Starting Preschool

Genevieve started preschool this morning and I haven't cried yet.  But I'm planning to.  It's the first little home-string stretching and snapping, which is the ultimate goal, I know, to release strong independent young adults into the world. . .but oh my heart.

To celebrate her first day and also to indulge her recent love of skirts and dresses, I made her a first-day-of-school dress.  It's sweet calico I got from the creative reuse shop and a pattern from Mrs. R. 

And because I wanted her to be free to somersault in all modesty, I made her bloomers, just using the shorts from the pattern and putting lace and elastic in the legs.  They are great!  So pretty and practical.  I'm going to be making more if my girl keeps loving skirts.  I put a little ribbon tag in the back of the bloomers.

And off we go, walking across town to her little preschool.  She was so ready for this and had a really marvelous time.

Goat's Milk to Drink, Eat, and Suds

"Fresh goat's milk," I read a sign absently as we drove past a farm last week. 
"Mom!  Can we get some??" shrieked Genevieve.  She's been reading Heidi, and Heidi's meals are bread, cheese, and goat's milk (terribly unbalanced).

So we did.  It's whole raw milk, and I confess we're not terribly fond of it.

But the cheese!  I told the farmer I wanted the strongest stuff he had, and it was magnificent last evening with popcorn and apples.

And the soap.  I adore a bar of soap to wash my hands - no liquid soap for us (which makes my children seem clean and prissy because they work the pumps so eagerly at other peoples' houses).

After taking the photo of the pretty bar, I loosened its wrappings and tucked it in my basket of bars.  I believe (although it's disputed) that the soap hardens and then lasts longer if it sets out in the air for weeks or months.  I keep our bath soap in a metal basket on the back of the john - bathrooms need all the good clean scent they can get.

"My Favorite Color is Pancake and French Fries."

So said Ben this morning at breakfast, our Saturday pancakes.

The ingredients in a commercial pancake syrup are truly astonishing.  What's even more astonishing to me is that such junk is not cheap.  I've had to tighten my food expenses and  (painfully) cannot justify the cost of maple syrup right now because it's just not a very nutritionally important food, nor is it local for me.  I wanted to find cheap, non-chemical syrup.
My solution was in the More with Less cookbook (most of my solutions are, you know).

Maple Syrup - from More with Less, with a tweak

Combine in saucepan:
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. water

Bring to boil, cover to prevent later crystallization, and boil for 1 minute.
Allow to cool slightly.
Add:
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 c. maple syrup

Store in refrigerator.

The original recipe called for maple flavoring, but I just dump in some of the real thing instead.  This way, I can stretch a quart of maple syrup for months.

I had used another recipe from MWL that was thickened with cornstarch, but it only kept in the fridge for a week or two before spoiling.

School Shopping

Since we had Genevieve's preschool orientation (what?! it's September??  my little girl is starting preschool??!), I've gotten serious about going over the cold weather clothes.  It may be 90 degrees here, but by gum, my children are going to have winter coats and wool sweaters at ready. 

I bought a winter coat for Ben today for $10 at a consignment shop (already had the boots, snow pants, and mittens).  Genevieve needed shoes because she can't wear flip flops to preschool; I have a shoe formula I usually stick to:  everyday brown shoes and black Mary Janes for good. 

But I found these darling corduroy navy flats for $3 at a thrift store (and a bonus pair of cordovan moc croc Mary Janes for next year!).  She does have some navy Chucks to wear too, but they are cumbersome since she can't tie her own laces yet.

I also have been looking for a wool blanket for Ben's bed; last year, he was still in his crib, so I'm still gradually getting all the accoutrements for a twin bed.  I've been scoping around online with no luck, but took a swing through the bedding at the thrift store and ta da!  found this Pendleton wool blanket for $10.  I'm going to take off the nasty satin and put a big bright binding the whole way around.  And then I'm going to applique something on it! 

The rest of the thrift store loot:
a big metal tub for nursery books - $.99
six beautiful ramekins $ 3.49
linen shorts for the husband $2
2 shirts for G $2, $3

(Going through "the coats" to Narnia. . .if all goes well, I'll be sewing this fabric into curtains very soon!)

We Had a Cool Snap

But now it's gone.  Before it left, we had The First Pumpkin Pie and The First Apples.

