Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2018 i Country Woman

Warm Blankets, Warm Hearts BY JUDITH A. ROBERTS HALLSVILLE, MISSOURI In the summer of 2016, my granddaughter called me and asked if I would make a “busy blanket” for one of her Alzheimer’s clients at the skilled nursing care facility where she worked. I knew the ability to make and do many things disappears with Alzheimer’s, as I had watched my mom struggle with the disease. But busy (or “fidget”) blankets give patients something to do with their hands. I was happy to help. Soon after delivering that first blanket, I began getting requests from other families. To fill the need, I recruited my friends for a day of sewing. The laughter, creativity and expertise of the many hands turned what might have been a chore into something special. The…

Featuring salt and pepper together at the table is a relatively recent phenomenon. Historically, seasonings were added during cooking—and long a luxury only the affluent could afford. French King Louis XIV is thought to have brought salt and pepper together, preferring his food only lightly seasoned with the two ingredients. The invention of the shaker is credited to John Mason, of canning jar fame, in the late 1850s. Shakers did not prove very practical until 1911, when Chicago’s Morton Salt Co. added magnesium carbonate to keep salt from clumping. Its famous slogan became “When it rains, it pours.” In the 1920s, large-scale manufacturing of figural shakers began, including by the German firm Goebel, an early producer best known for the Hummel figurines. During the Depression, glass and ceramic companies searched…

PREP: 25 MIN. BAKE: 55 MIN. MAKES: 8 SERVINGS Pastry for double-crust pie ( 9 in. ) 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples, divided 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup maple syrup 1. Line a 9-in. pie pan with bottom crust. Place half of the apples in the crust; set aside. 2. In a bowl, combine the sugars, gingersnaps, cinnamon, nuts and butter; sprinkle half over apples in crust. Top with remaining apples and sugar mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut a few slits in the top and place over apples; seal. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375° for 35…

Stuffing Crust Turkey Potpie Here’s a comforting dish that slices well because the filling is thicker than that of traditional potpies. Prebaking the crust makes it crunchy. —TAMARA FURDA NAPERVILLE, IL PREP: 35 MIN.• BAKE: 25 MIN. MAKES: 6 SERVINGS 2 cups cooked cornbread stuffing 3 to 4 Tbsp. chicken broth 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup turkey gravy 2 cups cubed cooked turkey 1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 cups mashed potatoes 1/4 cup half-and-half cream 2 Tbsp. butter, melted French-fried onions, optional 1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the stuffing and enough broth to reach desired moistness; press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. deep-dish pie…

1 Taters and Tots Our granddaughters Krislin, Erica and Jenna show off the enormous sweet potatoes we grew in our garden last fall. CORINNE AND LON BOWMAN BRADFORD, OHIO 2 Best Buds My sweet 2-year-old great-granddaughter, Riley Jane, was visiting our farm around Thanksgiving when she picked up one of our cats. I love this impromptu shot of them together. BARB SIEFKER MORAN, KANSAS 3 Who Are You?! My son Carson was intently trying to figure out who this guy was at the local pumpkin patch. MAEGAN STAUFFER FINDLAY, OHIO Your Family Could Be Scrapbook Stars Visit countrywomanmagazine.com/submit to share a family photo. If we publish it, you’ll get a free year of Country Woman.…

To create the quirky little pumpkin owls on our front cover, gather up vintage architectural hardware like drawer handles, bolts, screws, springs and door knobs. Wood slices, bits of lace and other embellishments work well too. Lay the pieces out on a work surface and arrange to look like an owl face, thinking about the eyes, wings, chest feathers and feet. When you’re satisfied with the arrangement, use a hot glue gun to adhere the design to a pumpkin, or affix using nails or pins pushed into the gourd, depending on the weight of the piece.…

When my husband, David, and I married, we blended five children into one family. We have since welcomed into the fold 11 grandchildren, ages 1 to 27, plus one great-grandchild. I’d heard of events involving signatures on tablecloths, and it sounded like a good idea. So 17 years ago I put an off-white tablecloth on the Thanksgiving table. Our kids thought I was crazy when I first asked them to sign it. Since then, all Thanksgiving guests have signed the tablecloth with a special fabric marker that disappears in the wash. I put the cloth away until January, and then during the winter months I embroider it, using a different color each year. Early on, if the kids broke up with their sweethearts, they’d ask if I would remove the…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED 3 recycled soup cans 3 herb plants Potting soil Burlap ribbon, extra-wide Burlap lace ribbons, various widths 3 flat wood ovals Jute twine 3 oval stickers, black Card stock scraps 3 wood skewers Metal pie plate Small decorative rocks Drill Hot glue gun Craft glue Fine-point paint pen, white DIRECTIONS 1. Remove labels from empty cans. Wash the cans with soap and water, removing any label residue. 2. Drill a small hole through the bottom of each can to provide drainage. Repot each plant in a can, adding potting soil as needed. 3. Wrap a piece of extra-wide ribbon around each can; overlap ends. Fold overlapping edge under to create a hem; hot-glue ends together. 4. Wrap a piece of lace ribbon around the wide ribbon on…

Molly Cassidy comes from a long line of what she refers to as “collectors, junkers and thrifters,” inheriting the collecting gene from her parents and grandparents. Among other things, the North Carolina public health nurse gathers sea glass and vintage barware, but an assortment of salt and pepper shakers is Molly’s largest collection by far. It began when she left for college in Arizona, with a gift from her dad—a vintage set adorned with some of the major landmarks of her new home state. The following summer, she found two more sets at a yard sale. One was from Texas, the other from Nevada. “At that point,” Molly says, “I had three sets. So I thought, it’s official. This is a collection.” There’s one major rule—each pair must be inscribed…

