Sage Patch

MORE Sunny Days!

2009-11-04T19:36:00.001-08:00

I'm just LOVIN' it! Waking up to chilly-foggy mornings that burn off to gorgeous sunshine all day.......for how many days in a row now?

Although with all this sunshine, I am finding it a wee bit hard to think of frosty-wintery-Christmas thoughts, as our Vintage Christmas sale is just around the corner(November 20th and 21st!)

So starting tomorrow; the lights go up, a Christmas CD gets popped in the ol' stereo and we will start working on the set up of what we envision to be a beautiful and warm (and a little frosty!) special event for you :)

A peak at our lovely vintage French paper inspiration gifts and the makings of some sweet handmade ornaments...the colors are just breathtaking!

More photos will follow as the day gets closer!

Mark your calenders! Tell your friends! We want to see all of our wonderful customers and meet some new ones!

G'nite!

L

Gorgeous Day!

2009-11-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe what a gorgeous day today ended up being!

Getting the house aired out, picked up....big furniture pieces moved in and set up for the show was taken care of.

Getting the leaves raked (again), lawn mowed...weeds wacked, etc, etc.....check, check, CHECK!

I spent several hours the other night carefully ironing my antique goodies and just prayed for a sunny day to snap some photos before the rain came for good....so today was the day!

....MiMi (my poor wobbly ol' dress form) got brought outside and the stacks of pressed skirts, petticoats, camis, aprons and a few other goodies all got their pictures taken. Smile Pretty!

Take a peak:

This is an antique layered skirt or petticoat. Full length, it's gorgeous with cutwork and embroidery. ($49 )

...here is a closer look at the handwork

You definitely won't be cold this winter wearing this gem of a wintery wool coat. Vintage Neiman and Marcus, 100% wool, peachy pink satin lined...and buttons the size of golf balls! I'm not going to comment on the 'you know what' (fur) collar. Let's just say it is extremely soft and I hope it's faux. ($32)

I could not help but snap a few more photos of my latest quilt purchase. I haven't completely decided if I am keeping it or not....but it's definitely 'brag worthy'

You really have to see this in person...the silks are so iridescent and many have texture and unique patterns.

I'm in love.

......it's tattered, worn and some of the silks are completely shredded down to the stuffin'...I still look at it and say 'So what!....It's bloody gorgeous'!

L

Fall back!

2009-11-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ugh.

I hate setting clocks back.

Luckily, we woke to a beautiful, sunny day and I'm hoping it will stay like this.

Every time we got a sliver of sunshine this past week, I would dash out to snap some photos for my Etsy shops. I know when I blogged last, I commented about not even putting a dent in our vintage Pendleton wool...the same goes for my hoards of vintage velvets and other fabric.

When it comes to photographing my shops vintage merchandise, I LOVE using our garden and all of the light and color it has to offer.....not sure what I'm going to do when everything turns to gray :(

So I'm enjoying the color as much as I can...while it lasts. Can you believe, we still have roses in bloom?!?! AND our pink Fuchsia is going strong!

...I just had to show off my vintage chippy PINK porch posts that were delivered to me last week. YUP, that's right! P I N K ! ! !

Also in the garden showing off their colors are a few variety of rosemary in full bloom...little pops of tangerine, sunny yellow and apricot from nasturtiums are scattered about (we do not plant these, they just pop up where they want)....the pumpkins, yarrow and of course....the gorgeous rainbow chard. Talk about spectacular colors!

...here are some stalks, helping show off a stack of vintage velvets in deep pumpkin orange tones

So the BIG pieces for the Christmas show get moved in and set in place today....and then decorating follows. We are starting to get even more excited for the date to get here...mark your calenders and don't forget!

Friday, November 20th
Saturday, November 21st
10:30 to 5pm

Preview photos coming soon!

Enjoy your Sunday!

L

When you are under a Vintage Spell!

2009-10-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

What is a vintage spell? I imagine it's when you are so drawn to something 'vintage' that caution is thrown to the wind...you ignore the angel on your shoulder...you force yourself to rationalize how you can spend the money that otherwise should go to this months ever increasing electric bill.

That's how I feel when I surf Etsy.

I've gone from a vintage apron-oholic to an Etsy junkie. I check my paypal account more often then I check the time of day...

If only every shop I wanted to buy something from would consider bartering with what feels like my only currency; (Pendleton felted wool) I'd be a happier camper!

What am I going on about, you ask? I don't know. I just feel like typing.

and bragging.

Guess who was featured in another blog this weekend? Yup. That's right. ME.

Go visit the Vintage Bulletin blog

Okay...so back to the vintage Pendleton wool.

