December 27, 2009

Books For Sale

Posted by Kathie under Books, Cottage Industry
Leave a Comment 

As I mentioned in my last post I’m in the process of getting ready for the new year and starting with a clean slate.  As part of that process, I’m cleaning and de-cluttering a bit.  I went through my bookshelf and want to thin it out a bit.  I have the following books I’m offering up for sale.  If you’re interested in buying any of these books or have questions about any of them, e-mail me (mtkatiecakes at yahoo dot com).  I’ll send all books via USPS media mail, prices of each book are listed next to the book, shipping will be figured once I have the zip code to figure actual cost.

It should be noted that all of these books were purchased used and all show some sort of wear though all are in good condition, unless otherwise noted below.

  • The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American by Jeff Smith (Hardcover) “celebrates corn, turkey, tomatoes, squashes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, maple syrup, chocolate, cranberries, and other ingredients that are stamped from their very beginnings as ’strictly American.’   Add to this list the very special dishes from America’s regional cuisines and you have a surprisingly rich and fascinating collection of eating experiences that has reached greatness by its own path.”  Price: $3 plus shipping
  • Recipe for Survival: Your Daily Food by Doris Grant (Softcover) “By exploring subjects such as environmental contaminants of air, water, soil, and food, the author demonstrates how man’s modern mode of life, as well as his present eating habits are related to modern diseases; how common consumer goods such as cooking utensils, detergents, drugs, and water softeners can pose health problems; and the roles played by industry and government in these areas of concern.” (Copyright date: 1973) Price $2.50 plus shipping.
  • Family Circle Family Favorites Cookbook (Hardcover) – A collection of recipes from the well-known magazine.  This edition was published in 1980.  The book has a bit of water damage but the is readable and usable.  Price $1 plus shipping.
  • Wide-Row Planting: The Productive Miracle by Dick Raymond (Paperback) – This is a “Garden WAy Bulletin”  A small booklet full of info.  Price $1 plus shipping.
  • Today’s Kitchen Cookbook (Hardcover) – A collection of recipes that were originally presented on the Today television program.  Price: $2 plus shipping
  • The Good Mood Diet: Feel Great While You Lose Weight by Susan Kleiner with Bob Condor (Hardcover) “will lift your mood and give you more energy while you lose weight.  It is about the food you need to eat, not what you shouldn’t eat.  Most weight-loss plans restrict calories and, even worse, cause chemical changes in the brain that make you feel depressed.”  Price: $2 plus shipping
  • Every Woman’s Guide to Natural Home Remedies by Sally Freeman (Hardcover)”Remedies are arranged more or less according to the organ system that is affected…The information included here is based on research, with the most current information available.”  Price: $3 plus shipping  (Book is missing dust jacket).
  • Happy Ending: Finishing the Edges of Your Quilt by Mimi Dietrich (Magazine sized Paperback)- “A complete guide to quilt finishing featuring over 24 creative edges with detailed illustrations, color photos, and a stitching guide.” Price: $1.50 plus shipping.
  • Better Than Store Bought : A Cookbook by Helen Witty & Elizabeth Schneider Colchie (Hardcover) “Authoritative recipes for the foods that most people never knew they could make at home.”  (Dust Jacket is torn slightly) Price: $3 plus shipping.
  • The Compassionate Cook : AVegetarian Cookbook by P.E.T.A (Softcover) – Features over 200 vegan recipes.  Price: $2 plus shipping.
  • Butter Busters : The Cookbook by Pam Mycoskie (Softcover)- “All the foods you love modified to Low-fat, featuring over 350 extremely low-fat recipes.”  Price: $2 plus shipping.
  • Alaskan Halibut Recipes by Cecilia Nibeck (Spiral Bound) – “Included are more than 200 recipes for hors d’oeuvres, soups, stews, roasts, fillets and some whimsical dishes for the culinary adventurer.”  Price $1.50 plus shipping.
  • Bake-Off Cookbook - A collection of recipes from the 19th Annual Pillsbuy Bake-Off (Softcover, small magazine size).  Price $1 plus shipping.
  • Creative Wheat Cookery by Evelyn C. Ethington (Spiral Bound) – “Over 300 easy tips, tasty recipes and low cost ideas for using wheat and gluten in the home.”  Includes info on grinding & storing wheat, bread making, gluten as a meat replacement, and much more.  Price: $1.50 plus shipping.
 

