Whiteley Creek Homestead

cardboard range

  

This range is made from a cardboard storage box. Condiment cups and lids are spray-painted silver for knobs that realistically turn. An oven window made from a plastic sheet protector allows different pictures of baking food to be interchanged freely. The oven door opens with two racks inside made from sheets of cardboard spray-painted silver then drawn with grids. The oven's handle is made from a report cover sliding bar sprayed silver. There is even a light attached inside the oven that is activated with movement of the box's side flap. (I created my own burners with clipart that I enlarged.)  

This clever creation is the brainchild of Cheryl Robinson, owner of  The Crafty Buffet, who appeared February 18, 2009 on the Martha Stewart Show. I was in awe as I watched her cardboard range come to life on my television screen! I immediately ordered a kit to create my own, which I received in record time. This range would provide hours of creative play for a child or, as Cheryl suggested on the show, it can be used to store books (cookbooks maybe?) or other items.  Included in the kit is: 

ü  a cardboard storage box

ü   a flat cardboard piece that is used for the back of the range to attach the dials to and two other ones for the oven racks

ü   5 plastic condiment cups with lids

ü   5 paper fasteners to attach the condiment lids to the range's back panel

ü  4 CDs to simulate burners by drawing a spiral shape with a black Magic Marker on the backside (I chose instead to run off a clipart enlargement onto cardstock but the use of CDs is oh, so cute too)

ü   4 styrofoam dots to keep the oven door snug after repeated openings and closures

ü   1 clear plastic sheet protector for oven's window

ü   1 report card sliding bar for oven door's handle

ü   a template for cutting an opening in oven door

ü   a dial placement template

ü   1 Quik Brite™ Light

ü   5 labels for oven and burner dials (I used the ones provided on Martha Stewart's site because I like the yellow color... they need to be enlarged 139% to cover the condiment lids perfectly)

ü   step-by-step instruction book, and instructional DVD

In addition to what Cheryl provides in the kit, you'll need a can of silver spray paint, a paint color for the range to either spray or roll on (I chose a retro blue commonly used for kitchen appliances in the 1950s), and a hole punch among other little supplies that you probably already have on hand like a pen, pencil, glue, ruler, etc. (I purchased a "screw punch" from Martha Stewart Crafts at Michael's that Cheryl recommended. It was a wise purchase as it can be used to punch a hole where standard paper punches can't reach.)

Cheryl also sells a coloring book with drawings of food to be used in the plastic sheet protector oven window. My copy is on its way, so in the meantime I ran off sheet of clipart featuring a baking sheet of chocolate chip cookies.

Not only is the instruction book detailed and so very easy to follow, but look how unbelievably cute the design is...  

 

My transaction with Cheryl, via a phone conversation, as well as email communication, was handled professionally and in an expedient manner. She is a businesswoman with a very personable friendly demeanor. I highly recommend her product and service. 

Feb. 28, 2009

Today's mileage: Where did today go? Oh, I was having fun creating my range.

  GRAND TOTAL monthly mileage for February: 64.5 miles 

 Bible reading? Uh huh. 

greeting card display rack

 

Last month, I bought this Leanin' Tree card rack at a mostly antique sale with a little flea market thrown in. The rack looks old, and it could be, since the Leanin' Tree Company has been "an American tradition since 1949", according to their web site. Cards and envelopes come in so many bright and cheerful colors that they are too pretty to tuck away in a box or drawer. Displayed in this fashion on a twirling rack, their highly visible presence also serves as a reminder to do my part to keep the art of old-fashioned letter writing alive. Email is wonderful and I use it everyday, but there is nothing like retrieving a hand-written letter out of my mailbox that sits at the end of my 1/2 mile long dirt driveway.   

This is one of my favorite envelopes displayed on my rack. It is from a Martha Stewart Crafts "tiny party in a box" kit. The inside of the envelope is even cuter than the outside, if that's possible.

