Welcome Autumn!

“Bright red apples and purple grapes, orange pumpkins and golden corn,

These are what the harvest brings in the land where I was born.

Frosty mornings and cracking leaves, Barns all filled with their winter grain:

When the harvest work is done, listen to the rain.”

~ Eleanor Graham, 2nd grade songbook.

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I couldn’t resist reposting this phrase from Aunt Ruthie’s blog post!

Also, this print I came across looking for Autumn Prints.  Oh my, I have fallen IN LOVE with her work!  Go see Catherine Holman on Etsy!

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HAPPY AUTUMN DAY!!!!!

Dear Autumn,

 Oh, how I have missed you!

You are the colors of orange, yellow, red and green that thrill my heart!

Oh, how I’ve longed for you!

You are the leaves that we hear crunch beneath our shoes!

Oh, how I’ve dreamed of you!

You are the beginnings of harvest and the smells of homemade pumpkin pie!

Oh, how I’ve hungered for you!

You are the leaves of different shapes and colors that show God’s wonderment!

Oh, how I’ve wished for you!

You are what brings my heart to a place of warm childhood memories!

Oh, how I want to remember you!

You are the fire in the hearth with a cup of hot apple cider and a good book!

Oh, how I’ve pined for you!

You are the candles I light that will fill our home with a glow and a warm heart!

Oh, how I’m lit for you!

You are a blanket I snuggle in when I watch Little Women!

Oh, how I want to see you!

Please dearest Autumn, come soon!

Yours Lovingly,

Heather

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Mama’s Cookbook Shoppe Facebook Fan Giveaway

Hello Y’all!

It’s been such a busy summer, and there is more to come!  I’m very much looking forward to 2 of my dear friends getting married soon, in the same month!

I wanted to share a Giveaway that I’m doing this week for my Facebook Fans.

So far, there are 211 Fans of my Mama’s Cookbook Shoppe page.  Yay! 

I sure would LOVE to double that number this week!  And here’s how you can help me:

1.  If you are not a Facebook fan of Mama’s Cookbook Shoppe, yet, you are sure welcome to be one.  (click on “Facebook” to get there)

2.  Share my Facebook page with 5 Friends.

3.  Post how many friends you invited to “like”, on my page.

You have until this Saturday, 6pm Pacific Time, to do these 3 steps.

I will do a Random Drawing, and the Winner will receive a FREE Cookbook from my Etsy Shop of their choice!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments of this post.

FYI:  This Giveaway is for my Facebook page.  Entries posted in this post are not eligible.  Thank you.

The Farm Chicks Show 2011

I haven’t been here in awhile!  Whoa! 

Well, life took over.  Had some ups and downs.  And writers block too.

But, I thought I’d share some photos of my time at The Farm Chicks Antique Show!

 I have fallen in LOVE with Teal and Turquoise lately.  You can kinda tell by some of my pics. :)

Never seen anything like this before!  Very cute!

The Best Peanut Brittle Ev-ah!!!!

 

 Fun!  Yep!  It was!

My sister, niece and I spent 5 hours enjoying this show!  It was our first, and my niece LOVED it!

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Here’s a little anecdote:

I wrote a comment on Serena’s blog about my time at the Show, and guess what…

She wrote me back.

(insert big smile here)

Here’s what I wrote:

“Hi Serena!  That's what I've should've said when I saw you at the show Saturday while I was running wildly (walking really fast actually) at a few minutes before 6 to see if some of the items I was eyeing was still there.  They were, but hated to keep everyone who was getting ready for your dinner.  Ah, it was a regret though.  I should of got an old printing press block.  Ugh.  Oh well.  It was my first show, and I brought my sister and 10 year old niece, and they had a great time!  Hope to make it next year! :D

Her Reply:

“Well we can just say Hi! now then :)
Thanks so much for coming. And, now you have a good "one that got away" story. :) We all have one of those!
I hope to see you next year.
Love,
Serena

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So,

Wanna go with me next year????

The Giving Challenge: Revised Edition

Dear Blog Friends,

You may have noticed that I have not done a Giving Challenge the past couple weeks.

I have decided to do something different with it.

No longer will I post about who I am giving to, or their reaction.  I want my giving to be un-noticed.

What I do want to do on this blog, is show ideas of what others can do to give, and to also give encouragement in the giving process.

There’s a lot of “giving” in that sentence above, but you see (or read) my point.

