I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT!

Lard has making a come back!  Well, isnt that interesting!

Isn’t this a beautiful picture:

Photograph of homemade lard by Peter G Werner/Wikipedia.

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Jam Packed Post ~ Please Read!

I am going to cover a lot of subjects this morning so hang on to your hats! I have a lot of irons in the fire at the moment and I would like to drag you all down with me!!

Shout Out #1: Rachel over at Neat Things.  You have to take a look at the cake she made for a going away party.  WOWZERS! That’s my girl! Her paternal grandmother (the best cake decorator in the world) would be so proud of her.  I have often wished she could have lived to see how her granddaughters followed in her footsteps. Hint:

International Overall Day: is coming together.  I doubt very seriously (VERY seriously) if we can get any sort of proclamation but who cares?  I am however working on contacting companies that sell overalls to donate gift certificates so that we might have a GRAND giveaway sometime in the future.  In the meantime if you wear overalls, love overalls, love someone who wears overalls, join the fun. Leave a comment or email me and we will start a flickr group soon.  Sound like fun? And here is your picture of the day:

This is Rachel on the phone with my mom about a month before Ben was born.  She had been folding baby clothes and getting things ready for Ben’s birth.  I wish you could see the stacks of baby shirts and diapers on the bed with her.  She has always been quite the little organizer.

Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver: Will begin again this coming Friday June 5th.  I told you it wouldn’t be long!  If you plan on participating please let me know.  I will make a post specifically pertaining to this event tomorrow (Thursday) with all the new and improved rules and regulations and then on Friday you will find the recipe for the week’s challenge.  Hint: if you don’t have berries of some sort, plan on getting some And YES, there will be prizes involved!

Next Holiday: Fourth of July and all the great food that brings!  The last week of this month (June) I will devote to recipes, menus and decorating ideas for the 4th.  For all my friends who live outside the US, bear with us…this is a big deal around these parts!

Cookbook Update: Well, the first agent I approached with my idea(s) passed so that’s not great news.  However, I believe all things in their own time.  In the meantime while I am waiting on a real deal, I am going forward with self publishing my little series of cookbooklets.  Pies will be first and hopefully within 6-8 weeks I will have them in my etsy shop for sale. But don’t hold me to that date  ’cause I tend to over estimate what can be done in a 24 hour period.  But I am finishing it.  It is to the proofing stage…so that is progress.

Crafty: One of our all time favorite librarians is leaving our local library for bigger and better things.  We will miss her.  Today is her going away party (the cake Rachel made is for that party).  I made her a Housewarming Basket for her new home.

(Isn’t that the cutest broom handle you ever saw???)

This is a little part of the note (the pink paper tied with rickrack) I wrote her explaining the components of the basket…thought you might like the info in case you ever had occasion for such a gift.

First of all the broom.  And what a pretty broom it is!  My granny taught me that you NEVER take an old broom in to a new home.  You are supposed to start your new life with a clean sweep!  So now you can!  In  the basket you will find two cloth bags that will do just fine to take to the grocery when you need just a couple of things or to keep your potatoes and onions fresh.  They are sturdy and should last a long time.  Inside those bags are flour, hoping you will always have food and friends to share it with.  Salt so you will always have spice in your life!  Honey to remind you of the sweetness of life and friends, both new and old.  Olive oil for good health all the days of your life.  A wooden cutting board representing stability, peace and harmony in your new home and candles so you will always have light.  The apron is just because.  Just because I wasn’t sure you had one, and if you do…well now you have two! The lavender plant is on of my favorite plants.  I thought you might like it too.  She will need lots of sunshine so you will want to put her outdoors at your new home.  The soap and rag are for your new kitchen sink.  Enjoy the gifts.  You will be missed!

What could I have possibly left out of this post?  If you have gotten this far…THANK YOU!  Oh I suppose I could give you a recipe, that should be about enough.  This is from the Pie booklet…

Yogurt Pie with Granola Crust

1 1/2 c. granola (reserve 1/4 c.)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. margarine
1/4 c. honey
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. lo-fat yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla
fresh fruit (optional)

If granola is very coarse, grind to medium-fine in blender, doing 1/2 cup at a time. Blend granola, brown sugar and margarine. Press onto sides and bottom of 9-inch pie plates. Chill well before using. Soften cream cheese to room
temperature. Beat until fluffy with electric mixer or wooden spoon. Blend in yogurt. Beat in honey and vanilla. Turn into pie shell, spreading evenly. Chill overnight. Before serving, top with fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas or your favorite). Sprinkle reserved granola crumbs on top. Cut and serve.

