Look who just FLEW in on her BROOM: The Witch on my Buffet

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The Witch on my Buffet!

Hi! This year has been disruptive, hectic, and intense. I've been unable to do much gardening, we are surrounded with totes and bins that still need to be dealt with, the house is a fright (having nothing to do with Halloween) and that may be for another two months.

Yesterday a package arrived of a 'great buy'; a doll I didn't even know was being made. One of my favorite actresses, Helena Bonham Carter, arrived a Mattel doll made for the Harry Potter series. Her character is Bellatrix LeStrange...the  insane and dangerous witch vilan-ess.

Apparently she was at her best in the HPotter film, dark, daring, crazy, the perfect part for her. (I confess I fell asleep in the first movie, and haven't seen any of the others) But, the dolls from this series are so interesting. All are fully articulated and actually look like the actors themselves. I love the white bits in her fluffy signature ringlet hair.

Mattel outdid themselves, she is gorgeous. I adjusted her skirt, sheathed her wand, and let her visually cast magic on my buffet which is the only spot really decorated for Fall in our disaster home. 

I just had to share, that I'm decorating a bit, but not really, except for the lovely Witch on my Buffet.

 I may have to see that second HP movie!

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Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

 

Fabulous Old Photos and Memories #5: Unexpected Places

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Just one of the hardest things about growing old is the passage of time. Not on a scooter anymore, time zooms by at the speed of a jet plane, maybe a supersonic fighter jet. It's really crazy how fast a week goes.

I'm doing these photo posts...scientifically-chortle by going to my everything folder and saying Eenie, Meenie,  Minie, MO, and opening a folder. I gaze down the stacks of files and clips and randomly choose one. 

So, unexpected places and unexpected memories.

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Just over six years ago, I attended my 50th class reunion.

YES, I'm that old and that's why Time is Supersonic. 

Part of the three-day event was a great tour of my old High School. No longer the sterile, dark, drab green and gray ground stone floors anymore, the school was fresh and bright with wall murals and memorabilia everywhere. Imbedded in the colorless floor was a huge school emblem and elsewhere another uplifting message. 

While touring I looked up....memories flooding around my feet and brain with every step. 

There was my dad....class of January 1941 in a blow up of his yearbook page!

 He was captain of the football team, played basketball and baseball, actually had a scholarship to a State University, but enlisted instead. Our manufacturing city was still suffering the throes of the Depression, and jobs were hard to find, and his family of six couldn't even help with subsidizing a scholarship.

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So, he enlisted, 11 months almost to the day of the start of WWII.

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I have many great photos of my dad, so please excuse this blow-up from the picture above.

He served 5 years in WWII in the army as a Technical Medical Sargent in the Pacific.

 He taught me to throw a football, run a wood lathe and a bandsaw, how to swim, how to always be a 'lady', how to drive a riding lawnmower, a boat, hook up down-riggers on Lake Michigan, and most important to never quit anything. 

He doted on my boys...fished and hunted with my husband, and took care of Mom when she was ill, difficult and bedridden. 

That trip to my high school conjured up all kinds of memories, but the strongest was the pride I had for my father up there on the wall

Captain of the Football team 

and of my Heart!

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

Fabulous Photos and Memories #4

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Fabulous Photos and Memories #4

 

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On the Lake circa 1970's

In 1963 my parent's bought an old farmhouse with 3 strange lots included one directly on the lake inlet. The Farmhouse circa 1850's was my mom's dream---sloping floors, wood stoves, 100 year old trees, original wainscoting and hideous 1930's linoleum floors. PERFECT...lol. Their idea was to use as a summer place and eventually retire there.

Our dock of the family compound is where I stood and took this photo. This corner of the inlet to the huge lake was spring fed---the cold water tickling your legs while swimming. The floating dock my dad built was perfect for fishing and launching our fishing boat. Fishing was fabulous and we had pan-fried fish whenever we wanted.

Old photos bring so many great and sometimes sad memories...this one is almost all great. My parents never got to retire there and sold the cottage in the 1980's. 

Summer vacations, weekends and gorgeous Falls were spent there, Happily and full of MEMORIES.

