Gooseberry Patch

Happy Parents' Day!

Did you know that the fourth Sunday of July is Parents' Day? We didn't either...but what a great day to celebrate! In the spirit of the day, Vickie is sharing a story of gratitude...

When I think about what I’m most grateful for, my parents immediately come to mind.

From the time my kids were babies, they were right there to lend a hand. Whether it was taking Matt for a stroller ride on a sunny spring day or inviting Emily to come and play dress up...since they were only 3 blocks away from our little house, they were an everyday presence in our lives.

Not only did they love spending time with my kids, they both remembered how rare “alone time” is for Mom & Dad. I know this is why, every Friday without fail, they took both kids so Shelby & I could have “date night.” We would have dinner together and enjoy uninterrupted conversation...talking and planning what was next for our family.

I can’t imagine raising my children without such active and loving grandparents...I’m thankful for every day, every golden moment they so generously gave us.

(Click the photo above to see the silliness at full size!)

 

Do YOU have a favorite memory of Mom or Dad?
Share it with us in the comments!

---

Happy Halloween!

Halloween seems to be one of the most photographed holidays, doesn't it? There are so many cute costumes and silly faces we want to remember. Today we're sharing some of our favorite pictures of the kids over the years. Share YOUR photos today on our Page on Facebook and join the fun!

Calling All Gardeners!

Whether it's a big bed of perennials, a few pots of annuals or a patch of your favorite fresh veggies out back, almost all of us are watching something grow at this time of year.

Vickie's bright geraniums are making a comeback this year. Don't have space to plant perennials like these? Pick up a pot or two at your local garden center and place them in a fun container, like this weathered wheelbarrow.

Jo Ann hopes to enjoy another bumper crop of heirloom tomatoes in August & September...they're so tasty in salads, on sandwiches or just on their own with a sprinkle of salt & pepper!

Tina, over at Mommy's Kitchen, has a thriving veggie (and strawberry!) garden and is enjoying zinnias too...click here and scroll down to check out the rest of her inspiring photos!

Want to really be inspired...or perhaps garden vicariously? Check out these photos from another favorite blogger...Not Quite June Cleaver!

Cora at Heartfelt & Homemade is cooking up some blackberry jam...we recommend you find another method of picking berries than the one she and her daughter Holly used! (Makes for a great story though, Cora!)

Linda at Prairie Flower Farm shared a breathtaking photo of an old-fashioned favorite of ours: pretty pink peonies!

Okay...your turn. What are YOU planting or watching grow this season?
Leave us a comment or a link to your blog...we'd love to hear all about it!

Easter Memories

Remember when Easter was all about a new dress, matching purse and those little white gloves? We do! As the holiday approaches, we wanted to share a few pictures from those days that were all about the baskets...and the candy!

(Who are we kidding? It's still about the candy sometimes!)

Can you spot Jo Ann in this photo? She's the one in the sweet bonnet holding her little purse. She remembers spending holidays with the whole family, including cousins pictured here.

(Click the photos to see them up close!)

"It took forever for Mom to get us all ready for church on Easter Sunday. When we got home, we always celebrated with a big family brunch. It was a lot of excitement and lots of fun too...including an egg hunt in the backyard!"

Vickie's in the photo on the right...surrounded by all her baskets!

"I was almost 5 when this photo was snapped. I don't even remember where all the baskets came from but I do remember feeling
really special with all my goodies and my
new dress!"

Have a photo you'd like to share?
Post it on our Page on Facebook...we'd love to hear about
your Easter memories!

February Snow

Remember back in January when I wanted to snap some photos before all the snow melted? Well, I had no idea what Ohio was in store for this month!

Look at all the snow piled up there...that's one chilly crow!

Look how the big old pine tree holds onto all that snow...my little cabin looks even smaller next to it!

I love how quiet the woods look under their blanket of snow...this one almost looks like a painting doesn't it?

Capturing the seasons (and everything else!) with my camera is one of my favorite things to do...what do you do to stay inspired?

