PB no J

Peanut Butter Fudge:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with buttered waxed paper or heavy release foil.

Combine the peanut butter and butter on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about one minute.

Stir. It should be all melted now.

Stir in the vanilla, then the sifted powdered sugar.

Spread in the prepared pan. Chill for about two hours then cut into one-inch squares.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This fudge recipe is different from the white one - it's more work! BUT! so good!!!!!

Interior Decoration

They hung on the wall above the stove since 1997 when we moved from the big house into the cabin. That is 24 years! I had purchased the set of four in 1996 and they came with a certificate of authenticity. Ever since Kellogg's was available it has been a family breakfast cereal and I just had to have them!

There was a time several years back when I was sharing Shutterfly pictures of my "treasured vintage" items to a family member and she said she loved these bowls. She, who I have known practically since the day she was born, came to visit me last week and went home with them. She had no idea that they were hers ever since her remark years ago. 

The blank wall called to me for several days afterwards. "Put something here! I am feeling naked!" Then I remembered a set of mugs I had made of my photo images of things I have baked and cooked. Each cup has 3 different pictures! I liked the red and white pattern, but they have been hidden in the cupboard since 2013. Out they came and up they went! All is well. Everybody is happy. (If you noticed, two are a bit different. They were "freebies" because the pattern didn't go all the way up and I fussed.)

By the way, I cleaned my cupboards and rearranged things in there; almost forgot what was up on the top shelf! A couple of surprises!

tap on image to view larger

Busy in the Kitchen Thursday

Haven't had pancakes for many months. Today was the day and lunch was the time. Thank goodness for Aunt Jemima - so easy - so good - no fail! (Should I keep the box when it is empty since her smiling face has been removed from the newer boxes now? (That was a mistake in my view!!)  Two large ones for lunch and one more to save. Of course I have real butter and maple syrup for toppings. 

This morning I took a 5lb. bag of frozen white meat chicken strips from the freezer and broke it down into 8 small baggies. It will make these be easier to access when I want a few. I dumped the entire bag into my handy-dandy blue tub and did the sorting and bagging and popped all back into the freezer. When I was doing this, the power went off and the stand-by generator kicked in! Love that generator! The left-over small pieces were then put into my stove pot, topped off with water and simmered all afternoon, along with some pepper, garlic, onion, and celery powder. Later on I added a blurp (my word) of Gravy Master and a few teaspoons of corn starch dissolved in cold water to the mix and simmered it some more. I will use some for supper. My taste test was really successful. The next step of course, is to bottle up and store some in the freezer. I think it will go good with mashed potatoes! What a feeling of accomplishment!

After the rain, a doe and fawn came for a drink from the lake.

please tap image to view larger

First Timers

My daughter brought me a 1/4 head of a very large cabbage. I cut it up and cooked it in a little water. At the same time I cooked about one cup of elbow macaroni in the microwave oven. I put these two items together with some pre-baked small Italian meatballs and red sauce with a dollop of butter. It was just an idea I had to use the cabbage. A surprise was that it was a very successful combination, especially when I topped it off with grated Parmesan/Romano cheese. It made two meals so I froze one.

Today I made walnut bars, because I discovered a forgotten small bag of chopped walnuts in the freezer. I have never made them before but felt a bit adventurous regarding the recipe that I found a long time ago and had saved but never made. Result? Darn good, especially since I needed a sugar boost after this baking project, including cleanup. After transferring into a storage container it was hard not to eat two! (pat on back, please)......

please click on image to view larger

..........................................................................

RECIPE

Walnut Bars

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled) 

3/4 cups flour (all-purpose ) 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1/8 teaspoon baking soda 

1 large egg 

1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed) 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 cup walnuts (chopped) 

Steps to Make It 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk or stir to blend thoroughly. 
3. In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the egg for 2 to 3 minutes, or until foamy. 
4. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla; beat well. 
5. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. 
6. Fold the walnuts into the batter. 
7. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. 
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until browned and the top has formed a crust. 
9. Cut into 2-inch bars; cool in pan. The recipe makes about 16 walnut bars. 

Tips 

Check them after 20 minutes to avoid over-baking. 

 

Kitchen Gadgets

Of all the kitchen tools I use on a very regular basis I'd like to share the ones that are most important to me now. Here are my TOP TEN!

1. Campbells Soup "Pop N Pull" can tab lifter opener tool. Easy open with lid magnet.

2. "Top-Off" Jar and bottle screw top opener.