Have you ever wanted to braid a rug?
Make those cute felted brooches?
Stitch up a 'hand-did' penny rug candle mat? Runner?
Well....go visit our shops
Sagepatch
Owlandbadger

Although I'm very pleased with the amount of sales that we have had on our wool. The fact is that we haven't even begun to put a dent in it!

You can read all about it here

We will continue to run specials on shipping, buy a certain number of lots and get some more for free....etc, etc.

What some? Leave a comment or e-mail me at sagepatchfarm at yahoo.

*sorry I have to remind folks that my photos belong to me, so please do not use them w/o my written permission. Thank you much!

Happy Tuesday!

L

Gobble Gobble

2009-10-23T05:16:00.001-07:00

Vintage S/P and toothpick holder (mint condition; unused) available on Sage Patch at Etsy
****SOLD****

Visit Laurie's blog, My Pretty Picks; who today posted about planning Thanksgiving on a budget.
As she perused through Etsy, she has gathered a collection of wonderful vintage items listed in a variety of Etsy shops. She did a great job of picking out both functional and decorative vintage items for Thanksgiving.

...and I'm pleased as punch that Sage Patch is included :)

Thank you Laurie!

Happy FRIDAY!!!

L

Lazy Dayz and Cat Naps

2009-10-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

This drizzly cold, wet weather we are having...every OTHER day is odd.

The sun pops out on a crisp day and we are busy, busy, busy...followed by the next day of thick fog that lingers, drizzly wet stuff and a chill that you can't shake...makes you want to curl up and watch movies.

Meet Toulouse, the newest and laziest member of the family

Despite the weather...we have four weeks til the BIG Christmas sale! Sooo busy, busy, bees from here on out; means likely shorter blog posts and lots of excitement as we get ready.

Remember when I said that since we needed to postpone the Fall sale...it just meant the Christmas one will be BIGGER and BETTER.

....Oh boy! will it ever!

This season we are excited to have some beautiful antique furniture; Big, REALLY BIG and small.

I have made a trip down south and brought back some amazing Antique Farmhouse and Garden Architectural finds...with even more on it's way being delivered!

More info on the sale will be posted throughout the next few weeks...including one or two preview snaps.

I just can't post without including at least one photo of the garden.

One of my late fall favs; wonderful pineapple sage. It will continue to bloom and bush out until late frost. The hummers are constantly visiting.

Have a great Wednesday!

L

A Frosty Autumn Morning for Bonnie

2009-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am still missing the fact that I won't be having a Fall show....so it's been nice to receive e-mails from folks sharing their understanding in my decision. It's also nice to learn that some of my favorite Sage Patch pals would not have been able to make the dates anyway! (Bonnie being one of them!)

Bonnie always gives me such nice comments about my photos, recipes and such, that always brightens my day...so these few photos are for her. Happy Harvest Bonnie!

I absolutely love the colors, the frosty mornings with the sun shining and of course the dew on all the spider webs. What is it that draws us to admire them so, when they are frosty or dripping with dew? Any other time, we are quick to knock or spray them down, right?

Click on photo to see the double spider webs....

With a loaf of homemade pumpkin bread from my first harvested heirloom in the oven; a nice hot cup of joe and me in my hubby's flannel robe and sheep fleece slippers...I just had to grab my camera and snap some photos before I was seen by my neighbors leaving for work or the garbage man! (Surely, they are used to it by now!)

I've harvested 15 lbs of Rosehips off of my four plants...which have quickly become a nice natural fence for the front garden.....it continues to bloom strong and just looks plain lovely!

The last of the heirlooms will be cut and brought down from the ladder that they grew up this season.

I sure do love these little ruby color gems that shot up nearly three feet tall this year.

Hope your Tuesday is full of Sunshine and Harvest Colors!!!

L

Rain and Apology

2009-09-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

It's happening....darker, cooler days and even colder nights.

As much as I love autumn, I definitely do not like the dark mornings....the shorter days.....the waking at 2am and wishing we had the furnace on.

The flannel bedding came out this past weekend; so did the totes of winter clothing.

*sigh*

yesterday the wind kicked up....we had showers off and on...and for the first time I kept my sweater on all day. (Actually it was my sons big thick lovely grey flannel hoodie that he keeps asking me if I've seen it.... :) )

Yesterday in between showers, I tried to focus on the color still remaining in the garden and I couldn't help but notice everything looked appreciative of the drinks of rain.

My marigolds are very happy sharing space with my onions and new rows of salad greens.

Our adorable mountain alpine strawberries will continue to bloom and produce even after a few frosts. You can still go out daily and graze....
*Look for our miniature gardens at our Christmas show; of alpine strawberries, mint and chamomile, set in vintage sterling silver casserole trays.

We love Yarrow and have just about every color available; we purposely plant it intermixed with our veggies, as yarrow enhances flavors.

