Snippets & Snatches

 In addition to the 62 year old tractor, my son-in-law gave my husband last year, which by the way is a F.O.R.D--- you know--- Fix Or Repair Daily
first he added the horse drawn dump rake,  (guess who got to 'dump' it every time while we were making hay??)  "he" has now added a John Deere sickle bar mower. Here it is being restored, with the sickle bar removed. Sophie decided to claim it, she's our old farm equipment kitty ( remember her on the old Massey Harris tractor?) I think they are trying to do me in, as all this old fashioned hay making has been too much for me.
Can't wait for summer and all this 'makes- the- hay- grow- rain'-  to- end.

Favorite summer pie...sunny and hot 90*

Perhaps some of you haven't filled your freezers with produce yet. Could it be the 100 degree days have cut back your harvest, or is it the constant rain? I know that should be good this time of year, but too much of a good thing can ruin things too. Anyway, if you have room in your freezer to set a pie pan flat make  one (or two)  of these and have 'em on hand for company or your own supper on a hectic night. It's so easy and light and refreshing, it's one of our hot weather favorites.................................

 

 

                                 Refreshing Lemon Ice pie
1 large can( 12 oz.) evaporated milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 cup sugar
graham cracker crust

Place milk (Undiluted) in a large bowl and place in the freezer till just beginning to freeze around edges.
Beat with a stand or hand mixer until foamy, add sugar, continue to beat until soft peaks form, add lemon juice and extract, beat just to incorporated and spoon into a prepared graham cracker crust(will be quite high, just pile it in.)
Place immediately into the freezer and freeze for four hours or overnight.
Can be cut and eaten straight from the freezer for a refreshing summer treat!

                 

Yogurt........Sunny and HOT......90's* today

I wonder as I prepare my milk for yet another batch of yogurt how many still make, yogurt, cheese, buttermilk, ice cream and the like from scratch anymore........if you do leave us a comment and let us know OK?

There's nothing like fresh yogurt, just like anything fresh from the garden or homemade it just tastes better! we eat ours plain or topped with fresh fruit or honey

 

 Here's how I make mine. This recipe and procedure never let me down, and I have tried many other ways . I have a Salton Yogurt Maker, that has five 6 ounce cups, so these quantities are for it.

 I start by plugging it in to preheat.

Then I pasteurize 30 ounces of milk by placing it in a stainless steel bowl in a pan of hot water .Heat until thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove bowl from hot water and let cool until temp. reaches 110.

Then beat in with whisk 1/3 cup of NON- INSTANT dry milk. Whisk thoroughly until completely dissolved, then whisk in one at a time, 4 rounded tablespoons of plain  Yogurt with ACTIVE cultures,. ( Subsequently you can use your own Yogurt as the starter. When the homemade starts to  seem less firm, buy another quart for your starter)

Next rinse your cups with hot water and pour in your Yogurt mixture.

Place in Yogurt Maker, put on cover and wrap with heavy towels or blanket.

Let sit undisturbed for 8 - 10 hours.

 Remove cups of Yogurt and immediately place in refrigerator .

And a tasty recipe to make with it here: http://jonquiljunction.blogspot.com/2015/05/lemon-poundcakestorms-overnight-sunny.html

Snippets & snatches....Sunny..hot...83*

                                               A  Snatch from a Bygone Era

 

My dear cousin went to the town where I was born and took pictures of my earliest childhood home.

I was thrilled to learn that it was still there, built in 1900. And even though it no longer has the wood shingles I remember, it still looks familiar. And even better, the setting is the same. The steps down to the little strip of beach that the whole neighborhood used. Those were the steps that I fell down taking all the skin off my shin, and I can remember Mom and Dad kneeling on the floor while I sat on a kitchen chair, deciding what to do. The back yard has a little strip of grass and then a sea wall, below which are large rocks and then the ocean. Mom used to tie me out there by means of a harness ( I don't remember that! ) so I could have outside time. When I was older I would play on the rocks below the wall and rescue stranded creatures, mainly crabs, that were washed up there by the waves. I do wish I could have showed you a picture of the little red school house just down the street from my house, but it's gone. There were 3 grades, Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade, all in one room with partitions separating the classes. I started there at age 4 1/2 and remember being able to listen to the other classes beyond the partition. When third grade came we had to go "uptown" to a big, many story high brick building. Quite a contrast to that little neighborhood school that I could walk to. And modern early childhoods are quite a contrast to those days I remember, and I don't think necessarily better! Well I'll close now, but I do remember lots more stories of my first seven year at  23 Beach Ave. that I'll someday share with you.