 

The tiny envelope tucked inside is meant to hold the party's invitation. How fun for a grandaughter/son to receive it in the mail just because... no party required! The items enclosed in the adorable kit will be showing up here and there as I repurpose them.

Feb. 27, 2009

Today's mileage: just normal here-to-there movement

Total monthly mileage: 64.5 miles (same as yesterday) 

Bible reading? Yep. 

plain yogurt flavored

O.K., so I've got my microgreens and sprouts seed orders completed. Next, I'm movin' on to purchasing a yogurt maker so that I can make not only dairy yogurt but nut and seed yogurts, as well. The dairy section at the local market has good quality organic yogurts from grass-fed cows... Why bother? Freshness. Nutrition at its peak. Why this urgency to delve into these realms? I have been growing and using sprouts sporatically since the early 1970s and I've thought about purchasing a yogurt maker equally as long. I am now ready to seriously incorporate these foods into my diet in as many ways as possible. When George Burns was 100 years old, he stated, "At my age, I don't even buy green bananas." I'm not so old that I shun green bananas but, in this autumn season of my life, I am no longer putting off for tomorrow. Any suggestions of yogurt maker brands and/or features that you have and love? I am familiar with the Yogourmet brand, since it is frequently sold in health food stores and food co-ops. I know that yogurt can be made using a low oven temperature, but maintaining a safe narrow temperature window, to prevent harmful bacteria from propagating making the yogurt unsuitable for eating, causes me to be somewhat apprehensive to choose the oven method.  

In the meantime, I will buy plain yogurt and flavor it. I made a Peach and Raspberry Swirls Yogurt Recipe from Ina Garten, the "Barefoot Contessa" on the food network. Barefoot Contessa... that name I like. Ah, but it is taken. I will be content as "Queen of the Meadow Blooms". In this recipe, you drain the liquid from the yogurt before adding nectar back in to achieve a wonderful fruity flavor. Notice in my photo how much liquid, in the jar on the left, is drained off from two cups yogurt. Ideally, fresh raspberries and peaches would be added, but I am making this recipe 5 months prematurely. February is not exactly the season for fresh berries and fruit such as peaches. My spirit has transitioned to spring, however, so I have gravitated to spring and summertime recipes. Just getting prepared... I drizzled the single frozen raspberry in the center of my dish of yogurt with a tiny bit of honey just to make it look more appetizing so you wouldn't need to imagine so hard how unbelievably beautiful fresh raspberries and peaches would look and taste.  

 

Peach and Raspberry Swirls Yogurt 

from Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten Serves 4.

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tbsp honey (I'm going to try eliminating this.)

¾ tsp vanilla

1 tsp grated orange zest, optional

¼-1/2 cup peach nectar

 peach, peeled and diced

fresh raspberries

sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and suspend it over a bowl. (I used an unlined sieve.) Pour the yogurt into the sieve and allow it to drain, refrigerated, for 3 hours or overnight. (A whopping 2/3 cup liquid drained off.) Place the thickened yogurt into a bowl and add the honey, vanilla, and orange zest. Thin with peach nectar until it is a desirable consistency. (My first attempt, I used ¼ cup nectar and it was a little too thick. My 2^nd attempt, I used ½ cup and felt it was a little thin so I’d say 1/3 cup should be just right.) One time I used a whisk to mix the ingredients together and the next time I used a blender which resulted in a smoother texture. Ina didn’t say to put the yogurt in the fridge overnight at this step, but I would suggest it if you have time. It allows it to thicken up a bit, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Fold in peaches and raspberries with a few on top, along with the almonds, for garnish.

 

Feb. 26, 2009

Today's mileage: 2 mile walk

Total monthly mileage: 64.5 miles

Bible reading? Yesiree. 

