Christmas in July at Daily Grace Co!

 

Photo from Daily Grace Co.

 I love a good sale and I love the Daily Grace Co.  It's one of my favorite resources for Bible study books in particular, but they have other great products as well.   The journal above is one example!  And this week is their Christmas in July sale!  Prices on selected items are 30% to 80% off, so this is a great time to shop.  There are items for men and kids as well as for your women friends.

This Armor of God study, for example, is only $5!  

I'm thinking it might be a great gift for my teenage grandchildren, as it's available in both men's and women's versions.

And they have some wonderful Scripture/photography cards that could really make great gifts for various folks in our lives.  I've received a couple sets of these as gifts myself, and they are really encouraging.  The set pictured below is only $4.

Below is an example of their kids' resources.  This one is $8.

These sweet sticky notes would make a great stocking stuffer.  It's $3 for the set of four.

 There's even jewelry.  This refuge feather necklace is going on my wish list for myself, as I absolutely love that God is my refuge and I can trust "under His wings".

I could go on and on for quite awhile here, but I'll let you run over to Daily Grace Co. and check out the sale for yourself.   I should add that the only downside to Daily Grace is that their shipping tends to be quite high.  But if you could order with a friend or family member, as I often do, it would reduce the shipping cost for each of you.  And the items do ship quickly.

Happy shopping!

Mystery Fruitcake -- a vintage recipe find

 

 I thought I would share one vintage recipe with you, but as it turns out I have two!  This Betty Crocker's Mystery Fruitcake, found on the inside back covers of two old magazines,  sounds so intriguing.  Almost too intriguing not to try it.

Apparently the Dark Mystery Fruitcake came first, so I will start with that one.  It uses a spice cake (pre-baked from a mix) along with candied fruit, raisins, dates, and pecan halves -- and a package of fluffy white frosting mix.  I was curious about that last ingredient.  I remember using fluffy white frosting mix in the past -- was it possible this product is still being made?  As it turns out, yes, it is.  Look here: Betty Crocker Fluffy White Frosting Mix.  

One crumbles the baked, cooled cake into a very large bowl and mixes it with the fruit and nuts.  Then, one prepares the frosting mix and mixes it thoroughly with the cake crumbs and nuts.  This mixture is packed tightly into two loaf pans or one tube pan (foil lined in either case), covered with foil, then chilled in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  It should be kept refrigerated and sliced with a sharp knife when ready to serve.

(This recipe notes that one could also make the cake using a chocolate cake mix rather than spice.  And that might be good to try.  I've made a chocolate fruitcake in the past that was quite good.)

The hype for this recipe seems possibly too good to be true, but who knows?  Here's what Betty Crocker wrote, likely in the late 1950s:

"With our new never-fail method, every bit of fruit stays holiday-bright and beautiful.  Every bite of cake tastes rich, moist ... grandmother-good!  

"No chance for your fruitcake to burn or scorch.  No risk of a costly failure.  And it's ready to cut just 24 hours later -- no long "mellowing" time!

"You can make a spectacular 6 1/2-lb. fruitcake in an angel food tube pan.  Or make it in loaf pans -- two from each package of cake mix -- for gracious holiday entertaining and the nicest kind of holiday giving!"

I don't care for candied fruit much, so I would modify that requirement a bit, probably candying my own pineapple and cherries and possibly orange peel to come up with the four cups of candied fruit.  And although I'm not using mixes much these days, I'm thinking I just might give this recipe, or the one that follows, a try.  

What do you think?  Would you try this recipe?

Vintage Holiday Feltcraft

 

Yes, hard as it may be for those of us in a certain age bracket to believe, 1985 is now vintage!  I found this booklet in clearing out the family homestead.  I don't believe it was ever used.  Yet it's a fun find and worth sharing here in my Christmas kitchen.  

Above are two of the ornaments -- Country Square ornaments 1 and 2.

And here are two of the cuter ornaments -- a sheep and a gingerbread man.

And here's a holly-trimmed doorknob hanger -- complete with jingle bells -- and a Christmas tree coaster.  The coasters would be fun to make, I think.

Above is pictured one end of a table runner.  Sort of a neat pattern.

Above, is a Joy, Peace, Love Christmas banner.  If I were to make this, I would choose nicer colors.  

In reality, I am not likely to craft from this book at all, since all of the patterns need to be enlarged to make them usable.  At this point in time I believe that life is too short to enlarge patterns.

There you have it -- vintage holiday fun with felt from Current Inc. circa 1985!  I'll be listing this in my Etsy shop soon.

A nostalgic Christmas poem: "The Buying of Gifts"

 

 I've found over time that I tend to really enjoy poems by Grace Noll Crowell.  This is one that I found in the 1957 Christmas Ideals magazine.  

THE BUYING OF GIFTS

When I was a child on my father's farm,
And Christmastime drew near,
I would trudge thru the snow to the little town ....
Oh, the memory is quite clear
Of the little girl with a quarter to spend
For parents, for brother, and sister, and friend.

My scarlet mittens and scarlet hood
Were white with glistening snow,
My eyes were shining with eagerness,
My frost-bright cheeks aglow,
As I went gladly, hurrying down
To the novelty store in the little town.

