Wednesday, December 21, 2011

1,000th Sale Celebration!

Whoo-hoo!  I just made my 1,000th sale to Johanna in my Etsy shop!  I celebrated by giving her 4 FREE digital sheet sets!  Now, I'm celebrating by offering EVERYONE ONE FREE DIGITAL SHEET SET with every one set purchased!  Just purchase a digital set (or a set of buttons, mirrors, or magnets) and you get a FREE digital sheet set of equal or lesser value FREE!  Let me know in "message to seller" which free digital sheet you would like!
This Celebration Sale runs from now until Christmas, December 25, 2011, at midnight!
             This is the digital sheet that made the 1,000th sale:



Here is a little onesie Johanna made with one of her free images:

Johanna has a shop in Australia!
Visit her at:

Thank you to ALL my customers!  I wish you all a wonderfully blessed Christmas!

                

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas Sale!

Cottonfieldfarm is having a Christmas Sale on Christmas Pin Back Buttons!  All my Christmas buttons are 20% off:  Retro Christmas, Victorian, Vintage, Shabby Cottage Style, Sock Monkey, and more!  Just send me a message on Etsy and tell me which button set you would like, and I will set up a listing at 20% off!  There's still plenty of time to mail before Christmas!  See cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Remember Pearl Harbor

Seventy years ago our nation was thrust into the second world war when Japan attacked our military base at Pearl Harbor.  Read the post here.   Lest we forget...

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Retro Christmas Buttons for Decorations

There's still time to order your Christmas buttons, mirrors, or magnets before Christmas!  I have Retro Christmas, Antique and Vintage Christmas, and Shabby Cottage Pink Christmas buttons!
Check them out in The Christmas Shoppe at http://cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com/!  Use these fun buttons to decorate your tree, stockings, pillows, gifts, and even yourself!





Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Black Friday Sale Has Begun!

Black Friday Sale starts November 23 @ 6:OO at Shabby Cottage Shops!  Hurry!  Go visit all the shops that are participating in this pre-Black Friday Sale!  It runs through Monday, November 28! 
Check out cottonfieldfarm's Black Friday Sale on Digital Sheets:
This sale includes ALL my digital sheet sets!  There's no limit to the number of sets you can buy!  You receive your choice of a FREE digital download of equal or lesser value with EVERY set you purchase! 
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Victorian Christmas Tags

These Victorian German Christmas Tags are new at Cottonfieldfarm.etsy.com!  Lots of Christmas goodies there!
More German Die-Cut Christmas Ornaments.

Victorian Santas Two Inch Circle Tags

Print this vintage "Merry Christmas" greeting on to your next craft project.  It would look lovely on a Christmas pillow, T-Shirt, Tote, Gift Bag, or even on a chair cover!


Saturday, November 12, 2011

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

With Christmas right around the corner, try these Retro Christmas Children Pin Back Buttons for instant pizazz for your favorite scarf or tote.  These little Christmas buttons also make great Christmas Tree decorations and gift tags.  Grab a few for your friends or your Secret Santa or even for your holiday hostess. Pin a couple to your children's Christmas stockings.
They make Christmas decorating fun and easy!
If you like a little shabby chic cottage style, try these mod candy pink, green, and cottage white buttons.  Just glue on a little rhinestone or add a Christmas ribbon, and you have an instant ornament for your tree or yourself!



These cute Sock Monkeys add a touch of whimsy to any Christmas decor.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veteran's Day Thank You

Hopefully, we think about our Veterans and the sacrifices they make, everyday; but it is also nice to have a special day in their honor to remember and celebrate their service to our great United States of America.  As we go about our daily activities today, at work, school, shopping, or participating in a Veteran's event, I hope we take the time to remember that it is their sacrificial service that allows us to be able to go about our daily activities today and everyday.  We honor and thank our Veterans, past, present, and those yet to serve our great nation.

My dad and uncle, John and Lewis Goempler, both served in World War II.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Shabby Cottage Shops Christmas Shoppe Pink Present Holiday Giveaway Is Here!

It's finally here!  Shabby Cottage Shops' Pink Present Holiday Giveaway, and you know that means Christmas is just around the corner!  This year's Pink Present Giveaway is huge!
Click the banner to the right to see all the goodies in the "Pink Box," donated by 30 participating shops, and worth over $350!
Don't forget to enter to win the best Pink Present Holiday Giveaway EVAH!