  

sprouting seeds orders

Besides expanding into the microgreens realm by placing an order for two kinds of seeds yesterday, I want to do more cooking with sprouts. Because sprouts are alive and in their peak growth spurt, they are exploding with nutrients. Therefore, it is beneficial to be including them in our daily diet in the form of sprouted grain bread, salads/slaw, soups, waffles/pancakes, omelets, spreads on crackers and sandwiches, casseroles, cookies, beverages, smoothies, etc. So, today, I began my journey to seriously learn varied ways to incorporate sprouts into my diet by ordering an "Amber Waves of Grain Mix" from sproutpeople.com so that I can get started with the right ingredients. 

Amber waves of grain... state of our nation... President Obama's speech last evening... a little digression... just for a moment... I was so impressed with President Obama's address to congress last evening that doubled as an address to all the people who call the United States their home. He made just plain old-fashioned sense about budgeting and not overspending to get a handle on our huge debt, like we must do in our own households. He urged parents to take more responsibility for raising their children. President and Mrs. Obama are setting an example by remaining active in their daughters' everyday activities despite their extremely overburdened careers.  He gives me great hope that we will come out of this challenging economic period much stronger and wiser than before but, as Alan Greenspan wisely predicted on the national news recently, "History will repeat itself because that is the nature of human beings" due largely to greed. 

Now back to my "Amber Waves of Grain" sprouting seed mix.  The organic seed mix includes wheat, rye, barley, triticale, oats, spelt, kamut, quinoa, sesame, millet, and amaranth. What a grain powerhouse! A note regarding sprouting quinoa, which is included in the Amber Waves of Grain Mix" that I ordered. The following quote comes from another excellent resource, sproutman.com: "I like Quinoa as a grain. It is a great nutritional seed. But I do not promote it as a sprout for three reasons: 1) It is hard to acquire the right form of the unhulled seed. Health food stores don't sell it. 2) If you are willing to invest the time to track down the right seed, often the germination is too low for successful sprouts. That leads to potential mold and rot problems, which I consider unsafe in the raw state. 3) Lastly, the sprout from 3 day old Qunioa is a relatively insignificant shoot. Not a lot of food or flavor. If you do grow it for 7 days it turns into a red grass which too chewy to eat. This grain is ready to eat with only very light cooking. I feel that this is the most practical way to include the benefits of quinoa in your diet." Sproutman.com has a very informative "Frequently Asked Questions" section on sprouting regarding how to sprout seeds, seed storage, etc. that I recommend if you are considering entering the sprouting realm.

To round out my sprouting seeds collection, I also ordered a "Beginner's Dozen Seeds Assortment" from sproutman.com. It includes 1 lb. each of alfalfa, Brassica blend (broccoli, broccoli raab, and canola), clover, crunchy bean mix, green snow peas, green lentils, red lentils, mung, radish, and sunflower. Also, 4 oz. each of garlic and broccoli seeds. I also ordered 5 lbs soft white wheat berries (backorder until mid-March).

Feb. 25, 2009

Today's mileage: 3.75 mile bike ride

Total monthly mileage: 62.5 miles

Bible reading? Yes. 

2009 season's first seed order

Today I offficially began my annual process of ordering seeds. This year, I am especially interested in growing "microgreens" to add intense flavor to my bed and breakfast guests' breakfast entrées but especially to add a pretty splash of color and a petite artform on each plate. Here are two kinds of seeds that I ordered from "High Mowing Organic Seeds" in Wolcott, Vermont for that purpose... dwarf grey sugar snow pea and an heirloom bull's blood beet. The snow pea has the bonus of a beautiful blossom.

