Clippings from the 60s (Weekend Reads)

Well, it's been a bit of a rough week. That's why you haven't seen me here.

Our basement is all but done. Doors need to be hung and a last coat of paint to touch up. Our ensuite still needs its vanity and closets, but that's it. That WAS it, until we had a sewage back-up this week. Now we are back to no bathrooms at all, chipped up tiles, and a few more months before the repairs covered by insurance get done. Le sigh.

Needless to say that tackling the mess and hassle - all while Hubby was off driving fast cars on a boys trip to Alabama - was enough to keep me from much in the way of creativity. And because of the added mess downstairs I decided I needed to tackle some of the disorder upstairs and completely reorganize the living room. That necessitated emptying our entertainment unit, thus finding these papers tucked away.

It was months, if not more than a year ago, that I grabbed this bundle of newspaper clippings from my Mom's place. Recipes, short stories, and little ideas that she'd clipped from a Saskatchewan newspaper in the first years of her marriage in the early 60s. Taking a break from cleaning yesterday I sipped my tea, admired her very careful trimming of the articles, and flipped through the paper.

Did you know that they used canned pineapple A LOT back then? Or that you could make frankfurter tetrazzini as a great fast supper when you've got curling to get to? And that there is something in the world called sweet pickled bacon?!?!

I kept a few of the clippings, like the Christmas baking one or some that just seemed too weird that they begged for recipe testing. Then there was the one advertising a house just like mine, for a mortgage of $50 a month! Bet they didn't have sewage problems in 1963.

Ripe (Weekend Reads)

It's not just because we both have the same name. It's not because she is wickedly funny. It's not because I tested recipes for her book. You should get Ripe because it is just a damn good book.

This is my favourite cookbook from this year. Cheryl Sternman Rule is a great writer. The kind of writer I want to grow up and be someday. It makes the recipes in here a joy to simply read. She is a great cook, inspiring with a simplicity in her recipes that makes them very approachable. And did I mention that she is terribly funny?

One of the best things about this cookbook is that is arranged by colour. I know! How awesome is that? Unlike the typical and trendy seasonal arrangement, you can literally read and cook through the rainbow. This appeals to the quilter in me, obviously, but it also appeals to the Mama in me. My kids flip through it looking for something in a specific colour, just because they want to eat that colour. This is a far more appealing way to get kids interested in vegetables than by making goofy faces on their plates.

I was able to test a few recipes for Cheryl and they've easily become part of my regular repertoire, like the Smashed Cherries with Amaretti and Ricotta. I leave out the cookies and toss in more almonds and I have breakfast. Or dinner in the summer when it is too hot to cook. I've also made a dozen more recipes since getting the book. You need to try the Grapefruit Honey Sorbet. Seriously, this book is worth it just for that recipe.

I'd love to share a recipe from the book with you, but there is no way an adaptation can capture the humour and spirit that come with each entry. You just need to fill a bowl with something yummy, settle in for a good laugh and a growing appetite.

In the Mall

You may not know this about me, but I am from Edmonton. Home to the largest mall in the world. Yes, I think that still gets debated with those folks in Minnesota, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I don't like the mall much, but where else can you eat, shoot guns, ice skate, ride a roller coaster and a waterslide, and still shop? At one point you could drive go-carts and go on a submarine too. But the animals are gone.

This is totally not quilt, family, or food related. There are no gratuitous reno shots or platitudes about creativity in today's post.

Just go here.

Giant Hexies

In looking at my inventory a few weeks ago I realized there are projects there I haven't shared. And some I never shared progress for. I must rectify that, starting today.

These are my bee blocks from the Unscripted Bee. It is a group of Canadian ladies with a love for all things improv and modern.

I asked for giant, giant hexagon blocks. Each friend was sent a a stack of fabrics and a template for the hexagon. It was up to them how they would actually put the block together. They all finish at 16.5'' across, on the flat sides. And, as you can see, they got very creative in how they did it. So much fun!

There are two outstanding blocks, plus my own to make. I do want to make it with straight edges so then I need to finish off with all the outside pieces. Now that I have these out I want to play!