December 24, 2009

A Clean Slate

Posted by Kathie under Enjoying the Everyday, Home
[9] Comments 

Okay, I know its only Christmas Eve and we need to celebrate Christmas yet, but I’m already looking forward to the start of a new year.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to a quiet Christmas celebration with my sweetie tomorrow but all the prep work for that is done. 

This morning, we slept in, had a breakfast of home-fried potatoes (homegrown & home canned) and some yummy coffee that we received in a gift box from my aunt and then began puttering around the house.  My sewing room has been a real mess these last few weeks with bits of fabric, wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, and more strewn on every surface.  Most of the mess was of my own making, but the cats helped to make sure there were bits of things strewn across the floor and under the tables too.  It was time to clean up and re-organize.

I did just that.  I put things back into their proper places, filed away the stack of paid bills, tossed the bits of paper into the crock next to the woodstove to be used to start a fire later, and got that pile of clipped recipes organized and filed into their binders in the kitchen. 

I love the start of new year, symbolically it holds such promise.  I love the process of looking at how I did on my past year’s goals and the making of new ones for the year ahead.  I like to go into the new year with a clean slate too.  I like to do a bit of new year cleaning and organizing in the hopes that it will give me a little extra motivation heading into a new year (hopefully) full of exciting and new adventures combined with old routines that are filled with simple love and joy.

Ok, enough talking about the new year and on to celebrating Christmas.  The sun might just be out later today and we’re thinking about talking a little walk in the park to enjoy the sun, snow, and mountains.  Have a blessed day!

 

December 23, 2009

Rest & Relaxation

Posted by Kathie under Cottage Industry, Enjoying the Everyday
[5] Comments 

Today’s my last day of work for 2009.  I’m looking forward to the next 11 days of rest and relaxation at home.  I’m looking forward to afternoon naps with the cats, late nights of hot cocoa drinking and snuggling with my sweetie, and maybe a little weekday thrift shopping.  I’ve felt a slight cold coming on the last few days, that I think I may have thwarted with Zicam and lots of fluids.  However, I’ve been a little extra tired and so this break is coming at just the time my body so obviously needs it. 

I have a rather long list of things I’d like to accomplish at home during this time, of course, but I’m going to do my best to take it easy as much as possible and tackle that to do list rather leisurely.  I’ll still be here, though maybe not as regularly as usual.

One of the things on my to-do list is research a label company.  Anyone have suggestions?  I’m looking for a custom printed sticker label and perhaps even one I could have printed on fabric to be sewn on quilts, etc.  I’d appreciate any insights…

 

December 22, 2009

Return of the Sun

Posted by Kathie under Enjoying the Everyday, Friends & Family
[4] Comments 

I know it’s only been a day since the solstice, but I can’t be the only one who’s grateful that the daylight hours will be getting longer.  I know I’m looking forward to the longer hours of sunshine and the added benefit of natural light in everything I do.

I’ve had a few things to help me get through the short daylight hours and the shortest day of the year, however.  Including a box of homemade treats from my dad and his wonderful partner, Paula.  I had a sampling of their treats after dinner last night:

The cookies in front are pignolis (pine nut cookies) and oh my they are so very yummy.  The pizzelle is made with black walnuts and oh soo good.  I’m not a huge fan of traditional anise flavored pizzelles, but these are treats sent straight from heaven.  Everything they sent is soo delish, both Jeff and I have been delighting in each thing we taste.

Reading and opening the cards, letters, and small packages from family and friends across the globe by lamplight has also been a great way to spend the short daylight hours.  Some gifts are still wrapped and sitting under the tree, of course, and we look forward to opening those on Friday morning. 

Just when I think I have every possible thing made, a dear friend sends me a frog something I didn’t have and my collection grows in wonderful and unexpected ways.

Despite enjoying this time of shorter daylight hours, I’m looking forward to the return of the sun and less artificial light.

 

December 21, 2009

The Final Push

Posted by Kathie under Canning, Crafty, Friends & Family, In the Kitchen, Spreading the Love
[9] Comments 

This weekend found us in the kitchen in the final push towards Christmas.  We also have a few birthdays this week (if you can believe it) so we did a ton of baking and packaging for Christmas & Birthday shipping.  We also got the baskets ready for local giving.