 

  The steps that I fell down taking all the skin off my shin       ^

The little strip of grass , I was 'tied' out on to keep me safe from the sea

The rocks below the wall I used to play on

 

Sunday Quotes....Sunny...HOT...90's

Use what talents you possess,
 The woods would be very silent,
If no birds sang there
Except those who sang best...............
                                                                             Author unknown

Blackberry Cheesecake ice cream.....Sunny and HOT! 90's

This last Saturday in July, and the last in our series of blackberry recipes has donned hot and steamy, a perfect day for a recipe like this! (if you missed the other posts this month you can find them HERE ) 

Blackberry Cheesecake Ice cream

2 cups half and half
2 cups whole milk (2% can be used instead to make  it lighter)
1 box (3.9 oz) instant cheesecake pudding
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups blackberries
1 tsp. Almond extract (optional)

Place blackberries in blender and puree till liquefied, pour through a sieve and press to remove juice and some pulp,discard seeds,to this add 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, & Almond extract if using,stir well and place in the fridge.
Combine the rest of the sweetened condensed milk, half & half, milk and pudding mix, whisk till smooth, immediately pour into ice cream maker and process according to instructions for your machine. When ice cream is done remove from ice cream maker and gently swirl in the blackberry mixture---you don't want it all stirred in just swirl randomly leaving plenty of white showing too.
Place in freezer for 3-4 hours depending on whether you prefer soft-serve or harder ice cream.......

Welcome...SUnny...hot... 80's

We have so many new followers from FB, Etsy and google plus that we wanted to share a bit about ourselves and our story for those that may not have seen it in the past.............thanks for joining us,, we hope you'll visit often!

How did Jonquil Junction begin?

 

It began as an idea to connect crafters and customers .

My husband and I have both tried various crafting projects and venues over our 30+ years of living

here ,  but  the remoteness of our location prevented us from having our items seen by many potential customers' . Even though we love the simpler life we live here in the remote Ozark mountains, we needed a way to show our handcrafted items to a wider range of people so  we are thankful  (sometimes) that the invasion of the  internet has allowed us to share our products  with folks far and wide .

 

 

Tell us a little bit about your products:

 

Our products are as varied as the weather in these hills:

My husband makes the Hand-hammered copper jewelry

After years of experience with  precise woodworking  and working with the springs, gears, and  metals in his clock-making business, When  a customer asked him to make a copper chain for a pocket watch, he used his knowledge of "work hardening" metal  to design and craft a chain for the watch.  That experience  soon led to a  line of copper jewelry, with a focus on earrings. He designs each piece in his head first then makes an individual ‘jig’ to bend and hammer the piece into the shape he desires. This time consuming process results in a unique and beautiful piece that you will never see in a mass-produced jewelry store.

All parts of his earrings, except the ear-wire, are handmade and hammered, from the hammered body of  the earring right down to each individual , intricate and  tiny piece . 

 

Our daughter helps us with the internet side of the business as well as making all the hand-sewn items we offer- from the  Handmade biscuit and rag baby quilts, denim rag purses, aprons, notebook covers, embroidered tea towels and more,she’s always trying something new.

 

I write for the blog , and capture photos featuring our menagerie of four footed and feathered friends as well as our beautiful country landscape, there will soon be a combination of these writing and photos available in book format as well as downloadable prints and other items as well.

 

 

 Do you have a favorite or best selling item?

 

Our favorite is our photography because is captures the essence of

our locality and our lifestyle (for better or for worse)

Very soon you’ll be seeing much more of this genre on our pages.

Our best selling items lately have been the handmade denim purses my

daughter sews

 

 

What do you like most and least about having a small business?