Do you have photos 

of your favorite childhood Summers?

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

 

Danish Sandiwiches: Friday Fabulous (Saturday) Photos and Memories #3

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Danish Sandwiches

Do You have Family Memories associated with FOOD?

These are actually new photos of the Danish luncheon I prepared for my cousin and his wife for their Saturday visit.

First of all, my cousin is really my mom's cousin, but he was the last born of his generation, so we were closer in age than he and my mom.

I prepared traditional open-faced sandwiches with the products available to me here in Chicagoland without going MILES away.

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Danish open-faced sandwiches are traditionally made on crustless thin breads, slathered with butter (to keep the bread from sogging) and then heaped with meats, poultry, or seafood. We were only four for this lunch, so I made them all half size and in limited styles.

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I was so disappointed to not be able to get any thin bread at our supermarket with the best choice of European foods. Sadly they have been bought and are slowly trimming away some of their product, now with an emphasis on Italian, Polish, Eastern European and Asian products. 

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This sandwich is thinly sliced ham, stacked on a dark, dark rye with whole seeds in it. Normally it would be a dark pumpernickle. Very tasty with a thinly sliced fresh dill pickle and dill blossom as the condiment.

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Thin sliced turkey piled on lettuce covered sweet white bread is garnished with cranberries and mustard mayonnaise. (The mayo keeps the cranberries from bleeding into the meat--not very appetizing). Normally I would use Lingonberries, but the store no longer stocks them? But, this was delicious!!!

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Next, boiled egg slices on marble rye...piled with thinly sliced tomatoes and garnished with parsley. So simple and so delicious. Other traditional garnishes are wine anchovies, or fish roe.

We also served were two kinds of pickled herring, smoked trout, and a traditional Swiss cheese with crackers. A white wine or beer is also traditional. Coffee was served with fresh fruit (watermelon), fruit sorbet, and butter cookies. 

We were too busy visiting for me to take more photos.

The memories conjured up by this  menu were my teens when I worked for a local caterer and also in a banquet hall. Huge platters of these sandwiches were made early in the day, minus the garnishes. Usually a huge group effort. Lots of fun in a big kitchen.

CATERERS TIP: Plastic wrap is draped all over the platters, then a wet squeezed out fresh dishtowel spread on top, and another layer of plastic wrap.The trayswere then stored in the refrigerator, and quickly garnished just before serving. Even overnight the sandwiches are as fresh as when you make them.

 An older memory is my grandparent's cottage with my mom and aunt helping my grandmother make all the sandwiches, everyone sitting at a long table on the screened porch, skol-ing with beverages, over platters of what seemed like endless sandwiches.

Some other choices were fried bluegills with tartar sauce, liverpostej (coarsley ground liver paste) garnished with sweet pickles or pickled beets, tiny shrimp on homemade mayonnaise and the thinnest possible lemon slices on my grandmother's homemade sweet white bread. Roast-beef medium rare with horseradish sauce, head-cheese (preserved chopped pork parts with peppers,onions in gelatin), herrings, smoked eel, rollepolse (homemade rolled lamb or pork with onions, parsley and seasoning), frikadeller (ground veal, pork fried cakes) with glazed onions...and so many other choices. 

Finale: Back in the 50's, ice cream cups were the biggest treat for dessert of course with pound cake and/or butter cookies. Special events were celebrated with Citron Fromage--a fresh lemon and whip cream dessert or Rhubarb pudding. 

Tak for Festen...Thank you for the Feast!

and my old Family Memories. 

Do You have Family Memories associated with FOOD?

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Inspire Me Monday

Love Your Creativity

You're the Star

Handmade Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

Friday Fabulous Photos and Memories #2

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Week Number Two...digging in my old files.

Way back when, maybe three computers ago...Word had this great AP for fooling around with photos. I so miss it.  

    Anyway, my husband's family is from east of Green Bay, Wi. One trip home years ago pre-2009,  I went with my Mom-in-Law to track down some family geneology information with her distant cousin. Her home was really out in the middle of NOWHERE, Wisconsin. But, there were these magnificent Hollyhocks growing on the side of the family's very old clapboard farm cottage.