Thanks for reading!

Cupcakes with Sawyer!

For Valentine's day this year, Sawyer and a little buddy made cupcakes...I wanted to share some of the sweet photos from that day.

Testing out the icing...yep, it's yummy!

Starting to actually put the icing ON the cupcakes...

All done...now for the sprinkles!

 

A baker's dozen, ready to enjoy!

 

Want to make your Valentine some treats from scratch?
Give this recipe from Gifts for Giving a try!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

1/2 c. butter, divided
7 T. brown sugar, packed
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. pineapple tidbits, drained
    with juice reserved
6 maraschino cherries, drained
    and halved
1 c. cake flour
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg, separated
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan; stir in sugar and cinnamon until blended. Remove pan from heat; add pineapple. Lightly grease each cup in a 12-cup muffin tin; spoon one tablespoon mixture into each cup. Place a cherry half, round side-down, in the center of each cup; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form. In a large mixing bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar; beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice, beating well after each addition; fold in egg white. Pour mixture evenly into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until cupcakes test done. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; invert onto a baking sheet to cool. Makes 12.

Have a sweet Valentine's day!

Snowy Days

Before the latest snow melts, I wanted to share a few photos I snapped...click on any of them to view at full size!

While it was definitely stay-in-and-get-cozy weather, my little Oscar wanted to get out
to explore!

My stone bunny looks mighty chilly with a dusting of snow,
doesn't he?

Same goes for the friendly stone dog guarding the barn door!

Icicles hang from the roof of my little cabin but it still looks like a welcoming place,
I think.

There were even tiny icicles on the nesting house for my Purple Martin friends...good thing they won't be back 'til spring!

It's only January and I'm looking forward to spring already...how do YOU make the most of these chilly months?

Leave me a comment...I'd love to hear from you!

 

Don't Miss Out on the Fun!

In case you haven't checked out our Cookbook Editor's profile on Facebook, we wanted to give you a peek into what's going on...

Today we shared some photos from our potluck, celebrating the release of our new book 101 Slow-Cooker Recipes. Tara (left) was our unofficial hostess since she was the Cookbook Editor for the book...here she is stirring up some goodness and getting ready to enjoy!

To the right, you can see the long buffet of slow cookers...over 20 were plugged in and bubbled away all morning. The smell was simply heavenly and everyone was hungry by lunchtime.

And you know us! We were so ready to dig in...everything was really tasty, as you can imagine. 

In addition to even more photos from our potluck, there's another chance to vote today...pick your favorite of the three yummy slow-cooker desserts and tag yourself in the photo. We'll post the winning recipe tomorrow on the Gooseberry Patch Page!

We posted the winner of the last round of voting on our Page and if you haven't tried the recipe for Southern Chicken & Dumplings, you're missing out. Just look at that creamy goodness...  

There's also a new video from yesterday and another one coming up a little later today...so much excitement for our new book, we can't wait to share it with you.

See you there!

32 Years...and Counting!

The very first holiday season after Shelby and I were married, someone at his office gave him an amaryllis plant for Christmas. He brought it home and I read the instructions, finding a sunny window for it to live. We watered it and we waited.

It bloomed that year...and the year after...and has every year ever since! Here's a photo from one of the first years. Can you believe that one bulb shot up several stems after just a year or two?

Our amaryllis was a regular part of our holiday decorations and celebrations...
when the kids were little, they loved watching the big red flowers make their debut. So exciting to see in the middle of winter!

One year, after the pot had been tucked away in the basement for its dormant season for a few months, I brought it back up in April. I just wanted to see what would happen...could I have a springtime bloom too?

Sure enough, with enough time in a sunny window, those bright green leaves shot up and we were rewarded with brilliant red flowers. After the blooms were spent, I planted it (pot and all!) out behind the barn. I thought soaking up some sunshine would be good for it and by that time we were past the danger of frost.