And oh, the rapture, the sheer delight!
The shop's small windows shone
With beautiful things .... and there was I
With a quarter all my own!
I searched --- and would wonders never cease?
I found five gifts for a nickel apiece.

Such beautiful gifts!  And trudging home
Thru the winter dusk, I knew
A joy and a glowing happiness
That has lasted the long years thru.
For something of that far Christmastime
Stayed in my heart and it still is mine.

-- Grace Noll Crowell

Such a sweet poem!  It reminds me a bit of when our own kids were very young -- that is, not earning money on their own yet.  We would give them, if I remember right, $5 and take them to a discount store where they could find inexpensive gifts for everyone on their list.  How carefully they used that money to find just the right gift for each family member!

Holidays at Home

 

 
I love seeing some of the Christmas fabric featured on Instagram this time of year.  Holidays at Home by Deb Strain for Moda Fabrics is one that has kept jumping out at me.  I even entered several giveaways for this charming fabric line, but wasn't a winner.   So many fun fabrics here!

Below are some of my favorites:

Each of these prints is, of course, available in several other colors, and there are a few other prints in the collection as well.  These are just my personal favorites.

What would you make with some of these fabrics?  I'll be turning to my idea post on this topic to help me decide!

A sweet vintage find

 Today I'm sharing a sweet find from the old family homestead.  These are Wildlife Christmas Stamps from the National Wildlife Federation, from 1972.  These particular ones are all birds with the exception of the deer.  Pictured here are the cardinal, white-winged crossbill, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, hairy woodpecker, evening grosbeak, saw-whet owl, blue jay, robin, cedar waxwing, and black-capped chickadee.

These gorgeous paintings are by wildlife artist Al Gilbert. You can see his bio, as pictured on the back of the stamps, below.  (And, by the way, it is a more complete and well-written bio than anything I found in an online search.)

I did a little more research on Al Gilbert and learned that in 1977, five years after these wildlife stamps appeared, his painting of a hooded merganser won the 45th Federal Duck Stamp Contest. Sales of this stamp generated over 11 million dollars in support of the Department of Interior’s Federal Duck Stamp program.  The funds from the Duck Stamp program go to helping acquire wetland habitat and protecting waterfowl and other wildlife.   

Mr. Gilbert's duck stamp was sold from 1978-1979 and looked like this:

The above are screenshots from the Federal Duck Stamp Gallery, where you can visit to see all of the stamps since the program's inception.

The sad thing about this delightful find is that the stamps are all stuck together. It is at least four stamps thick.  I've been trying to think what to do with it.  The paintings are so lovely that I really don't want to throw it away, and yet I doubt it would sell on Etsy.  Any ideas?

Maybe I will frame it in a small black frame I have.  We will see!  If I find a creative use for this piece, I will be sure to share here.

Old-Fashioned Christmas coloring fun

 

 I recently came upon a website new to me, Paper Doll Review.  I loved paper dolls as a kid and often made my own using magazine advertisements as "fabric" to create their dresses and other outfits.  It's sad to me that today's girls don't seem as smitten with paper dolls as I was.  But hope springs eternal, and some of my younger granddaughters may yet take an interest in this classic activity.

This website has many different categories of paper dolls, and it has some coloring books as well.  I was thrilled to discover that it has a "Christmas Corner" with holiday paper dolls, coloring books, etc.  I took a screenshot of the Old-Fashioned Christmas coloring book:

You can find it here on the website and learn more details about it.

This Candy Cane House coloring book also looks like fun.  It's a reproduction from the 1950s and sells for $7.50.

There are a half-dozen more coloring books as well as other Christmas activities in this section of the website.  I'll be sharing more about the Christmas paper dolls later this month!

A sweet Christmas Cookies cookbook

 

 This treasure is one I found somewhere -- a yard sale or book sale, I would guess.  When I came across it again recently, I thought at first that I would probably list it in my Etsy shop.  But on looking it over a little more, I decided to keep it.  Below you see the back of this softcover cookbook.  A little damage to one corner.

 This book also includes a section called "Class Notes" which takes up 4 pages and shares the history of cookies as well as helpful hints for making, baking, and storing them.

Published in 1994, this is a vintage cookbook filled with Old World Christmas cookie recipes.    I have another cookbook -- The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook -- that features an entire chapter of heirloom cookie recipes, but I actually like this little cookbook better, because it has such detailed instructions and, most importantly, a photo of each and every cookie.  

The Caramel Filled Crescents above are from Argentina!

These Czech Bear Paws look amazing and are made using a madeleine pan, which I don't own.

I thought these lemon filled spice cookies looked so good!

These Danish Orange Cookies are cut in dainty rectangles and dipped in dark chocolate.  Wouldn't they be nice for a tea?

These Danish Raspberry Ribbons look scrumptious.

Swedish Sandwich cookies are sandwiched together with strawberry or currant jelly.

These Swiss Mocha Treats also look like a nice tea cookie.

I own a ceramic shortbread pan and have never used it.  This recipe might galvanize me into action!