The baskets contained some variation of pickles, jam, cookies, breads, granola, or candies.  I think they all look rather lovely and I hope they are all received well.   I tried & failed to make divinity.  I’m not sure what it is with me and candy but I can’t make fudge or divinity to save my life.  I can’t even really pinpoint what exactly goes wrong.  It’s rather frustrating not to mention wasteful. 

All the Christmas crafting is done, though I am thinking about trying to get one last tiny thing for Jeff done before Friday morning.  I’ve been in such a knitting groove that I already started another gift for a late January birthday in a lovely yellow yarn.  It was a yarn that I wasn’t exactly sure I loved, the color I mean, on the skein but seeing it knit up has completely changed my mind. 

I should have thought about adding a little black for Steeler colors.  The recipient is a fan afterall…

How about you?  Are you feeling caught up and ready or anxious and wishing for more time as the holiday approaches?   I hope its the former…

 

December 20, 2009

Relationship Mantra

Posted by Kathie under Blogging
1 Comment 

I’m over at Homemakers Who Work today, sharing my relationship mantra.  A simple idea, I’m trying to make sure relationships come before projects and to-do lists.  I hope to see you there!

 

December 18, 2009

Enjoying Holiday Music

Posted by Kathie under Enjoying the Everyday, Home
[9] Comments 

We like Christmas music here at Two Frog Home.  A local station has been playing Christmas music constantly since Thanksgiving and we listen to it a good bit.  I also have a station over at Pandora that plays Christmas music from artists that aren’t going to be played on that local station.  We keep a good mix of traditional and newer Christmas music playing and it just makes us happy.

My favorite Christmas song is Little Drummer Boy, always has been and most likely always will be, and for the most part I don’t care who sings that song because I just love it so.  I do have a few other favorites though and they are in no particular order:

  • I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - seriously this is just to fun, I can’t imagine this song wouldn’t make anyone smile.
  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - the version by Barenaked Ladies with Sarach MacLaughlin is my favorite.
  • Happy Christmas - There are many, many renditions of this song.  I love the original John Lennon one probably most of all, but the one by Melissa Ethridge is a close second and then there’s the one by U2 and there are a couple of bluegrass renditions that are pretty awesome too.  Ok, so for the most part I like most of the renditions I’ve heard I don’t really care for the Celine Dion one or the Tom Jones version but in general they’re not two of my favorite performers anyway…
  • Jingle Bells – The “jazzy” one by Frank Sinatra is hands down my favorite take on this song.

What about you?  Do you like holiday music and if so, do tell what’s your favorite song and by whom (so I can check it out of course)?

     

    December 17, 2009

    Enjoying Holiday Gift-Giving

    Posted by Kathie under Crafty, Enjoying the Everyday, Friends & Family, Spreading the Love
    1 Comment 

    I think as a culture we Americans overdo gift-giving and in so doing it we’ve practically ruined it.  I hate overconsumption and consumerism just for consumerism sake.  I also don’t believe gift-giving is what the holidays is about, however; I do think it can be a fun practice.  I enjoy giving gifts and I try not to allow holiday gift giving to be any more stressful than birthday gift shopping would be at any other month.  I do, obviously, have more to do this time of year but we keep it simple and we absolutely refuse to make it a debt-inducing experience.

    I generally give lots of handmade items and food gifts (breads, home-canned items, cookies, etc.), but there are a few folks that just won’t work for so we buy for those people.  We do a few gift cards for the teenagers on our list and books and/or toys for the youngest recipients on our list.  Jeff and I rarely exchange big gifts either.  We tend to give each other very practical gifts (think socks, slippers, gloves, etc.) and we’re both ok with that.  I don’t feel the need to be “swept off my feet” by the most romantic Christmas gift .  I also don’t expect Jeff to read my mind, when he asks what I want for Christmas or anything else for that matte I tell him.  He does the same, he tells me what he wants or needs and generally there are few surprises under the tree.  We do stockings for each other and those are generally full of silly little fun things that are surprise, however.  Despite the fact that our gifts aren’t generally all that surprising, I love wrapping his gift rather surreptitiously and slipping under the tree for him to spot later, just as if Santa had slipped in while we were sleeping.