This is Terra Cotta; my favorite and is a great contrast in a sea of purple chives. Farmer Dan constantly says you can't have enough chives!...as he painstakingly 'harvests' the seeds, despite the fact that they multiply like rabbits all on their own. Bless him!

*Cut back your yarrow as soon as it dies and it will continue to bloom; or harvest and dry it. It also makes wonderful dye colors.

Thank you to the folks that have e-mailed in regards to us announcing the need to postpone our Fall show..... This was a tough decision to make and we hope we haven't disappointed too many! Please accept our apology and know that this definitely means our Christmas show will be even BIGGER and BETTER!!!

Vintage Farmhouse Christmas
Friday November 20th
Saturday November 21st

This year, we are excited to have a nice selection of French, as well as East Coast antiques and vintage finds; including furniture pieces, artwork and wonderful kitchen/home decor. We will be making one more buying trip and look forward to bringing some amazing pieces home for you!

As many of you know, Re-purposing vintage is something we strive to maintain and enjoy doing. We are encouraging you to make a pledge to buy handmade this year when thinking of the holidays. Better yet, YOU be the one to make it or encourage it through thoughtful gift giving.

This is only a sample of handmade to look for throughout the show.....

Farm Girl Fat Stacks; sweet collections of vintage fabrics coordinated and topped off with vintage trims for wonderful creations and/or gift giving.

Vintage Paper Inspiration Packs; beautiful antique ephemera, handmade paper, embellishments and more for collage or card making, scrapping and gift giving.

Organic Pantry; Dried Herb de Provence, fresh potted herb topiaries and gardens, vinegars and more.

We look forward to a wonderful seasonal show full of sparkle, treats and friends!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

L

Magical Misty Morn'!

2009-09-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love waking up to a thick layer of mist lying just above the sunflowers

Dewy spiderwebs abound

It's a harvest morning! Shortly after the sun shows itself, many of the heirloom pumpkins will get cut from the vines.....

.....Sage, Rosemary, Bay, Oregano and Thyme will get harvested and fill the drying racks

Rosehips are nearly dry, pears fill up all the trays in the kitchen and our favorite Italian prunes wait patiently to be made into lovely spicy jam

Grapes are continuing to ripen and look forward to the first frost to add that last bit of extra sweetness

Enjoy your Thursday!

L

Busy, Busy....and AIT

2009-09-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

This past week has been dedicated to felting and processing the vintage Pendleton Wool (grrrr.....); just when I feel like I've made a dent in this stuff, I open another 35 gallon tote that hasn't been touched.

Aside from wool, we've been picking and drying prunes, pears and will start canning this weekend as well; pears, spicy plum jam, salsa, etc

BUT

Today is Albany's Antique in the Streets! and while I certainly don't NEED anything, our weather is gorgeous today and it is a very fun event to go to. Many vendors come from all over to set up and sell.

We've had some beautiful Indian Summer days...which hopefully will last a bit longer. Aside from wool and preserving food....we have exactly ONE month from this weekend for our Fall Harvest show!

Friday October 9th Saturday October 10th 10am to 4:30pm

So you know the drill; lots of painting, constructing, working on little 'hand-did' projects, all of which will certainly result in major blog neglect....with Autumn being my absolute favorite time of the year, this is the one I look forward to the most; hence it MUST be EXTRA SPECIAL!

You can expect to see....
Affordable antique furniture and vintage decor
Handmade from vintage items
Natural materials to add a rustic and primitive charm to your home decorating
Lovely colors, textures and scents of French Country

Shadows are getting longer, days are getting shorter....Sage Patch will sure look different!

L

Tipping down.....

2009-09-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

I feel for anyone who is camping this weekend with the stormy weather we are having. The wind is really kicking up, we have tree branches coming down and they announced a funnel cloud warning....(Auntie Em, Auntie Em!)

BUT

My pumpkins look great! and are appreciating all the lovely rain!

Time to light a spicy soy candle, bake some cookies and pop in a movie!

Enjoy your extended weekend!

L

The Latest Project

2009-09-03T04:09:00.000-07:00

Rust
A vintage quilting bundle

From my recent score of vintage velvets and other

Primitive Goodies

2009-08-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Y'all can tell I'm feeling guilty when I post twice in one day......

Well, it's been a while since I've posted the latest vintage finds, waving them around like a show off and braggin' about how I got them for a pittance....you know you love it!

So here I go:

Rarely do I find primitive items...and never do I find this many all in one day or within a few days.

It always feels like hitting a vintage jackpot when I get to go out and hunt with my little coin purse holding my frugal mad money. (uh, wait....is that an oxymoron?)

Nevermind.

