Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2021 i Country Woman

I am no stranger to Country Woman magazine, but let me introduce myself: My name is Jessie, and I’ve been blessed to be the art director of this sweet publication for the past six years. It has been a dream to work on a brand so close to my roots as a farmer’s daughter. And while I often get homesick for the country air, open fields and barn cats, the agricultural community I grew up in is always close to my heart. Your stories remind me of my upbringing, and they’ve brought me to laughter and tears. I’m glad to have this chance to personally thank you! My favorite part of helping to put this magazine together is developing new crafts, many of which inspire my own cozy farmhouse decor…

WHILE ADMITTEDLY NOT A FAN OF THANKSGIVING FOOD, pattern designer Jessica Anderson loves fall weather and pretty leaves. She especially enjoys taking time with family and friends to think about everything there is to be thankful for. She created this festive pattern as a way to express the spirit of the holiday, as well as to add to her growing collection of Thanksgiving decor. “I am a stay-at-home mom to four kids and love to be creative,” Jessica says. “Hand embroidery is so relaxing, and I enjoy teaching others how to embroider on my YouTube channel and blog. The acorns and leaves were a lot of fun to stitch, and I love making words using a simple backstitch.” The thrill of this pattern is those very details: The acorns are…

The old kitchen table rattles as Molly kneads and folds, turns and presses, flips and flops the soft mound of dough in a dusting of flour. She pats it into a perfect circle and smiles. Brushing the flour from her hands, Molly moves on to prep the bread pans. She knows how to grease and flour them just so, tapping the pans from end to end to form a coating, letting the excess flour fall. They stuck their little fingers in the bowl when they thought I didn’t see. It doesn’t seem so long ago that this same girl was 3 years old, tugging on my shirt and asking, “Mommy, I help?” I knew it would take me twice as long, but I tied aprons on my kids when they…

The Best Sweet Potato Pie I love this recipe’s rich flavor and irresistibly buttery crust. Sour cream makes the filling super smooth, and the brown sugar and spices make it extra cozy. There’s no doubt this is my favorite sweet potato pie! SHANNON NORRIS CUDAHY, WI PREP: 11/2 HOURS + CHILLING BAKE: 35 MIN. + COOLING MAKES: 8 SERVINGS CRUST: 1 large egg yolk 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water, divided 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup cold shortening, cubed 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed FILLING: 2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sour cream 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 Tbsp. bourbon 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp.…

Tell us about yourself. I am a wife and a mom of two: my son, Tim, and daughter, Katie. I love to craft, garden, and hang out with my family and friends. What are your hobbies? I have many! Sewing, processing fiber to make yarn, spinning fibers, crocheting, knitting and cooking, to name a few! Plus, I enjoy doing many other DIY crafts. Who inspires you the most? My husband, Glenn. I’m constantly inspired by how hard he works to provide for us. What makes you a country woman? Glenn and I live on 125 acres. Our nephew Tom lives with us, helps us farm our crops, and chips in with our flock of registered polled Dorset sheep and Angus beef cattle. Also, I love processing the fresh veggies from…

Cut a piece of sturdy fabric, oil cloth or canvas into a 36 x 18-inch rectangle. Sew a rolled hem around the entire rectangle of the reversed side of the fabric so it won’t fray. Fold the fabric in half, bringing the right sides together. Sew along the right side and bottom with a half-inch seam allowance. Then sew 2 pieces of matching colored belt webbing cut to the length you would like your handles to be. Pin the handles in place and sew each end onto the tote in a square to “X” pattern. Turn the bag right side out and you’re tote-ally ready.…

1 Miner’s Lunch Kit This circa-1900 miner’s or railroad lunch kit has several components and a wire bail with wooden handle. The ring on top is missing but presumably held a cup. Under the lid are two compartments, one for food and one for a water flask. According to mphistory.com, workers often took enough food and water for multiple meals, as workdays were long. Worth: $50-$90 2 Vacuum Flask Much like the names Kleenex and Victrola, Thermos is a brand name. Vacuum flask is the generic term for this type of insulated container invented in 1892. Originally it was a tool for chemical experiments, but a household version was created in 1903. A contest was held to name it—a derivation of the Greek word for heat, therme, being the lucky…

1 FLUTED EDGE Trim pie crust ½ in. beyond rim of pie plate (or 1 in. if working with a double-crust pie). Tuck overhang under to form edge. Flute by positioning an index finger inside the edge, pointing outward. Then, place the thumb and index finger of other hand on outside of the edge, pinching your finger to form a “V” with the crust. Continue around the edge of the pie. 2 ROPED EDGE Trim the pie crust ½ in. beyond the rim of the pie plate (or 1 in. if you’re working with a double-crust pie). To create the rope, make a fist with 1 hand and press your thumb at an angle into the crust. Pinch some of the crust between your thumb and index finger. Repeat at…