The Giving Challenge is will still go on, and I hope you will be encourage!

Mother Says…

“Make your bed first thing in the morning.  It motivates you to have a clean room.”

It’s amazing how true this is.

Once that bed is made, it makes your room all the more less untidy.  It makes you motivated to keep that room at it’s best because that is your room of rest.  Oh, that rhymed!

You know that feeling you get when your home is a mess?  It makes you feel down, and just plain yucky.

Get Up! 

Make That Bed!

You’ll feel, oh, so much better for starting your day fresh and gettin’ the ball rollin’!

A Drive in the Country…

A drive in the country…

relieves my worries,

calms my heart,

makes me dream of my future.

 

The countryside shows me…

a simple,

quiet,

hard-working,

traditional life.

 

The birds soaring above green fields,

and majestic trees reaching for the large sky.

 

Homes nestled in the quietness of the rolling hills.

Men working their land with their family and neighbors.

 

Animals grazing

and chickens pecking and scurrying

in the front yard.

 

Daffodils surrounding the homestead,

while the laundry is blowing in the breeze

on the wash-line.

 

An old barn tells a story of hard work.

 

A farmhouse tells a story of family love.

 

A simple beauty it is, to me. 

So beautiful it makes me cry…

and sometimes makes me want to fly.

Prayer Answered

Thank you ALL for your prayers!

I just found out this morning that her husband is home safe!!  She is not allowed to give any details of what happened right now, but Praise God he's home!!!

Prayer for a Soldier

I just ask for prayer for an old high school friend of mine.  Her husband went missing on his way to work at a California base.  They have not yet found him.

They were married in June of 2010 and happily settled in California with her daughter; which is his step daughter.

Please pray for his safety, wherever he may be, and for my friend and her daughter.

Thank you.

Kindred Spirit Blog

There are just some blog’s that just grab you!

The writer shares the same interests and loves you have.

They inspire you and encourage you, and make you warm and gooey inside.

And all I can think of calling them is a…

Kindred Spirit Blog!

Here’s one I found today that I would like to share with you…

Cottage Blessings

She is actually doing a Giveaway that ends today! CLICK on the picture and sign up! 

And while you’re at it, follow her too!  Ok?

Mama’s Cookbook Shoppe

WARNING: This a shameless plug.  *grin*

 I don’t know if you have noticed that I have a shop on etsy; hence, the advertisement on the side bar of my blog.

What makes it so special?  Cookbooks! 

Lots of Cookbooks!  A variety of Cookbooks!

Old Cookbooks!

Cookbooks that are 20 years old and are part of your lifetime that you wonder how time flies…and wonder why you are that old that it would be called old or even vintage.

Oh, but there are a quite a few that aren’t part of your lifetime.  That probably makes you feel a little bit better.

I would like to introduce you to…

I named it Mama’s Cookbook Shoppe because when I think of recipes, cooking and baking…I think of my mom.

 

It was when I would come home from school, or doing homework in my bedroom, or coming in from playing outside that she would magically transform our home’s atmosphere with the wondrous smell of goodness coming out of the kitchen.

To me, it was MAGIC!  But really, it was the countless recipes she had learned throughout the years, and the countless cookbooks she had in the cupboards.  They created this MAGIC!

Can you tell I’m high on nostalgia? 

I wanted to create a shoppe full of Vintage Cookbooks that were used to create wondrous meals, scrumptious goodies, wonderful memories, and timeless traditions.

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Here’s a few of my most Favorited cookbooks in my shoppe with their excerpts: Aunt Jenny’s Favorite Recipes 1940’s

Calvin: "How did you ever decide what recipes to put in this book of yours, Jenny? Why, you must know thousands!"
Jenny: "Well, Calvin, I knew folks would want receipts (recipes) for every day - not too fussy or hard on the pocketbook, but good-tastin'. These sure are - an' so digestible even a child can eat 'em, for they're all made the Spry way."