 

Most: The interaction and personal touch with people near and far.

Least: Time spent promoting--we’d rather be producing!

 

How can people purchase from JJ?

Directly from our Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jonquiljunction?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php

Follow our blog for special offers and updates too: http://jonquiljunction.blogspot.com/

 

Summer Supper....sunny...HOT...80's

Wondering what to fix for supper tonight??? Here's one of our favorite summer meals ......................................                                                     
                                                               SQUASH MEDLEY

 8 yellow (straight neck) or zucchini squash, medium size, wash and parboil whole, about 5 minutes

Make filling while squash cools enough to handle

                                                                         Filling

1 large bell pepper, chopped fine
3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped fine
2 medium onions, chopped fine
3 slices cooked bacon or ham, diced
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper (or to taste)

 Slice squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out  center including seeds (could save in freezer for soup).

Fill squash cavities with filling and place on baking sheet.

Mix 1 and 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs with 4 TAB. melted

butter or margarine and sprinkle on squash filling.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 for about 20 minutes.


Skillet cornbread

1/2 lb lean Hamburger or Sausage
1 onion chopped fine
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

 In a ten inch cast-iron skillet (or other oven safe pan) Saute together until the meat is cooked, drain off any fat.

In a separate bowl mix together:

1 1/3 cups cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
***SEE NOTE**
1 egg
1 15 oz. can cream corn
2 T. vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk

Combine all ingredients and stir just until moistened pour over meat and onions in pan and bake at 350* for 20 minutes, sprinkle top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese and bake 10 more minutes.

****NOTE: you can use 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix instead of the dry ingredients in this recipe, just fix according to recipe instead of fixing by box.

This dish is a good base for a meal year round~~~Some ideas:

*in winter serve with a pot of beans or vegetable soup
*in spring serve with fresh greens and boiled new potatoes
*in summer add potato salad and  squash medley     
*in fall serve with baked sweet potatoes and fresh green beans
                                                                   Fresh Fruit cake

Fresh Fruit Cake, not to be mistaken for a ‘fruitcake’, this light cake is quick  to make, healthier than most cakes and tastes great simply topped with whatever fresh fruit is in season.

 We've been eating strawberries for a couple of weeks here now, blueberries and cherries will be ready soon followed shortly after by blackberries and peaches..........use your favorite to top this cake!

 

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. Almond flavoring (you can use different flavoring

                                        depending on what kind of fruit you will be serving with)

1 cut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 Tablespoon butter

 

 

In small sauce pan combine milk and butter, scald (heat till small bubbles appear around edges) while you make the rest of the cake.

In mixing bowl beat eggs well, add sugar and flavoring and continue beating till until very light and thick, 2-3 minutes ,( a large wire whisk works best for this).

Add flour and baking powder all at once and stir together, add hot milk and quickly beat together, pour into greased 8 x 8 inch pan and bake in a pre-heated 350* oven for 24-30 minutes till tests clean when a knife is inserted near center.

Cool on and top with crushed fresh fruit.

Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Peaches...................................................

                                                                   ~~~ENJOY~~~~~~~~~~

 

Custom orders! cloudy 70's

Did you know that our ''seamstress'' that makes all the quilted and sewn items on our page will take custom orders???  Quilted wall hangings, baby quilts, memory pillows or throws, table runners, personalized taggies, rag purses made in your favorite color, notebook or bible covers, a personalized  fabric sign for your business or craft booth .............you name it!
Below are some pictures of  items she's made to order recently. If have something in mind you'd like made to order just send us a

convo through Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jonquiljunction?ref=hdr_shop_menu

  or private message through our FB page, and see what she can make for you! https://www.facebook.com/jonquiljunction

 

 

 

It's Monday....sunny ...85*

Well, my daughter made a trip to the large fabric store 70 miles from our home last week, and I've been sorting through, closets of fabric that dates back to the 50's....needless to say this can only mean one thing! New designs coming soon !

Stay tuned to our FB www.facebook.com/jonquiljunction

and Etsy pages https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jonquiljunction?ref=hdr_shop_menu

 to see what we come up with next! 