My daughter adores pumpkin pie more than I do, which is saying a lot.  She has been begging for it for months, so I promised her that the minute butternuts appeared on market, I would make her a pie.  The butternuts appeared last week.  The weather was cool enough for a quilt on the bed at night, so I cheerfully baked those pumpkins down, put most of them in the freezer for future pies, and baked Genevieve her pie.  (She is at the funny self-conscious stage where she can't smile naturally for the camera).

She was thrilled.  And the recipe is my own, cobbled together after lots of experimenting a few years ago, so I'm very proud of it.  I realize that opinions vary regarding pumpkin pies, so I'll tell you that mine is dense in a creamy, satisfying way, spicy and not over sweet.

And the fall apples are in.  These are Ginger Gold apples with a lone Fuji left from last week.  The summer apples are nice for making sauce if you are crazy enough to want to do that in the middle of summer, but I'll be making applesauce towards to the end of September when I'm in the mood. 

Margo's Pumpkin Pie

Blend in blender under totally smooth:
2 c. cooked pumpkin, well drained
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (or evaporated milk, if you must)
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (or if you're in a rush, 3 eggs will do)
1/2 tsp. salt
scant 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

Pour into prepared 9" deepdish pie crust.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes; reduce temp to 350 and bake an additional 30-40 minutes until pie is not jiggly in center.  Cool or chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  Can also bake in a buttered casserole as a custard - keep the depth to 4" or less.

There's an unguarded smile, bless her pea-pickin' heart.

Sleeve Ironing Board

How did I manage without my nifty new sleeve ironing board??  I cannot recall, so I highly recommend a sleeve ironing board!  Shopping for something else at Jo Ann Fabrics, I saw it (for $14.99, but whew, I had a 40% off coupon). 

Here it is set up with my cousin's pants, which she asked me to hem into capris.  When I sew for extended family, I trade time, so she's doing a bit of childcare in exchange for the capris.

And looky, my sleeve ironing board tucks neatly in behind my big ironing board. 

Pimento Cheese

Remember I told you I canned pimentoes?  This all started when I helped my friend Rebecca move and I tasted her dad's amazing pimento cheese spread.  I tried to be nice, but I was very insistent that I have the recipe.  He looked me in the eye and said it started with canning pimentoes (pickled red bell pepper - I guess I thought those red bits in the middle of green olives just came with the package, but no, they are a condiment in their own right). Pimento cheese spread is a Southern thing, I learned, although my husband said he has seen it for sale in Northern deli cases.  But I know the Virginian recipe I got from Rebecca's dad is superior.

I made the first batch of pimento cheese spread last night, to go with our Sunday night meal of popcorn.  It's not very photogenic, and the Sunday night meal is prone to strangeness as you can see Genevieve eating her popcorn out of a wooden box.

We walked downtown for ice cream then, which I intended to take a photo of since it's been such a lovely summer tradition for us.  But Ben had a total meltdown in the ice cream shop and so I only remembered my camera when the children stopped to play an outside piano on the way home. . . .which has also been a  lovely summer tradition.

Pimento Cheese Spread - - with thanks to Ben S. and his cousin in the Shenandoah Valley
1/2 c. mayo
3/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 small onion, minced
1 cup minced pimentoes
1/2 c. salad olives, diced
Tabasco to taste

Mix together.  Eat on bread or crackers or straight out of the bowl when no one's looking. (If you want, I will post the recipe for canning the pimentoes too).

I want you to know that we do still eat Sunday dinner, but it's mostly repeats of meals I've already posted on.  Let's just say when I have a new, photogenic Sunday dinner, I will post on that.  Otherwise you should assume we are fine and eating big Sunday dinners.

Updated:

Pimentoes

12 large red peppers, ground (I used my food processor)

3 c. sugar

1 1/2 Tbs. salt

2 c. vinegar

Combine and simmer one hour.

Pack hot pimentos into hot 1/2 pint jars, topping immediately with heated lids and rings.  Allow to cool and check seal.  This is known as open-kettle canning and is not generally recommended by the officials anymore, but I feel comfortable doing it for pickled things.  If you are not comfortable, definitely process in a hot water bath for whatever period of time you would do pickles.