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Thursday, June 02, 2022

As Seen In The Wild!


When the nearest town is 30 minutes away in any direction - I find ways to fit in as many side jaunts and errands as I can when life makes it necessary that I actually have to GO to town.

Being in our now 3rd year of this pandemic, and war and other global situations putting inflation on the rise, and gas prices at jaw dropping prices - I drag my feet as much as possible to NOT have to go unless I can do it all in one fell swoop.

At the same time I hear my grandmother's voice telling me about WWII when her boys were young and her husband was at sea.  How ration coupons were a way of life, and that included gas for the car, and I'm so glad that we are not at that point.

I hope I will continue to hear her voice as I go through the 3rd trimester of my life, keeping me sane - and keeping my sense of humor through it all.

And yes, this photo at the top of the page is just to pique your interest and drag you into this day - because this is where it started:


LOL!

Remember those two crowns I was at the dentist for?

This was the view beyond my window.  I'm still laughing! Not at that person, whoever they are, but knowing there are probably many times I showed my butt to the world without even knowing.  This could have been any one of us.

It sure kept the whole "room with a view!" thing interesting.

And it turns out that I didn't need two new crowns.  The dentist just cleaned up where the root canals had been worked through the old crowns and sealed them over.  No numbing needed at all.

I left there with a spring in my step (And no numb in my mouth) and turned my attention to some solo antique mall wandering and exploring of downtown West Jefferson along with hitting THREE grocery stores on my way home.

It's 1/2 hour drive from home to here.  Gas is skyrocketing.  We do ALL the things.


Window shopping!

The displays are so pretty!


I spotted this quilt right off.

It's a crazy mix of everything wonderful!


And I love the colors in this well worn folded log cabin.


Things that make you go Ahhhhhh!


Barn block, anyone?

Sometimes I take photos because I like the color combinations.  So many possibilities.

After all, this is the time of year I really start thinking about the next Quiltville Winter Mystery and what we'd like to do with it.


This beauty!

I've never seen one of these in the wild!


If you think Singer was the inventor of the sewing machine, think again - Elias Howe was the inventor of the lock stitch that made sewing machines the greatest invention of all time.


That's some fancy footwork!  


I was tickled to see this White Rotary - check out out those art deco decals!


But my best find of the day was this -

A pedestal cake plate with dome lid for Quiltville Inn.

It's high time we had something pretty, instead of resorting to turning a pot upside down over a beautiful cake to keep it covered.  

I hope the retreaters will enjoy using it for many years to come.

I never had one growing up, or even here in my own home because life just wasn't that "fancy" and the cake never lasted long enough.

I'm smiling to myself that at 60 years old I can find such joy in such a frivolous thing.  But why not?


And what were those three store visits about?

I can't find my beloved Cinnabon creamer ANYWHERE - and this bottle is down to the bottom. We tried stores over the weekend in Wytheville when we went to the movies.  I tried 3 stores in West Jefferson after the dentist.  NADA.

As to not go home empty handed after all of that running around I am trying the Starbucks Cinnamon Dulce and the Great Value Honey Cinnamon Vanilla.

I am NOT ordering creamer from Amazon.  You have to draw the line somewhere.

And I'm not into making my own yet - and yes I know that creamer is mostly sugar and vegetable oil.  I happen to like my coffee with vegetable oil.  LOL!

And so the search continues -


Fresh rhubarb crisp anyone?

It has been so long since I have had fresh rhubarb anything. 
When I was a little girl we used to go out to the backyard and cut a big piece of rhubarb to dunk in the sugar bowl. ⁣
I am sure we were a sticky granulated mess, but it is one of my favorite childhood memories of summer time in Minnesota.⁣
It was tart and it was sweet and the moment I snuck a piece out of this dish I was instantly transported back to my 6 year old self.⁣
The rhubarb crisp was so yummy and made the house smell wonderful last night.


It doesn't get much better than this!

Ingredients

·     6 cups rhubarb

·     ⅔ cup sugar

·     3 tablespoons all purpose flour

·     1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

·     ¾ cup rolled oats

·     ¾ cup brown sugar packed

·     6 tablespoons flour

·     ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·     6 tablespoons butter

·     ⅓ cup coconut shredded, optional


    Preheat oven to 375.

1. Wash and dice your rhubarb. (And prepare strawberries if you’d like Strawberry Rhubarb crisp)!

2.  Toss fruit with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

3.  Prepare the crisp topping.

4.  Sprinkle topping over fruit layer and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.


Quiltville Quote of the Day

The longer I live, the more I learn that this is true on all levels!

I'm off to spend the day with the June Quiltvillians who arrived last night -

Hopefully I'll be able to rope a couple of gals into hiking with me and the dogs.

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!


 

28 comments:

  1. Thanks for all that you do and for sharing your life with all of us. I'm looking forward to making this rhubarb crisp! My mouth is watering, just looking at the photo.

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  2. I'm making the Crumble today! Just a thought for a future quilt, Rhubarb and Roses of Spring!?

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  3. Yes - dunking fresh rhubarb into a dish of sugar - definitely a wonderful Minnesota childhood memory for me too!

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  4. I never thought about being in the "third trimester" of life, but I am firmly entrenched! I've often wondered why they put the fancy scroll work around the base of these antique machines? Marketing ploy? Have a great day!

