Mother's Kitchen Scales

I come from a large family. Twelve children. Actually, thirteen. I had a brother that died when he was thirteen before the younger babies were born so we grew up twelve. Six boys and six girls. But that will be another post.

My mother baked bread - LOTS of bread. She'd weigh the bread on an old-fashioned kitchen scales. That scales is sitting in my kitchen today. Somehow, as I get older, I think of her more. I wonder how she survived having thirteen children in eighteen years. But again, that will be for another post. Today it's about the kitchen scales. It's rusty, very rusty...so rusty when I was baby-sitting B last week, he pointed to it and said, 'it's dirty!' and I said, 'yes' it's dirty' but I don't see the 'dirt' - I see my mother's hands shaping, shaping, shaping bread loaves again and again and again...

Last week I sanded it down as much as I could without damaging the lettering and yesterday I sprayed a gloss on it.

Now it sits on a cupboard in my kitchen. The enamel plates on top of the scales came from Mr D. His family ate off of these plates in his childhood years. The rose was gifted to me on Sunday from a dear friend as a thank you to me when I'm the one who thanks her for the lessons she teaches me! The chicken feather came from granddaughter S who loves to give me gifts from their yard. Oh, how blessed I am!

Today, that scales with all its meaning and all its glory, sits in my kitchen as a monument to my godly mother.

Homemade Bacon Bits

Bacon bits are expensive and the imitation bits are a huge no-no for this lady's kichen! I'm blessed to have  nitrate-free bacon ends available that make wonderful tasting bacon bits. I freeze the bacon enough to make the grinding easier and use an old-fashioned hand grinder to make the bits. The hand grinder brings back childhood memories as my mother used one for a varity of foods.

- Directions -

Bacon package.

The bacon is meaty.

 This hand grinder is a handy item to have in the kitchen. I hooked it to the dinning room table and cushioned it with rubberized shelf liner to keep it from slipping and damaging the table.

 As I grind, I keep my hand on the grinder to keep it steady.

 Use a heavy-bottomed pan to fry it in.

Cover it with Pampered Chef's spatter-free lid...such a handy tool for cooking!

Stir occasionaly...

 and cook till clear fat bubbles appear on top of the bacon and bacon looks finished. Just a word of caution here - if fried too long the bits will be hard.

Strain...

(save the pan with the bits in to make a soup)

 package in containers...

 and enjoy!

Truly dee-lish...I love bacon! :)

Link parties:
Common Ground  Thriftin on a Thursday  Time Travel Thursday
Creative Things Thursday  Potpourri Friday  Fridays Unfolded

Organics

There's an organic farm a hefty stone's throw from our house. Because of Mr D's cancer journey (here and here), we are much more careful what we eat, though we have'nt switched to organic with all of our foods. We are blessed to live in a community where there's lots of roadside stands and/or families who raise foods through the summer without using lots of chemicals. This family is a co-op that operates several farms in the community, all organic. This farm was rented by the co-op and because of land prices in our area, unfortunately, could not afford the million or so to buy it. It was sold and is going to be farmed with chemicals and crap again.

This is a very common sight at the farm...raising heifers and chickens together! Both are moved constantly to fresh grass to graze. The chickens are cared for with food and water in the barn 24/7 and even have their own watch dog to protect them from whatever vultures are around. The heifers have their own water and food supply as well.

We will miss this sight!

Home Goods Baskets

When I was looking for baskets for this cupboard I wanted them tall enough to tuck into their space but couldn't find what I had pictured. So I settled for second best. Last week I stopped in at Home Goods to get a kitchen scale and found my baskets, exactly the size I wanted, though I certainly did not expect them to be wrapped in burlap! One of the baskets didn't have as much writing on so I used a sharpie to place a number on each side. I'm very pleased with the results!

Here are the first set of baskets that will be used elsewhere!


I understand Home Goods is a hit or miss kind of place...obviously, this was a good hit for me!

Linky Fun!
Creative Things Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Crafty scrappy Happy Blog Hop,
The 36th Avenue,  Get Your Brag On!, Transformation Thursday,
 Time Travel Thursday

February 14

< Valentines Day - flowers from my sweetheart >

Blustery Week End and Playing Doll

The winter had been very mild up to now. We've had my-kind-of-winter-snows twice over the week end...the kind that comes, is beautiful and leaves...quickly! Our first snow was October 29. Since then we've only had enough to make the roads treacherous for several hours. Friday we woke up to this beauty...

 It was gone by noon. See? Told you it my kind of snow! :)

Saturday morning we woke up to this again. It too, was gone by noon.

By late afternoon a nor'eater blew in, the temp dropped and we got more snow. It's frigid today! Winter bypassed January and came in February instead.

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Kyra In Soft Focus

I 'played' doll on Saturday with grand baby Kyra. Her parents attended a wedding and it was a first for her and mommy to be separated that long. She did very well!

 She slept for three hours.

 Her hair is as dark as it was at birth.

 She loved this...propped by pillows in a corner of the couch!

Isn't she a little bit of shnuck-ums?

Danger! Home Goods!

Oh.My.Heart...it just melted when I saw these! Home Goods - A.VERRRY.DANGEROUS place to be! The first time I went to Home Goods, I was not impressed AT! ALL! Today? Well, today all I wanted was a food scale and walked out the door with these. The only two that were there in that size. The one on the right will get a word of some kind - next week.

Till then...

Linky Follower Blog Hop Party

Join the new Linky Tool Follow party at Its So Very Cheri! Google Friend Connect is going away by February 29! Rumor has it that Blogger may be dropping it as well. This is a new feature to replace GFC.

Meet new friends at this party!
Linky Follower Tool

Curtain Change

After hanging for nearly eight years in the guest bathroom window, it was time to change the curtain. It was beginning to look a little ragged around the edges. While I was shopping Kmart last week, I found a set I liked for 18 plus bucks but discovered to make it look like I wanted it to, I needed two - which meant shelling out another 18+ bucks - nah...not this lady!

I remembered a lovely flat sheet I picked up at a GW languishing in storage in a basket and, ta-da!

Here it is...cheap, resourceful, recycled!

What is it about white that always catches me! Even the light in the room is different!

Now I need to hunt through my collection of crocheted items to find a white piece that will fit the top of the window. I do love the design of the one that's there!

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You may or not have noticed the new Linky Tool for followers on my side column. Blogger is going to eliminate Google Friend Connect and may also eliminate it from Blogger sometime. Is it important to know who is following you? Hummm...not necessarily, but it's interesting! 2805 explains this change much better than I can. I decided to add this feature early on rather than later.

You've Got Mail!

I opened an email to the happy news of being a winner for a giveaway!

Then I got a package in the mail with a lovely, handmade card.

I opened it to this!

 I almost missed the giveaway and really didn't expect to win at all...

happy, happy surprise!

THANK YOU, Jenni!

Jenni, I'm deeply sorry, but I deleted our conversation by accident VIA email and cannot give you the credit you deserve for this giveaway. I want to link back to your blog and hope you'll contact me again!

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Last week I posted Sigh...

It was a very successful purge!

It now looks like this...

The table was a free find and outdoors in the rain. I was going to prettify it but decided to use it outdoor this summer for a prop in the garden.

Now I and the basement can breathe again! :)

Kitchen Credits

 Paul Nissley, contractor

 Matt's Plumbing

 Nissley Electric

 Churchtowne Cabinetry

 Muldoon's Kitchens

(it took five men to place the counter top - it was heavy!)

 Phil Nissley Tile

All of these business men did fantastic work but more than that, they are trusted Christain men.

With the exception of the counter top installers, they also are friends of many years...

THANK YOU!