I thought these Polish Honey Bars looked so good.

Although there are several cookies here I wouldn't ever try since they are deep-fried, there are a number of other recipes that I absolutely would love to try.  I'm thinking that if we continue to have cool weather in July like we've had in June, I might try a few recipes and blog about them.

I really like that the instructions for each recipe include photos.

What do you think?  Are these Old World Christmas Cookies appealing to you?

Patriotic Christmas craft ideas

 

 For the Fourth of July, here's a vintage Christmas magazine that featured year-round Christmas needlework and craft ideas.  I subscribed to this for awhile.  This particular issue, July/August 1991, featured ideas for Christmas decor with a patriotic theme.  

You also see a sticky note on the front.  This is my system for managing a stash of Christmas magazines in use.  Listed on that sticky note are project ideas I might like to try someday.

The page below shows some of the patriotic Christmas decor.  I'd like to make the fabric hearts and also the wooden ones painted with a flag design. 

Here's the description of these ornaments from the magazine:

For those who might be interested in finding a copy of this magazine, I found one here on Amazon for $5, and saw several listed on eBay.

Happy Christmas crafting!

Aunt Mabel's pot holders

 

 My great-aunt Mabel had a wonderful idea that made bonus gifts out of scraps from other sewing projects.  She used to make flannel pajamas (maybe nightgowns for the girls, I'm not sure) for her grandchildren at Christmas time.  And then, from the flannel scraps plus other odds and ends for filling, she made sets of crazy-quilted pot holders to have on hand for small gifts.  Above you see a set of them.  I found maybe a half dozen sets of unused pot holders in my mother's linen closet.  What a find!

Here's another set:

And here is a very well-used pot holder which I finally brought myself to throw away:

 It helped to realize that I now have several unused sets to choose from!

She usually crazy-quilted the front of the holder and used a solid piece of flannel for the back.

Would you like to create some of these from your own flannel scraps?  I'm thinking that I would.  I found a great-looking tutorial here: Simple DIY Quilted Pot Holder from Scraps.

Happy sewing!

Gifts From the Heart of Your Home

 

 For Christmas in July today, I thought I'd share this little advertising leaflet filled with kitchen gift ideas using Saran Wrap.  I found this little booklet in a kitchen drawer when we cleaned out the old home place.  It was printed by the Dow Chemical Company, most likely in the 1950s.  

 

The back of the leaflet, titled "Your Handy Helpmate",  features other ways to utilize this helpful product -- Saran Wrap -- around your home.  

Another page is called "Start With Your Favorite Recipe", and encourages the reader: "With a little ingenuity and a few minutes of your time, you can prepare a gift that sparkles with your thoughtfulness ... Nothing is quite so warm and friendly as a gift from the heart -- especially one from your kitchen, the heart of your home!"

Unfolded, the inside of the booklet reveals color photos of some kitchen gits wrapped festively in Saran Wrap: popcorn/candy balls; homemade bread; spiced peaches in a brandy snifter; fudge; fruitcake;  homemade candy; cheese; and a cookie angel.

I did a little research toward selling this little booklet in my Etsy shop, and learned the following facts.  Polyvinylidene chloride, which the Dow Chemical Company named Saran®, was discovered by accident in 1933 by Ralph M. Wiley. His discovery led to uses in seating materials, plastics for wartime and industrial uses, and eventually to Saran Wrap®.  It was the first product that Dow sold directly to consumers, and millions of rolls of it were sold in the first few years.  Obviously a product whose time had come.

Unfolded, the booklet is 12 inches across and 6 inches tall.  Folded, it's 4 inches across and 6 inches tall.  The booklet is in fine vintage condition for its age; the color photos are still bright and attractive.  It just might offer some inspiration for this year's kitchen gifts!

Come on into the Christmas kitchen!

 

Yes, once again this July, I'm swinging open the door to the Christmas kitchen, so do come on in and join me.  Mind the cobwebs, as there are sure to be a few.  Up until now, April was my last post here.

It's sad, but life has become so busy.  I'm not exactly sure why.  Just a lot going on, I guess.   

But here I am, and hopefully I'll be here each day in July.  I have a few posts written and scheduled, but many more will just have to appear serendipitously along the way.  

There will hopefully be recipes, vintage goodies and cookbooks, maybe some poems, memories,  crafts, and more.  

I used the scanned Christmas card as an illustration here because it so beautifully depicts a Christmas kitchen.  Notice that loaf of bread cooling on a lower shelf of the wood cookstove, the sweet enameled coffee pot, the bean pot and pie plate on the top shelf.  And a plum pudding on the kitchen table!

I love the saying: "Memories forever dear ... Holidays of yesteryear."  I have so many wonderful Christmas memories and they truly will be forever dear.

But even more meaningful, let me show you the original scan of this card  before I cropped it.

This is a card which my grandmother had transformed into a gift tag, probably for a bag full of kitchen gifts like her homemade hot cocoa mix.  I retouched the scan so you can't see this, but in green marker there was a to/from greeting at the top left, in my gram's inimitable elegant handwriting.

More treats in store in my Christmas kitchen!  See you tomorrow!