1 Patch Perfect Thurman Joe Hiskett, aka Little T, was born two months early in March. We are so blessed to celebrate every fall season with our little bull. JENNY HISKETT FALLON, NEVADA 2 Close Encounters This is a favorite picture of mine. It’s my mom with our friendly alpaca named Kimbo. She enjoys visiting with him. WENDY S. BEATTY CLEAR BROOK, VIRGINIA 3 Harvest Helpers My daughters Elle and Emma love to help Papa and Amma (my dad and mom) on the farm. The girls think it’s a disaster if Papa spills a few beans or a little corn! They had fun playing farmers on a warm October day in central Illinois. JILL BURKOWSKI ROSSVILLE, ILLINOIS Visit countrywomanmagazine.com/submit to share a family snapshot. If we publish it,…

Begin by pre-drilling holes in a wooden board for hooks (we used curtain rod hooks). Screw the hooks into place. Cut a dowel down to the desired length, fitting it within the width of the board. Stain the dowel and 2 paint stir sticks to a color of your choice and let them dry. Brad-nail 1 stir stick each horizontally into place on the upper and lower portions of the wooden board. Slide a butcher paper roll onto the dowel and set the dowel into place on the hooks. Unroll the paper and feed it through the stir sticks, against the wooden board. You’re ready to write, farmhouse style.…

Look What You Made! It’s your turn to brag. Show us your most recent DIY projects. We love before and after shots, so send us your most epic transformations. Mighty Mantels Do you have a gorgeous holiday fireplace mantel to show off? If so, send pictures and descriptions of the materials you used in the design. Vintage Bakeware Those old fluted tube pans and baking molds in the antique shops are tough to resist. If you’ve been pulled in by their charm, we want to know about your collection. Do you use these pans, or just keep them for display? What got you started? Snap a photo and tell us about it! Turn to page 56 for tips on submitting your stories.…

1 Select a sunny spot—one with four to six hours of sunlight per day. A south-facing window is best. 2 Choose a proper planting vessel: a shallow plastic tray, a disposable pie plate or a to-go container. Provide adequate drainage by poking small holes in the bottom. 3 Fill with 2 inches of clean potting soil, and smooth until level. Scatter seeds and lightly press into soil. Use a packaged mix so the greens will be ready to harvest at the same time or grow a single crop. Spread a fine ¹/8-inch layer of soil on top. 4 Keep soil consistently moist by watering daily with mist from a spray bottle. 5 Snip greens with scissors when 1 to 2 inches tall. Stagger planting to harvest weekly.…

Lately I’ve been enjoying taking long walks on my farm and on the local trails. I started snapping photos and researching the various plants I stumbled across. While I thought I was doing this to keep my flock safe from dangerous weeds, I made some unexpected discoveries. I found many plants that I could use to transform the yarn I’d been spinning from my sheep’s fleeces into an array of beautiful colors. I have dabbled in natural dyes for several years. It’s fun and only somewhat predictable, which is kind of nice since life holds so few true surprises. Also, the materials are relatively easy to obtain. This fall I made a list of what I found on my property: goldenrod, pokeberry, lichen, mushrooms, black walnuts, marigolds and smartweed. Add…

A few simple supplies are all it takes to organize a quick DIY project to keep the kiddos entertained before dinner. Gather up two pine cones for each child. Paint edges of the pine cones. Gold paint will give some sparkle, but anything goes here! Help kids trace their hand onto a piece of construction paper and cut it out with safety scissors. Write “I am thankful for” on each hand with a marker, or let the kids do it. Cut enough paper feather shapes so each child has three. Write one thing they’re thankful for on each feather. Insert the paper hands into the back of a pine cone, and arrange the feathers in the back of the second. Add googly eyes and a paper beak to each of…

When I was a child, the porch swing at my grandparents’ home faced the creek. The trees in the summer hung heavy with oak leaves. Cicadas and birds of the evening sung their familiar songs. The sunset was always lovely there, in the swing. My grandmother used to sit in her rocker beside me and tell me tales of folklore that I never tired of hearing over and over. As night progressed, frogs called to one another, and the whippoorwill brought in the dusk. The creak of the swing would lull me to sleep. My grandparents moved to another home closer to my parents, but my grandmother never gave up a porch swing. As I grew, I would sit with her, the latest garden harvest in our laps to snap…