I found this little boxy-looking table a few weeks back; the paint is very rough/bubbly and dangerous if you run your hand over the surface...like dragging your hand over crushed rock! Anyway, It's sort of a dark mustard color with the wood showing through here and there. It appears to be handmade. I assumed it was some sort of Tobacco/Humidor table; but Bev (The Farm Antiques) thinks it's a wee bit too big for it to be that.

....what are your thoughts?

I also scored a very old bread board....it has a wonderful patina and is a great size. It's proudly propped up on display on top of my old primitive pantry cupboard (the one I bought for $5!!!)
.....and a nice wire milk bottle carrier....yup, that's right....more rusty metal and wire stuff....and a small chippy AND painted, rusty and crusty metal wire carrier, that looks to be an old cruet holder....I stuck some of my vintage cream and apothecary bottles in there for now and going to snip some fresh herbs this morning.

Also, I scored one of these tole-wall-planter-thing-a-ma-bobs....what do you call these? I love it and don't think I can part with it....soon I will have D hang it on the wall and voila! Instant pumpkin holder!

hmmmm.....what else? OH YEA! The FIRKIN! ....how can I forget the frikin' firkin?!?

Can you see it back there? It's lovely. Flawless with it's original milky blue-grey paint in some spots and on the bottom....along with the previous owners name and date of 1836. Crazy. I won't tell you how much (little) I paid for it...ya'll might get mad.......

*cough-nine bucks-cough*

AND.....I also love the old apple bushel basket (two bucks). I NEVER find these in this condition and I never see them in this full size. The bottom is perfect, there are no splits anywhere, no brass tacks missing, the handles are nice and strong and even the color and stamp look great.
I can't wait for my sis (Mrs. Doolittle) to bring buckets of her gorgeous fall apples from her orchards (Fletcher's Glory Farm) just in time for our Harvest show....they will of course look adorable displayed in this!

Okay, enough bragging for today....time to get back to sorting fabrics (another score with pics coming soon).

L

Time Flies

2009-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

I say it every year, but I can't believe summer is nearly over.

Remember when we were kids and Summer lasted like....a whole year!

Wow!

The busy time has begun....seems like every day something needs attention to get harvested, dried, etc....grapes, rose hips....beans, corn...another few days plums, prunes (which take days and days for me to get under control). The outcome however, is well worth the effort.

How is everyone's homemade blackberry liqueur lookin'?

Uh, oh....you shook it, didn'tcha?

Well, if you've left it alone, it should look like this at about three weeks later

I'm going to let this continue for another week; then it will be time to strain it off and put it in some pretty little jelly jars.

Organic Rosehips in our front garden.

Interested in some dried organic rosehips? I'm going to post a few packages on Etsy soon. Use them for tea, stove simmers, potpourri....these dry very nicely and are rich in color; not like the dried primitive hips you see.

And of course, I can't post today without bragging about my lovelies....

French Heirloom Pumpkin nearly made it to the top step of my 7 foot ladder

Have a great Tuesday!

L

Gracious me! It's been a week.....

2009-08-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many times I've posted a title referencing to my guilt of 'blog neglect'....well, add another one to the list because HOLY COW, it's been a week since I've posted.

I'm still here. Just busy.....and had a little hiccup with the ol' hip/pelvis injury, which always frustrates me. Which also means this past week was busy with Dr. appts, etc. If you deal with chronic pain, you will understand how difficult it is to get anything done. Likewise, I am completely empathetic to anyone who deals with this.

HOWEVER, trying to keep a positive focus, I appreciate the beautiful weather we are having and I'm trying to get out to soak up some more vitamin D before darker days approach. You definitely can feel the change in the sun, the long shadows.....the dead dry sparse stuff that use to be my lawn. :)

This morning I e-mailed D to tell him that our front and back garden apparently accommodated some kind of woodpecker conference (I dunno, I didn't get the memo)....as there were probably twenty if not more flying back and forth, foraging around and calling back to each other. They seem to be having some sort of 'last word' contest that went on for hours.

My little nuthatches are clinging all over to the dead, droopy headed sunflowers. If you remember last year I wrote about how we do not cut ours down and sometimes even prop them up to stay into winter. They are the perfect birdfeeder. Who cares if they look a bit straggly, pretty soon your pumpkins will start to turn orange, mums will bloom out and you'll ignore the droopy sunflowers.

The next several weeks are even going to be busier.....as week after week we will be harvesting, canning, freezing, juicing, drying, preserving and making vinegars.

I love Harvest!

I have more to share this week....so promise to post additional photos and an update on the homemade blackberry liqueur! Which has caused quite a buzz according to Google!

G'nite!

L

Warm Temps with Button Envy

2009-08-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Temps are meant to get back up into the high 90s......pfft! I can't function when it's over 80!

So stay cool and in the shade.....

The princesses and I will be in the back room with the A/C cranked and working on Harvest show things.....