HAVE A LOVELY WEDNESAY!

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Coming Soon: International Wear Your Overalls Day!

I am working with fellow overall enthusiast Bibfessor to proclaim a day (date to be announced) specifically promoting and acknowledging the comfort appreciating and uniqueness of overall wearers everywhere…the WORLD OVER! Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite!

(Don’t you love the two country bumpkins standing in front of the museum of fine arts in their overalls? You can tell I wear mine OFTEN!  They used to be dark blue!)

(Ma and Pa )

(way back in 2007)

I have TONS more pictures I will be sharing with you…here is the latest.

(I like to dress them up with a crisp white turtleneck and a little lipstick!)

Best I can figure I got my first pair of overalls in 1973…so I have been wearing them for 36 years!

Not the same pair of course.

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Welcome to Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver!

If you recall, several weeks ago I announced a little something I am starting here on my blog.

This FUN will begin on Friday May 1st. Which just also happens to be Rachel’s birthday and we will likely be baking something yummy! I will tell you more about it as we go but for now…how about signing up? I will conduct this very cool blog activity in much the same way Kelly is doing her Blue Ribbon Mondays. Which is VERY VERY cool!! And seriously, if you have not stopped by Kelly’s blog and signed up for her Blue Ribbon Mondays…get your happy self over there!

Just sign up below and more instructions and such will follow over the next week as I work out the kinks and will have some buttons and such for you to use to link us all together. Oh yeah and you know there will be prizes. Baking related prizes…now that IS cool huh? For now all you really need to know is:

1. It is going to be fun!
2. You know you want to participate
3. It involves recipes and baking and prizes
4. That’s enough isn’t it???

Anywho, leave me your name and let me know you are up for the challenge. Oh, I didnt mention it would be a challenge did I??? Oh well it will. I will give you a recipe on Friday(beginning May 1) and by the next Friday you have to have made it and posted about it on your blog WITH PHOTOS. There will be several ways to get your name in the now extraordinarily famous mason jar for the drawing to be held each Saturday for the week’s participants. Each Friday one challenge will end and another will begin. Doesn’t this sound AMAZING???

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I would like to introduce you to some really nice folks.

Paul Wilson and his wife Tina. Tina is a lovely friend I met online and WOW do they have a lot going on!

I just got this LOVELY canvas print:

Isnt she BEAUTIFUL??? I promptly framed her and she hangs in my studio! Yeah, I used the word “studio” to describe my creative space…I like that word. Anywho back to Paul & Tina.

After 15 years in a corporate job with security, benefits and vacation time Paul quit his job in 2007 to pursue freelance design and to sell products independently. His wall graphics took off and in 2008 he was featured in MaryJanesFarm and Romantic Country. His designs run from simple cartoony subjects appropriate for nurseries and kid’s rooms to photo realistic butterflies and beetles. While the wall graphics are the main product he currently sells in his Etsy shop he also does custom work and helps other crafters by producing full color vinyl show banners for them.

His personal business site: www.wilsongraphics.net

AND…let me just say you also need to mosey over to Small Town Living

Who are The Wilsons and how did they end up producing Small Town Living?

Paul and Tina with three children live in the panhandle of Florida. Early in 2006 they were talking to some family members who were planning to move to Thomasville, GA. Their plans were driven in part by a desire to get away from the congestion and sprawl in their own town. On a whim Paul & Tina drove up to Thomasville for a weekend and fell in love with what they found. People were friendly, open and made them feel welcome where ever they went. At one point, lost, they stopped and asked a woman sweeping her porch for directions. She told them how to get to the street they were looking for and when she heard they were considering moving to her community she told them they would love it. Her friendliness and warmth were one of the many pleasant memories they still have of that visit.

Once back home they began to talk more about also moving to the area to be closer to family and to get away from the rampant development they were seeing in their community. There were a lot of things they had to consider, where to work, where to live, would they buy a new home? a historic home? land outside of town? They spent hours researching all these topics. Tina had been raised in a rural community and let it be known that if they got a place with a bit of land she would like to own a few animals and grow a few things – Her farm girl was starting to wake up again after living in the city for 15 years.

Small Town Living was born from the interests the Wilsons have in living in a smaller rural community and from Paul’s love of publication design. They share the information they find with you and resources we all can enjoy using. For the time being they going to continue releasing the magazine in a digital format, but they are looking forward to the day that the first print issue rolls off the press. This topic resonates with many people who want things to move a little slower and simpler, who want to call some small town somewhere….Home.

I asked them to tell me in their own words what Small Town Living is all about and here is what they said:

We started Small Town Living in 2006, inspired by a visit we made to a small rural community to see family. The warmth and friendliness of the people we met were something we had found missing in our own larger community. When we returned home we talked at length and decided that it was time to relocate. We also decided to create a publication centered around the values and ideals that seemed to personify “small town living”.

Small towns have been in decline for years. Many Main Streets sit empty and desolate, replaced by Big Box Marts and shopping malls. The individual character of family shop keepers have given way to homogenized cookie cutter business plans and smiley faces. When you walk in the front door of these huge chains you always know what you’ll see, no surprises. While we have convenience and predictability we’ve lost a rich history and character that independent shops brought to our communities.

It seems like small towns speak more of self reliance as well. Gardens grew rich and lush, chickens wandered free in backyards, and fresh food was just outside the kitchen door. Instead we get veggies three weeks old, shipped from hundreds of miles away. We never meet our growers and have no idea the care given to our food along the way.

So Small Town Living is going to be about revitalizing the simple important things that were lost in our rush for bigger and better. We’ll tell you how to garden, keep chickens in your back yard, mend clothes, fix your own broken fences ,and rebuild community.

We hope you’ll stay with us for the long haul as we grow and develop. Each story is brought to you by someone who wants to add their ingredient to the “soup”, and together we’ll make this publication into something we hope will enrich you, your family and your community.

I have been getting this beautiful publication since the first one and I can tell you I am certain you will love Small Town Living!

www.stliving.net
www.smalltownliving.ning.com

Oh and Tina has her own etsy shoppe you will want to visit!

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(apron*ology) Giveaway!

As many of you know, if you are enjoying your AOCD (Apron Obsession Compulsion Delight) as much as I am, Stampington just released (apron*ology). One hundred and forty-four pages (plus covers) devoted to aprons – of every description!  Well lo! and behold! I ended up with two copies of this treasure! So, what can I do but offer one up – well with a OOAK NotQuiteJuneCleaver apron of course.  Duh.

What I LOVE about Stampington magazines is they are really not magazines.  They are workshops that come to you! In fact they even have a magazine called Somerset Workshop.  I won’t tell you how many of their magazines I have because, well, that’s a little personal isn’t it??? Nosey!

Anywho, here’s a pic of the lovely cover of (apron*ology) —

OHHHH and did I mention that our very own beloved EllenAnne Geisel! Author of The Apron Book and The Kitchen Linens Book…oh and of course the pocket book Apronisms is featured!! A lovely spread!  You can go here and take a peek if you cannot wait for the magazine.

Here the skinny: To be entered in this giveaway, leave me a comment.  Tell me about your very favorite apron.  Even it it isn’t yours.  Even if it is an apron you saw someone else wearing.  Share your apron story. And if you would mention this giveaway on your blog that would be extra sweet of you.  The button is below.

If your name is drawn from my very special mason jar, you will receive one copy of (apron*ology) magazine and a OOAK NotQuiteJuneCleaver Apron.

The deadline for entering this giveaway is the morning of  February 23rd.  I will draw the winner at noon CST  February 23 and as soon as I get that lucky person’s address info, I will send the package right out to you!

And I suppose you might be interested in the apron that will be given away too…well…here’s a little hint:

That’s all I have to say about it for now!  Good luck to everyone.  Tell your friends, and if you want to link to this post here is a cute little button for you to swipe and post!

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Grow my own wheat you say?

Sounds intriguing.  VERY.  See I might have hinted at the fact, in previous posts, that I need a new focus.  Seriously.  I know, I know, I have cookbooks in the future but you see that is not actual work.  Its brainwork.  But outside of standing on my feet to test recipes there is very little real energy spent.  I am not one to exercise, persay.  In fact I have a membership to a gym that I havent stepped foot in for oh…maybe…6 months.  And when I did it was sporatic and without any heart whatsoever. But this little email alert caught my attention.  I subscribe to a newsletter from Treehugger.  I admit many times I dont read any of it and why I started reading it this morning I dont really know.  It might have been the lead-in headline “Vandals in Paris”.  That caught my eye.  But the next article really caught my eye! Forget the 100 Mile Diet, Try the 100 Yard Diet: Grow your own bread! So I clicked through and really loved what I read. The author claims a 100 by 109 foot plantation, roughly the size of a suburban lawn, could produce 120 pounds of wheat per season, thus giving a family 2 loaves of bread a week for a year. Now that’s information I need.  We have roughly 3 acres of yard to mow.  So this article will be passed along to Husband who just might find it more appetizing that the chicken house I have been practically begging for.  Actually, I think we are real close to reaching a compromise about the chicken house.  He even showed me last week where we might put one.  I tried not to get too excited.  But inside I was jumping for joy!  Here chicky, chicky, chicks!

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Book and Apron Giveaway!

Have two copies of this LOVELY book French General Home Sewn ! So I am giving one away!  This is a beautiful book with 30 sewing projects.  This is from the amazon.com website:

As the founder of the renowned crafts and notions store French General Kaari Meng scours the French countryside and Parisian flea markets for vintage treasures. Now this beloved designer has gathered her favorite patterns into a charming sourcebook sure to be coveted by crafters Francophiles and home decorators. She offers 30 simple sewing patterns for French-inspired projects~a scalloped tablecloth piles of pillows and bedding a festive party garland totes~and more. Lay-flat spiral binding and ready-to-use pattern sheets and embroidery transfers plus step-by-step directions gorgeous photographs and helpful illustrations make it easy to bring the palettes and pleasures of traditional French living into any home.

How to win you ask?  Leave me a comment saying you’d like to enter and if you would be so kind as to mention this giveaway on your blog, I would very much appreciate it.  Nothing elaborate.  Just a little blurb sending folks back over here with this graphic used as a link back to me.

Am I making sense?  Sound like a lot of trouble??? It’s not really.  And since you are so nice to oblige me in this…I will be adding a toile apron to go with your new sewing book!  A one of a kind toile apron made by Moi!  How does that sound?  Pretty sweet huh? The deadline to leave a comment is Thursday at noon CST.  I will do the drawing Thusday evening.  And just so you know…I will be doing a Valentine’s Giveaway as well!

Good luck everyone! Now leave me a comment and I will put your name in the trusty mason jar!

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Meet My Friend Suz of Oregon Trail Soapers Supply!

I have been working to get this interview and introduction up for months now! But I think it was worth the wait! AND if you leave me a comment,  I will draw a name and at the end of the week and you will get a great surprise in your mailbox!!!

When I first began ordering soap supplies online for my former business Dahlem’s Soapworks, Suz was one of the first companies I ordered from and man does she set a high standard for all other suppliers!  Fast, friendly, accurate service!! Many have inquired about my former “life as a professional soapmaker”…some out of curiosity, some wanting to get into it themselves.  Let me just say, either way, if you are going to make soap, quality ingredients are a must…and Suz is the the go-to gal for that!!! You can click on the graphic to visit her shoppe! And be sure and drop her a line and tell her I sent you!

Could you introduce yourself to the readers of NotQuiteJuneCleaver?

My name is Susan Kennedy, aka; Suz, I’m married to a farmer and a great guy,
Rick, have two children, a boy, Rock and a girl Sandra, 5 grandchildren and
love them all to pieces. We live in *the boonies* and I wouldn’t trade it
for anything, I love it here. We have a small farm as well, chickens, etc.
The deer and their fawns visit all the time, and we have a lot of natures
creatures here, it’s fun to look out the window and see them.

What does your business do?

The business is located on our property which is why we purchased our home
as it has a built in shop.  The builder was going to repair heavy equipment
so since he decided to sell instead, we inherited a big roomy shop.  We
provide raw materials and packaging and some fun, decorative soap related
items as well to people who wish to soap or make any cosmetic product.  We
also provide help and advice when we can

I think  we would all like to know is how and when you started your
business.

I started as a soap maker back in November 1988 and materials were so hard
to come by that I began researching.  At that time, one had to purchase in
enormous quantities so we stayed in the soapmaking business for years until
my husbands accident in 1994.  Due to numerous surgeries, we could not
continue the business until 1998 so when we opened back up, the amazing
amount of raw materials available were a dream come true so the supply side
began and soaping took somewhat of a back seat except the hundreds of
testers, but I still love to soap, probably always will.  It’s very
satisfying.

What is the most difficult aspect of running this type of business?

Bookwork!!  That’s easy..*lol*, and another thing is when people have
developed incorrect habits or ideas about soapmaking, I feel a duty to do my
best to get them back on the right track and specifically the safety aspect
of it all.

What is your favorite part of your job?

When I hear success stories, I LOVE it.  I have been blessed to be part of
several including Bella Lucce, I adore her and I’m so proud of her.  And
many others who have made a name for themselves, knowing I was even a small
part is so wonderful.

Was there anyone that inspired you to follow your dreams?

My husband suggested soapmaking as he knew a person who did it already and
that began the quest for books, materials, etc., and we spent countless
hours studying and trying to perfect the art so yes, it was my other half
who is my inspiration.

Where would you like to see your business go?  Any thing you can share
with us about future plans for your business?

That one is difficult.  I love the size it is, I also know you have to stay
new and fresh to keep peoples interest so I will continue to try to find new
and interesting products.  For instance, we just found an amazingly bright,
true red that does not migrate.  So things like that, an awesome fragrance,
a new beautiful packaging item.  The small conquests add up to the bigger
ones.

In your opinion,  has the Internet affected opportunities for  crafters
who wish to start their own businesses?

Absolutely.  It has created both good and bad.  My feeling is that a person
should study, study and study more before offering a product to the public.
Some soapers do exactly that and my hat is off to them.  Others make a batch
or two, a friend does a website for them and they are in business.  It makes
me a bit concerned but hopefully they were fast learners.

If you had a chance to do it all over again (in business) is there
anything you would do differently?

Yes, I would have been better at bookkeeping in the beginning and revamped
my Business plan a lot sooner than I did.  A business plan is not forever, not
etched in stone, It’s fluid and needs to be gone over from time to time as goals are met or
not met and one needs To take stock of what needs to be changed.  I didn’t do that often enough.

Do you have any other great passions or hobbies.

Quilting is my love, as well as pretty much any type sewing.  I love machine
embroidery and believe you can’t have too many pillows, quilts and cushy
items around your home.  I want my home to reflect that comfortable
welcoming feeling. I have knit for years and still have probably 40-50
sweaters that I have kept for years.  My other love is Oil Painting, it’s definitely a
toss up between those two.  Any camping, fishing, outdoor activity renews my
spirit.  I guess it’s the farm girl in me.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced while seeing your company  to
where it is today?  How did you overcome or handle this challenge?

It’s likely what I have already said and that is not redoing my business
plan often enough.

Do you have any words of wisdom for women looking to opening their own
business?

I tended to take too many thing personally and in business, you have to have
a thick skin.  Do the very best you can and realize you can only please
people some of the time.  So provide the best possible customer service you
can and quality in your products and you should do well.  Not everyone likes
everything and it’s not personal, it’s just fact. The other thing would be
study, and study a lot, never quit.  See what other successful businesses
are doing and try to analyze their success.  It’s interesting to me to see
the myriad of personalities in these different businesses.

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Thoughtful Thursday

A new idea for my blog.  Every Thursday I will post something thoughtful, thought-provoking or timely.  Doesnt mean that is all I will post…but it will be my starting point. And I got the delightful idea from a book I just received as a gift: Minutes from the Great Women’s Coffee Club timeliess wisdom from remarkable women by Angela Beasley.  I highly recommend and THANK YOU Nicole!!! For this and the tea and precious little angel.  You are a dear!

Anywho I thought I might share a quote, though or impression on Thursdays. Here is the first go at it.

I had found that motherhood was a profession by itself, just like a school teacher or lecturer.

~ Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an African American civil rights advocate and an early women’s rights advocate active in the Woman Suffrage Movement. She was the co-founder of the NAACP, a journalist, lecturer, educator and writer.

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