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I actually don't have the original photo anymore---that was probably lost in the computer switches. I had kept these 3 alterations as documents, which then survived the many system changes.

The above was a straight water color Ap and I remember lightening the entire photo as the siding was grayed with age.

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I really liked playing with textures that were available on that  AP,  everything here looks like stucco.

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Playing with more of the choices, here is a tinted watercolor version...which would go with my decor then. I never did do prints...but these are so charming, I probably should do at least one, now.

The Memory is one of a lovely summer's day...a wonderful conversation, coffee with an elderly family member, and a great day with my Mom-in-Law, whom we all miss and these gorgeous Hollyhocks.

I also miss the free-tweaking Word AP with all kinds of bells and whistles that once came with my old computer  system, which at that time was free with Apple/Macs.

Ha, free software---those were the good-old days!

Do have a beautiful weekend full of 

Family, Flowers, and making Memories.

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

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Grammy's Grid Unlimited 128

Inspire Me Tuesday

Vintage Charm

You're the Star

Handmade Monday

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

NEW OLD Bits in the Kitchen Pre-Fall

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I'm a bit behind...lol, I'm the "Old Bits" making this post, but thought I would share what I have been up to in my corner cabinet for the summer.

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These two Dutch figures, are actually Occupied Japan...a great snag at a thrift store.  The pitcher was a find, and is just marked Bohemia, the castle transfer is so clear and dreamy. The initial mark is printed into the rim and illegible, all that is visible is 'Bohemia' in a floral frame, probably the pattern.

No luck finding the pattern, the marks, or country it's made in. Probably made pre-1887 when 'made in or country' was required on ceramics and porcelain by countries involved in international trade. This was to stem the tide of 'take offs' of English ceramics. 

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The unique and pretty plate was a gift from a friend. It's so intricate, the pattern is all pressed in the hand-made,  and then hand-painted and glazed...it's really amazing close up! I really love it, and it's perfect in this cabinet.

The salt jar is gorgeous and was a gift from my son, and also from a thrift store. It's quite elaborate, has the wonderful windmill. 'Salz' is Salt in lots of languages: German, Danish, Dutch...probably more.

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I haven't found the totes with all of my decor items I switch out in the cabinet for the seasons. It is still fruit-basket upset here, so I filled in with old bits here and there. 

The cast iron bulldog is German and a Hubley and was hidden in one of my enameled coffeepots. 

The Droste cocoa tin I've had for awhile, was an antique shop find, but only $6.00. The old glass is part of a juice set with a carafe and 4 glasses, Japan, still in a tote somewhere.

The plate I featured in this POST. It's English and  Bedford/Ridgways, desirable and old.

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The Sadler teapot I've shown before and is from the 30-40's. I love the summer flower design and it works well with my Dutch/Danish salt and pepper couple. 

This pitcher is marked FRF and UWG crown mark, 

again probably late 19th Century. It was my mom's and was her money stash container.

I'm hoping some of my 'Fall totes' show up soon so I can switch everything out.

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This vintage Swedish enamel kettle is by Berrgren and isn't particularly expensive now...but I love the designs. Their oldest pieces are very heavy and will wear forever. I have a few pieces and usually use them all the time.

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'This Tea canister or caddy as the Brits call them, is porcelain, very old  with a windmill and three masted schooner on it. It's CZECH and probably late 19th century. The porcelain gnomes are marked Korea and are within the last 30 years. I haven't done a search, but were in a thrift store for .99 each. (a steal!)

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My French enameled spatterware covered coffeepot is perfect on the island with faux sunflowers.  This one maybe from the 19th century from reference photos. 

My McCoy Dutch shoe planter, is perfect for this time of year. The antique jar of marbles was bought just like this...all of the marbles are super old, a friend found those for me and a perfect summertime activity.

My crocks in my kitchen are all vintage/antique, and are sourced from family and thrift stores. I use my crocks for napkins, my extra epi-pen and medical stuff, ie  sanitizer, allergy pills, etc. One's full of the grand's markers, another with all the pens/pencils/scissors stuff not taking up space in a junk drawer. Everything is  visible and much handier.