Southern Cornbread Dressing This recipe, one of my favorite holiday side dishes, makes a lot. It’s perfect for company although it started as a way to stretch the food we had. —MARGARET KENDALL McCONNELSVILLE, OH PREP: 20 MIN. BAKE: 40 MIN. MAKES: 10 SERVINGS 8 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread 4 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped 1 medium green pepper, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 celery ribs, finely chopped 1/2 cup turkey giblets, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups chicken broth 1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine first 10 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk eggs and broth. Add to bread mixture; stir until moistened. 2. Transfer to…

The two sisters were a bit unusual. Aleda kept her gray hair tied up in a neatly braided bun, but I’d heard it reached well below her waist. When she and sister Mabel hired my sons to weed, they paid in green beans. They showed the boys how to put plastic bags over the dandelion tops before digging so the seeds wouldn’t scatter. They were friendly and welcoming to my young family, new to our home on the saltwater bay. It was clear they enjoyed having us close by. And as I soon discovered, they knew some of our house’s history. “You know,” Aleda told me one day over coffee, “We owned your house some years back.” I likely rattled my cup as I set it down on the saucer.…

Reupholstering is a great way to bring tired-looking dining chairs back to life. And the process is simple. 1. Using a screwdriver or pliers , remove the staples in the seat’s old upholstery. Remove the cushion beneath the fabric as well. 2. Trace the outline of the seat onto a piece of 1-in.-thick high-density foam and cut out the shape using a bread knife . With scissors cut a 30x30-in. piece of quilt batting so it overhangs all sides of the seat by about 4 in. 3. Layer the foam on top of the seat board, then the quilt batting. Fold the batting over the board and, using a staple gun , drive a staple into each of the four sides to hold the padding in place. 4. Arrange a…

Q: How do you hand-make Halloween? I have fond memories of my mom sewing my costumes. She transformed me into a strawberry, created a whimsical Hershey’s Kiss costume and made a pink princess dress when I went through a fancy phase. When my daughter was born, my mother handed down these costumes. My daughter fit into my first costume, a pumpkin, so it only seemed appropriate for her very first Halloween. I’m not as skilled with a sewing machine as my mom is, so I create costumes with reused clothing and easy sewing. Sometimes my kids’ ideas are simple. Other times they’re more complex, like when my daughter wanted to be Katerina Kittycat from her favorite show. I found a green dress and combed through my local craft store to…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED 10-20 autumn leaves per roseFloral wire or small, sturdy twigFloral tape, brown or greenNon-yellowing clear acrylic gloss spray DIRECTIONS 1. Start with smaller leaves, increasing size as you go. Fold the first leaf in half so the tip and stem are aligned, with the colorful side facing out. Roll the folded leaf, keeping the folded edge on top. 2. With the first rolled leaf in one hand, fold the next leaf in half and roll it around the first. 3. Continue adding leaves in this way, turning as you go to maintain a consistent size. If the center of the rose begins to poke up a bit, gently push it back down. 4. Stop adding leaves when you’re happy with the size. As you near completion, place…

AT LAST! So read a headline in The Athens Messenger in Ohio late last year. Why the fuss? Well, for four years, neighboring Vinton County had been without a grocery store, and soon the wait would be over—thanks in no small measure to the lobbying efforts of Rhoda Toon Price. Rhoda, who studied social work at Southern State Community College, is the longtime executive director of Vinton County Senior Citizens, Inc., an organization that assists seniors and veterans with transportation and meal delivery, among other services. “Vinton County has 412 square miles and one traffic light,” Rhoda says, noting that it’s also among the poorest counties in the state. According to the 2016 U.S. census, more than 20 percent of Vinton County’s 13,000 residents live in poverty. So when the…

Classic Chili Mom’s chili was the best! I could eat it with my eyes closed and know it was her recipe. —MARJORIE CAREY ALAMOSA, CO PREP: 10 MIN. COOK: 1 HOUR 50 MIN. MAKES: 12 SERVINGS ( 3 QT. ) 1 medium green pepper, chopped 2 medium onions, chopped 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 lbs. ground beef 2 cans ( 28 oz. each ) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can ( 8 oz. ) tomato sauce 1 cup water 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 cans ( 16 oz. each ) kidney beans, rinsed and drained Tortilla chips, optional In a Dutch oven or large soup kettle, saute…

One morning, driving down a curvy country road at close to the speed limit, I swerved to avoid a small turtle crossing my path. I was late for a dentist appointment in town, so I kept driving. But I was overcome with worry that another car might hit it, so I circled back, put on my hazard lights and ran into the road to rescue it. When I picked the turtle up, I was surprised to see it sported a lovely red and yellow pattern that I later learned is typical of the eastern painted turtle. Hazards still flashing, I unearthed an old gas receipt from the glove compartment and scribbled “colorful turtles” so I’d remember how thrilled I was by the rescue. As the turtle waddled safely into the…

Years ago, when it was still common for women to wear pantyhose under their slacks, I pulled a pair on, then pulled on some pants and went to dinner with friends. Later that night, as I got ready for bed, I slipped off the hose and my slacks together, and I laid them on a chair. I had a doctor’s appointment early the next morning and I overslept, so I hurriedly took a shower and put on a fresh pair of pantyhose. I decided to wear the same slacks I had worn the night before, but I forgot I had slipped off the hose and the slacks together. Dr. H had been my physician for years, and when he walked into the exam room, he greeted me with, “Good morning,…