A collection of heirloom recipes, cooking tips, and tales from our Tennessee home
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Green Tree Frog
I have a multitude of things that live on or near my front porch. Mostly there are different kind of lizards that love to sun themselves on the steps. I'd love to post pictures, but they scatter as soon as I grab a camera. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this little fellow on top of one of my wind chimes. I'm used to seeing them once in a while on the storm door since they love to catch bugs at night. But, this is the first time I've been able to snap a picture. If you'd like to read more about Tennessee frogs, take a look at TWRA's The Frogs and Toads of Tennessee. And, before you ask, I will not be posting a recipe for frog legs!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Signs of Wealth
August is the traditional month to return to school, so some of my friends have been pretty busy getting their children and grandchildren settled. One friend commented about buying an electric pencil sharpener for the kids. I immediately said that was a sign of wealth and she laughed knowing just what I meant.
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Back in the day before electric pencil sharpeners existed (or at least were unavailable in the hollow), we never seemed to have a little manual sharpener. So, if you weren't lucky enough to be in school when that pencil lead wore down, the pocket knife came out. I always, always hated pencils sharpened with a knife. It told everyone we couldn't afford a pencil sharpener. The next school day, I would immediately sharpen all my pencils with the lovely pencil sharpener attached either to the wall or the teacher's desk. Sometimes it would be full of shavings, and I'd be lucky enough to get to empty it.
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I probably should be in therapy because this helped lead to a life-long love of office supplies. Even if I don't need them, I love to browse the office supply isle in search of new things. Over the years, I developed a love of new ink pens. One of my former employers used to come into my office to sign checks I had written. He loved to walk off with my new ink pens. I finally got wise, and started ordering him his own personal box of perferred pens so he'd leave mine alone!
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It's funny the little things that we remember from childhood. I know there were much bigger things going on in my life at the time, but I still remember those knife sharpened pencils. And, I still associate that with being poor. So, any pencil sharpener, especially an electric one, is a sign of wealth to me. It seems like such a little thing now and I have to wonder what this generation will think of as wealth in the years to follow.
.
Back in the day before electric pencil sharpeners existed (or at least were unavailable in the hollow), we never seemed to have a little manual sharpener. So, if you weren't lucky enough to be in school when that pencil lead wore down, the pocket knife came out. I always, always hated pencils sharpened with a knife. It told everyone we couldn't afford a pencil sharpener. The next school day, I would immediately sharpen all my pencils with the lovely pencil sharpener attached either to the wall or the teacher's desk. Sometimes it would be full of shavings, and I'd be lucky enough to get to empty it.
.
I probably should be in therapy because this helped lead to a life-long love of office supplies. Even if I don't need them, I love to browse the office supply isle in search of new things. Over the years, I developed a love of new ink pens. One of my former employers used to come into my office to sign checks I had written. He loved to walk off with my new ink pens. I finally got wise, and started ordering him his own personal box of perferred pens so he'd leave mine alone!
.
It's funny the little things that we remember from childhood. I know there were much bigger things going on in my life at the time, but I still remember those knife sharpened pencils. And, I still associate that with being poor. So, any pencil sharpener, especially an electric one, is a sign of wealth to me. It seems like such a little thing now and I have to wonder what this generation will think of as wealth in the years to follow.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Still have my spots...
This little fella wandered into the yard recently. He's so cute and still has spots!
He's probably thinking something good is over there....
Or maybe a little shade since it's a hot day....
But, never fear, Momma is close by munching on some leaves. Thought you'd enjoy these pics. Have a wonderful day!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Aprons & Surprises
My wonderfully talented and crafty friend, Susan, made me this wonderful apron. I just happened to mention one day that I'd like one and described it. Well, she made the apron and then mailed it to me as a complete surprise. Isn't it beautiful??? I just love the Fall colors. Stop by Susan's site at Craft and Creations to take a look at some of the unique gifts she has made recently.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Lake Barkley
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Gardens & Friends
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You can't buy this in a store! One thing that you can always depend on during the summer - gardens and friends. Once a garden starts really producing, you always end up with an abundance of vegetables. And, you can only eat, can or freeze so much before you run out of room. Just looking at these veggies made me think of BLT's, vinegar & cucumbers on ice, and fried squash. Can you think of a better supper on a hot summer evening?
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In case you don't like fried squash, here's a quick casserole to try.
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Crook-neck Squash Casserole
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2 cups yellow squash, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter and add flour gradually. Add milk, squash, eggs, salt & pepper. Mix well. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325 degrees.
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