Sunday Quotes....Sunny and HOT!

Rest is not idleness , and to lie sometimes
on the grass under the trees on a summer's day,
listening to the murmur of water, or watching
the clouds float across the sky,
is by no means a waste of time---- John Lubbock


While what John Lubbock says is  true, he certainly must not have been a farmer!

Fancy Blackberry Cobbler....Sunny and Hot, 90's

A bit more work than our 'Chigger Cobber' we shared a couple of weeks ago, but worth it!

Wonderful  for a potluck or when you have company coming over.

Nothing says "Summer" like blackberry cobbler!

 

Fancy Blackberry Cobbler

5 cups blackberries
11/4 cups sugar
4 T. cornstarch
1 T. water
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 T. shortening
3-4 T.cold water
1 T. butter, melted
1 T. sugar

Combine flour and shortening, cutting together to make course crumbs, slowly add water, stirring gently, just till dough forms a ball. Place in fridge while you make the cobbler.
Put 3 cups of blackberries in a 8 x 8 inch baking pan or two quart backing dish, set aside.
Place 2 cups of blackberries in the blender, puree till smooth, pour through a sieve to remove seeds, pressing well with a rubber spatula to get all the pulp and juice. Reserve 1/4 cup of this and place rest in small sauce pan, add sugar, almond and cinnamon, cook over medium heat till bubbles.
To reserved 1/4 cup blackberry puree add 1 T. water and 4 T. cornstarch, stir till smooth, add to sauce pan cook 1 minute, pour over 3 cups blackberries.
On floured board roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick, cut into strips and lay on top of cobbler, drizzle with 1 T. butter and sprinkle with  1 T. sugar .
Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or till top bubbles and crust is lightly browned.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

A gingham dog and a calico cat.............Sunny and HOT!

I wonder how many remember this poem?? It's always been a favorite of mine............................

 

The Duel

 

 

 

 

 

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
‘T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t’ other had slept a wink!
      The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
      Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
            (I was n’t there; I simply state
            What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The gingham dog went “Bow-wow-wow!”
And the calico cat replied “Mee-ow!”
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
      While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
      Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
            (Now mind: I’m only telling you
            What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)

The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, “Oh, dear! what shall we do!”
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
      Employing every tooth and claw
      In the awfullest way you ever saw—
And, oh! how the gingham and calico flew!
            (Don’t fancy I exaggerate—
            I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
      But the truth about the cat and pup
      Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
            (The old Dutch clock it told me so,
            And that is how I came to know.)
                                                Eugene Field

Dog days.....Sunny..88*

The post below is from our archives last year........... funny how things repeat themselves regularly just this week my daughter and her husband killed a 39" Rattlesnake with 8 rattlers in their garden shed...........and our bunny got snake bit (IN HIS CAGE!) technically it might not be time for 'Dog Days' yet, but it's sure starting to feel like 'em..............................................

August -21- 2014
Summer may have been a little (ok a lot) late this year, but here we are in mid-August and it has arrived right along with the dog days, just like it always does this time of year.
It's hot, it's humid, it's terribly dry. The dogs are lazy, the cats don't know if they want to be out or in, and last night we killed a 4' long Rattlesnake with 10 rattlers, trying to get into the pet bunnies cage.
Yes, the dog days have arrived here in the Ozarks for sure!

The phrase dog days typically  refers to the sultry days of summer.
Historically it goes back to the Greeks and earlier referring to the time of the year the 'dog star' was in the sky.
In ancient times Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time when "the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies (frenzies)." according to Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, in 1813..

In our neck of the woods, when we refer to the "DOG DAYS" we just mean a time of year when the dogs are 'dog tired' all the time, the cats are more lethargic than usual and the snakes shed their skins making them even crankier than usual!

Zucchini Season....90's

Everything Zucchini Season

Looking for something to do with all that Zucchini coming off right now? From our archives today check out recipes for : Zucchini Jam, Zucchini Blondie's, Zucchini Bread, Zucchini Medley, and make all that  Zucchini disappear in a delicious way!
http://jonquiljunction.blogspot.com/search/label/zucchini

Sunday Quotes....Sunny...90's

Have you observed that so called "naysayers" and pessimists often turn out to be "truthsayers" and people with foresight? 
Bonney Bresko from L.O.L.A.

