Fresh Homemade Butter

This butter mold and paddle belonged to my Mamaw Ola Mae.  It's a special piece of my family history.  I'm so thankful that my Aunt Carol gave them to me.  I would love to find an old glass jar butter churn.  I've seen plenty at the antique stores in Amelia, Va. but they can be kind of pricey for a really nice usable one. I'll put that on my wish list.

Butter has to be one of the simplest things to make.  Sure you can buy a tub or box of butter in the grocery store but making homemade butter with your kids is so fun. It makes a wonderful gift too. It's easy to mix in honey or jam for an extra special treat.

Whip as much heavy whipping cream as you want. You will watch it turn to whipped cream, then curdle, and them magically the butter solids separate from the buttermilk.  The butter fat will cling to the mixer, leaving the buttermilk in the bowl. (You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or even a mason jar with two marbles and shake.)

Remove all of the butter and rinse under cool water to remove any buttermilk.  The butter will last longer since the buttermilk spoils fast than the butter fat.  Fold the butter over itself to squish out all liquid. Now it's ready to eat!  It will be firm like real stick butter. You can now add salt, honey or jam to it and whip it up.

Store your butter and buttermilk in the fridge.  You can drink the buttermilk or use it in cooking.

My Treasures

This ink well belonged to my Grandpa Curtis. I'm sure it belonged to his father. I just love that this piece of history has been saved in our family. So many times families get rid of these items because they are no longer needed. The color and the tiny air bubbles in this glass adds such character. I added the cork a long time ago. As a child, I used to have the ink well in my room filled with ink that I bought from Colonial Williamsburg. I would write with the ink and a feather pen and pretend I was a Colonial girl from Williamsburg. I encourage you to try and write with a feather pen and ink. It takes some getting used to but it's fun.

My Treasures

The showcase piece for this week's "My Treasures" is this well used cookbook that belonged to my Great-Grandma Taffer. While my Nana was sick with cancer she took time with me to pass down a few precious pieces that belonged to her. I felt so honored to be given this cookbook that belonged to her mother. It, no doubt, was a staple cookbook in my great-grandmother's home as she cooked many meals for her large family. As I look through it, searching for a recipe, I instinctively treat it as if it were made of glass. One recipe in particular that I love from this book is the spoon bread! So light and fluffy.


Spoon Bread

1 cup corn meal
2 cups sweet milk
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites whipped up
1/4 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Bring milk to a boil and the add salt and slowly stir in corn meal. Cook to mush while stirring constantly. Cool mixture. Add egg yolks, melted butter and baking powder to cooled corn meal mixture. Fold in whipped egg whites. Bake in buttered baking dish (it takes a rather small dish) about 30 minutes on 375'. Serve hot.

Dreaming about crochet

"My Treasures"

Ok....I had my second crafting dream. When I first fell in love with embroidery I couldn't sleep well because I kept dreaming about it. Last night was full of crochet dreams. When I become obsessed about something I because obsessed. Crocheting is coming along very nicely. I bought two beginner books but I have to tell you, watching the Expert Villiage videos on YouTube and Free Vinatge Crochet has helped me a lot. I am not that good at reading crochet patterns yet. They can be a bit confusing. I also found a few sites that offer free crochet patterns for when I learn how to read them. So fun! Here are the sites, 1, 2, 3, 4. Crochet is easier than you might think and so exciting when you finish a piece. I really enjoy the process of crochet.

The table runner to the left was embroidered and edged with crochet by my Grandma, Ola Mae and the two crochet hearts were done by my Nana, Shirley. I cherish them.

In the turn of the century, doilies were everywhere in homes. On top of dressers, bedside tables, or buffets to protect the furniture's finish from becoming scratched by vases, plates, or lamps. Some historians believe doilies have been used as early as the 11th century! Pick up a pack of crochet needles and some yarn and get to work! You will love it.

My Treasures

This week in, "My Treasures" I want to high light this wonderful quilt made by my Grandmother, Ola Mae. She made many quilts in her life time and I am honored to own this beautiful and intricate quilt. This pattern is called, "Cathedral Window". Some of her quilts were simple and some fancy. Some of the pieces were cut from old shirts, dresses, flour and feed sacks and some from bolts of fabric. Quilting was a way of life. A chore in itself, necessary for a family's survival. Quilting Bees were a popular way for women to enjoy each others company while helping with the quilting process.

In order to preserves my family's long tradition of quilt making, I have decided to make a quilt for my daughter. I have chosen one of my favorite patterns, "Grandmother's Flower Garden". You can find free quilt patterns here. I found these great sites that sell bundles of fabric for quilting. You can choose a bundle with the colors, design, or style of your liking. (Here are the sites, 1,2,3.) I think I will choose a more vintage style for Amelia's quilt and make it a queen size so she can use it when she is older. (Here are a few styles I want to choose from. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

My Treasures

I wanted to start a weekly post showcasing some "treasures" that I have in my home. Whether they be vintage, antiques, heirlooms or things from my travels, I treasure them. My love for all things old and vintage started at a very early age. I was blessed to be raised in a rural, yet historic town in Virginia. Antiques and vintage items were abundant in most homes in our little town and our home was no exception. I loved studying old black and white photos that belonged to my Aunt Barbara. I would look at them daily. Photos of my great grandparent would conjure up so many questions about these "strangers" that shared my genes. Old homes.....oh the craftsmanship and character in them would make me giddy inside. As a child I would look at them with longing as we would drive by them on our country roads. I would grieve for the old homes that were falling down. They still looked beautiful to me even though they had been abandoned years ago, their history slowly slipping away with time. I'm a purist when it comes to antiques and vintage items. It's hard for me to even think about cutting up a vintage linen or quilt even though it may be stained or tattered. I need to work on that because some things I have can't be used the way they were intended for one reason or another. I need to work up the courage to re-purpose them so that at least parts of them can be enjoyed.

Below is a picture of a tea/coffee cup that belonged to my Aunt Barbara. These were given to me when I was younger and I kept them close. I fell in love with the beautiful shade of turquoise on them. There are several pieces to the collection but many are missing. I hope to complete the collection one day. I have seen many variations of this same style by the maker.

It adds a little something extra to a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon cup of tea.

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