Above is a collection of Antique carved MOP buttons that belong to Bev; GORGEOUS!

Have a great Monday!

L

A little Q & A with a side of hashbrowns, please

2009-08-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Why is it that Sunday mornings, I always want hash browns? Not the frozen, clump hash browns that taste like the cardboard and plastic that they came out of, but REAL home fry-greasy spoon goodness.

Okay, that was totally random and I had nothing planned to follow up that little tidbit....things just pop into my mind that don't necessarily have any relevance.

On to the important questions...

*Is that your shop? The Farm Antiques?
A: I wish! The Farm Antiques is owned by our very dear friends Bev and Fritz who live a few towns over from us in Philomath. Their shop is amazing, their old farmhouse is chocked full of antiques and the farm is of course, wonderful. Every time I visit, I never want to leave.
Recently, I've begun snapping photos and assisting with getting the shop recognized to increase traffic. Even though they have been there forever, customers walk in and say 'I've lived here for twenty years, how come I've never known about you?!?
We are hoping to change that for them. :)

*How many pigs do you have?
A. That would be none :( If baby piglets would stay babies, I would definitely have some.
Pigs are without a doubt, my favorite farm animal. I love to photograph them. I do have a small vintage pig collection however if that counts.

*Where do you find all of your antiques and cool vintage stuff?
A. Ironically, most of it I consider is mine. Like many, I love to thrift; but mostly live to hit rural barn sales. All of my furniture and furnishings/decor are vintage or true antiques.
Surrounding myself with Primitive and Rustic Farmhouse finds in my home and garden is what makes me smile. I love looking at a piece and wondering the history of it's previous owner, as well as feel proud to own it and appreciate it in my home.
When I'm ready to swap it out or have found something new (old); then I feel ready to pass it on so someone else to enjoy it.

*Do you paint and re-do your things?
A. Yes, my hubby and I do, but not all. I hope to keep primitive and rustic findings as is. If they need a few nails, a stronger support; then that gets taking care of.
Some pieces however, just plain look better with more help. Slapping a coat of paint on, adding old molding or cooler vintage hinges, can do a lot to some things.
I also enjoy re-purposing things and mixing things up. I am currently making rustic chandeliers out of antique lamp shade frames for our Fall Harvest show. I can't wait! ! !

*I saw you downtown, but didn't recognize you without an apron on...why do you always wear one?
A. I love wearing aprons. Both of my Grandma's always wore aprons and put one on as soon as they got dressed. They would wear many during the course of a day. They had aprons they would grab at the kitchen door, to tie on to get out to the garden. They might grab another for baking/cooking and then even another if the doorbell rang or company came.
AND YES, I do nearly always wear one. My favorites are the full bib farm aprons, made from old feedsacks and of course trimmed with ricrac.

*At your Summer sale, I saw you using a wheelchair. Were you in an accident?
A. Sort of. My injury was a result of being improperly positioned during a surgery in '06.
Nearly three years and a major hip/pelvis surgery later, I am still recovering. On top of this, at the start of the year I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
I definitely have good days and bad days; but for the most part, I need to use my crutches and a lot of times my wheelchair.
I'm hoping to paint part of my wheelchair PINK, or at least make some cute and comfy seat and back covers.

*Your blog shows lots of animals; dogs and cats, as well as puppies....are these all yours?
A. Nope. We just have our two Kitties; the feline princesses. The others are either strays that come onto our property or that we have rescued; or neighbors, visiting dogs/puppies of my sister's and daughter's.
We all love animals and if they are lost; they seem to always find us.
My brotherinlaw is a Veterinarian; (aka Dr. and Ms. Doolittle) often have visiting animals that they personally rehab and then rehome too. So lots of animals visit us; both domestic and wild.
I'm almost always on warning that I've met my maximum number of injured or lost animals that I can bring into the clinic (just kidding....kind of).

Okay, I'm off to make some hashbrowns!

Enjoy your Sunday!

L

Vintage Recipe

2009-08-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of weaknesses, when it comes to vintage finds....

Aprons.....check
Dresses.....check
Chippy Architectural stuff.....check
Rusty Metal stuff.....check

.......and old recipe boxes, recipe journals, recipe books, pamphlets, etc

check, check, check....

I love finding these things, especially when there are notes jotted throughout.

One of my favorite finds was during a trip to Washington state where I picked up a large old Oak Shaw recipe box, stuffed with vintage recipes from the 20s to 40s. This also included all of her Home Economic Classes that she took through her local 'Power and Light' company. She kept all of her 'report cards', all of the printed recipe cards, as well as newspaper clippings regarding household tips, setting a lavish tablescape, hostess must do's, mail order embroidery patterns for dish towels, etc.

