5/31/12

B is for Baking Bread...Then and Now

Grab an Apron from my last weeks Letter A post, A is for Apron, and let's Bake Bread...the old fashion way.  Or at least the way it was baked back in the 1880's on the West Texas Frontier.

White Bread Recipe:
Boil 3 medium size potatoes in one quart of water.  Mash and strain through a colander.  Add the water in which they were boiled.  When cool add sufficient flour to make a stiff batter, one yeast cake after soaking in a little water, one tablespoon of white sugar, one half or more teaspoon of salt.  Let stand until morning.  Boil one pint sweet milk to which add one teaspoon of lard and one of butter, one tablespoon sugar.  Let come to a boil and cool...then add flour and sponge.  Let rise from three to four hours and knead into loaves.  Rise until pans are full and bake an hour.
 Did you notice the call for a 'Yeast Cake'?  In the 1880's, compressed Yeast Cake was a luxury and a new item for the homemade bread maker.  It replaced the home-made liquid yeast which was made from potatoes.   Some potato yeasts would never sour, while others had to be used within a week.  The yeast was usually kept in a yeast jug and often measured in gills.  A Gill is equal to eight large tablespoons.
That was Then....This is Now!!!
Yes, I BAKE BREAD!!!
Here's my Recipe
For More Gluten Free Recipes

5/26/12

Famous Blog's Fourth Birthday

How Sweet The Sound's Pink Saturday
Pink is a Sensational Color ~ Here's to PINK...
Brighter pinks are youthful, fun, and excitng, while vibrant pinks have the same high energy as red...
they are sensual and passionate without being too aggressive.
First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, who loved and wore pink so much it became known as "Mamie Pink".
Pastries taste better when they come out of pink boxes or served on pink plates.
The Pink Ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of hope and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
In 1947, fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli introduced the color SHOCKING PINK to western fashion.
Popular Pink Phrases
Tickled Pink...to be happy~~In the Pink...good health-good fortune
Pinkie Finger...smallest finger on the hand~~Pink Slip...so long JOB.
Pink is the color of happiness!!!
Pink encourages Friendliness and Good Will!!!
Pink Saturday is ALL this and MORE!!!
And That's the Truth, Ya'll !!!!
As Always...Thanks Beverly for making Saturday's Pink!!!

5/24/12

A is for APRON Sewing and Collecting

Grandma's Apron
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few,
 it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that,
it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears,
and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks,
and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising
how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron,
and the men-folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that
 'old time apron' that served so many purposes.
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.
Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I never caught anything from an apron....But LOVE.
(Author Unknown)
Linking To

5/23/12

Frames~Friends and Fickle Time

Which is better...two...click...or three? 
Three!
...click...click...and now, three or four?
Three!
Now what's the smallest row of letters that you can read?
OMG...the last row... i c a n s e e
Your distance vision has improved.
 That's good news...how can that be...I thought the older you get ... yada yada yada!
Your CATARACTS are thickening.
My WHAT?
Walking out of TSO (Texas State Optical) the first thing I said was, "Mama, look how big my shoes are."   Right after that I nearly fell flat on my face stepping off the curb....it suddenly was two feet higher and my shoe laces looked like ropes. 

Holy Cow, everything was gigantic and I felt like heaving!

"Sue, take off the glasses and put them in the case.  You only need them for reading,"  Mama said as she pulled away from the fat curb.

But, mama, I want to wear them all the time.  My friends do.
Really? Cataracts?  Are you sure? 
The older you get....yada yada yada!

5/22/12

Tombstone Tuesday~Mordecia M. Pittman

Mordecia Monroe Pittman
Born October 15, 1828 in Jackson County, Georgia
 Fifth child of Pleasant Owen and Susannah Benton Pittman
Brother of Archibald Benton, Noah Taylor, Pleasant Cicero, Pricilla Lucinda,
Teresa Elizabeth, Susannah Morina, Martha American, Timothy Thaddeus
Ann Cassandra and Letitia Gracie Pittman
Husband of Mary Jane Boggs
Married February 6, 1853
Mordecia and Mary had thirteen children. 
Their farm was located between Commerce and Brockton Roads in Jackson, County, Georgia.
Mary Jane Boggs Pittman
April 6, 1836 ~ October 5, 1905
Lieutenant Mordecia M. Pittman
Enlisted Confederacy May 13, 1862
Company E 34th Infantry Regiment of Georgia
Surrendered at Greensboro, N.C. April 26, 1865
Jackson County Attorney and County Court Judge 1875-1877
Died on May 3, 1896 at age 67
Cause of Death...Horse and Buggy Accident
On his way home from the Jackson County Court House, Mordecia M. Pittman was fatally injured when his horse was frightened by an umbrella falling from the buggy.  The funeral was held at the First Methodist Church of Jefferson, Georgia where the Pittman's were members.  Mordecia and Mary are buried in the Woodbine Cemetery, Jefferson, Georgia.
Pittman Family Tree Relationship of Mordecia M. Pittman
2nd Cousin 4xRemoved
Photo Acknowledgement
Confederate Headstone by D.Bagwell-Sept. 16, 2010-Find A Grave Memorial 
Oval Mordecia photo and Obituary information-Jackson County Historical News
Click HERE for More
Family Tree Stories/Posts


5/21/12

Forever Number Fourteen~BackInTheDay Monday

Coach said, "Line up, Varsity Girls.  Seniors first, Juniors, Sophomore's and then Freshmen.  Get the same number you had last year.  Try everything on to be sure it fits, and don't leave any of the uniforms in the locker room.  Be sure and tell me your number...and remember...it's forever.

Last in line, only Freshman, and last to get a uniform.   At least I could see over everyone's heads at what was left on the rack.  There's some advantage to being the tallest on the team, but that's not much consolation when you're a freshman and all your Basketball Uniform dreams are about to come true. 

Just think, Sue, it all started way back in the seventh grade when you signed up for basketball because Mama played in school, everybody else was playing, and Coach Moore said, "You are in Athletics.  See you on the court".

By the end of the eighth grade, I was hooked on basketball, still growing longer legs, and realizing that eighth grade boys were forever going to be short.

Such a nincompoop!  Silly eighth grader with a tall girl complex.   Who needs boys you can dribble circles around, out play, out shoot and out score every single, short one of them!

 Boy Howdy, was I ever glad to get to high school.  Tall guys...well at least taller, and several taller than me, and to my surprise, some of the eighth grade guys had grown over the summer.  So, here I am standing in line thinking about all that silly eighth grade stuff and remembering my parents words of wisdom. "Sue, always do your best,  practice like you play, listen to your coach, stand up straight and never LET ANYONE beat you."

Finally, my turn.  Slim pickins.  Oh, how I've looked forward to the red shiny satin shorts..."Coach, can I take these up?"  From his office next to the uniform closet he replies, "What's your Number?"
"I'm Fourteen"
"Yes, I know your age...What's your Number?"
"Forever Fourteen"
1961-1962...It was a Memorable Year!

Click HERE for more 
Back In The Day

5/1/12

May I...Be Away In May? Yes, You May!

While I'm away for awhile this lovely month of May,
please make yourself at home to roam/browse through the Archives and Pages
of CollectInTexas Gal and Tracks of My Texas Ancestors.

A collection of Posts about My Texas Ancestors...The AtoZ April Challenge
{click on photo}

A new Journal Entry from Emma at The Texas Boarding House

While I'm away this lovely Month of May....I'll return your visits and comments via email.

The worlds favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May.
Edwin Way Teal