Also, while you're over at Shabby Cottage Shops, be sure to check out the Pinkalicious Christmas Shoppe, Christmas Tree Contest, and much more!  You can do all your Christmas shopping there and then sit back, relax, and enjoy the season!
Good luck and God bless!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Amish Buttermilk Pie

My mother was always trying new "old" recipes, and we never knew what she would come up with next.  One of her concoctions was "Buttermilk Pie," a delicacy that I had no intention of trying.  However, I liked left-over cornbread crumbled into a tall glass of ice cold buttermilk, so I gathered up my courage and tasted a forkful of this mysterious pie.  Wow!  Was it ever good!  I couldn't imagine that a pie made with sour milk could taste so delicious! 
I'm not sure where Mom got her recipe, nor what happened to it, but it never got passed down to me.  When looking through some old Amish recipes, I was delighted to find this recipe for the special "sour milk pie."  I made it for my husband, and yep, he didn't want any part of it.  That's okay, because that left more for me to enjoy!  I hope you will try it for your family too (you might want to hold off telling them the name of the pie before they taste it though). 
Amish Buttermilk Pie
1 unbaked pie shell-9 inch (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 cup of real butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour, all purpose
3 farm fresh eggs, beaten
1 cup fresh buttermilk (homemade or store-bought)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
pinch of salt
Grated nutmeg (I left that out)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while mixing the pie.  Cream together softened butter and sugar.  Add the next 6 ingredients and mix well.  Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.  Bake in oven for approximately one hour, or until the top browns up some.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Slice and enjoy!





Saturday, October 1, 2011

Homemade Natural Laundry Soap

Here's the recipe for the natural laundry soap I promised!
2 Cups Baking Soda
2 Cups Borax
2 Cups Castile Soap (Powdered)
20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
20 Drops Orange Essential Oil

Add the essential oils a little at a time to the baking soda, mixing well.  You can use a pastry blender if you like.  Then combine all other ingredients and mix well.  Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid. 
To use:  Measure out 1/2 - 3/4 cups per load.
Enjoy the cleaning power and fresh scent of this easy to make natural laundry soap!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Summer's End: Tomato Pie

Hooboy, it's true what they say...the older you get, the faster time flies!
  Seems like we were just picking the first squash and beans last week!  Now, with August just around the corner, that school bell will be ringing before we know it (we go back August 15 here in Pensacola)! 
 As summer begins to wind down, so does the summer garden.  Not much left of the tomatoes; just some struggling green ones and a few red ones picked earlier and stored in the refrigerator.  Not really enough to put up. 
So, what to do with the late stragglers?  Why, make a Tomato Pie, of course!
I don't really have this recipe written down, just sort of rattles around in my head when I see green tomatoes.  So, I'll try to piece together a recipe like I piece together the pie, just adding whatever sounds good at the time!
Of course, you have to start with fresh red and green tomatoes.  Throw in some onions, too.
Don't forget green bell peppers (and red if you have them on hand).
You'll also need some shredded cheese and two deep-dish  pie crusts (I cheated on the pie crust..got store-bought). 
 That's about it for the ingredients, unless you can think of something else you want to add, like maybe some eggplant or squash.  You probably would have to make it in a 9 X 13 dish (and more pie crust)  for that many vegetables.  But for this pie, we'll just stick to the main ingredients and make a round pie.

Slice and layer the green tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers.  Sprinkle on some shredded cheese (I use "Seriously Sharp").  Also, I chopped the bell peppers because there's not a lot of  room in that round pie crust.
Now, slice and layer the red tomatoes, more onions, bell peppers, and additional cheese if desired.
Oh man, I'm getting hungry.

Place top crust on pie and crimp edges.  Bake in 350 degrees oven roughly 40-45 minutes, checking it toward the end so as not to burn the crust. 

Serve with a salad, some of those homemade wheat rolls, southern sweet tea, and you've got some mighty fine eating ahead!
Using those last tomatoes to make a tomato pie is like putting the period at the end of summer...make that an explanation point!
Stay tuned for more recipes for fall...Buttermilk Pie, Amish Cinnamon Coffee Cake...