Blackberry/Zucchini Freezer Jam...Sunny and HOT!

One of our Favorite summer recipes, it freezes wonderfully uses up Zucchini and any extra fruit you may have on hand too :) Try it you just might LOVE it!

 

12 cups zucchini , seeded and grated

4 cups sugar

1 cup lemon juice

9 Oz ( 3 boxes) black cherry OR grape Jello ( see note)

1 quart blackberries

 

Place grated squash in large pan with 1 inch of water. Boil for 6 minutes, drain well and return to stove, over medium heat add sugar and lemon juice and blackberries, return to a gentle boil for 6 more minutes. Remove from heat and add Jello, sprinkling evenly over surface of pan, then stir well, till completely dissolved.

Spoon into sterilized canning jars, allow to cool and freeze. Or cool first and then spoon into plastic freezer containers and freeze.

 

**NOTE: In some locations you can find Blackberry Jello, if so by all means use it, but since I can’t always find it I have used both black cherry and grape and liked them very well with the blackberries  *** This is our favorite jam to use during the winter in our Jam bar recipe (see it HERE) and your adding a veggie and a fruit to your dessert!

 

**Use this recipe as a basic recipe and use whatever Jello/Fruit combinations you like some of our favorites  I’ve made are Strawberry Rhubarb with Strawberry Jello and 3 cups strawberries & 1 cup Rhubarb

Cherry with cherry Jello and fresh or jarred cherries

 Bumbleberry with Black Cherry and Strawberry Jello and blackberries, strawberries, raspberries to total 1 quart of fruit

Raspberry with Raspberry Jello and Raspberries................

You get the idea!

 

**** Also this works quite well with frozen fruit so if you are inundated with fruit before the zucchini starts just pop it in the freezer in quart bags to make later!

 

Snippets & Snatches...partly cloudy...80's

                                                            Snippets & Snatches

 

 

Our Rose of Sharon's are blooming and I thought of Willene today.  She was an independent  spinster in her 70’s and 80’s when we knew her, years ago when we owned a business in town, and later worked at another one, she would come to visit us. 

When she noticed my daughter's interest in gardening, she  began sharing a sampling from her hordes of accumulated plants . She had a beautiful old home with a gambrel roof and a tumble down barn tucked in back, on a corner lot. This was right in town. All the folks, with manicured lawns and one complimentary evergreen shrub, would complain about "her jungle" as they called it. Some would hint what young boy would be available to help her "clean it up", and others would come right out and say it was a disgrace.

The current ‘town fathers’ would be assigned the task of "talking" to her. Once in awhile she'd thin out a little or make a few passes with a lawnmower, but her heart was never inclined to disturb her gardens. 

 But, through the years, nothing much changed and as she grew older the yard grew up into even more of a jungle.

One time we’d stopped by her yard, at her request, to pick up a few starts for yet another planting. 

 I noticed a very large and unique stone laying haphazardly in the yard, when  I commented on it, she said

 “ My daddy carried that home for me when I was a teenager (she must have been 80 if she was a day when she was telling this story to us) boy, he sure was strong, carried it home cause I liked it, and right there is where he threw it down, we never got around to moving it!”

 

Another time she asked us if we’d go with her out in the woods on a piece of property she owned but was afraid to go alone, we hiked down a long old logging road, badly washed out, to an old pond deep in the woods, the reason for the trip?  she wanted to dig a start of Vinca Minor that she’d seen there years before, she shared just a couple of sprigs with us that day ( nearly 20 years ago ) and now I have more of the stuff than I know what to do with and share it with anyone I can.....................

The same can be said for my Rose of Sharon’s that line my garden fence (well at least the original ones she gave us line the fence, now they also spread throughout the garden, the back yard, the front yard, my daughters house and several friends and neighbors yards......she didn’t tell me they were invasive....come to think of it she probably wouldn’t use the term invasive.....looking at the things she grew and shared and knowing more about plants now.......she LOVED things that were ‘easy to grow’ (read: invasive).