 

 Heart Of The Home by Susan Branch 1986

"The recipes in Heart Of The Home emphasize simple preparation and fresh food and they will take you through the seasons, from a Fourth of July picnic to a Valentine's Day celebration, and from warming winter meals to light, summery menus. They are many times tried and known to be true." Susan Branch

 

Cookie Book 1977

"Here are chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal and fudge cookies that are baked not only for children, but for everyone who knows that a house becomes a home when there is a jar filled to the brim with homemade cookies. And there are other kinds of cookies too; there are Delicate, Rolled, Lacy Ginger Cookies, Macaroons and Almond Crusted Butter Bars, Chocolate Truffles laden with Rum, and Pfeffernusse rolled in powdered sugar and left to season for a week. These are for the adults who have learned how to wait for the very best." Irena Chalmers

 

Watkins Cook Book 1926

"Simply call upon Watkins good old-fashioned helps to make each meal a splendidly different treat - even to the most jaded appetite... This little unpretentious book is an example of our effort to be helpful to you. Anyone could print a number of recipes on paper and call it a cook book. YOU alone could prove if it were, really... By using those superb Watkins 'custom-made' quality spices, flavors and baking powder, you create your own insurance against failure...”

 

Ceil Dyer’s Coffee Cookery 1978

"You'll find recipes in this book using coffee as an ingredient. Coffee adds its unique flavor to satin-smooth custards, sinfully rich puddings, elegant soufflés and frozen delights - all guaranteed to enhance your reputation as an inspired cook. Then there are the coffee candies, cookies and an assortment of subtly flavored sauces to transform simple ice cream and plain custards into glamorous desserts. You'll enjoy my collection of main course non-sweet dishes flavored very subtly with coffee. You won't taste the coffee, but you'll notice the enhanced flavor of the dish." Ceil Dyer

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Each listing has a photo of a recipe in the book for you to sample.  Plus, I do give a short list of the recipes from the books. Watkins Cook Book 1926

So put on your…

and come by and visit my shoppe and see what’s in stock and try out those sample recipes!

Giving Challenge #2

This Giving Challenge has been quite an eye opener for me.

Never did I realize how much I think of my own self, wants and needs until recently.

This life is not about ME.  This life is about serving God and others, as our God taught us:

Matthew 22:37-39

“Jesus replied: ‘LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your HEART and with ALL your SOUL and will ALL your STRENGTH and with ALL your MIND.’  THIS is the FIRST and GREATEST COMMANDMENT.  And the SECOND is like it: ‘LOVE your NEIGHBOR as yourself.’” 

 

 

Jesus and Others and You

What a Wonderful Way to Spell JOY

J is for Jesus, for He takes first place
O is for Others you meet face to face
Y is for You, and whatever you do,
Put yourself last and spell JOY

 

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Giving Challenge #2

There is a dear lady that has done my hair for years.  She will never receive a payment from me, nor from my parents when she gives my mom a perm.

She has been a 2nd mom to me, and is a great example of humility.

So…

…knowing how she LOVES to take baths, I chose a recipe straight of a Gooseberry Patch Book.

 

I had completely forgotten I had this book, silly me! 

The recipe is for a Strawberries & Cream Milk Bath.  The only problem is…I couldn’t find Strawberry Essential Oil.

So I went with the next best thing…Lemongrass!

#1  Pour 1 cup of powdered milk and 3/4 cup sea salt in a large bowl; mix well.

 

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*psst!  I just had to point out the lovely vintage Pyrex bowl my mom has had since…well, you probably can tell.

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Now back to our regularly scheduled recipe.

#2  Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture into a smaller bowl.

#3   Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of your most favorited essential oil over the mix in the small bowl; stir well.  

#4  Add oil mix back into the large bowl; mix well.

#5  Store in an airtight container. I couldn’t believe this Goodwill find actually held the exact amount I made!  Perfect!

#6  Attach a gift tag with instructions.  Yes, I learned from my last gift.  Instructions can be pretty handy.I cut out a strip of colored paper and folded it.

Then I wrote a special note to the special lady on the inside and also the instructions. 

With the name of the milk bath on top, I punched a hole in the top corner to slip the ribbon through.

And Tah dah!

Lemongrassy Goodness in a Jar
 Click Picture Below to find this Gooseberry Patch Book on Amazon.com


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I dropped by my dear friend’s house out of the blue as she was preparing dinner.

We chatted for a bit, and then I handed her this Milk Bath.  With a, “you didn’t have to do that!”, from her and a, “yes, I did!”, from me, she opened up the jar and just said, “Mmmmm!”

With a hug, I thanked her for what she has done for us.

We just LOVE her!  God bless you Linda!

 

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Now it’s your turn to share your own personal story for this week’s Giving Challenge on your blog!

Then link up your Giving Challenge blog post to the Mister Linky below.

If you don’t have a blog, go ahead and share us

your Giving Challenge in the comments of this post.