This is probably my second favorite find; The Kitten Kapers journal. Chocked full of handwritten recipes (in random order); along with household tips (all of the things your Grandma knew and you wished you did!); newspaper clippings of poems.....not to mention, how cute is that little kitten scene where the other is taunting the one sleeping in the bed!?!?! He has a fake spider on a fishing pole!

There are some interesting named recipes in here, that's for sure. I don't know if I would want to be swapping a recipe for 'Burnt Leather Cake with Caramel Sauce'.....or 'Girlscout Cake'....made with real Girlscouts! (Just kidding!)

A recipe that caught my eye was Wild Blackberry Cake.....since we had a nice big bowl of freshly picked wild blackberries from my sister's farm (Fletcher's Glory Farm) and yesterday being our anniversary, I decided I would make this cake.

The batter turns a beautiful blue as it calls for blackberry juice. I made a few modifications to it and I think the next time I make it; I'm going to make even more.

In the end, it was a beautiful cake and I think it would be even more tasty to do a light glaze made with the blackberry juice to pour over the top of it.

Wild Blackberry Cake
*compliments of Irene Temple from Berlin Oregon circa 1930s

Pre-heat your oven to 350
Prep a large glass pyrex oblong dish or two cake tins
Wash and pick through blackberries; pat dry and set aside. Put 1 cup of berries in a small saucepan with 1/8 cup of water....bring to boil; mash down (this is for the juice), I used my small screen colander and a rubber spatula to smash/sieve for the juice. Set juice aside.

In a medium bowl; sift 2 cups of flower, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and set aside

In a large bowl, beat two eggs til lemony color; add one cup of sugar and *4 tbs of melted shortening (I don't use butter, margarine or shortening in my cakes or breads; I always substitute these with an equal amount of applesauce). I used a little over a fourth cup of applesauce.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the sifted flour mixture, add one heaping cup of blackberries and 1/2 cup of the blackberry juice (the batter will be thick, just add a bit more juice if it's too thick).

Pour your batter into the prepared pan (I used my long rectangle glass pan).

Okay, instructing time of baking is tricky for me; because I have a really old stove, so I just have to play it by ear.....I mean aroma.....if your kitchen starts to smell like blackberry cake, it's probably done! (25 to 30 minutes if you are using the same glass rectangle pan). Use a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean....BUT remember you have lots of juicy berries so if it comes out juicy, check it in another spot. Nothing is worse than overdone cake!

No, you don't have to take it outside to snap a photo of it before you eat it....I'm just a show off :)

Enjoy your weekend!

L

My Anniversary!

2009-08-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today is our fifth anniversary!

I love you D ! ! ! !

Your Kitten
xxx

Floppy Flowers

2009-08-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Although I've been selling vintage buttons like hotcakes on Etsy, I still have more.
I can't get myself to sell any of my hoards of vintage fabrics (all but a few); and I need to get focused on crafty stuff for our Harvest/Autumn sale.

So I tried my hand at stitching up these little floppy flowers using some of my vintage buttons, thinking I would add a few to some of my pillows, but after I did one, I thought these would look so cute on my jean jacket.

I tea dyed them and let them dry out in the sun, so they are a bit crunchy AND....I love 'em!

This little pink polk-a-dot and jadeite floral one is made with Sandy J's vintage fabrics from The StitchnPost! Go check her sweet shop out on Etsy. She has tons more fabric to post and has some adorable vintage fabrics ready for fat quarter bundles in great Autumn and Christmasy colors!
TheStitchNPost.etsy.com

Hmmmm, it's getting dark again here....think it's time for a Catnap with Princess One and Two

Thank you for the nice comments and e-mails you have been sending about my recipes! This makes me smile! If you have any requests or ideas, I'd love to hear from you!

L

*The Best Not-Sun-dried, Sun-dried Tomatoes

2009-08-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

Right around last week, you no doubt were ecstatic to finally see bright red on your straggly green plants and enjoyed the summers first slice of homegrown tomato.

Right about six days later you realize 'Uh, what am I gonna do with all these tomatoes'....as they just keep coming on and on and on and on.

If this is you (or even if it isn't you); gather up your ripe tomatoes and get ready for an easy recipe that you can use for so many things.

If you don't have a tomato plant, I feel for you....because there is NO comparison to a fresh homegrown tomato.

I love sun-dried tomatoes, but I won't pay $6-$8 for a tiny jar at the market.

So here is my recipe which will use a huge bowl of your tomatoes AND provide you with a lovely amount of the best flavor EVER.

You are going to make this recipe at night after you have cleaned up from dinner.

