Week 139 8-19-2018

Thoughts and Quotes: Fashion is inspired by youth and nostalgia and draws inspiration from the best of the past.             Lana Del Rey

Showing my age. I had to Google to find that Lana Del Rey is a 33-year-old singer and songwriter. I'm not so sure she knows of which she speaks, because I have to think really long and hard to find a way the past fashions have influenced today's. 

Bev and I went to a "Nostalgia Vintage Fashion Show" at the Henry County Museum in Clinton, Missouri. It was their annual fundraiser presentation. Do you see anything here which inspired the pants and tops we live in today?

When Carolyn Miller made her presentation, she accessorized each outfit and talked about the clothes in relation to present circumstances. For instance, notice the slim skirt of the gray suit in the middle photo. Then check out those football shoulder pads and the military look. This was from the 1940's when WWII was in full swing. There was little fabric available, so skirts were trimmed down.

The war is over, so notice the flared skirts from the 1960's and 1970's in the photo above, when fabric became available once more. See what I mean?  I think present circumstances have more influence on fashion than nostalgia. But who doesn't love seeing and hearing about it? I know I did.

Lunch was included, and the centerpieces were accessories and sewing notions, etc.

The ladies of the museum committee made the food for a salad bar buffet - 18 in all. My plate looked like leftovers by the time I took a little of most of them. We also had bread sticks and assorted desserts.

The recipes for the salads came from the fundraiser cookbook compiled by the museum ladies. Of course, I had to have one. I especially wanted to see the recipe for Champagne Salad. Guess what? No champagne! But it's a very sweet little cookbook of nice quality, and afterall, it is for a good cause. The museum is worth the time to visit - really large for a city of 9,000 people.  

Carolyn has been collecting vintage clothing since the early 1980's. Her presentation is informative and very enjoyable, as she tells many little stories about her journey. She passed out brochures and some invitations to her September presentation at her store and museum in Sedalia. If you decide to check out the store (not just clothing), the address on the invitation is the correct one. Click HERE for more fun photos. Due to a prior commitment, I can't attend.

Carolyn's little trailer was parked out front, and when we drove away, this beauty pulled up to the other museum building.

Frankly, I'm happy that I can pull on my elastic-waist pants and a stretchy t-shirt to go to Walmart. Can you imagine going in a corset (or girdle), hat and gloves?

Thrifting: We passed a thrift store on the way, so decided to stop in on our trip home. I got all of this for $4.50. 

I'll add this to the June tea dishes.

 Remember the one from Week 136?

I already have one of these. Now I can have a quiche tea lunch.

I'm collecting these for a teen's hope chest.

Six of these.

And six of these. I think they're new.

And six of these.

Thrifting (AGAIN): What happened to down sizing? Well, I kept thinking about the chili peppers tea set, so I checked on Wednesday, and it was still there, except now it was $4 because it was senior day.

And now it's mine. What do you serve at a Mexican tea?

I'm ready for Christmas. New with $14 stickers on each. I paid $2.40 for the pin and $1.20 for the earrings.

40 cents each, and I'll find two more.

Five of these for 80 cents total.

A little boo-boo on the roof, which I can fix. 40 cents. I still need to redo the Sailing, sailing..... theme dinner, so I can use this.

Tasting: Here are the recipes from Mim's brunch I promised you last week.

Fruit Salad

1 large peach

1 banana

3/4 cup fresh pineapple tidbits

6 strawberries, halved

2 tsps sugar

Mix together and serve in stemmed dessert glasses.

Tomato Quiche

1 9” unbaked pie shell

2 cups chopped or sliced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

4 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbs flour

1 cup evaporated milk

Heat oven to 375°.

Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes.

Place tomatoes in pie shell and sprinkle with seasonings and scallions.

Scatter cheeses over tomatoes.

Whisk together eggs, flour, and milk and pour over cheese layer.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Bacon-Cheddar Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

6 oz center-cut bacon, chopped

1/2 cup diced onion

6 oz. baby spinach

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 eggs

1/2 cup grated extra sharp white Cheddar cheese

Chopped chives for garnish, optional

Heat oven to 350°.

Spray a 9” pie plate with cooking spray. Spread sweet potato slices in pie plate, completely covering all surfaces; 5-7 layers when finished. Spray potatoes with cooking spray. Bake crust for 20 minutes.