When the state highway was widened a few years back, the highway department seeded the new shoulders with pink primrose, blanket flowers, Coreopsis and Echinacea, then promptly began to bush-hog it down while it was in full bloom and before it had a chance to go to seed for next year, Willene was irate! She made a 100 mile round trip to drive to the Highway department headquarters  and  inform the ‘man in charge’ of the road crew that they were bush hogging at the wrong time of the year and simply HAD to wait until the flowers went to seed first!

 

Over the years she'd bring more & more plants for us, old home standards like Rose of Sharon, Forsythia, Irises, Day Lillies, Peonies, Wisteria, Dame’s Rocket, Mock Orange,  Poppies, Resurrection lilies, & October Plums to name a few. At the time we thought we were too busy to be planting, but as we were the first to live here and there were no old homestead plants we kept accepting and planting. 

 

As you might imagine she had a bit of a reputation around our small town, when my daughter married and bought a piece of property in town  just a block away from Willene’s house , she and her husband started planting many things there ( ironically many of these plants were starts from Willene’s place).  

Since  they didn’t live on the place,   they were “warned” by more than one neighbor that they better be careful or their plants might come up ‘missing’, seems Willene was known to scout around town for new starts of plants to add to her collection, and wasn’t at all past stepping up into a yard to take a cutting or gather seeds from a plant she didn’t already have! (one neighbor ‘suggested’ she’d even dug plants right from people’s yards before, but I tend to think this was an rumor that had been exaggerated a bit!)

Though I must say this story did remind me of seeing her driving very sloooooowly around town in her old white Oldsmobile station wagon with the wood paneled sides through  the  side streets of our town.......hmmm scouting for new recruits for her jungle, I wonder?????

 

Now Willene is gone, Her house in town has sold and much of the yard has been “cleaned up” (meaning they took most of her plants out---but when I drove by this spring--guess what? they didn’t get the Jonquils, they were blooming all over the place!) .  We so appreciate her kindness in sharing what she loved with us, through the knowledge and plants she entrusted us with her jungle still  lives on, all around our homestead....................

Snippets & Snatches....cloudy...rain on the way...74*

This is one of my Granddaughters favorite poems......................and one of our favorite recipes!

                            Her First Cake....

She measured out the shortening with a solemn air.
 The sugar and milk also...
then she took the greatest care
to count the eggs correctly and to add a little bit
of baking powder which you know, beginners oft omit
She stirred it all together, then she baked it one full hour
But she never quite forgave herself..........
        for leaving out the flour!
                                                                                                                Author unknown

Old fashioned coffee cake

Cake:

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

4 T. Margarine

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup plain yogurt

6 T. Milk 

 

Topping:

1 cup Sugar

1 tablespoon Molasses

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

 1/2 cup chopped pecans OR walnuts

4 Tablespoons Melted margarine

 

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-2 T. coffee (or milk)

 

For the cake, combine sugar, butter, yogurt, milk and egg , beat well. Add flour & baking powder, mix well, spoon into a well greased 13 X 9 pan.

 

For topping, place sugar and molasses in a bowl and using a fork or electric beaters mix until all molasses is incorporated and sugar is evenly colored.

Add remaining ingredients in order given and mix well.

Evenly sprinkle over top of the cake and bake at 365* for 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

For icing mix powdered sugar, and vanilla, and just enough coffee to make a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled cake and serve immediately.

 

Making your own brown sugar only takes a minute and the flavor is so much richer you won’t mind the extra few minutes it took to make it. If your prefer a milder taste you can use Sorghum instead of the molasses for a ‘light’ brown sugar flavor!

Snippets & Snatches...Partly cloudy...76*

     Rainy Days Blues

Rain, rain go away....

We've had it with you!
Please be through....
You've driven us to shout,
Go help the people in drought!
And now we ask why....
We can't have a blue sky?

To help us mow......

All this hay you've caused to grow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sunday Quotes...Sunny...80's

  I wish I'd been clever enough to pen this one!  Since it so reflects my thoughts I'm sharing it with you.