This is what you will need:

A large cookie sheet completely covered with foil
A glass measuring cup and a fork
Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
About twelve to fifteen homegrown tomatoes (any size, as long as they are ripe, they can be over ripe, as long as you cut out any bruising, buggy spots, etc); if you are using plum tomatoes, then double it
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Basil; Three to four FULL handfuls (like you are grabbing a bouquet of flowers/handful); wash, pat dry and roll up and just do a rough chop
Three large heads of garlic; crushed and chopped fine

Wash, pop off the tops and slice tomatoes fairly thin (seeds, pulp and all). Place them on the cookie sheet to cover (it's totally fine if they overlap, just shove them on there)

Put your basil and chopped garlic in your glass measuring cup and put in enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover the basil/garlic; then add about another quarter of a cup. Mix this up with your fork.

Start to pour this mixture using your fork to spread it out evenly over the entire cookie sheet of tomatoes. Don't be afraid to mash them down, stir stuff in a bit; you can't hurt anything.

Put your oven on the lowest temp possible (make sure it clicks and it's actually on if you have an older model like me!).

At this point, I typically add a ton more olive oil THEN Sprinkle the cookie sheet generously with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Put the tomatoes in your oven, clean up your kitchen and go to bed. (Never go to bed with with dishes in the sink and a dirty kitchen!)

In the morning, your house will smell like an old fashioned Pizzeria, but what you have made is well worth it.....trust me!

Your tomatoes will be done, so take them out of the oven and let them cool off.

At this point, you have a few options for storage and even more for usage!

First, I recommend draining off the olive oil and saving it in a small glass jar, as the rich flavor of this is so good and you wouldn't want to waste it. It will be ready for you to use for a salad dressing or to saute/fry something.

I usually keep my first few batches in a large clean glass jar in the fridge; this way I have easy access to use them whenever.

Other storage options are to simply freeze these in a medium size freezer bag; flattened down, so they freeze faster and are easy to store; this way, when you want some it is so easy to just break off what you need, while not needing to 'thaw' an entire bag.

I honestly cannot tell you what kind of storage life these have; because we go through them so fast. I do know that I try to make enough in the freezer to have throughout winter/early Spring and we've not had any problem with spoiling.

Okay; so besides standing over your stove trying not to burn the roof of your mouth as you eat these irresistible treats, while standing in your pjs......these are other ways you can eat/use this recipe....

Add to egg dishes
Add to bistro style sandwiches
Add to your salads or salad dressings
Add to your pizzas (homemade of course!)
Add to some hot Penne pasta (with roasted asparagus and goat cheese crumbles....Mmm!)
Stuff snapper with them!
Eat them straight out of the jar

In the morning, you will see how much everything has cooked/shrunk down (hence the small glass jars for $7 at the market!)

Don't have tomatoes, basil, garlic in your garden? GO directly to the closest Farm, Roadside stand or Farmer's Market and buy basket loads! Not sure if you have one near you?
Visit: http://www.pickyourown.org/

Enjoy your Tuesday!

L

*Recipe from my book in progress

Homemade Blackberry Liqueur

2009-08-09T08:39:00.001-07:00

This is a nice project that will pay off around the holidays.

Four cups of nice, plump blackberries washed and patted dry
Three cups of organic cane sugar (of course you can use every day white sugar; I had to use both, because I ran out of Organic)
Four cups of top shelf Vodka
A gallon size glass jar
Wax paper
Fitted lid (canning jar lids with rings work just fine, as long as they fit snug WITH a layer of wax paper covering the top of the jar first)
A funnel

Make sure your gallon size glass jar is clean, your berries are washed and that you have a cool/dark place to keep your concoction for the next several weeks.

Using your funnel, put your sugar into your glass jar
Add your berries next (just let them fall in, don't shake them down, or stir, etc)
Next carefully add your Vodka
Take a decent size square of wax paper and place over the opening of your jar
Now secure your lid/lid and ring tightly (tight enough that if you turn the jar upside down it will not leak)
Place this in a cool/dark place of your kitchen or pantry and mark your calender that you started this project today

You are not going to shake, stir or disturb the jar to try to dissolve the sugar or mix everything up.

Every day you are going to turn the jar upside down/right side up for the next four weeks.

Around four weeks time, you will start to see that the sugar has completely dissolved.
At four weeks, sterilize some pretty pint sized jars (or any vintage jars, glass bottles, etc) as long as you have proper lids for them

Using several layers of cheesecloth or a jelly bag; carefully start to strain off your concoction into a clean glass juice pitcher or an old glass milk jug, etc. (I prefer to always use glass vs. plastics).
You will need to change the cheesecloth or clean out your jelly bag a few times; you are trying to capture as much of the liquid as possible.

When the concoction is completely strained off; fill your jars/bottles and cap off. It's probably best if you keep them in the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. (*keeps for one year)

Make some special labels to explain your homemade gift and enjoy sharing this treat around the holidays.

*Sour cherries and Currants also make a nice liqueur

Enjoy your Sunday!

