Custard Pie



Pie Crust Ingredients



Old Fashioned Custard Pie

In an earlier post I mentioned that I have a tradition of putting up a Christmas Tree in the eating area of our kitchen every year decorated with old family recipe cards,  mostly handwritten by my mother.  I try each year to actually make one of those recipes...so this year it was the custard pie! 

So first...the crust.  Making pie crust is not that difficult and well worth the little extra effort.  My mom and grandmother both were great pie makers so how could I escape absorbing a few simple tips and giving it a try myself.  The recipe I use, which makes one 10" pie crust, is this: 

1 1/3 cup flour  1/2 tsp salt  1/2 cup Crisco and 3-4 Tablespoons of cold, really cold water.

Making the Pie Crust

Add the flour and salt to your bowl and mix.  Then add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture until you end up with a crumb mixture.  Then add the water, one tablespoon at a time and mix after each.  Make sure the water is very cold.  I add ice cubes to the water to make sure it is super cold, a great tip for flaky crust!  You may not need all four (4) tablespoons of water.  Just keep adding until it forms a nice ball.  Then roll it out, making sure to keep it in a nice circle.  Keep dusting flour on the dough and on your rolling pin to keep the crust from sticking.  When you feel it is the size you need, roll it over your rolling pin and transfer it to your pie dish.  Trim any extra off but leaving enough to turn under for your edge.  Pinch all around.  Its done!!

Custard Pie Ingredients

Custard pie is one of those old fashioned recipes that is very easy, quick, and made from fresh and simple ingredients.  Eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.

4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups milk

Beat eggs well, add salt and vanilla.  Slowly beat in sugar and milk.  I did use 2 % milk and it worked fine,  but whole milk would make it richer.  Slowly pour into the pie crust and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 min. or until set.  Let it cool to completely set for several hours before serving.

Custard Pie

Enjoy!  And Happy Valentine's Day!!

Downton Abbey Fashion

Downton Abbey Fashion

I have just discovered Downton Abbey!  I know, hard to believe ( and I didn't think I lived under a rock! ).  So I am just getting acquainted with the characters and the story line....but already love the series.  I am kind of a history nut anyway...so this fits right in.  This Treasury, Downton Abbey Fashion, is just a small collection of great vintage items found on Etsy pertaining to the series.  Enjoy!!

For those of you wanting to get further acquainted with the series here are some great sites to check out:

http://www.downtonabbey.com/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downton_Abbey

 

Follow Your Yellow Brick Road

Happy New Year 2013

With 2013 still being pretty new on the scene, there is still time to reflect and determine just what we would like to accomplish this year. 

My List:
#1 Set new goals for my Etsy Shop
#2 Develop several new product lines
#3 Of course...the old standbys that are on the list   every year....eat healthier and exercise.
#4 Continue to work and develop my blog and work on my social media skills.

I think that should keep me pretty busy for the year ( and beyond)!!   Do you have any special goals for this year??  How did your list from 2012 make out??  

To make a small start on one of my goals for this year I developed this new plaque.  Love the saying on this one....this could even be number one on your New Years List.  "Follow your yellow Brick Road"  is the newest listing in my Etsy Shop for 2013. 

Happy New Year everyone!!

Personalized Hand Knitted Christmas Stockings

Personalized Hand Knitted Fair Isle Christmas Stockings



ANNSARTS ON ETSY



Featured here is another example of a wonderful Etsy Shop by the name of Annsarts

The shops owner, Ann Moody,  I have actually known for a number of years.  We share the love of quality handmade items and the love of giving handmade at the holidays.  Right now Ann's shop features her personalized hand knitted Christmas Stockings, but knitting is only one of Ann's many talents.  Ann is an accomplished knitter, quilter, and jewelry designer. She designs and makes handmade quilts, felted handbags, and pearl button jewelry.   It was her Mother who started the Christmas tradition of making personalized hand knitted stockings for everyone in their family.  So now Ann is carrying on this wonderful tradition.

Ann's Story

Crafting has been my passion for the last 25 years. I've especially enjoyed making beautiful quilts from quality quilt shop fabrics, wool felted handbags and several different styles of pearl button jewelry.

I love to work with fresh water pearl buttons, made in Muscatine, Iowa, quality quilt shop fabrics and luxurious fibers, especially wool yarn .

I started knitting the Christmas stockings three years ago.  I first made them for my children and grandchildren.  Then a friend suggested I open a shop on Etsy.  The rest is history. 

 My mother knitted stockings for her 5 children and all her grandchildren. We still use them to this day. I'm carrying on the tradition. I love making them. No two stockings are exactly the same. I personalize them with the name on the front and the birth year on the back. My customer can choose three main designs to be knitted into the stocking. I knit a variety of borders in between the main designs. They also choose the color for the top, heel and toe of the stocking and other colors to be used. 

The stockings measure approx 24" long and 7" wide.  Each one is unique and knitted with high quality wool yarn, hence the stockings are heirloom quality and will last for many generations to come. 

 

Ann is now taking orders for Christmas 2013! 

What a treasure to have for years to come!! 

You can visit Ann's Etsy Shop at this link.   

Who knows....you just might have one hanging from your mantel next Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Banner

 

Well it is now officially December!  Wow....how did that happen so quickly!!  My Etsy Shop is humming and is hopefully well stocked with holiday items.  One item that has been really fun to make this year is this Merry Christmas Banner.