   

Any tiny seed will produce "microgreens" if the young seedling  is harvested shortly after they sprout while the leaves are small, "normally about 7-14 days after the seed is sown when they are under 2 inches tall. Clusters are clipped just above the soil line right after the first set of true leaves form. True leaves follow the initial, simple-looking seed leaves and look more like the mature plant." (Source: sunset.com) The Sunset web site has a simple condensed primer on growing and harvesting micro-greens. Sungrownorganics.com has a list of some commonly grown microgreens with photos so that you can see if the plant offers the color, texture, and shape you desire. However, they are a distributor of plants to restaurants, farmers market vendors, etc. so it is not a seed purchasing source. Some examples of plants grown for microgreens are cress, garnett amaranth, basil, celery, mint, arugula, red cabbage, swiss chard, beet greens, carrot, kale, red purslane, radish, mizuna, and flax. There are many others that I discovered, as well... some common and some not so. When choosing seeds for planting microgreens, take into consideration that some plants have a spicier flavor than others. If the adult plant is more on the firey end of the spectrum, such as radish, cress, or mustard, the micro version will be as well. Some examples of milder varieties are red beets and swiss chard.

Another seed that I purchased from "High Mowing Organic Seeds" is an heirloom Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. It is the same variety that I purchased at the Minneapolis Farmers Market at the end of September last year which Dick carved into a cozy house for Halloween.

 

"Like a wheel of cheese: flat, round and slightly ribbed. L.I. Cheese is a long-ago favorite that has regained popularity due to the increased interest in specialty produce. The skin color is buff like a butternut and the deep orange flesh is at least as sweet and good, if not better. Beautiful enough to be ornamental and tasty enough for a meal. Plants have vigorous vines and heavy leaf cover. Days to maturity:110 days" (Source: www.highmowingseeds.com

Feb. 24, 2009

Today's mileage: 2 mile walk

Total monthly mileage: 58.75 miles

Bible reading? Complete. 

nutty granola

I made a yummy granola that I found on Lethally Delicious's blog. She is a participant in a "Craving Ellie in my Belly" group... cute... very cute name, whose members take turns choosing a recipe from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for  Healthy Life, test it, then report back on its merit. This granola's simple ingredients are ones you have already in your pantry, it's fat-free, and sweetened with real maple syrup. Thirty minutes in the oven and you'll be crunching away on a healthy snack or using it to top off a scoop of yogurt. If you have any left, eat some for breakfast cereal or as a topping along with fresh fruit or sauteed apples on pancakes or waffles. Yum!

 

Nutty Granola from Ellie Krieger’s book:

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

Makes 9 servings (1/2 cup each).

3 cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped almonds (I used slivered.)

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup pure maple syrup (I used ¼ c. maple syrup and ¼ c. honey because I’m always looking for ways to use the honey from our bees.)

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup raisins (optional) I used dried cranberries instead.

Preheat oven to 300°. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. (I lined a jelly roll pan with unbleached parchment paper coated with just a bit of cold-pressed canola oil.) In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients then stir in maple syrup to coat everything. Spread on baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes until golden brown, stirring half-way through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let cool. The recipe said to store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. I don’t think the ingredients warrant refrigeration, although I refrigerate maple syrup after opening, but I’ll leave that to your discretion. I, personally, prefer to put it in a large glass jar to set on my kitchen counter because it’s so very pretty to look at.

 

Feb. 23, 2009

Today's mileage: zippo

Total monthly mileage: 56.75 miles (same as yesterday) 

Bible reading? Finished. 

skating pond

  

Although my crafting interests are varied, scrapbooking... as in embellishing photo albums, has never caught my interest. However, the cutting tools and wide array of papers... now that I can get excited about. I made this wintery landscape from a variety of scrapbook papers cut from templates that are available for download on Martha Stewart's web site.  

The skating pond reminded me of a low area of pastureland, within a short walking distance from the house where I grew up, that collected water then froze over every winter. It made a perfect patch of ice for skating. The dog reminded me of our sweet-spirited springer spaniel, Sheeba, that died a few years ago. I cut her from a sheet of scrapbook paper that I got from my daughter, Jessica. 