    I enjoy wrapping gifts and getting creative with the wrapping.  I have a box of wrapping papers, some vintage, that I’ve purchased at the thrift store or at yard sales.  I have bows and ribbons, again found at thrift stores and yard sales that adorn many a package or jar as well.  I use the comics from the Sunday paper and the selvage edges from fabric often as well.  I enjoy all these little touches as it’s another way for me to make my love for someone real to them in a physical sense.  I don’t believe that things are love or that they can be used as a substitute for love, however; I believe a small gesture can help make a person feel loved or at the very least thought of and don’t we all need that from time to time.

    I think when done right gift-giving should be something that sticks with us.  I think it should be something that allows us to feel loved and spread that love around.  I believe that when done with a heart full of love and gratitude gift-giving & gift receiving can make the world around us seem a little lighter, a little less stressful for just a little while.  I realize that I tend towards the polly-anna side of life, but in this instance; I don’t believe that I’m wrong.  I’m grateful that I have people in my life that I want to bestow gifts upon and that those people want to receive those gifts.  It’s not the gifts, you see; it’s the people, it’s the love behind the gifts that I enjoy. 

    My Christmas wish for everyone who reads this is that you have people and love behind the gifts you will be giving and receiving this year and always.

     

    December 16, 2009

    Enjoying Holiday Cookies

    Posted by Kathie under Friends & Family, In the Kitchen, Spreading the Love
    [9] Comments 

    I know there are people who go “hog wild” over the holidays.  Folks who spend tons of time decorating and spreading holiday cheer.  I appreciate those folks and their enthusiasm, however; I wouldn’t really classify myself as one of those people.  However, I still enjoy the heck out of the holiday season in my own ways and I’d love to share those in the coming days.

    The cookie baking of the holiday season is something I enjoy immensely.  It’s something I inherited honestly from my grandmother and father.  I had a 20 minute conversation with my dad just last night about the cookies each of us were baking this holiday season.

    Watching Jeff sneak around the corner to sample the still warm from the oven cookie goodness never ceases to make me smile.  Packing them up in boxes for shipping and baskets for local giving is something I anticipate with my excitement each and every year.  Watching people receive them with such gladness certainly adds to the holiday cheer, too.  And while I make cookies all year-round for every occasion under the sun, holiday cookie baking takes on a special spirit that makes the holidays even more special to me.

    Do tell, is cookie baking a favorite part of the holidays for you?  If not, baking how about receiving said cookies?

     

    December 15, 2009

    Kitchen Therapy

    Posted by Kathie under Friends & Family, Home, In the Kitchen
    [7] Comments 

    Yesterday was one of those days.  You know, those days when just nothing seems to be going right and its all making you a little cranky and a little sick to your stomach.  One of those days when you’re obviously not making your point and other people are getting frustated and you’re getting frustrated because they’re not hearing you.  Those days when those people continue to get more frustrated which in turn makes your frustration level grow.  One of those days that challenges the statement you made when you applied for the job about having a really high stress level and that it takes a lot to make you feel overwhelmed.  Yeah, it was one of those days and it was a Monday.  The fact that it was a Monday that followed an almost perfect weekend at home with my love, probably made it all that much worse, frankly.

    I’m blessed that I don’t have that many days like that, in general I have a pretty darn good job with a relatively low stress / frustration level.  However, life is still life and these days will happen now and then.  At about 2 yesterday, all I could think about was getting home and getting into the kitchen.  In between hectic phone calls and furiously fast e-mails and revisions I day-dreamed ever so slightly about what I do in the kitchen once I was at home.  I knew we had leftover chicken noodle soup for dinner, so there would be no need to make dinner.  I knew all day that there were only two things that were going to make me feel better; 1) a hug from Jeff and 2) some stress relief otherwise known as kitchen therapy.

    I spent the entire drive home in a mixed state of paying close attention to slippery roads and slightly day-dreaming of what I was going to make once I got into the kitchen.  The thing I forget about whilst day-dreaming and driving was that these kinds of days make me tired.  So very tired.  In the end, I only had enough energy to reheat the soup, eat dinner, do the dishes, and make some coffee liqueur.  There was hugging, too of course.  After that, I just wanted to sit next to the fire with some hot cocoa and lazily read and pay half-attention to the football game.

    I was in bed early and asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow.  Something that I rarely do, but I’m left feeling better for it today.  Here’s hoping today goes much smoother!

    When you have “one of those days,” what’s your favorite kind of stress relief?

     

    Next Page »