cookbook and have tried a couple of new ones with great success, but thought you might enjoy the recipe for these delicious rolls.  This recipe makes 24 rolls and I don't think I have ever had any left over, no matter how few of us there are for dinner! So, here goes...

Mimi's Favorite Rolls

1.  Mix together in a large bowl: 3 1/2 cups of flour, 1 T. yeast, 1 t. salt, 1/4 c. sugar
2. In a small saucepan, heat until bubbly around the edges, 1 1/4 cups of milk. Take off of the heat and add 1/4 cup of butter. Cool this down until it is lukewarm.
3. Add milk mixture and 1 egg to the flour and mix it well. This will be a sticky dough. Cover and let it rise for an hour or until it is doubled in size.
4. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and divide in half. Working with one half at a time, roll into a circle about 12" in diameter. You will need to flour the dough well, in order to be able to roll it out!. Spread the dough with as much soft butter as it takes to cover the dough. 

Cut your circle into 12 wedges. Starting from the wide end, roll them up into crescent shapes and put to rise on a greased baking sheet. I cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise until double. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake them for about 12 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve with butter.

Any old dinner becomes a special occasion with these delicious rolls!

From Mrs. Dunwoody

1. Chill candles for several hours before lighting, it will cause fewer drips.

To remove the smell of smoke from a room, fill a glass jar with vinegar and place a large oil lamp wick inside the jar. It will absorb the lingering odors.

Our family members will carry the atmosphere we create in our homes for the rest of their lives.

Thanks for visiting!

Diana

Apple Time is here!

It is September 3, and fall is not officially here, but the apples definitely are! This is my very favorite time of year and one of my very favorite things to do in the fall, is go pick apples at our local orchard. The very first time we picked apples, I had 2 little tiny girls, and I wanted to learn to make great pies. Allen and I with the girls in tow, set off for Bells Apple Orchard where we picked a gorgeous bushel of apples. That week I made apple butter, applesauce and an apple pie every single evening until I got it down! My husband didn't complain...the pies were delicious!  I have picked apples with all ten of my children and now they are picking them with theirs.

One of my favorite recipes, a very easy one, is an apple dip recipe given to me by my neighbor, Connie, about 25 or so years ago. It has become a family favorite and is delicious with those fresh apples.

Connie's Apple Dip

• Melt  1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan
• Add 1/2 cup of brown  sugar and stir until it is smooth
• Stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1 tsp. vanilla and stir it with a whisk until it is well combined.
• If you have time, refrigerate for an hour or so so that it firms up a bit

Slice up those apples and enjoy!!

Have a great day!

Diana

For Love of White Dishes

There is something about white dishes that I love. In 1981, I traded in my wedding stoneware for  my first set of white dishes. I  purchased a set of Nikko white classic and have been in love with white ever since! I  now have several sets of white dishes that we mix and match for family gatherings. White is perfect for every occasion - just change out linens and table decorations and there you have it! No need to have a cabinet full of dishes with Christmas trees and turkeys on them.

I never can pass up white dishes at a garage sale. I especially like to collect milk glass pieces. I have quite a collection, and like to use them wherever I can. I am not sure if any of them are valuable, but I enjoy them.

I know this is hard to believe, but I do not like to use a dishwasher! I do like to take a stack of dirty dishes, wash them and line all of those clean white plates up in the dish drainer to dry.What a transformation!

What is it about white dishes? Maybe it is the truth planted in my heart from Isaiah 1:18.

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."  Maybe I see myself in those dirty plates washed clean. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Thanks for reading!

Diana

Garage Sale Treasures

We do love garage sales, and one of our favorite is the annual sale at our local Methodist Church! It is particularly rich because many of the donars are older folks and they have much cooler stuff. This year I spent $7.25 and this is what I brought home. 

In the above photo we have a Fiesta ware butter dish, a white jewelry box, a soft white cotton summer blanket,a white pitcher, a footed milk glass planter, a small milk glass goblet, a crochet hook, and two pottery planters.

In this picture which is somewhat dark, there is a brand new 1983 toaster oven...still sealed in it's original box and a coffee press, also new.  We love the toaster oven and are having so much fun with it. The coffee press makes a great single cup of coffee.

I mentioned last time that my little granddaughter had broken her arm. Here she is sporting her new cast and swimming with her Aunt Sophie in the pool! You can't hold little ones down for long!