Thanks for visiting my Kitchen Bits, new and old!

How are your BITS, new and old?

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Vintage Charm

Share Your Style

Encouraging Hearts and Home

Love Your Creatvity

Grammy's Grid Unlimited 128

Inspire Me Tuesday

Metamorphosis Monday

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

My August Working Country Kitchen

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Good Morning, welcome to my working kitchen.

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Summer is such a busy time in a gardener's kitchen. Between our 'mess' from the basement damage, and the garden which is now 'giving up its bounty', I haven't really showed any photos of my house, porch or garden. 

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But Velkommen have a cuppa in my kitchen and we will catch up. I always have blue and white in my kitchen. In the summer I opt for dashes of red and yellow added. 

(The kettle is vintage Swedish enamel, I've always had some pieces of this from my family and I pick them up whenever I see them.)

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Gnomes all year round, thrift store find in porcelain.

You can have tea from the caddy...or...

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Have some coffee at our coffee machine. Yes, that is a big arse restaurant coffee machine. My husband bought this on the sly, and well, we had to design the kitchen around it.

But, IT IS THE BUSIEST

in the morning and also ideal for company. (I can have hot water brewing or decaf and regular...kept hot on the burners.)

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Sugar, sweetener, flavoring, creamer and spoons...it's all here, just pick your cup!

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Hubby also bought the towel...cracks me up.

Monday cup...please!

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And this service area works well, just to the left of the sink and filtered water.

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Another busy spot is the cabinet by the windows I have covered with a vintage tablecloth. I use this location in early spring for seedlings and now it has been full of tomatoes ripening for the last three weeks. We have to pick tomatoes before totally ripe--or the critters sample them.

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Our tomato crop was weird is year...we ended up with tons of small tomatoes, the yellows and the yellow pears.  So, I roasted most of them on parchment paper in large trays by slicing them in half.

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We did have plenty of reds and they are still producing, but only 4 plants.

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NUM!

They really are scrumptious and sweet.

So I CANNED TOMATOES!

3 BATCHES in the last week and a half.

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I put two large spoons (3-oz or so) of roasted tomatoes in each hot jar, added extra lemon juice(2 tsp.) and 1/2 tsp salt. Then added the cooked boiling tomatoes over the roasted  ones, then water-bath processed the jars for 15 min. A bit more than usual, but the roasteds weren't hot.

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I ended up with three batches over a week and a half, or 27 pint jars, of which 7 were made into sauce by cooking for 10 hours. 

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We've also had LOTS of cucumbers...yesterday I cut and seeded two large ones, some radishes, 2 small yellow squash, red pepper, onions, parsley, fresh oregano into a bowl. I added Italian dressing, some garlic oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and a bit of Western dressing for tomato flavor and some sweetness. Num, this will keep until the weekend if we don't eat it all.

Sorry no recipe, I just sort of wing this by tasting. Once it sits for a day, it's even better.

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Last weekend I also made refrigerator Dills. This is a fast, easy and detailed recipe I shared HERE. They stay crunchy in the refrigerator for a year. My mother-in-laws recipe and it's fool-proof.

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This time of year fresh dill is plentiful normally, mine dried up in the hot weather, but the grocery had plenty.

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We ended up with a gallon and a half which I keep in the refrigerator. The sons will come and probably split the smaller jar.

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The island is always in use, but I try and have some fun seasonal decor on the end...what is more summer than a jar of old marbles, antique crocks, an antique French enamel lidded coffeepot and well something yellow to go with the sunflowers, my vintage McCoy yellow shoe.

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PHEW! Now you know why I called this my 

Working kitchen. 

Do you want another cup and stay awhile?

If you enjoyed this post please follow this blog by blogger or FOLLOW IT which you will find in the upper right hand corner of this page. 

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Vintage Charm

Encouraging Hearts and Home

Share Your Style

Love Your Creativity

Grammy's Grid Unlimited 128

Inspire Me Tuesday

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi