Showing posts with label Old Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Old Stuff. Show all posts

Friday, April 5, 2019

Chicks, Cool finds and Artichokes

  The chicks are now a few weeks old and growing some serious feathers. I've made their brood box bigger so they can run and jump and flap their wings.   I supplement their medicated chick starter crumbles with chopped up parsley and spinach and crushed hard boiled egg - they love the yoke in particular.  One of them has developed a scissor beak and I'm not sure she'll make it.  When chicks hatch out of the egg they protect their head and beak with one wing over it as they claw/peck their way through - When they fail to do that they can develop an injury to the beak that becomes more evident as they mature - which is what's happening with Cersei. Some live with the condition, some don't.  She is the one on the bottom left corner - if you look closely at her beak, you'll see the misalignment. 

*pardon the font issues in this post - blogger will not let me correct it for whatever the reasons.  Oh how I'd love to transfer my blog to my own platform, but found the road to doing it is complicated. Very.   


     Meanwhile.. out at the coop - the girls are getting out to free range more often now that the weather has improved, and they're loving it.  Ruby is my friendliest hen... 



     Their favorite places to hang out around the yard are under the big pine tree at the front of the garage and the side of the garage where the dust baths are divine and the worm scratching prolific.  Hence all the mulch in disarray. 


  I've been doing some Spring cleaning here at the farmstead, tackling a clutter issue I've been ignoring but annoyed by for some time.  The big window in the keeping room area that the dogs sleep under has housed my plants on a table for a while now. The problem is it blocked the light/cluttered the view, just looked like an afterthought.   Two days ago I came across a very old plant stand in an inexpensive antique store and had an aha! moment.

Before... 


After..... 


 The plants are now on the stand on the other side of the bar divider, in the dining table area.   They'll  get the same light, so I'm hopeful they will be happy there.  I do need to raise my stained glass creation, but it's a heavy piece and will need one of the menfolk to get the job done without smashing it. 




 This recipe has been circulating facebook, and I'm definitely going to try this as a seaside supper at the cottage. Looks delish! 

Stuffed Artichoke bottoms with lemon and shrimp



Servings: six as a first course; two as main course.
These stuffed artichoke bottoms are impressive appetizers but also make an elegant main course for two.

Ingredients

For the breadcrumbs

  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 cups coarse day-old breadcrumbs

For the artichokes and shrimp

  • Kosher salt
  • 6 large artichokes, trimmed down to bottoms 
  • 3/4 lb. medium (51 to 60 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Make the breadcrumbs

  • Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels. (The crumbs may be made up to 1 day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the artichokes and shrimp

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
    In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt, drop the artichokes in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out on a clean cloth to cool and dry.
    Heat a 10- to 11-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the cayenne, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Working in two batches, sear the shrimp in the hot pan, turning once, until lightly browned on the edges and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of shrimp to a medium bowl.
    In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is just starting to foam, add 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley.Let the parsley sizzle in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the shrimp and toss.
    Oil an 8×10-inch baking dish with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and arrange the artichoke bottoms stem side down in the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pile 5 to 6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke bottom, including some but not all of the butter. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining butter and the shrimp juices over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

One last thing before you go - I laughed out loud when I saw this one.. 



Till soon - 

Karen🐤🐣 



Monday, February 11, 2019

The Hunt for Treasures of Years Gone by


     My husband and I are about as far apart on the spectrum as you can possibly be when it comes to certain things, but it's those other more important things that keep us together and contented most of the time.  Our love of family and our sense of -home- , the land and beauty of nature are on the latter list.  Treasure hunting through antiques stores and old barns and outdoor markets is up there too.

      Along the shoreline not far from our farm and seaside cottage are quite a few treasure troves - two of which we visited yesterday.

    First we browsed the Essex Old Saybrook Antiques Village -


   We didn't find the small black table he was looking for to go in his office, but I did score these Bunnykin bowls -  Vintage 1936, small bowls that were part of a children's mursery dining series by Royal Doulton, England.  I'm a firm believer in using the good china, using the antiques that make their way into This Old House.   One day, when we are hopefully graced with grandchildren,  I'll use these bowls to serve up ice cream or oatmeal or baby food  when they visit.




    I love to search for information on the pieces that catch our eye.   According to Wikipedia - Introduced in 1934, Bunnykins tableware depicted Mr. and Mrs. Bunnykins and other rabbits dressed in human clothing, in colorful rural and small-town English scenes, transfer-printed on white china. The earliest pieces, signed "Barbara Vernon" (Sister Mary Barbara Bailey), are quite rare and highly prized. Bunnykins china was used by  Princess Elizabeth and  Princess Margaret and thus became a popular present given as christening and birthday gifts in middle-class English homes. The chinaware line originated with artwork by Sister Mary Barbara Bailey, the daughter of Cuthbert Bailey, general manager of Doulton during the 1930's.  Unbeknownst to the public, Mary was not a professional illustrator, but a nun in the Augustinian Canonesses of the Lateran. 

     Since we hadn't found what we actually went out for - we drove down the road to the Old Saybrook Antiques Center.



   This antiques center carries some of the very finest pieces, some dating back to the early 1700's.  It's clear the dealers who sell their wares here know the value of what they find - and carefully preserve it.   The details in the woodcarved chairs and desks are amazing - a toddler's 1800's highchair below...




     The photograph below by well known photographer J.A. Beal depicts a scene in 1870's New York City...  If not for the price tag, I would have loved to bring it home.



     This mirror is just stunning in it's detail... 1900's - Gold gilt

pardon the ugg's slip-ons... comfort first :-)


     The bowl below was large and well worn - still in beautiful,  functional condition.  It is described as an Early American lathe turned pine kitchen bowl with original forged iron hanger - circa 1800.

     


   
     This horse caught my eye -  an 1850-1860 era horse that has acquired a leg wound.





If you're a long time reader here you might remember my rocking horse restoration project.   The price tag on the one above means  if I bought it I wouldn't bastardize it with a renovation -  but the one I found a few years ago had already been messed with quite a bit and was a real bargain, so I gave him a facelift.

 The find...



    My finished project....




       I'm not sure how old my horse is.... but he's very similar to the one we saw yesterday - so quite possible he is  an 1800's horse.  I didn't repaint the base, as it looked original.

A few more treasures I would have loved to take home if I won the lottery...













   After browsing this market we still didn't find the piece we were looking for.... but...  I did find an 1800's original pencil sketch of a farm house that reminds me of  Gracie - what I call This Old House because I also call our home Saving Grace, Gracie for short -   with trees and fields and a person with chickens and a dog in the front yard and a horse in the field on the left.  The price was fair and they accepted our offer,  my birthday is around the corner, sort of anyway.... So... I picked up another treasure and we call it the early birthday present. 


 I placed it above the mantel in the keeping room because it reminds me so much of This Old House -  They are about the same age, don't you know.   And although we aren't convinced it belongs in quite that spot - scale and all that - I love it too much to put it anywhere that it won't be seen often.  I imagine A. S. Bailey sitting in a field in front of the house, perhaps under a shade tree - sketching the scene in front of him/her? ..... admiring the shiny coat of the horse grazing in the field, the man tending his flock of chickens, with beloved dog by his side... the charming house in the background - the attention paid to the roof shingles, the fencing...  the chimney at the peak.   Simpler times.... 



  Speaking of which - it's time to go do the not so simple chore of feeding the horses and chickens and tucking them in for the night -  Thank you for tagging along- 


Till soon - 




Monday, January 7, 2019

The Christmas House


      If you've been visiting my blog for a while, you know about Stella - our little cottage on the cove.  We learned about that vintage coastal community through a dear friend who lives just down the road from us here at This Old House.  She and her husband raised their kids during summer months in their cottage near Stella -  It maintains the same rustic 1930's seasonal cottage charm as ours, partly because of her loving touches just about everywhere, and her husband's beautiful artwork to compliment it. So, we are neighbors both here and down at the shore.

      I need to tell you just a little about "Mrs. F" without giving away her personal information. She is a real dynamo! Having already lived most of her 90th decade, she continues to maintain two households with a little help from her children and grands,  still volunteers for several organizations, still creates, gardens and bakes for family, friends, and the causes she supports.  I have several perennial plants in my cottage gardens now that come from her garden, they will always remind me of her, and my gratitude to her for having helped us find a cottage of our own.

    I stopped in a few days ago to see the bird carvings her son had created, and was just blown away by the Christmas decor she had absolutely everywhere in her charming home.   An observation I've made regarding "Mrs. F" and a few other people I've been lucky to know who have lived well into their 90's...  despite heartbreaking events like illness or  the passing of a spouse,  they all share something vital - and that is to live fully with purpose, intention, keeping up with family and friends, nurturing their creativity and being active in causes they believe in throughout all of their days. 

    Browsing all the decorations and artwork and treasures around her home, the warmth of the place and the person  and the people she holds dear surrounds you.  I told "Mrs. F" her home reminded me of a Christmas House... and she said that is exactly what her grandchildren call it.







     The ornaments on her tree are vintage, some she made out of copper,  some given to her by students during her teaching career.













The sitting room above has beautiful furniture pieces 
made by members of her family. 

This bathroom has so much spunk... "Mr. and Mrs. F." papered it with old
New Yorker Magazine Covers... I absolutely love it.



