“I KNOW HOW TO BOIL WATER; I JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S DONE": A few of my favorite creations

Sunday, February 24, 2013

A few of my favorite creations

Homemade Parcheesi Board with shutter base

Made this side table from a pair of old shutters. The top was made from an old table top that I painted a Parcheesi Board onto. Unique and useful.

Corn Husk Heart Wreath

After shucking corn one summer day, I wondered what I could do with all that husk. Well, I got an old wire coat hanger and shaped it into a heart. I cut 1 inch wide strips of the fresh corn husk and slip knotted them onto the wire. (This may take a second shucking of corn, for when this dries it does shrink). I made this one about 15-20 years ago---and made 2 more afterwards. Easy and fun to make.

Simulated Leather Silhouettes

The Nativity Silhouette and the 3 Bears Silhouette are made from, believe it or not, brown paper grocery bags and glue. Cut your design from a double thickness bag swatch, cover in craft glue and, while wet, hold the design over a candle flame, rotating until the design is black and sooty. Continue on other side. When completely covered and dry, remove soot with a soft cloth. I mounted mine on a black board with a scored line down the center. You can also insert a wire in between the two layers of brown bag. I also made these approximately 15-20 years ago. Look how beautiful they still look!

Simulated Leather Silhouettes

Mama, Papa and Baby Bear

Heart Strings

These hearts are made from 1 inch wide strips of card stock. 7 strips in all:

2-11 inch pieces

2-9 inch pieces

2-7 inch pieces

1-4 inch piece

Lay pieces on top of each other as follows:

1-7 inch piece

1-9 inch piece

1-11 inch piece

the 4 inch piece

1-11 inch piece

1-9 inch piece

1-7 inch piece

Make sure all the bottom edges are even and staple together. Bring outside strips, one by one, down to touch the bottom center. Do this with all 3 strips on each side, leaving the 4 inch strip standing alone. Staple or brad all the strips together at the bottom. Punch a hole in the top of the 4 inch piece to hang. Enjoy making these. It's fun!

Rustic Stick to Me Angel

This is one of my favorite angels that I created. Made with twig wings and dressed in a muslin dress and felt jacket. A stick "T" frame is padded under the dress. Enjoy experimenting with a basic design and add the embellishments you love.

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Natural Resource

Beginnings

It was tradition in my family that soup was served almost every Sunday. There were only a handful of Sundays where soup wasn't part of the menu. On those days, we probably took a trip to Rivesville, West Virginia to visit with my Grandma, who usually had her own pot of soup on, and homemade bread to sink our teeth into. Sundays started with Mass, and after returning home, we would have breakfast. One of my favorite morning dishes was palachintas (yum). Mom would already have soup on the stovetop, and between noon and 2 o'clock it was time for the "soup feast." You could tell time at our house by the Sunday meal plan. A lot of them were based on the time of the football game, or other sporting event. Soup was always served as the noon time meal, followed by a hearty meatloaf, roast beef, stuffed cabbage, chicken paprikas, or the like, at suppertime (usually around 4 o’clock). It seemed like all we did on Sunday was eat and relax. You would wonder how you could be hungry for supper at 4 or 5 o’clock. Amazingly, you were. There were times I would remember that if there wasn’t enough roast beef to make you content, Mom would give you a slice of bread on your plate and cover it with gravy (Gravy Bread). What an added feast we thought we were getting. Little did we know, there probably wasn't enough meat for seconds, and who cared, because there was always plenty of gravy for that "oh so special" Gravy Bread. I really don’t remember a lot of desserts. I know we probably had them from time to time, but even if there were, I don’t know how one would find, or want to find, the room to fit it in. Well, all this talk is making me hungry. Go turn on the water and let’s get started!

Dedication

I dedicate this website to the 4 best cooks I know: My mother, who nourished me from the day of my first breath, both physically and spiritually; my mother-in-law, introducing me to her family favorites and customs; my husband’s grandmother, who had a unique, physical and verbal way of teaching me all her different techniques, to pass on traditional dishes; and last, and foremost, my heavenly mother, Mary, who is always by my side guiding me with spiritual intervention every step, and ingredient, of the way. It is with a deep love of my heritage that I also dedicate this collection of recipes to all the cooks who are just starting out and continuing the tradition of using recipes that are "family recipes." I hope that this website will serve to preserve some of my "family recipes" and to kindle an interest in traditional cooking among the younger families in a not always traditional way.

Enjoy!
With much love, Beve