Rosebud - New Arrival on PeonySTreet

Rosebud #2 (left) Rosebud #1 (right-prototype-NFS)
Cider

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~~ Hello! We've been anticipating this new arrival for some time now. She's finally here!
She's our baby, and we love her! Her clothes are completely removeable. And she wears a diaper! The little yellow kitty is named Cider, because whenever Rosebud is around, the kitty sits "beside her."
~~ She was inspired by our admiration for the Alabama Baby Doll. We wanted to make something like her, and have taken a lot of time to come up with something original that we are satisfied with. We know this design will be with us for a long time.
~~ Rosebud #2 is wearing a teal calico print dress, which is vintage fabric. Her bib is also vintage fabric (both fabrics were never used.) She sits on a tuffet with a fabric covered button and antique shell button to anchor it on the other side. The fabric on the bottom side of the tuffet is also vintage.
~~ Rosebud is approximately 9" in height and is weighted for sitting. She is made for collectors, not for child's play. With care, she will last a lifetime!

Julee Rosso Fresh Start - Cookbook Review

~We are departing from the usual southern style cookbook and visiting Saugatuck, Michigan, where Julee Rosso (Great Good Food and The Silver Palate Cookbook) owns The Wickwood Inn along with her husband, Bill.
~We like this cookbook because it is a new look at cooking foods in a lowfat, but flavorful way. We don't cook like this every day, but just opening the pages and reading the menus, recipes and information about lower fat ingredients is inspiring.
~We also recommend you read through the recipes, and you'll have to make a list of ingredients before you go to the store, because some of these are not everyday things that you'll have in your pantry. There is a page that has a preprinted grocery list in the back, so that is helpful.

This book was published in 1996, so you will have to go to a used book website like Bookfinder to find a copy.
~ We rate this cookbook an 8 out of 10, due to the fact that most of the recipes are on the gourmet side of cooking, and you'll have to buy specifically for the recipe you want to make. Also, we recommend you have some experience in cooking to make these recipes. This is not for a novice cook. We also recommend you make the recipes with the exact ingredients called for. Substitutions don't work.
~ On the other hand, if you want a cookbook with lots of health information and inspiration, this cookbook is a 10.

Mama's Apron - New Pattern

Mama's Apron
11" wide x 12" long
Mini Quilt or Quilt Block
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New pattern from Hailstorm Creek Press! This was supposed to be done for Mother's Day this year, but we are a little late. "Better late than never!" -- my mama always says!
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It is designed for Intermediate quilters, and can be made with just two different fat quarters (18" x 22" rectangle of fabric), plus apron fabric. It might be fun to make the apron with a piece of your own mother's fabric, either from her fabric stash, or even from a piece of used clothing.

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The fabric in the border is from Fig Tree fabrics-- Allspice Tapestry line. However their new line "Fresh Cottons" would also be a good choice!

Hannie Jo - "Checking In"

We haven’t heard much out of Hannie Jo lately. Most of the time, she’s pretty quiet. She’s the oldest in the bunch, so when she speaks, we figure she’s got something to say.

The other day, she surprised us all as she started chatting away. We couldn’t always understand every word she said because her teeth are gone, but we thought we’d share. She gave us permission to put this on the “log”, as she says it.
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"I don’t quite understand all this stuff lately about “cleansing”. I got a few words for that: Stewed prunes and lots of water!”
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“I remember the days when there wasn’t any air condition. We’d sit on the porch and make fans out of folded papers. Now ya got machines to cool the air. But too much a that kinda air dries you up–that’s how come I got all these wrinkles!”
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“Little kids are given too much leeway. We’d never talk back to our elders, unless we wanted a switch on our hinies. Guess that’s why I ain’t got a hiny left!” and she started laughing with that hoot laughing noise she makes. She chuckled so hard we thought she was going to have a heart attack.

We thought Hannie Jo was sort of acting a little too jovial– she usually doesn’t get too worked up about anything. Then Sarah J. got a hunch and looked in the cabinet above the stove. The bottle of Jack Daniels No. 7, which we keep for medicinal purposes, was a little low. “Hannie? You been in the liquor cabinet?” Sarah asked her.

All Hannie Jo would say was “That’s for me to know and you to find out!” And she chuckled again. Then she shuffled out to the porch on her wobbly legs, to her rocking chair, folded her hands on her lap, rocked in the cool breeze and looked out over the hills. “He, he, I’ll never tell!” I heard her say, under her breath. I went out to the porch and sat down in the other chair. I asked her, “You’ve been in the whiskey, haven’t you?”
“Now Bebe, don’t you worry. I’m just checking in. That's just my way of checkin' the 'ol ticker! It's better than checking out, don't you think?"
I have to agree!
Have a good night, y’all!