Tartlets

One of the activities that PB and I planned for the summer was making a few recipes from the Junior Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (circa 1955).  We chose to make the tartlets, partly inspired from discovering these Towne House Fried Pies (shown below). Last summer, while camping in Asheville, NC we stumbled upon these and I loved the vintage styled wrapper. I then saw they were made locally.  We looked up the address in hopes of just doing a drive-by but could never find the place. The wrapper was too cute to toss so I framed and hung it in the kitchen.

But back to our current adventure... Tartlet making! We went with cherry jam instead of raspberry.  Recipe on scanned images below:

Here are our results!  They are super yummy and were all gone seconds after taking the photo.

We are only two weeks into summer and have already done/accomplished several things on our list and have many more we are looking forward to. More on it later!

Summer!

Tomorrow is the last day of school for PB!!!! We have been making lists of what we want to do this summer and my list includes home improvements, fun craft stuff and adventures with the boy! (and sleeping in!)

I hope to live out a scene similar to the image above with happy active participants helping out with these tasks....but my list and PB's list aren't quite the same.  He plans on watching hours of spongebob, reading books and laying on the couch...all at the same time.

Ironing Board Discovery

This is my ironing board.  I picked it out as my birthday present from an antique store about 14 years ago. I have always loved it's wooden intricate braces that are a bit of a puzzle when opening and closing it.  I also loved the pattern on it's floral cover... Let's call it Cute Cover. But I do use this ironing board, not that I do loads of ironing but still after 14 additional years of heat wear and tear added to Cute Cover, it's reached it's end.   Several tears and rips have started appearing and grow a bit larger each time the iron accidently snags one.

As luck would have it, I happened to find a cute vintage, but in excellent shape, replacement for only a couple of bucks at a thrift last week.  It's a bit large but I am sure I can make it work.

I have never spent alot of time under my ironing board, as I wouldn't expect many have.  Here is an upshot of the underside done by it's previous owner, with it's complicated, almost frantic, gathering of fabric and safety pins anchoring sides together with elastic that lost it's snap before I ever came along. I guess who ever had Cute Cover before me had experienced the "It's a bit large but I am sure I can make it work", just as I spoke of.

While trying to figure out how to approach this perplexing web, I noticed some dried out masking tape running along the underside...and then noticed that partly obscured were some handwritten letters.  I peeled the tape away, with not much effort and saw this:

 XMAS 1938

It had been a gift for someone else in 1938! I felt like I had just discovered an ancient Egyptian tomb and was reading it's hieroglyphs, I was so excited.   

I also realized that the tape had a purpose and that there is a crack down the middle of the ironing board. It's nothing a bit of new tape can't handle...I am sure I can make it work.

So here is the new Cute Cover II almost in place. I decided to follow lead from the first owner and using safety pins and tucking fabric here and there, I rigged the new cover in place. I decided to leave Cute Cover I under it, kind of like layers that would be dug through in archaeology. I am thinking about adding my own handwritten date on the bottom that says "Birthday 1999".

Chalkware poodley-poo

I found this chalkware cutie at a thrift for 5 bucks!

I love his sweet face and I came up with a "job" for him to earn his keep.

Eyeglasses holder!

Mother's Day 2013

My Mother's Day week in review.

We squeezed in a bunch of activities mostly on Mother's day weekend but I did get an early "gift" from my man and I was taken to see one of my favorite musicians...Frank Black!

I am not sure why Frank is dressed like People of Walmart though... maybe he was just trying to fit in during his visit to the south.

On Friday evening we volunteered at the Rely for Life prime event.  Our booth, as Pumpkinbutt called out to the walkers on the track, was "you get to throw sharp pointy objects for only one dollar!".  We have a large wooden dart board with balloons attached to it, pop a balloon and win a prize, all money goes toward the fundraiser. Kids love it!
I got this cute paper retro pickle wrapper sack along with a huge pickle for 1 buck while there....

On Saturday (after sleeping in of course) we headed down to the Flea Market.  In front of a nearby thrift was this bowling ball garden:

We didn't find too many treasures...a few small toys and a vintage Halloween record called Monster Mash from 1972.

We then went downtown to have lunch at a new outdoor dining area with "food truck" Airstream trailers. Cute!

Afterwards we headed over for a small arts

 festival, downtown as well, and saw this neat ice cream trolley. I wanted to snatch those ginormous plastic ice creams and run!

We then went home and played "Go to The Head of the Class" (circa 1970) that I scored at a thrift the day before.

On Sunday we all hung around the house for awhile and I got some super cool gifts; a vintage Star Wars Tauntaun and the new David Sedaris book.

We went to lunch at a Mexican Restaurant, my favorite cuisine. Afterwards, we went on an adventure to seek out wild blackberries in a field that once was home to a drive-in movie theater. At home, we toasted some angel food cake, added whipped cream and the berries for a yummy dessert.

Pumkinbutt also made me a book about me. The highlights of it is that I am very clean and smarter than a whole bunch of college kids!

Whew! A lot of good times!

I even left out a few other things we did, like spending hours in the Comic Book Shop which is piled to the ceiling with neat stuff and collectibles. Pumpkinbutt about lost his mind when the owner showed him his Action Comics stash from the 50's and 60's.

Party Cut-Up Cakes

 I  L*O*V*E those little cook booklets with coconut cut-up cakes!  My Memaw was clearing out some of her old cook booklets and passed several down to me.  This one was my favorite! It was produced by Baker's Coconut and Dream Whip circa 1967. I scanned a few of the cutest ones:

Bow Tie Bunny

I think we will be making him for Easter next year.  He has such a sweet goofy expression in his marshmallow and red candy eyes! I don't see "bow tie" though.  It looks more like his chest and arms with him springing from a jack in the box.

Spot the Fox Terrier

I don't think a cake has ever been made based on a fox terrier but this guy is precious.

Myrtle and Milton Mouse

Not many couple mouse cakes out there. Application for these could be engagement party, birthday for boy/girl twins, valentine's day....I guess. Someone wanting to press their luck could tint that toasted coconut black and....well, have a "Mikey and Minky Mouse" cake set.

Mr. Snowman

Not a very original name but this guy is my favorite in the booklet. Super simple cut-out but super freakin' cute I can't stand it. Sooooo making him for christmas this year. The cut-out shape also reminds me of a robot.

Ella Elephant

She has pink gum drop toe nails!

Dandy Lion Cake

This guy has got such personality he looks like he could have his own TV show and breakfast cereal made after him.

Jerry Giraffe

Cheek pinch-able cuteness. Love the extra touch of the licorice and gumdrop tree.

Twinkies (ish!)

While at the Dollar Tree a few weeks ago I saw these...."Twinkie" cupcakes!

We have been having bake sales for Relay for Life lately and I thought how cool it would be to make these twinkie cupcakes into the classic twinkie shape... Then I found this pan on ebay:

I printed out some labels of vintage Twinkie boxes, adding to them "Twinkie-ish" and "Twinkie inspired snack cakes" so not to get sued by anyone left of the corporation or Twinkie the Kid, himself.

I looked up a few other ideas for food crafts using twinkies and there are some super cute ones for Halloween! Mummies, severed fingers, individual tomb stones, spiders. Yes! May have to order a second pan!

West Bend Buffet Patio Server

Many years ago,  in one of my old cookbooks, I found a lovely image of this exact buffet-patio server/bean pot... It  was shown among a table buffet, not the center of attention, but beautifully standing out regardless. It has been an object of my desire ever since. Now and again I would find one at a thrift, maybe missing the lid or the graphic was nearly worn away but certainly did not have the shiny chrome heating element (I actually didn't realize it came with one).  However these were not good enough.  I waited.... and alas...this bean pot was stitting on a shelf in the thrift...waiting for me as well! I don't think it has never been used. Original box, complete with heating element and cord (still wrapped as seen on the box) recipe guide (all dating 1969) and even:

 Inside the crock are the "packed by" stubs!

So what to do with this lovely jewel ?... because I despise baked beans.... Consult the included recipe, suggestion and care booklet! 

 First off, this " New idea electric helper keeps hot foods at serving temperature". So "Convenient for serving prepared foods such as potato salad, casserole dishes, canned foods (chili, beans, spaghetti, stews, vegetables, fruits), barbecue sauces, hot pudding sauces and soups."

There are a few recipes sans beans. Shown above is the server in action with spaghetti and meat balls.  It can also be used as a crock pot with a recipe for Mexican-Style Chili.  Put beans and water in and cook overnight. Add all other ingredients and cook for another 2 hours.  I don't know how safe I feel running this thing overnight with no supervision other than my smoke detector (with no batteries in it) to babysit. Other recipes include: Hot Potato Salad, Beef Stew, Split Pea Soup,Vegetable Chowder, and Prunes Norwegian style.  May have to try that last one out of curiosity. 

But the best thing you can use this gal for is Keeping your Weiners Warm! 

I love that idea the best!

I have yet to venture toward plugging the server in.  Partly from apprehension that it make spark and bring the curtains down in a blaze.  The other part is what if it doesn't work at all. That would be disappointing as well.   But the crock is cute and useful in it's self...I am sure it can keep my weiners warm without electricity.

Goofy Golf Ft. Walton Beach

Made it over to the The Goofy Golf in Ft. Walton Beach, built in 1958!  

It is super awesome!  

(and cheap! $3 for Adults and $1.50 for kids)

Every October, for one day, to celebrate their anniversary ( 54 years thus far!) they go back to original pricing of $0.75 for adults and $0.50 for kiddos).

There are many challenging holes and homemade obstacles.

Fun concrete critters!

I LOVE outhouse themed goofy golf holes!  You have to golf your ball into to the toilet...it's a two seater!

I golfed my ball into the alligator's mouth and it got stuck somewhere inside.  The attendant, without saying anything, walked over with a bucket of water, gave the gator a big swig and out came my ball from the tail! The attendant then trotted away again without saying thing.  Clearly not his first gator ball rodeo!

View showing a totem pole, wishing well, snake, cacti, and elephant.

View showing the big green dino, an ape, a shark, a kangaroo and baby.  Also seen is the neat vintage walk-up business stand.  

Guess what they sell at the concessions!? Candy cigarettes! They also have these yummy tutti frutti  icee drinks for $0.50.

 

The final hole is this cutie snake!  You have to golf your ball into it's mouth...didn't happen this time.

 Maybe next!

DIY Mini Goofy Golf

We've got Goofy Golf madness lately.  There are 3 courses in our area, all dating from the 1950's.  The closest one is all locked up and abandoned :(.  The others are a bit of a pilgrimage to get to, being in Panama City and Fort Walton Beach,Fl.

Last week we traveled several hours to go to the mothership of them in Panama City.  To keep our addiction at bay we pulled out our mini golf sets (bought at dollar tree several years ago) and built our own course!

Halloween  Spooky Town....Par 2

Cowboy and Indian Pow Wow.....Par 2

Dinosaur Invasion....Par 2

Corral....Par 2

We have come up with several other hole themes involving tiny toys and things that are around us in the past....Snakes, Alligators, Star Wars, Mexico, Roosters and chickens, Tiki, Octopus, Bonsai, Spacemen, Skeletons, Robots and Virgin Mary (made from little religious plastic statues).  Endless!