L

Happy Pink Friday!

2009-08-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I've sure been happier waking up to mornings with cloud cover and cooler weather....

AND

Happy that I could finally have my oven on and start baking bread; which I enjoyed doing yesterday morning. (*I'll post my recipe over the weekend)

It's been so hot with ridiculous weather breaking highs over the past two weeks, that I've not been going out and wandering around to see the latest changes, until the past few days.

WOW! My drought tolerant garden is a jungle; I have so much Echinacea! It's just beautiful. I was sad to see my newest one didn't make it this year (I think Farmer Dan accidentally 'weeded' it up out of it's spot); My lovely bees are everywhere you look.

Look at how HUGE the centers get? Crazy!

Up a little higher on the terraced level, I was impressed to see my cucumbers look great! As do my mystery squash....that no one can remember what it is....but it looks good!

AND Holy Cow! Look at our corn! It's THIS big!

You can no longer even see the old farm fence or the cattle panels where the bird feeding station is; it's absolutely covered in lovely vines (great for upcoming Harvest wreath making!)....which I am thrilled to see our loaded with our tasty pink grapes!

Between the Pink grape (which has a very sweet and spicy taste) and the enormous Concord out front.....I think we should plan a GRAPE JUICE party with our favorite customers!

Okay, one more garden brag for the day!

If you love cooking Thai food like we do....you really MUST have a Kaffir lime tree. We just love this tree; but watch out for it's deadly three inch spikes on it's branches. They can do some serious damage!

It's about time to announce dates for the next show.....so stay tuned!

Enjoy your Friday!

L

An Early Birthday Wish for Sandy!

2009-08-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

...because she is leaving tomorrow for Lake Tahoe, where she will NOT be taking her laptop (right, Sandy?!) hence she won't be able to see a wish posted for her on her birthday (the 7th)

Sandy is my very special friend, who always says the right things when I need to hear it.
Sandy can be funny and sassy and sincere and sweet.

She's also my number one Cheerleader for my blog, Etsy and seasonal shows.....and everything in between.

Happy Birthday Sandy!

I love you!

Buzz on over here when you get back Girl, for a visit in the garden and a nice tall glass of peach ginger ice tea!

Bee careful and have a fun trip!

L

The Triple Crown!

2009-08-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

as in berries......

This summer, EVERYTHING seems to be BIGGER.

This quick post is for my littlest brother Pete, who is suffering up north of me in Portland with our outrageously muggy, sticky weather we are having here in Oregon. (Hi Petie!)

For this recipe you will need:

A large bag of fresh lemons (check out TJ's or Whole Foods)
Organic Cane Sugar
A bunch of basil from your garden or farmers market
A pint of blackberries (or raspberries, strawberries, etc)
A bottle of Sparkling Water
Crushed Ice
A large glass water jug or juice container
A saucepan
Juicer
Wooden Spoon
Food Mill (not necessary)

Homemade Blackberry Basil Lemonade

Measure one cup of cane sugar into a small saucepan with one cup of tap water on medium/low heat until sugar is all dissolved and you have made a nice golden light syrup. Let cool in a large glass measuring cup or something preferably with a spout

With your VINTAGE juicer, squeeze HALF of the bag of lemons straight into a large three cup glass measuring cup. (*Pop your lemons into the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds before cutting to allow more juice to flow). Add the lemon juice to the above syrup

Roll and slice up (chiffonade) the basil with a sharp knife; toss this in a deep bowl. Clean berries and put them in the bowl with the basil leaves. Add about four tablespoons of the syrup to the berries and basil. Take your immersion blender and zip it a few times to make a thick berrylicious puree.

Measure three cups of ice cold water and one cup of crushed ice

In a large glass water jug or juice container; pour in the syrup with lemon juice, the berry and basil puree, three cups of cold water and *the crushed ice. Using a long slender wooden spoon, give it a good whirl until it's all mixed up. *Things will settle and float; if this bothers you; then before you add the ice, strain everything off OR run it through your food mill and into a large batter bowl. Clean out your glass water jug and pour it back in, THEN add the crushed ice

Fill tall glasses with additional ice, fill three quarters of the glass with the juice concentrate and top it off with the sparkling water (or regular tap water if you aren't into bubbles)

*You can certainly substitute the basil for mint, lemon balm, lemon thyme, etc. and of course substitute any berries or combination of berries. It is also great to make this with Peaches instead of berries! Mmmmmmm.......

ENJOY!

It really doesn't take that much work to make this AND it tastes so much better than anything you can buy in your frozen food section of your grocery store!

You may want to play around with the sweetness; if your berries are tart, you may want to add another few tablespoons of sugar when making your syrup.

Let me know what you think! (I swear, I have the shyest blog readers on the planet!)

Stay COOL!

L