This banner is so much fun for the holidays. I can see it strung on a tree along with all the lights and vintage ornaments, tucked into the branches as shown here.  Or maybe just laid beneath the tree on a red or green tree skirt. Always looks great on a fireplace or just on the wall or hanging from a shelf along with the garland.
It is  made from heavy recycled chipboard.  Each tile measures 4" X 4.5". It is strung with 3/8" antique red ribbon. Included in the " Merry Christmas" is a vintage Santa tile that is placed after the Merry and before the Christmas. The vintage Santa design can vary. Each tile is stamped in metallic gold with a snowflake design and stars.
 

You can find this banner as a featured item in my Etsy shop for the holidays.  Just follow this link. Merry Christmas Banner

Cyber Monday Sale

For Cyber Monday I am having a 20% off sale in my Etsy Shop.  Just enter the coupon code CYBERMONDAY20  at checkout to receive 20% off your entire order. 

Here are just a few examples of our Christmas vinyl. 

For unto us a Child is Born

Merry and Bright

Christmas Subway Vinyl

Recipe Tree

Old Hand Written Recipe Cards

Several weeks ago I was reading a blog post on the Etsy Blog about old typewritten recipe cards entitled Kitchen Histories  It really hit home because I have a wonderful collection of handwritten recipe cards from mid century, almost all from my mother and grandmother. They really are a written history of food through the decades.  It is amazing how different we cook in the 21st century.  Custard Pie??  Who makes homemade pie besides just a few of us?  It is fast becoming a lost art.  And there really is an art to making a delicious homemade pie!  I remember my grandmother on Sunday mornings, up very early, busy making two or three pies at a time for Sunday dinner.
These old recipe cards are becoming treasures to hold on to and keep.  Very soon, if not by now, almost no one actually takes out a card and actually hand writes a recipe.  They are bookmarked in our computers or put in a computer file.  No personal little side notes to tell us a little tweak we made to the recipe or maybe something we substituted for an ingredient. 

For a number of years now at the holidays, I have been putting up a Recipe Tree in the eating area of our kitchen.  All the recipes are my families recipes made down thru the years, some traditionally at holiday time.  The tree also includes a collection of old antique cookie and biscuit cutters and some handmade felted ornaments.  The tree skirt, which doesn't show here, is an old apron. 

My goal before taking the tree down, is to try and make one of the recipes.  Sometimes it turns out and sometimes not so much!  But it is fun and always brings back memories of family, traditions, and holidays past. 

Thanks to the Etsy Blog post I realize I really do have a treasure here to keep.  I thought I was the only one who treasured these old family snippets of the past.  Maybe you have a few tucked away somewhere in a drawer that would make interesting reading, bring back some warm and fuzzy memories, and possibly a fresh idea for dinner!

Penns Colony

Penns Colony

This is one of our favorite shows that we do throughout the year.  It is located right outside of the village of Saxonburg, PA which is also close to Pittsburgh.  It features true craftsmen in colonial costume, many of them demonstrating their craft, talking, and interacting with their customers.   Make a quick visit to their website, Penns Colony  and you can get a wonderful feel for all of the activities that make up this major Pennsylvania event every fall.



Penns Colony is a living historical colonial experience that the whole family takes part in.  The many activities include carriage rides, period entertainment, colonial games, face painting, battle reenactments, and lots of great food.  It is also a celebration of the American Craftsman and a great example of unique and one of a kind items which contribute to the Handmade Movement.  As I have said before, I think people are tired of cookie cutter items and are looking for something unique and made by hand to give as gifts and to use themselves, something that has a story behind it ,along with a real person and is American made!






Beginnings of a Wooden Spoon by Riverwood Trading

A truly unique experience!!



BlogLoveTherapy Giveaway Winner

The winner of the BlogLoveTherapy Giveaway has been announced.  Her name is Ambre Sautter of Cedar Rapids, IA.  Congratulations to Ambre!  Her frame is on its way!  A big Thank You to everyone who participated....

Blog Giveaway

BlogLoveTherapy  Giveaway for September

I am sponsoring a giveaway for the first time ever!  It is on the  BlogLoveTherapy blog. 

 

Someone will win this photo frame "The Story of Us".  It is screen printed with cream lettering on black and has openings for three photos. Overall measurements of the frame are 16" X 8". It has two keyhole slots on the back for hanging.  The Giveaway started on Sept 10th and will go thru Sept 23rd.  

Follow this link for particulars and  to enter....Good Luck!

http://bloglovetherapy.blogspot.com/2012/09/giveaway-photo-frame-story-of-us.html

Etsy for September



September Wishlist



Etsy Fall Treasuries

The kids are all back in school, some color is starting to appear in the trees, and the nights are getting cooler!  Fall is just around the corner and Etsy for fall is in full swing.  Beautiful fall treasuries have been showing up for several weeks now and they really give a wonderful feel for what is available in the shops for fall and for the upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.  September Wishlist, a treasury created by rRradionica, has some great fall gift items featured.  I love the tattered bracelet and the Oak Tree wrap shawl.  




Another treasury with fall gift ideas is Fabulous Fall Finds created by Hand Painted Petals.  Look closely and you will find that perfect pair of fingerless gloves for the upcoming season.  And I especially like the Autumn Leaves and Beads Necklace.  Very reasonable too! 











Fabulous Fall Finds



Welcome Fall

Welcome Fall is a really bright and colorful treasury created by Sweet Dreamz Designs.  Here again,  I love the crocheted Wristers and the Mini Pumpkin Quilt would be perfect addition to your seasonal home decor. 

So by the looks of these treasuries....the season has arrived!  Have a splendid fall and enjoy all this season of change has to offer!