Radiant Star Quilt

 

I’ve always admired the Lone Star quilt (also known as Radiant Star, Star of Bethlehem and Texas Star) but it looked really difficult to do.  I ordered the Quilt in a Day book for Radiant Star by Eleanor Burns, hoping her very good instructions would carry me through.  I’m afraid even Eleanor Burns can’t make this a fool-proof quilt to sew. 

I did complete the quilt in the full size and it’s being used on one of my beds, but it’s not as good as I had hoped.  Some day, after some more experience, I’m going to try it again.

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

 

Maybe it’s because I was born and raised in southwest Ohio, far from Nantucket, but I had never heard of a Nantucket Cranberry Pie until I noticed one on a blog by Live, Love, Laugh and Learn.  For anyone who isn’t familiar with this dessert, it’s not a pie at all – no pastry crust, a thin layer of filling and nothing underneath the filling.  It’s not a cobbler although a batter is poured on top of the fruit.  The thin cake topping does not rise but is buttery rich and delicious.  It’s also not a cake because each layer is thin and just supports the other.  But this dessert, whatever it is,  is especially good and just meant to be eaten at a table in front of a window looking out on a clear blue autumn sky and falling leaves. 

 

NANTUCKET CRANBERRY PIE

Filling:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Topping:

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 10″ pie plate.  Place the cranberries in the pie plate and toss the sugar and walnuts over the berries.

For the topping, cream the eggs and the butter with the sugar.  Add the flour and almond extract to the egg mixture, lightly tossing with a fork.

Pour the topping over the cranberry mixture.  If it’s difficult to get the topping to extend out over the filling, press down with water-damped hands to even it out.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes @ 350 degrees F.  Place on a rack to cool.

Serve warm with whipped cream.

Yield:  8 servings

Primitive Stuffed Pumpkin

I’m not an accomplished craft person, but I was able to make some cute stuffed pumpkins from a free pattern on Quilt in a Day, (see update below) called the Fall Pumpkin Patch.  There’s a small amount of sewing involved, and then some winding of jute twine and gluing of silk leaves.  I used some white chenille salvaged from a damaged vintage bedspread, but any type of fabric could be used.  The size and shape of the pumpkin depends on the amount of fabric used and good directions are given.  I gave a pumpkin to each of my daughters for Halloween, with the thought that they could stay on display through Thanksgiving.

Update:  It was brought to my attention that the free pattern apparently is no longer available on Quilt-in-a-Day.  My personal instructions are below:

Supplies Needed:

• 1/4 yd. pieces or fat quarters or any size pieces of fabric for the pumpkin
• Green, brown or orange pipe cleaners
• Tacky glue
• Raffia strands
• Jute twine
• 2″ wooden stems from tree branches
• Fall silk leaves – 2-3 per pumpkin

All of the pumpkins are made from rectangles.  They can be any size you like (9″x18″, 9″x21″, 7″x17″, etc.).  According to the dimensions they will come out short and fat or tall and skinny.

Fold rectangle in half, right sides together.  Leave a long tail of thread as you begin to sew and stitch a 1/4″ seam down the side of the rectangle.  Leave another long tail of thread attached after you finish sewing.

With a hand sewing needle, thread one tail into the needle and gather up one end of the tube from the wrong side of the fabric, 1/8″ from the bottom edge.  In other words, sew a straight line across one end 1/8″ from the edge.  Pull tightly and knot off.  Turn tube to right side.

Stuff the pumpkin with polyester stuffing or batting scraps.  With the hand sewing needle and thread tail at the other end of the pumpkin, sew a straight line across 1/8″ from the edge, pull tightly and  knot off.   The opening will be covered by the silk leaves.

Using Jute twine, leave an 8″ tail.  Starting from the top of the pumpkin, wind down the sides on the seam line to the bottom, back to the top on the other side, then turn slightly and do it again, leaving thumb or finger on top to keep twine in place.  Make 6 or 8 ridges.  Tie a knot tightly at the top and then a bow.

To decorate, glue a wooden stem into the top center opening withTacky glue.  Wind the pipe cleaner around a pencil and fold in half.  Glue the pipe cleaner into the opening.  Make a bow out of raffia and glue into the opening.  Glue 2-3 leaves to the top to cover the opening.

Display with pride.

