We’re back from a few days at the shore -
lots of sun, walks along the beach and Great Food.

My favorite meal was an enormous platter of battered fried oysters.
Here’s a recipe from The Community of Willing Workers Cookbook, published in 1914.

FRIED OYSTERS

One pint large oysters, one-half cup flour, one-half cup milk, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-half cup fresh tomato catsup. Mix thoroughly the flour, milk, catsup and salt; dip oysters into mixture, then roll in cracker crumbs. Fry in sweet, fresh lard until a dark brown. Serve very hot.

Enjoy more of Vintage Recipe Thursday - visit Joy at Joy of Desserts

Vist more Wordless Wednesday Particpants at Wordless Wednesday.com

I found an old cookbook at the flea market – published by the Dept. of Agriculture in 1974. The preface explains “the recipes are basic and cover all types of menu items. All of the main dish recipes include suggested menu ideas for completing the meal. Most of the recipes are for two servings and would be useful for one and two person households. They should be popular with all small families and especially appealing to older people…”

Sounds ideal for Grampy and me….

Split Pea or Lentil Soup for Two

1/2 cup uncooked dry split peas or lentils
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small stalk celery with leaves, chopped
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt

Wash and drain split peas or lentils.
Put all ingredients in a pan. Heat to boiling. Cover and boil gently about 30 minutes until split peas or lentils are tender.

Makes 2 servings, about 1 cup each.

Note: Add pieces of canned luncheon meat, frankfurters, or cooked ham before cooking the soup, if desired.

Menu Idea: Serve with orange-grapefruit salad, ice cream and cake

Do you have a recipe that serves just a few?
Link in and share!

Outside my window… a fine sunny day dimmed by Much too Much noise.
A Big Project is underway in our little village. All of our old clay sewer lines have to be replaced. Tree roots have grown into them causing all kinds of unpleasantness. Trees have been cut down (very sad, but necessary. We’re promised new trees as soon as the work is completed) – now the workmen are digging up the old pipes and putting in the new. The pipe business is less noisy than the tree slaughter, but it is still Much too Much noise.

I am thinking… that the necessity of not allowing any water to go down any drain between the hours of 8am and 5pm until this project is completed is very inconvenient.

I am thankful for… Everything. Always. This week I am especially thankful that (most of the time) I have access to modern plumbing inside my home.

From the kitchen… grocery shopping tomorrow. Pasta tonight.

I am wearing… jeans, a blue paisley shirt (got to love that Salvation Army thrift store), bare feet

I am creating… still knitting doll clothes. Check out this site Hundreds of Barbie patterns to knit, some Kelly and Bratz patterns too. By fooling around with needle sizes and yarn weight, altering the pattern here and there, you can make the clothes fit different size dolls. Right now, I’m knitting with crochet thread for the Only Hearts Club dolls. Fun!

I am going… back to the eye doctor tomorrow. Tiresome.
I’m also going to quit complaining. That is tiresome also.

I am reading… browsing through books that I have on hand. I need to go to the library this week.

I am hoping… that since it’s going to rain tomorrow, maybe the work outside will have to pause for a day?

I am hearing… Much too Much noise.
I know I said I was going to stop complaining, but really – it’s too Much.

Around the house… let’s just not go into it again.

One of my favorite things… being outside working in the perennial border – I cut all the dry lily of the valley this morning and put a bunch in a cup on the kitchen shelf. Walking around the neighborhood, seeing everyone outside working on window boxes and planters and tiny gardens – admiring the flowers, talking to the neighbors, laughing at the yippy little dogs.
Our Claudia doesn’t yip – she turns silent cartwheels on the end of the leash trying to get close enough for someone to pet her.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Maya and I have a Teddy Bear Tea to attend on Saturday – a punch fountain and sweet confections followed by a craft and story time. It sounds divine.

Here is picture I am sharing…

We found chairs for out front at the Christmas Tree Shop this weekend – nice chairs, nice price – enough of a saving to include the little flower cart standing next to them.
Once again, like the chest I bought to hold my yarn, the little flower cart wasn’t so much a cart as a pile of boards, screws and curved pieces of metal in a cardboard box. Russ worked on it for an hour yesterday afternoon and for another hour this morning to turn it into a proper flower cart.
He doesn’t mind. He’s a Good Guy.

Enjoy More Daybooks – Visit Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook

Almost Summer -
It’s Almost Here!

Do you want to make your own bathing suit this year?
(Are you sure? Do you? Really?)
Here’s a list of free patterns to choose from.

Swimsuits To Sew

1. The Alison from Burda Style – includes lots of pictures posted by people who made the suit

2. A very thorough blog series from a woman who drafted her own swimsuit pattern and proceeded to stitch it up! The Swimsuit Experiment

3. Snip, twist, wrap, and knot. (remember – I’m not recommending these – just collecting the links! )

Swimsuits To Knit

1. Vintage 1948 Water Sprite (pdf)

2. Handknit Leopard Print Bikini for baby (cute!)

3. White Trash Black Swimsuit (again – I’m not naming ‘em, just collecting links!)

4. Two Piece Bathing Suit and Top

5. Striped Bikini Top and Shorts

Swimsuits To Crochet

1. Beach Coat, Bathing Suit and Hat

2. Pineapple Monokini

3. Ripple Halter Neck Swimsuit

4. Little Girl’s Bikini (another cute one for kids)

5. White Bikini Top and Skirt

Enjoy more Thursday 13’s - Click Here

Don’t forget the sunscreen!