Here are some sage words from Mrs. Dunwoody:

One of my favorites:

"Always go to other people's funerals; otherwise they won't come to yours."

Work on your inner beauty.

It counts for all eternity,

but your looks and youth will

soon wilt like a daylily.

Blessings to you!

Diana

One More Zucchini Recipe!

It is just after midnight, and a few minutes ago I wished my son, Luke, a very happy birthday! I can hardly believe that it has been 20 years ago that I first held that sweet little red- haired baby boy in my arms. We were so thrilled to have another son...that made the count four girls and three boys. The boys were catching up!! It is also my daughter-in-law Sara's birthday as well. Happy Birthday to you both!!!

Our little granddaughter broke her arm yesterday while hopping from swing to swing in the backyard! She is now the proud owner of a bright purple (thankfully water-proof) cast.  There is never a dull moment around here!

Here is one of my all-time favorite zucchini recipes.  My mom has fixed this dish for years and I have made it all of my years as chief cook around here!

Zucchini Bake

3 cups of zucchini sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 sweet Spanish onion, sliced

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a skillet and cook the onion and squash until tender. Place them in a 1 1/2 quart buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs. I tear bread into little pieces as it is easier than getting out the food processor!

Mix together:

3 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 8-oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Pour this mixture over the contents of baking dish and then sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan  cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until it is set and brown. This serves six. We use a 7 x 11 inch dish. This is a very flavorful dish you are sure to enjoy! Unfortunately, we did not get a picture of this one so you will have to take my word for the fact that it is a good looking dish!

We have had a couple of weeks of unseasonably hot weather, even for Indiana! I thought it would be a good time to get started on some projects for our fall craft open house. Here are some of the things I made:

 A new notebook design and knitted child's cap

These are from a handbag pattern that I have been playing around with! 

 I love these little tissue holders! They are such fun to make!

Have a happy day!

Diana

Sophie's Favorite Zucchini Recipe

Do you love to go the fair and get the fried veggies? Then you, like Miss Sophia, will love this  recipe! 

I slice my zucchini about 1/4 inch  thick for this dish.  I make a fritter batter as follows:

1 cup of flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

Beat all of the above in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk until it is smooth. Then I simply stir in the sliced zucchini. I heat about a quarter inch of oil in a skillet, and then when it is hot I lift the slices out of the batter with a fork and add them to the skillet. Fry them until they are nice and brown, and then turn them over and finish cooking the other side. I remove them to a paper towel lined plate and continue until they are all cooked.

When we go to the Indiana State Fair, they serve the fried veggies with a spicy sauce  that we have tried to copy. We play around with it, but basically I mix:

Mayonaise

mustard

honey

Red Hot sauce

Zataran's seasoning mix

You have to play with the ingredients because I have never written it down and always have to guess, but it is a very tasty dipping sauce.

Do you remember last winter when I told you about the geraniums that I had started? They were blooming in my kitchen window all through the snowy months. I planted them in my planter outside in late spring and they looked just awful!  The leaves turned a very sickly shade of gold and I thought for sure they were going to die.  But, they didn't! Here they are today!

Aren't they lovely?  They have really enjoyed the heat we have had. Gardening always seems to have such good spiritual application, doesn't it? When I think about the trials in my life, when the Lord "turns the heat up", do I become more lovely? Or do I resist the Master Gardener's work in my life and instead shrivel up and become ugly? My choice.

With love,

Diana

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Susanna's Favorite Zucchini Bread

Susanna's favorite way to have zucchini is in this delicious bread. The recipe actually came from my oldest daughter, Elisabeth, who is a wonderful baker and gives many baked goods as gifts to the  many people in her life.  The secret ingredient in this moist bread is cream cheese!

Beat the following ingredients until smooth:

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of oil

1 t. vanilla

Add 8 oz cream cheese

stir together:

2 cups of flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt 

1/2 t. nutmeg

add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix.

Fold in 2 cups of shredded zucchini and 2 cups of chopped nuts. Spread into 2 greased and floured standard sized bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and invert onto cooling rack.

Susanna's variation:

Add 1/3 cup of cocoa instead of spices and add chocolate chips in place of nuts. I use about 1/2 cup of mini chips. She prefers everything with chocolate!!!

Enjoy!

Diana