Halloween in the 1940s

Until I was 11 years old, we lived in a third-floor flat in downtown Cincinnati.  Those were the war years when any kind of housing was hard to get and we were lucky to have a large apartment that looked out on the huge Court Street Market.  On market day, tents took up the entire wide street and the sellers hawked their fresh produce in loud voices.  We were within walking distance of every major movie theater in downtown Cincinnati, numerous 5 & 10 cent stores and large department stores.  Those were advantages but the disadvantages were not being able to enjoy small town or suburban activities such as beggar’s night or penny night or the big Halloween celebration itself.  I understand huge crowds gathered on Halloween night on Fountain Square but they were for older people and considered too rowdy by my parents for two little girls. 

We dressed up in costume for our Halloween party at school and once I was invited to a friend’s nearby apartment for a party for the girls in our class, but otherwise Halloween passed by pretty much unnoticed.  Occasionally, a scraggly little boy would make his way up three flights of stairs to beg for pennies but begging (or trick or treating as it was later known) was not an activity that we knew anything about.

 

When we moved to the East End of Cincinnati in 1943, it was like going to a small town where there were a lot of German, Irish, Hungarian and black families, neat small houses with tidy gardens and BEGGAR’S NIGHT.  I wasn’t at all sure about this new event that all the kids in school were looking forward to.  The thought of traipsing up and down the streets, in and out of strangers’ houses, asking for candy just seemed so strange.  But my friends were all going out, my little sister wanted to go and surprisingly my parents agreed, so out we went.  We had orders from our parents to not even look into the saloons along the way, let alone go in one, but otherwise we were free to tramp up and down steps, go into the houses if invited and to come home with a bag stuffed with candy, gum and apples.  Nothing was prepackaged in those days and we were grateful for wrapped candy like peanut butter kisses which didn’t get all gummed up with everything else in the bag.  

I remember one year when word was passed from one gang of kids to the other that someone was giving out hot doughnuts.  By the time we made it to the house, they were out of doughnuts but I loved the idea.  In 1953, my first year giving out treats as a married woman, I used my wedding gift deep fryer to make homemade doughnuts and gave them out to amazed visitors.  And I had plenty so I wouldn’t run out before the last beggar. 

I never was quite comfortable with the affair, but my sister loved it and I continued to go begging until she was old enough to go alone with her own friends.   Now, I’ve been through the trick or treat years with 4 children and 4 grown grandchildren and this Halloween, I’m looking forward to throwing some candy into the bags of my two youngest grandchildren, aka the Mummy and Glynda, the Good Witch.

Halloween Quilted Wall Hangings

When I started quilting about 5 years ago, this wall hanging was one of my early efforts.  My daughter did the hand quilting on it, since I do no hand quilting myself and wasn’t too good at machine quilting at that time. 

The second wall hanging was made about a year later and I did the machine quilting on this one.  This hanging won a blue ribbon at our county fair.

The third hanging also won a blue ribbon at our county fair and was made 2 years ago.  I used the same cat and moon motif to make a vest for myself, which also won at the fair.

All three pieces were appliqued using the fusing method (I’m also not good at needle turned applique).  They didn’t take long to make and are cheerful additions to my Halloween decor.

 

Halloween Around the House

Thanks to the creative efforts of my two daughters, I have Halloween decorations all around the house – on walls, shelves, chairs – just about every surface.  The oldest daughter made the wreath and the three items that are on my piano – the scottie pumpkin is new this year.  Her blog at Salmagundi Express describes exactly how she carved and painted this pumpkin.  

Some more of her work:

The youngest daughter made the little Dracula and pumpkin man along with the door handle piece when she was a teenager.  She also made the cute candle holders.

Her main handiwork now is crocheting the most gorgeous afghans and I have one for every occasion.  She also contributes a large number of these every year to the local Linus Project.

I love to look around my house and see so many beautiful things that my daughters have made for me over the years. 

Walking the Trail with Rusty

 

Our local park has a lovely trail that makes you feel as though you are in the woods on an old farm.  The trail is cleared enough to be able to walk comfortably and get really close to a wide variety of trees, flowers and … weeds.  My 8-year-old mixed hound, Rusty, loves to go on the trail.  Unfortunately, he has a thing about riding in cars and always looks completely despondent until I take him out of the back seat and he sees where he is.  Then, it’s pure joy as he investigates every inch of every plant on our walk. 