The templates need to be enlarged 200%, which an office supply center can do in a flash, or you can do it at home by going into your printer's "copy menu" , clicking on the "size" option, then scroll down and click "custom 100%", and finally increase from the standard 100% setting to 200%. Your printer's commands may vary somewhat. It will take a bit longer than at the office supply center because you can't enlarge all of the templates in one swipe, since the enlarged sizes will not all fit on a single sheet of paper.

Using a template provided, the project's directions have you cut a narrow wavy strip that you adhere just below the line of trees to give a snowdrift effect. Instead, I cut a wavy edge, using the template as a pattern, directly on the top of the large sheet of white scrapbook paper. That way you don't have an obvious distracting strip on an otherwise fluffy smooth snowy landscape. 

Feb. 22, 2009

Today's mileage: 6.5 mile bike ride

Total monthly mileage: 56.75 miles

Bible reading? Yea sure.

retro lamp pictures and barkcloth

 

I made this set of three retro lamp pictures, inserted them into some old frames I found at a yard sale, and hung them gallery-style in a row on my wall. My inspiration for choosing to make them was my memory of growing up in the 195os and 60s sitting on our sofa watching a black and white television that received reception from a tall antenna reaching from the ground to above the roof directly alongside the outside of our house. Behind the sofa, a pair of barkcloth fabric curtains covered the sole window in our living room.

  

According to my research, barkcloth has the appearance of being sprinkled with small spots or seeds having a rough texture somewhat like that of tree bark, hence the fabric's name. In the late 1940s through the 1960s, barkcloth became a staple fabric in the home interior textiles market. The most collectible of these barkcloths are the atomic "Eames Era" prints popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. (See photo above.) Hawaiian prints and other florals were popular, as well. (See photo below.)  

 

At the huge Renniger's Antique Extravaganza held in Mount Dora, Florida on the third weekend in January, February, and November each year, there was a vendor this year displaying a gigantic mound of barkcloth curtains. Upon digging through the pile, I found a pair similar to what I remembered ours looking like as a kid. There I stood with no living room window measurement. Have I learned nothing from Martha Stewart regarding having sizes and measurements with me at all times?! They were much too expensive to take a guess at the size and hope that they would work, so I left them in the pile for someone else.  

Feb. 21, 2009

Today's mileage: 2 mile walk

Total monthly mileage: 50.25 miles (My monthly goal was 50 miles, so now any add'l miles is icing on the cake.) 

Bible reading? Sure thing.

vintage Playtime watercolors postcards

 

 

Yesterday, I created postcards. After typing in each recipient's address on the postcard's front, I printed them off in sets of 4 on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of cover/card stock paper using Publisher's postcard format. I then wrote a note to each of my five grandkids to drop in the mail today.

 

To make them, I scanned into my computer a vintage watercolor paint tin (with an unused paint palette and paintbrush inside), that I purchased at an antique sale, then inserted clipart of a tin can filled with paintbrushes. I think my 3 granddaughters and two grandsons will have fun receiving them in their mailbox in a few days. 

 

Feb. 20, 2009

Today's mileage: The day slipped away from me, so my walk didn't happen today either. Tomorrow I'll be back on track, for sure.

Total monthly mileage: 48.25 miles... same as yesterday 

Bible reading? Continued to read about Moses and the plagues God brought upon Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and his people.

Betty Crocker

A few years ago, at the Little Falls (Minnesota) Craft Fair held the second weekend in September for the past 3o some years, I purchased a ring formed from the end of an old silver spoon or fork. The downside of silver is that it tarnishes.

 So for my "clean" prong of my "4 Cs" productive stay-at-home day, I dipped it in a silver cleaning solution for 10 seconds.

 

I love the ring's wide style and the ornate carvings, but it's the history of the silverware used to make the ring that clinched the sale for me. During my childhood, homemakers would save Betty Crocker coupons to purchase silverware. The woman who created my ring told me what year that this particular silverware pattern was offered through the Betty Crocker promotions program, however I haven't run across the paper that I wrote it down on... but I will. I just remember that the year has some significance to me because it was when my parents got married, or the year I was born, or something. The following information, which offers a bit of interesting history regarding the Betty Crocker coupons, came from a 2006 Minnesota Public Radio Broadcast. (Minneapolis is the home of General Mills and the women known as Betty Crocker... her look changed through the years, so there were several.)