3. Wooden Spoon - well aged.

4. Measuring Spoons.

5. Shaker.

6. Blender.

7. Sugar Shaker.

8. Colander.

9. Funnels.

10. Egg Slicer.

Of course there are MANY others that I feel are very necessary here for me to use such as sieves, racks, sharp knives, toothpicks, and other well-used utensils besides the few tools pictured above.

to view images larger just tap on one

Bone Broth

When trying to make room in the big freezer I saw that I had saved not one but two bags of turkey carcass bones. It was time! Into the covered large pot they went with water to simmer from 10am to 5pm yesterday. Then, after dumping the bones into the colander, the hot broth was returned to the kettle and then placed outdoors on the gravel-covered dirt floor in the carport with a crate over it. The crate was to discourage critters from getting burned. Yeah, them trying to get into it is more like why it was covered when set out overnight to cool. I did that because this morning I brought it in and removed the thin hard fat layer easily. 

After chopping three large carrots, three large stalks of celery and one medium onion, the broth was brought again up to a boil and I put in half a box of Uncle Ben's whole grain brown rice. A slow simmer of about an hour with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf and poultry seasoning caused an aroma that was really nice in here. Of course we then had some for lunch. I had to cool it all down again somewhat before bottling in my quart plastic jars for the freezer, leaving head space. It really was worth the effort. You cannot buy bone broth vegetable soup in the grocery store. 

for a better look click on image

 

The Hub

Yes, the "Hub" is my kitchen/dining room, especially the table and countertops. Everything is neat and organized but everything you see is exactly the way we live.

By the way, dinner was Progresso Italian Style Wedding soup with Earl of Sandwich Marble Rye bread covered with onion and chive cream cheese spread.

Today was laundry day and I have more to put away. I'm halfway through this operation! Normally I would fold right there in the laundromat but not at this time. My counter has to be cleared before I can make lunch. This project is done in bits and breaks as it tires me and I have to sit down between steps.

Thank goodness we seem to be well and are taking it one day at a time here in Cabin Tranquillity.

please click on image to view larger

Ham

Our son and his partner gave us and his sister each a 12 lb. spiral ham for Christmas. I just got around to baking mine before the "use by" date in February.  Now we have ham for dinner, ham for breakfast, ham for lunch, ham for brother, ham for neighbor, ham for trashman. I know slices won't freeze well because they go "watery" and I also know what fabulous split pea soup will be made from the bone when it is stripped of meat.

Hey! It's winter. What else could I better spend my time doing besides baking, roasting, cooking, preparing meals? You get my point, and I also read books. I like these activities very much.

My home is my castle. My kitchen is my favorite room.

(I believe my husband thinks there is a food fairy living here because he doesn't participate in this activity - ever.) 

LINKS:   Split Pea Soup

                Split Pea Soup Prep

Still at it...

There is not much to do when it is pouring rain and looking nasty outside. BUT! I can always cook and bake, instead of sitting in front of the computer or reading, or dusting, heaven forbid! It's called kitchen exercise. Bend, reach, stir, wash dishes...you get the picture.

Today I baked a very large meatloaf, using more of the ground chuck that I won this autumn. You just can't beat homegrown, homeground beef for tasty meals.

As I dug out my ancient electric knife and seal-a-meal appliance I am always so pleased to have them fully operative and the best thing is that the cords are L O N G!

The oven is doing its job now with Perdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts - more than we can eat for one meal so some will be sealed, marked with date and frozen. Would you believe that sometimes I don't bake? Guess I'm part squirrel, packing food away for another day, but it makes sense to always have something on hand - strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight. Ha Ha! Thawed them out a day ago. 

You'd think I would gain weight, but actually I've lost 40 lbs. this year. I eat anything and everything I want but in much smaller portions. That must be my key. I do not diet! 3.25 lbs. every month isn't too bad! A secret: I never drink water. I get enough from coffee, tea, cider, juice, soups, milk, to keep hydrated. Never have been a water drinker. 

Enough rambling now. Talk at ya and write later when the mood strikes. 

Scullery Work

It seems as if I spend a great amount of time in the kitchen area of this old cabin. I sure do wish that there was a real walk-in pantry here where I could access my pots, pans, kettles, roasters, nut choppers, baking pans and dishes, storage containers, and all of the small electric appliances that I use on a regular basis. Wouldn't that be nice? There is EVERYTHING here to cook, bake or roast anything! We have food choppers, slicers, a food mill, bowls, graters, scales, strainers, colanders, BUT most is stored under the L-shaped counter deep in the cupboards. Yes, lots of space there;  hard to access most of it but at least I know what is there and where it is.

Then, it also would be a wonderful thing if baking supplies, canned goods, boxes, bottles, packages, and all other food items could be handy and not scattered here and there in cupboards, on shelves and counters. It's not that I don't know what is there, it is that it is sometimes not organized as I would like and not visually open.

