Decorating for Valentine's Day

Hi Everyone,

It won't be long until Valentine's day and I have been putting out a few decorations in my dining room.  It is my favorite room, especially when the morning sun is coming in. I left the little feather tree up after Christmas and added hearts in red, silver and pink.  Other handmade Valentines are here and there, such as the one below.

I usually have some ladies in for tea sometime before Valentine's Day.  I have to decide on a menu soon.

Sometimes we all make Valentine cards in my studio while they are here. It is creative and fun!

The little Annalee cupid stands guard over the heart tree.  I love Valentine's Day....maybe because it seems to usher in Spring time! Does anyone have suggestions for a special Valentine tea menu?

Cheese Fondue...an old recipe

Hi Everyone,

I am still on the New Year's Quest of Comfort Foods from Days of Old!

Yesterday I made my mother's old Cheese Fondue recipe.  It came from

an old Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book....mine having been published in the early 60's and mother probably got hers out of one published many years before that.  We now think of "fondue" as more a hot liquid cheese using for dipping veggies in or a chocolate fondue to dip berries, etc. into. THIS cheese fondue is a baked main dish. It is delicious and once you have it, unforgettable. It is close to a souffle, but with a bit more "body".  You might want to try this if you are looking for a nice main dish without meat.

                 
                                                                         Cheese Fondue
                              from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book revised edition third printing

1 cup milk, scalded
1 and 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 pound sharp process American cheese, shredded (2 cups)  Note: I used sharp cheddar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
   . . . . . . . . .
3 stiff-beaten egg whites

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine milk, crumbs, cheese, seasonings, and egg yolks.  Fold in egg whites. Pour into ungreased 10x6x

1and1/2 inch baking dish.  Bake in slow oven about 35-40 minutes until firm.  Makes 6 servings (more like 4, if you are hungry).

Lovely Hand Made Gift

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever received a hand made gift that is beautiful and you know took many hours to make?  Well, my neighbor, Margaret, did this lovely table runner with heart shaped twigs and leaves and roses embroidered on it and 4 big napkins with roses in the corner of each one.  I really appreciated all the time that went into this creation and will enjoy using it for years to come.

I took down all the Christmas decorations and put the runner on the dining room buffet and used it with some Valentine decorations because I am now moving on to Valentine's day decor!  I really love Valentine's day! Maybe it is because I have such great memories of it as a child.  At school, we all made a decorated shoe box to hold our valentines from friends. I always won first prize for best decorated (not to brag)! I loved wrapping the box in red paper and making pretty hearts, coloring them and cutting them out to decorate the box. For weeks before Valentine's Day we made hearts all decorated up for our friends and tucked them into the decorated boxes. On that great day, we were allowed to open them and see how many valentines we got and who they were from.  Maybe there would be a special one from a little boy that "I Claimed".  Isn't that funny?  We always, in those long ago days, "claimed" someone as a boy friend. I have to laugh at the use of that word, now.  It sounds so ancient and these days, very out of date!!

Then. we had a big Valentine's Day party in our classroom, with delicious refreshments made by all the mothers.  The teacher gave every child a special Valentine, too, and a hug as we went out the door of the classroom toward home when the great day was over.  At home I played with my valentines and the box for several days, enjoying my popularity with the other children!  It was a contest to see who had received the most valentines.

Do you have memories similar to that? Do tell!

The New Year...what's happening at Ten Gables?

Hi everyone, No this isn't a picture of the moon! It's a pone of Southern cornbread, ready for dinner, or "Supper" as we Southerners say.  It looks like it has a few craters on it, but all I can say, the smell is delicious and break out the butter! You know, I just love homemade bread, whether it is good ole buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, soda bread or Irish wheaten bread. I love banana bread and cinnamon rolls.  I guess deleting bread from my diet for the New Year isn't going to happen!

Well, the new year is on us now and we are in the 2nd day. The only real resolution I have made is to make a meat loaf. Yes, that's right. I have eaten healthy or tried to for many years, now, and I am ready for one last time to make a sinfully delicious meat loaf from good old hamburger. In fact, I am going to get out my old recipes and make some of those old country fat and unhealthy dishes we used to think nothing about eating. I don't think I will make any other resolution!!

It is time to plant the three poinsettia plants I bought to decorate for Christmas. Every year I plant them and only one has lived. So I must change the location where I have tried them.  I think it is far too wet.  For every plant there is a place it likes or doesn't like. Finding that place sometimes is not easy!!

Today I pulled the pineapple, or cut it, I should say.  It had tripled in the size shown and turned yellow, so I really needed to get it cut before the raccoons spotted it.  I sliced it and it is chilling in the fridge. It is so sweet and delicious.  I will plant the head to get another plant. Then I will wait 2 years for another pineapple on that plant.  It is a good thing that I have lots of plants growing and no doubt will have more pineapples next season.

It is threatening to rain and we do need it. The grass is green, but in places is showing some brown and need some rain water. In January, Florida is probably the prettiest, most pleasant place to be in the United States...no snow, no cold and even if it rains, the sun shines in just minutes or even while it is raining. That is why so many people from all over winter here.  Welcome all you snowbirds!!Happy New Year to everyone!