 

                                         THE POET

 How many poems in a poet's mind?

How many truths can be told in his rhymes?

How many thoughts can a poet convey?

That will remain true, one hundred years from today

How many people will read his lines

And make the connections, the poet designed?

And when he is gone, will his poetry give

Inspiration in minds of those that still live?

Will his words take seed in the minds of the young

And blossom like flowers in early spring sun?

And, if indeed, all this happens to be

The poet could alter all that we see

The poet need never take up the gun

For in his use of the word - his battles are won.  

From "Portrait of Life" by Chot Lomerson 

 

Chigger Cobbler....Foggy....68*....

July is the season of  'everything Blackberries' here--IF it's a good year for them, and this year has been............if you saw our post Thursday you will understand the name of this recipe. If not, you can read it HERE .
We will be sharing blackberry recipes every Saturday this month so be sure to follow us so you won't miss any! Blackberry Freezer jam, Company  Blackberry cobbler, and more.........
ANYWAY, won't you scratch your way through July with us??? This recipe is quick and easy to throw together after a day of picking or as a last minute dessert while you're fixing supper, and it disappears quickly whenever I fix it!

                              Chigger Cobbler

1 quart blackberries
1/2-1 cup sugar (adjust to the sweetness of your berries)
1 T. lemon juice
1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)
1/2 box yellow cake mix, dry
1/4 cup melted butter

 In medium pan, crush half of blackberries, add lemon juice and sugar, remove 1/4 cup juice, and stir in cornstarch till smooth, heat berries, add cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil and cook one minute, pour into 2 quart baking dish, sprinkle with cake mix and drizzle with butter, bake at 350* for 25 minutes or till top is lightly browned and bubbly................Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Farm Adventures....cloudy....80's

Snake Paths

 

Snake Paths.........................

 Why do I make snake paths, you ask?

Why add this chore to my tasks

And why do I take the time

(it would seem)

To help these intruders of mine?

 

There is a simple reason.....

If one I should chance to meet

And certainly don't want to greet

A path will avoid my defeat.....

 

You see, I make these paths for me!

So we each can better see,

And have more time to jump

When our heart does a thump!

 

 

 

Blackberries & Chiggers.....rain....70's

It's been a good year for Blackberries. And for every quart we pick, we collect a pint of chiggers as a free bonus. Chiggers are in the Arachnid family and could be any of a variety of larvae of several species of mites.

They are a type of mite related to ticks. Personally I'd much rather have ticks, since you can usually see a tick, even a tiny one, and have a fighting chance to pick it off. Chigger larvae can scarcely be see without a magnifying glass, (which really slows down blackberry picking!) and by the time you feel the bite the chigger is long gone. ( 3-6 hours later!) Chiggers love Blackberry plants or other foliage and wait there for a candidate to walk by, then fall onto the person or animal to have their meal. There are some ways to keep them at bay - if you don't mind smelling like rotten eggs, dust in sulphur. If you don't mind smelling like a pickle, wipe vinegar on before going to the patch. This might reduce the ratio of Chiggers to blackberries down  to 1 cup to 1 quart! S

ince I read that they can't hang on well, a hot soapy shower as soon as you get done might help. I think that would greatly reduce the time you dared stay out there, and you couldn't bring a helper, as there'd be a fight over the shower. ANYWAY, we're posting Blackberry recipes on Saturdays for this month, while we scratch our way through July.

 

 

Everything season....cloudy...70's

Continuing our "Everything Season" theme from yesterday, here's one of our favorite summer dishes when you have plenty of fresh  ingredients................................

SQUASH MEDLEY

 8 yellow (straight neck) or zucchini squash, medium size, wash and parboil whole, about 5 minutes

Make filling while squash cools enough to handle

                                                                          Filling

1 large bell pepper, chopped fine

3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped fine
2 medium onions, chopped fine
3 slices cooked bacon or ham, diced
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper (or to taste)

 Slice squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out  center including seeds (could save in freezer for soup).

Fill squash cavities with filling and place on baking sheet.

Mix 1 and 1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs with 4 TAB. melted

butter or margarine and sprinkle on squash filling.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Enjoy!