Am I complaining? Yep!  Will it change? Nope! I don't even miss having an electric dishwasher. Had one for over 25 years with large family. The the best of all thing is that there is a huge old porcelain sink with drainboard and I would never have a double small basin variety. Never! How would I wash the large old bowls and kettles?  Nope! The under sink cupboard holds dozens of cleaners and polishes, cutting boards and large jugs of ammonia, bleach, vinegar.

Yes, dozens of utility implements hang on the log walls in the area. How handy is that? There are many taking residence on the vintage towel rack on the wall as well.

Come on over, and I'll show you how to manage my scullery!

By the way, the stovetop burners are covered with common and often used cookware and the interior of the oven is a good storage area for baking sheets and pizza pans!

In the past couple of days I have juiced over a dozen oranges, chopped and bagged two pounds of walnuts, roasted a pork roast for dinner and shredded the remainder for BBQ. As I write there is a 3 lb. beef meatloaf in the oven with wonderful aroma permeating the entire cabin.

No wonder I'm called a "foodie!" Now what to do with these Christmas apples? 

Retro...

As many of you know, I have a “retro” kitchen sink in the cabin and I love this old sink - YES I do!  My dad was very frugal and I know he bought it used when they built the cabin in the early 60’s. He would be very happy to know that it is still in use and cherished. Yep! I cherish my kitchen sink. There are memories of this sink when we first started to visit my parents here in those days. The children were ages 5, 4, 3 and 1. Each one was bathed in the sink and then sat on a towel on the drainboard to be dried. They fit very well in that sink and the water stayed warm during the entire bath. Our small dogs have also had baths in there!

I have posted numerous pictures throughout my past blogs, of dishes draining after my kitchen projects. I would like you to know some of its history.

After World War II the production of steel for the war was over. The industry had to find a new outlet for the huge production capabilities. Mullins National Steel then produced it for Youngstown Kitchens of Warren Ohio. I believe these kitchens were produced throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. The earliest advertisement I can find for the kitchens is dated 1944. It was advertised as “Housewives Heaven at Hubby’s Price” and it had “Diana-Style Beauty.” 

The nameplate on the front of the sink is of the Goddess Diana. Mine is in great shape. 

e-Bay photo

My Diana Nameplate

This decal is on the inside of the right side front cabinet door 

I found one for sale on E-Bay and it was “almost” the same as the one here. The seller was asking $200. Well you couldn’t give me $2,000 for mine and it is in better shape than this one shown below. 

$200.00 E-Bay Ad

I found this information also and think it is interesting:

“Youngstown Kitchens Cabinet Sinks are all-steel, die-made construction for longer life, more streamlined contours, and smoother finishes. Available in fourteen luxury models, ranging from the 42” single-bowl, single-drainboard model to the 66” double-bowl, double-drainboard model. All Youngstown Kitchens Cabinet Sinks have one-piece, white, acid-resisting porcelain-enamel tops and gleaming-white Hi-Bake enamel finishes.”

They even made a song for salesmen to get excited about selling these sinks! Don’t you just love it? I believe it was performed in 1953.

A Slice of my Life

IF you have ever noticed, I use old time cooking utensils and kitchenware. I would have it no other way. They are still very functional and I understand them. That's most likely because I watched for at least 19 years how my grandmother and mother did things in their kitchens; even long after.

Today when I was slicing hard boiled eggs to make potato salad for lunch, I realized that I, again, was using old tools. How did they last so long? Well, they were made better and they were taken care of. And that's my opinion.  That old (retro, I think) slicer has been slicing eggs, mushrooms, strawberries, and other foodstuffs and hasn't failed - once! I had purchased a newer one some time ago and after two uses, the wires snapped! I took it back to the store and it was replaced. The 2nd one had wires snap the first time it was implemented. Out came my little Red Acme Slicer from its retirement.  (click on photo to view larger)

Now I have much older tools in use every day! Every day! Mostly kitchen tools.

I'll name a FEW - I don't collect them or anything like that. They were passed down. This partial listing doesn't include the old and very useful pots and pans, kettles, servingware or dishtowels.

bacon tongs (many uses)

bottle tongs

cabbage slicer

can opener

canning funnel

clips

colander

covered butter dish-Hazel

Foley food mill

Ekco Best hand mixer

jar openers (retro & vintage)

masher (many uses)

measuring spoons -the BEST!

Gem meat grinder

wall knife holders

pastry blender (many uses)

peeler (many uses)

sugar (& cinnamon) shaker

measured shaker

towel holder

vintage bowls-Fireking

many vintage bowls- Pyrex incl. 4 qt ovenware bowl

retro bowls-Brookpark plastic

 OLD wooden spoon back

OLD wooden spoon bowl