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Home Canning: It's a Family Tradition

The first several weeks in June are always filled with puttin' up vegetables.  As far back as I can remember, we picked, snapped, and canned green beans in June, as well as froze squash.  My mother did it, as did my grandmother before her.  It is a family tradition, one of those special family activities that is passed down from generation to generation. 
 Until my children.  For years, neither of them showed any signs of interest in planting a bean, much less canning one.  Finally, a year or two ago my daughter decided she wanted to try vegetable gardening, and she even froze some of her green beans.  As for my son, as long as I plant the tomatoes at his house, he will water them (and eat them).  So, a glimmer of hope arose on the horizon. 
This year brought a nice surprise.  Glory of glories, my daughter announced that she wanted to learn how to can her beans (didn't like those frozen ones!).  Well, do you think I was one to stand in her way?  Bring it on, I said!  I went all out and even created a "Canning Frolic" invitation:
We had a wonderful time canning beans for Shelly and us!  Little Lillie (our little Mother's Helper) got in the act too.  Lanie was there, but she stayed out of the kitchen!   Will have to work on her...
Lillie is very serious about her work.
We started with clean jars.

And of course beans.

Washed and snapped (on this canning day, we had so many, I cheated a little and cut some of them).

Got our water boiling to add to the jars.

Simmered the lids.

Raw-packed the jars (meaning we didn't cook or blanch the beans).

Added the boiling water.

Hubby tightly screwed on the lids.
Put the beans in the caner. 

We do the actual canning outside on the camp burner since we can't regulate the temperature as easily with the electric stove in the house.  We've had this caner over 20 years, but she's still puttin out the steam!

And there we have it!  A beginning to our winter's food supply AND a beginning to "passing the torch" of our Food Preservation Family Tradition!

 

Monday, July 4, 2011

As American as Apple Pie and Aprons

My daughter has been taking a cake decorating class this summer, and one of the items needed for the class was an apron.  Glory be!  I collected aprons for years, but a few years ago I decided I needed to actually move around  in my sewing room, so I began to clean out and sell some collectibles, old aprons being among them.  I did manage to keep a few that were too dear to my heart to part with.  Anyway, I was  tickled pink to know my daughter was going to be wearing an apron, and she was willing to wear one of my old ones (eek!  could I part with it?).  But I thought it was time she had a brand new one all her own!  So we found some material and went to work sewing.  We had to add the bib to the half apron because the pattern didn't have one.  This is what we came up with:

We later added some big red ric-rac between the skirt and ruffle.
We also made the babies each a little half apron, because they sure love to help Mom and Grammy cook!
                                     

Oh how aprons bring back the memories!  There's just something so homey about an old apron, so much history in a little piece of cloth.  My sister sent me this little "apron story," and as I read it, the memories of my grandmother started flooding my mind.  They could have written this story about her! 

The History of Aprons
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.  The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.  It was  easier to wash aprons than dresses, and aprons used less material.  But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.  It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion, was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. 
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.  And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her  arms (when the weather was hot, it was used as a fan).  Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.  From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the summer, the apron was used to bring in peaches that were ripe on the trees. 
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

As we celebrate our country's independence, let's also remember all the Grandmas out there who worked hard alongside the men to help make this country great; who doled out strength, understanding, love, and spiritual guidance (and many of those scrumptious apple pies)  from behind those work-worn pieces of cloth. 

I'm sure most "baby-boomers" have a picture in their mind of someone they love wearing one of those simple little coverings.  If the memories come and you have a minute, won't you share your favorite apron memory with us?  

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Helen, GA

We're back from vacation, and what a wonderful time we had!   We stayed in a little cabin outside of Alpine Helen, Georgia.  Here's our "Cabin, Sweet Cabin" at Mountain Lakes Resort:
On the first morning, I burned the biscuits and set off the smoke alarm!
Then we realized that the little oven's thermostat was not working.  Whew!  It wasn't my bad cooking after all!
The owners there were so very nice!  When my husband mentioned our little mishap with the oven, they had a brand new little stove installed before we returned from our outing! 
I just loved that little stove!
Alpine Helen was truly a beautiful little town.

We went shopping...
...visited the grist mill...
...bought some freshly ground oatmeal and whole wheat flour.  Can't wait to make some homemade bread!
Got some antiquing in...
...watched a Cabbage Patch Kid being born...
...and went ALL the way up the river without a paddle.  Well, actually, we were in a paddle boat and did a LOT of pedaling...
Then if that wasn't enough torture, we bumped our way down the Chattahoochee River on tubes meant for much younger people.  We didn't get any pictures of that.  We were too busy trying to hold on.
We just took our time and came and went as we felt like it.  The resort had everything we needed.  We fished, hiked in the Unicoi State Park, cooked out, swam, and just rested. 
It was one of those vacations that really FELT like a vacation.  Next time, however, we're taking the granddaughters and our little puppy!