Below is the only work in acrylics her husband 
ever produced -  He preferred to work in oils.
Of his many beautiful works, this is one of my favorites, and hers. 
A blacksmith's shop.. with the forge's glow spilling out into the evening snow



   A collection of Steiff toys from her husband's childhood live in her office/study... 


The story of how steiff toys came to be is a worthy read - 
you'll find it HERE

    So many treasures of the heart in this old farm house down the lane... Thank you, my dear friend "Mrs. F" , for sharing it with us here on my blog.

   There's one more thing I'd like to share -  Mrs. F's recipe for Swedish cookies. I was gifted with a lovely box full of cookies she made for the holidays, and these  particular cookies are absolutely divine buttery sugary perfection. 

Grandma Mabel's Swedish Cookies

1 lb. Butter
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 egg yolk
dash of salt
1 shot of Brandy

Combine ingredients - Work with hands until a paste dough is formed. Chill for 20 minutes, Roll  out dough on floured surface, nice and thin. Cut shapes, brush with egg wash so that decorations like colored sugar, etc. stick to the cookie.  Bake at 350 Degrees, 12 min or until just golden.    








Sunday, March 25, 2018

In search of the Fire King

    On Saturday my two favorite guys took a ride with me to the Putnam Antique Center here in Connecticut to do some treasure hunting.  Four floors of  all kinds of "stuff"  can be found here in this old building in the center of an old mill town.  A previous post on this area can be found HERE and HERE.   My mission on Saturday was to find more Fire King Jadeite for Stella, our little cottage on the cove. 

   This is not my collection or photo.  After having done some research, this collection is most likely a mix of vintage and new.  An example of what's obviously new - on the middle shelf, the large bowl with handle/spout in the center on the bottom has a swirl pattern. With vintage pieces, the swirl is much softer, the swirl edges not so rigid.  I bet if that were turned over, it would be discovered as a new piece.  Fire King originals had a very smooth simple quality.



      More info: Fire King Jadeite, made by Anchor Hocking, was popular in the 1940's and manufactured up until the 1970's.  It's  a type of glass tableware made of jade green opaque milk glass. It was very durable, so much so that some restaurants/diners used the plain but pretty dishware and cups, etc. to serve their customers.   So popular was it,  that the company still produces a reproduction line with minor variations so that collectors can tell the difference between original pieces and the new line.  China has also come out with a line of it's own, and some knockoffs can be found in Target and Cracker Barrel. 

    So.. we cruised around the antique mall and I did find several groupings of Jadeite - all original, but some very pricey and some in scratchy chippy condition. 


 Then I spied a creamer and sugar bowl in perfect condition with a price tag that was reasonable. 




 I turned them over and indeed, they are authentic.  Not that it matters to me so much that they are authentic, but I'm not paying $20 for a $2. target item.  Some people have gotten caught in that trap on ebay, etc. 




 Score! 

I also found this depression era juicer and loved the vibrant spring green hue. Their simple design and sturdy thick glass work  really well when making lemon-orange aid, one of our favorite thirst quenchers 'round here in summer.   


 According to Wikipedia - Depression glass is clear or colored translucent machine made glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression. Much depression glass is uranium glass. The Quaker Oats Company and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door.
Most of this glassware was made in the Ohio River Valley of the United States, where access to raw materials and power made manufacturing inexpensive in the first half of the twentieth century. More than twenty manufacturers made more than 100 patterns, and entire dinner sets were made in some patterns. Common colors are clear (crystal), pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow (canary), ultramarine, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red (ruby & royal ruby), black, amethyst, monax, and white (milk glass).
Although of marginal quality, Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Due to its popularity as a collectible.  Depression glass is becoming more scarce on the open market. Rare pieces may sell for several hundred dollars. Some manufacturers continued to make popular patterns after World War II, or introduced similar patterns, which are also collectible. Popular and expensive patterns and pieces have been reproduced, and reproductions are still being made.

 Below is a photo I found online of someone's pink depression glass collection - 



    There was so much to look at and prices were fair.  We are tempted several times over but the truth is we don't need more "stuff"...  and the looking is half the fun. 

 An old coal stove, ornamental now due to a crack in the back










 "No trouble to show goods"





Beautifully crafted leather purses
   



💖 This stove! 



   After I made my purchases, we stopped in Victoria's Station Bakery and ooh,  if I could only share the heavenly smell of good coffee and pastry with you here...  Notice all the cozy seating areas with newspapers, magazines, a nice way to relax on a chilly afternoon.  





... a lovelier cupcake cannot be found in all the land.


       
 Till soon, friends - 





   



She doesn't live here anymore

    Hello there!       I got an e-mail yesterday from a fellow blogger whom I lost touch with a few years back when she stopped bl...