We didn’t expect to see any really colorful fall foliage this year after a dreary, hot, drought-ridden summer, but the trees are spectacular in spite of the bad treatment nature gave them this summer.

There are a lot of almost deformed trees along our walk.  These are two of my favorites. 

This is always a slow, leisurely walk, giving Rusty all the time he wants to sniff.  He’s had some health problems, so after 20 minutes or so, we’re both ready to head back to the car.

Old Fashioned Plum Streusel Pie

Purple plums are readily available and make a delicious pie.  Since the plums only need to have the pits removed and don’t have to be peeled, they are an easy fruit to work with and produce outstanding results.  This was our dessert today for Sunday dinner. 

 PLUM STREUSEL PIE

• 4 cups sliced, unpeeled purple plums
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
• One 9 inch unbaked pie shell

Topping:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3 Tblsp. cold butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 

In a large bowl combine the plums, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, lemon juice and lemon peel.  Toss to mix and let stand for a few minutes to blend.

Place the fruit in an unbaked 9″ pie shell.  Mix the topping ingredients together, cutting in the butter/margarine, and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the fruit.

Place the pie on a large flat pan or cookie sheet to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes.  Cool on a rack.

Plum Nutty Jam

I first made this jam in 1983 when we had lots of fruit trees and berry patches, and had baskets of fruit and berries all over the kitchen .  I used to process 15 to 20 jars of jam at a time.  Now that I’m in a small suburban house with no fruit trees on the property and no one around to eat that much jam, I buy a small amount of fruit at the market and make a couple of jars to keep in the refrigerator.  This is really good on toast, biscuits, scones …. you name it.

 The addition of walnuts was the idea of my boss’ wife back in 1983 and I loved the crunch of the nuts along with the tart fruit.

 PLUM NUTTY JAM

4 cups unpeeled, diced purple plums (about 6 medium plums)

1/4 cup water

4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 box powdered Sure Jell pectin

1/4 cup chopped toasted English walnuts

If processing for storage, thoroughly wash and scald jars – keep hot until needed.  Makes about 4 cups of jam.

In a large heavy kettle combine the plums and water.  Cover & simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir pectin into fruit mixture.  Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in the sugar.  Bring to a full rolling boil; boil 1-1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, skim off foam.  Stir in walnuts.  Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.  Process 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

If the jam is going to be used within a month or so, omit the hot water bath and store in the refrigerator.

A Perfect Day for Football

 

Today is a perfect fall day – crystal clear blue sky, bright sunshine, the air a bit nippy, the leaves starting to turn.  This is football weather.  I have this image of a Saturday afternoon with weather just as it is today, a cozy kitchen where the family is eating cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and outside there’s a big pile of leaves to tackle after lunch. 

…And on the radio there are broadcasts of football games between Army, Navy, Notre Dame and the strange name of Rose Polytech.  (I never dreamed in those 1940s days that some day I’d have a son who would graduate from Rose – now Rose Hulman).

My father liked football and talked about the old Cincinnati Bengals, a pro team (or maybe semi-pro) back in the 30s.  The only actual football playing I saw in those days was in a newsreel or a hokey Knute Rockne/Notre Dame film with Pat O’Brien playing Rockne and a very young Ronald Reagan playing the dying Gipper.

By the time I got to high school in the late 1940s, there were games being broadcast on television occasionally and I happened to go to a huge high school campus where it seemed the major was football with minors in marching band, cheerleaders and school spirit.  Every Friday meant a schoolwide assembly in their monster-size auditorium where batons were twirled, boy and girl cheerleaders in grey flannel pants/skirts and varsity sweaters jumped and turned cartwheels, and overweight, tough-looking teenage football players bowed to the cheers of their fans.  Many games were played immediately after school at 3 PM in the stadium where some of the kids who didn’t cheer or punt or play a horn took on the job of selling snacks.  I first heard the word “microwave” at one of these games in 1946 when everybody was marveling at a contraption that was set up and produced steaming, juicy hot dogs within seconds. 

The kids were enthusiastic with their cheering and fight songs while they bounced around with orange and black school pennants on a stick.  Even though it was a very large school, the team was not the best and I don’t remember very many victories.  The band was sensational, though, and the drum major/majorette were in top form.  It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon – a perfect day for football.