Betty Crocker retires her catalog                                                                William Wilcoxen, Minnesota Public Radio December 14, 2006

Friday marks the end of an era for one of Minnesota's best-known businesses. General Mills is shutting down a program that's seen generations of consumers snip and save box-top coupons. The coupons were good for discounts on silverware and other merchandise sold through the Betty Crocker catalog. Many businesses have loyalty programs, but it's likely that none has reached the hearts of devoted consumers quite like Betty Crocker points.

St. Paul, Minn. — It started with a spoon. The teaspoon tucked into boxes of Wheaties in 1931 proved so popular around Depression-era breakfast tables that consumers soon clamored for forks and knives as well. Next the company slipped paper coupons into packages of Gold Medal Flour and other General Mills brands. By the time baking mixes came along, point values were printed on the outside of the box. The growing number of kitchen and dining items wound up in a catalog and eventually made their way online.

 

    

Box top

 

Mark Bergen, who chairs the marketing department at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, says the Betty Crocker program was remarkable for two characteristics -- its longevity and the depth of emotion it inspired among its devotees. It became more than a coupon redemption program, Bergen says, by working its way into the fabric of family life. Various aspects of the program contributed to its appeal. Its structure allowed consumer excitement to build by stages. As a coveted item was spotted in the catalog, the family point collection grew incrementally, the coupons were mailed and the long-awaited product finally arrived in the mail. There was no minimum order, meaning a table setting could be built one piece at a time as the family budget allowed. The merchandise offered, Bergen says, was of a high enough quality that people were willing to save for it over time.

 

While the products were nice, there was never anything pretentious or intimidating about them. After all, they came from Betty Crocker, at one point one of the most popular women in America. General Mills created Betty Crocker in 1921 and she soon gained her own radio show. Betty offered warm, reassuring responses to consumer questions, and provided recipes and helpful tips on such topics as the best way to cut a wedding cake. Minneapolis writer Susan Marks is author of the book "Finding Betty Crocker: the Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food." Marks says the Betty Crocker persona resonated with Americans -- mothers, especially -- looking to provide their families with some wholesomeness. For many, she says, the points program is as laden with memories and nostalgia as Betty's baking products and cookbooks. "Because it's a connection they had in the kitchen with their mother, their grandmother, and these were happy times," Marks says. "And sometimes for a lot of people those times are over. Those people are not in their lives anymore, they've passed on. And through Betty Crocker they can hold onto that. So there's a lot of emotion."

 

Emotions could not keep the points program alive, though. Bergen of the Carlson School says shopping patterns have changed, with home baking becoming less common. In many households, the habit of saving up for a future purchase has faded in favor of buying on credit. And, he says, the idea of clipping box tops and sending them through the mail has become old-fashioned. Most modern loyalty programs work with the swipe of a plastic card and offer rewards that change quickly, often based on popularity. General Mills tried to give collectors of any discontinued silverware pattern two years notice so they could finish building their collection. The company is continuing its Box Tops for Education program, which helps schools pay for educational supplies.

 

And the other 3 prongs of my "4 Cs"... Cook: I tried a recipe for April's cupcake. (I already have March's cupcake planned.) Craft and Clerical Combo: I designed a postcard, printed off one for each of my five grandkids, and wrote a note on the flipside to drop in tomorrow's mail. I will share the postcard design with you tomorrow, since today's post was quite lengthy. I'm so happy with how they turned out.

 

Feb. 19, 2009

Today's mileage: The day slipped away from me, so my walk didn't happen.

Total monthly mileage: 48.25 miles... same as yesterday 

Bible reading? Continued to read about Moses.