Fry bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until brown and crispy. Place on paper towels. Drain grease, reserving 1 Tbs.

Cook onion in bacon grease on medium until translucent. Add spinach, cover for 1-2 minutes and then stir until wilted.

After crust is baked, increase heat to 400°. Put spinach and onion in crust, and sprinkle bacon over spinach. Scatter cheese over bacon.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and pour over quiche to fill. Discard balance.

Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ham and Cheese Rollups

1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls

16 slices deli smoked ham

4 slices American cheese, cut in 1/2 on diagonal

Poppy seeds

Heat oven to 375°.

Separate dough into 8 triangles.

Place on each piece of dough with two ham slices, wrapped around a cheese triangle.

Roll up and place seam-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Mom’s Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbs ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2-1/4 cups sugar

1 Tbs vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Heat oven to 325°.

Grease and flour two 8” x 4” loaf pans.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.

Whisk together dry ingredients and add to bowl. Beat well.

Stir in zucchini and nuts.

Pour batter into pans and bake 40-60 minutes, or until bread tests done.

Cool in pans 20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

 Blueberry Streusel Muffins

1-1/2 cups blueberries

2-1/2 cups flour + 1 Tbs (divided)

1-1/8 cups sugar + 1 tsp (divided)

2-1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1-1/2 tsps vanilla

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 stick salted butter, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 425°.

Spray a regular muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

Whisk 2-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together 1-1/8 cups sugar with eggs until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until well combined. Stir in milk and vanilla.

Gently fold egg mixture into flour mixture; do not overmix. Fold in blueberries, mixed with 1 tsp sugar and 1 Tbs flour.

Fill muffin cups. Mix streusel ingredients and sprinkle over batter.

Bake until tops are golden and barely firm – 17-18 minutes, rotating tin halfway. Cool in tin 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool 5 more minutes.

Tips: You know those little stickers on produce which have a number? Did you know they also have a code; not just a number for the cashier?

If the number has four digits, it was grown with the use of pesticides. If it has five digits and the first number is 8, it has been genetically modified. If it has five digits and the first number is 9, it has been organically grown. Who knew?

Tidbits: Next Sunday, the 26th, is the night of the Green Corn Full Moon or the Grain Moon. The Native Americans called it the Sturgeon Moon because they were most readily caught then. Whatever you call it, be sure to make a wish.

Tales: I'm reading some of Hope Callaghan's cozy mysteries on my Kindle, and I highly recommend them.

I'm reading about Millie Sanders and the Cruise Ship series right now. Millie is in her 60's. Her husband left her for another woman, and on a whim, she applied for the job as assistant cruise director on the Siren of the Seas and was hired. 

Of course, there's always a murder, but nothing Millie can't handle. I'm into the third book in the series and she's picked up two accomplices along the way - Annette from the kitchen, and Cat from the gift shop. 

There are lots of boxed sets of cozy mysteries for Kindle for 99 cents. Just go to Amazon and search for Kindle cozy mystery boxed sets. First you'll get lots of things for several dollars, but if you click on one of them and then scroll down, you'll find plenty of boxed sets for 99 cents on the carousel.


Tips: We were discussing the Great Britsh Baking Show in the Tea Cup and Cupcakes Group on Facebook, and I've discovered that my library has all four seasons on DVDs. I'd never watched it, but it gets such high marks, I'm going to give it a try. The same with Call the Midwife. Seems I'm the only one who isn't a fan. The library has all seven seasons.

If your library doesn't have the DVD's, you can pay $5 a month to your local PBS station and view lots of past shows. This includes the Great British Baking Show, but you have to get Call the Midwife on Netflix.

Right now our PBS station is having pledge break, so today I watched Johnny Mathis (my favorite of all times) and Andre Rieu in Mastricht.  When watching Rieu, it's difficult to decide who has more fun; the audience or the performers. I love watching both. Watch one show, and you'll be hooked. The music is great as well.

The Pepper and Pals Report: Nothing new here. BJ is still making herself scarce. Stormy Weather Prettypaws and Roly Poly Pepperpot are still finding it difficult to relax.

ENJOYING THE RAIN

AND COOLER TEMPS

HEAT ISN'T OVER BUT

AUTUMN IS COMING

GET YOUR FALL WARDROBE READY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE