Cookies And Biscuits. 5.7.2022

 I bought a "vintage" Sunbeam Mixmaster cookbook.  Actually two of them.  This one was from the late 1950s, and is between my mom's oldest and newest mixers in age.

That cookbook doesn't have as many recipes, but I feel certain many of them were what my mom used.  There was a biscuit recipe, so I made some.  Before making them, I couldn't really remember her making them.  But then, as I made them, seeing them coming together in the mixer, feeling the texture of the biscuit dough, smelling the aroma of dough and the baked biscuits, it all came rushing back to me.  This was a very nice thing to feel again.

I also made a batch of ginger snaps.  Before I took this photo, about 2/3 of the biscuits were eaten.

I made a mistake and used the wrong flour (bread flour)  for these - accidental.  So the might not have been as light as they could have been.  Plus, I added 1/2 teaspoon of butter extract to the dough.  I think she would have used plain shortening.  The brand she used was "Fluffo" (How do I remember that, LOL).

 Another difference is that old shortenings contained trans hydrogenated vegetable oils, which probably contributed to her incredibly high cholesterol levels, her early heart disease and then dementia, so had a role in why I lost her so soon.  So it's good we don't have the trans hydrogenated shortening any more, but that might change the texture and flavor a bit.  

Those biscuits were very good anyway, and a lot better than corporate factory biscuits in cans.

This is the other Sunbeam Mixmaster cookbook.  That mixer is exactly the last one my mom had.   It has a lot more recipes, but a quite a lot them are meat based.  I don't eat meat, but the others look good.

I remember that exact cookie press too.   I think there will be what are now called "Spritz" cookies one of these days too LOL.  Funny, the ones on the cover don't look as appetizing as they ate in person.  Maybe it's the old photography and inks, and fading.

Edit - Yes it was Fluffo.  Internet sourced vintage ad -

I want to say I even remember the can, but I think it was way before my time.   Maybe they didn't change the label much over the years?

Time to Plant Squash Seeds. 5.5.2022

 It's been uniformly warm for a week or two, and the soil temperature is running in the 50s and 60s.  I want to give the squash seeds a couple of extra weeks, so I'm planting them indoors for now, to set outside late in the month or in early June.

This year, I think I won't plant Pink Banana squash, despite the sentimental value, or Illinois Squash.  Both grow so large, it's difficult to use one in one butchering, which means extra work and too much freezer space.  I think smaller size squashes are more convenient, depending on size, and might keep as well or better.  I still have some Red Kuri and Costata Romanesca that look good, which seems kind of remarkable.  I read somewhere that Burgess Buttercup can keep nearly a year, if in a cool space.

So, I decided to add two varieties known for excellent flavor and long keeping properties, that are moderate size. They are open pollinated, so I can save seeds.  Those are "Uncle Dave's Dakota Dessert Squash", a family-developed Buttercup-like squash from N. Dakota, and Burgess Buttercup, an heirloom variety also from N. Dakota.  Burgess Buttercup was developed for the short season of N. Dakota, as a substitute crop for Sweet Potatoes.  A neighbor also gave me seeds for a small size Butternut x Buttercup variety, called Honeynut, which I will also try.

For another neighbor, I'm starting seeds of a hybrid zucchini and a yellow summer squash (Saffron).  For my summer squash, I'll also grow the yellow Saffron, as well as my saved seeds for Costata Romanesca, which is really good but is a huge plant, and Fordhook, an heirloom zucchini.  I'll also grow more Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin, which is my personal favorite and does not grow as large as Pink Banana or Illinois.  I may add a couple of others as I think about it or if these don't grow.

The Honeynut sound interesting,  The package states they are a cross between Buttercup and Butternut.  That would be a cross between species, C. moschata and C. maxima.  They were developed in Upstate NY, so maybe the high latitude here won't be a problem.  Moschata type are more of a challenge for me here in SW WA, but maybe having some  C. maxima genes will help with that.  Also, the developers were more interested in flavor than size or yield.  The seeds looked a little odd, with a tough coat, different from my other squashes.  It will be interesting to see how they do.

All of the new varieties that I am trying are open pollinated.  If I like them, I can save my own seeds for next year.

Halfway Through Final Quilting, Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt. 5.5.2022

 I took a break from gardening to work on this batik quilt.  I've been having some back issues and the sewing is a bit easier on my back.

I opted for parallel lines for this one.  I think when it's done and washed, the shrinking batting and fabric will make a nice crinkly texture that I like. 

This is a bit bigger than I can comfortably do on my sewing machine.  If I push myself, I can do one row of blocks in a sitting, so possibly three more sessions will do it.  Then trim and sew the binding, which is already cut and prepared.

I've started this quilt about 14 months ago.  It will be nice to finish, and see how it looks.

Practice Star Quilt Block. 5.5.2022

 I used scraps to practice sew a star shaped quilt block.  The patter is from "Today's Quilter" magazine and the quilt designer is Lynn Goldsworthy in UK.  Each block will be a different star shaped pattern, with some different fabrics harvested from thrift store or estate sale men's shirts.  The designer's pattern uses new quilting cottons, in mixed colors.  Mine will be more blues and greys, like the nine-patch quilt I made.

This practice block helps me see how the pieces will fit together.  I need to fine tune matching up the pieces.  Part of that is, I didn't starch to stiffen and didn't have an iron with me.  Starch and ironing help a lot with precision.  Still, before making a practice block, I could not picture how the points would work out, and now I can.

Now I need to starch and iron the fabric that will be in the actual quilt, and start cutting them out.   It's a challenge converting from the magazine instructions, which start with virgin fabric, to what I'm doing with fabric sourced from shirts, but I'm starting to figure it out.

Planting Slicing and Cherry Tomatoes. 5.5.22

 I cleared out the winter crop of snap peas, mixed in some steer manure compost, and planted the tomatoes for fresh eating.

The peas were an experiment.  They were no where near blooming yet.  I don't have room to let them continue, plus grow the tomatoes, so I fed the pea vines to the chickens, who ate them voraciously.

Arranging the tomato plants.

Then I planted them, each with about 1/4 cup "Grow More" organic plant food for tomatoes and vegetables, and arranged brown paper mulch.  The paper is held down by the raised bed capstones, and by rebar I found in the shed.

This needed two days.  I had rudbeckia seedlings temporarily planted in the bed, so I transplanted them to their final destinations to make room.  I want this bed devoted entirely to tomatoes this year.

There are two remaining dwarf tomato plants.  I need to figure out a place for them.  

I realized I can write the variety names on the paper mulch.  For the moment, I just stuck the labels on the nearest capstones.