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  5. Coconut in the crumble topping --- ooh, I never thought of that, but it sounds delish!

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  6. Just curious, how much was the Howe machine?

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  7. Glad the dentist trip was an easy one for you. I'm sure my neighbors have wondered about this "old bag" doing her gardening too. Just can't be helped! Haha! Thanks for the Rhubarb Crisp recipe. My mother also grew up eating fresh rhubarb and I think this will make a sweet surprise for her!

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  8. Life is short! Order the creamer on Amazon!!!

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  9. Have you asked your local grocer if they can order that creamer for you. My local store is very receptive to requests like that. I LOVE rhubarb and am making a rhubarb custard cake to bring to work tomorrow to celebrate my work anniversary of 37 years! Have a great rest of your day!

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  10. Bonnie, I don't remember my grandmother offering me a sugar bowl, she just dared me to take a bite of the rhubarb stalk...she did it first of course!

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  11. And in some parts of the world it was pie plant! Yum

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  12. We ate rhubarb with a bowl of sugar as well in Wisconsin.
    Sorry mine does not grow as well in Kansas. Glad you did not need more extensive dental work!!

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  13. Yea for no numbness this time. Crowns are expensive like Gasoline. Fancy cake dish. Tupperware would work at my house. No danger of breaking it. Pretty machine in the Wild too.

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  14. I had to smile at the old log cabin quilt, it's a bit saggy and wrinkly like me lol.

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  15. International Delight has a "Store finder" on their web site that lists stores that are SUPPOSED to have your particular flavor: https://www.internationaldelight.com/where-to-buy/?&msclkid=8dfa31e99a931e692aa153714f02f5cb&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=International%20Delight%20Creamer_Creamer_Generic_Bing_Exact&utm_term=cinnabon%20coffee%20creamer&utm_content=Creamer_Cinnabon&gclid=8dfa31e99a931e692aa153714f02f5cb&gclsrc=3p.ds
    Two of the four they say are near you are in Jefferson, so you probably hit them on your trip. Supply chain stuff hits so many odd things, seemingly randomly! Good luck!

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  16. Loved the picture from the dentist's office. That's the view my neighbors get driving by our house too. I doubt they'd recognize my face.

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  17. Also a rhubarb-eating fan from Minnesota! Great memories! Now I am in Colorado and hope each year my rhubarb will survive the winter and the deer!

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  18. We had rhubarb growing by the ditch in our yard growing up. My mom had four recipes which used the rhubarb. I loved rhubarb cake with coffee icing. Alas because of kidney stones I am not allowed rhubarb now. We are 20 miles away from the only grocery store. There are shortages and high prices. Hubby has had a craving for strawberry ice cream but they haven't had any for awhile. Can't afford to drive an hour to any other store just for ice cream.

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  19. The antique mall floor-to-ceiling display of draped quilts - is that a fabric store rack for rolls of upholstery fabric? If so, that's a genius way to show off quilts for sale. Simple, effective, sturdy - and likely re-used/repurposed from somewhere. You can SEE the quilts, and they're not concealing other merch underneath. What a great idea.

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  20. Love the glass cake dish!! And that Howe machine was quite something too.
    I'm also in my 3rd trimester of life! At 61 I think of things differently..the simple things in life are the best.

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  21. I really needed this little laugh today. Thanks!

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  22. I really like the way those quilts were displayed at the antique mall, I love the cake plate--why not have something pretty? And I will have to try the addition of coconut the next time hubby talks me into making rhubarb crisp (I don't love it unless it is smothered in ice cream).

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  23. That Howe is probably one of the coolest machines I've ever seen..and that PEDAL!! WOW! You might wanna make a BIG batch of the Cinnabon and can it for future use. I gotta look for it (NO! I don't drink coffee so no need myself) just to see if it's in stores here or if it's a nationwide Cinnabon shortage.

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  24. I have already made muffins, instant pot steel cut oats, and jam with the rhubarb growing in my garden. But when I saw your crisp, i realized I had not made that yet so I did! My house smells wonderful.

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  25. I miss fresh rhubarb (doesn't grow in Florida [insert sad face here]). Will definitely find some and make it. Strawberries are in season here now.... will add those in. Yum. Just 1 question -- what size pan are you making this in? TIA

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  26. Oh no fair! I haven't had rhubarb crisp since I left he at 18. My mouth is watering. Our neighbors would let us raid their rhubarb patch. We would eat the stalks with a little salt.. mouth puckering but it was hollering spring is here to us.

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  27. Love rhubarb . It doesn't grow here in Florida and seldom a find fresh in markets. If your lucky enough to find it very expensive. Your investing gold to purchase it. Now and then I find it frozen. One of many things I miss living in Iowa. Yummy pie from scratch & crust made with lard so flaky.Your wisdom comment today made me laugh and laugh. You have described my life right on. Dresden in Florida

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  28. Found rhubarb in the Commissary last week and paid way too much for it but it made a delicious rhubarb crunch. Especially with the homemade ice cream our grandson requested for his preschool graduation. Next day, Hubby and I went out and found a rhubarb start. Paid too much for it also (it's late in the season) but it looks great! Can't wait 'till next year.

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