When October rolled around, I went out to bring in the bulb and keep it from frost over the winter. Ever since, we've enjoyed it in the spring instead of at the holidays, but it still reminds me of our early  Christmases so long ago.

In the MANY years since we first received it, it's grown and split into SIX bulbs. My record number of blooms was 64 at one time...can you imagine? 

Do any of you have a special plant or flower that has been around forever like this one? I'd love to hear about it...

Christmas in the Cabin

We finally got our first real snow of the season earlier this week...the kind that really sticks around for more than a day. It was the inspiration I needed to finally decorate the cabin for the holidays.

On the front door, I hung a simple swag of boxwood. I collected the branches from bushes we have around the house and barn and then just tied them with a little twine and ribbon. As you'll see, I like to keep things simple in the cabin...

This is a bucket bench that holds my salt-glazed crocks and other odds & ends. Believe it or not, that's an old pig trough on top...I found it years ago in an antique shop. I filled it with more boxwood, pine, apples and dried oranges and added a wooden bowl of cranberries for a pop of color.

The dried oranges are easy to make...just slice an orange, place the slices on a cookie sheet and put them in a 180-degree oven. I left mine in overnight and in the morning they were perfect! I've hung them in the windows of the cabin...you'll see them below.

Hung by the chimney with care, these stockings are all ready to be filled. Next to the fireplace, I have an old-fashioned settle bench. The sides are angled in to keep the heat in...they sort of hug you when you're sitting there. I stitched up a little chair pad out of linen & straw and it's the coziest spot in the cabin!

This old sawbuck table is one of my favorite vintage finds. It includes the initials PD carved into the top, probably for the original owner, and a pair of holes at one end where a meat grinder was once attached. The centerpiece is very simple...a wool penny rug topped with fresh pine branches and my favorite pewter candlesticks. Here's where you can see the little bundles of dried oranges hanging in the window to catch the light.

There's my little tree! Simply decorated with cinnamon-applesauce ornaments that are so easy to make...and so fragrant! The shelves and dry sink are filled with more favorites...pantry boxes, baskets, pitchers, painted bowls and even a sap bucket. I love their rich colors!

Make your own cinnamon-applesauce ornaments...there's still time before Christmas!

Just mix 1-1/2 c. cinnamon with 1 cup of applesauce to make the dough. Place it between two pieces of waxed paper and roll with your rolling pin to about 1/8" thickness. Peel off the top piece of wax paper and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Add a small hole at the top of each shape with a straw or skewer and let them dry overnight, or until completely hard. You can also put them in a 150-degree oven for about an hour. Remove, cool and thread a ribbon through the small hole to hang. 

They really couldn't be easier...and they'll keep their scent for years to come!

Thanks for visiting my cabin!

Our Favorite Gifts!

We got such a kick out of reading about YOUR first gifts last week on our Page on Facebook, we decided to share a few photos from way back when...first up is Vickie.

At the ripe old age of 8, all I wanted for Christmas was a Fort Apache play set. Does anyone else remember these? They included cowboys, Indians, horses and a big log fort where you could have adventures. That year, I was really into being a cowgirl, as you can see by the western pop-gun I'm brandishing in this photo. Check out that Hayley Mills haircut too, inspired by her movie, The Parent Trap!

Coming from a big family, Christmas was always extra exciting. Not only did we get gifts of our own to play with but we could also see what everyone else got...and plan to steal a turn with their toys too! This had been the case the year before this photo was taken. My sister got a tricycle just like this one and I'm told I was more excited about her trike than my own dolls and blocks. (I was just two!) The very next year, Santa delivered my very own shiny red tricycle on Christmas morning...I was so thrilled and took it for a spin in the living room, as you can see!

Thanks for reading...

Vickie's Own Christmas Tree

I must have been about 5 years old the year I decorated my very first tree...well, okay. It was just a branch, but it was just my size and I loved choosing ornaments and candy canes to hang!

My mother wrote this note to my older sister to go along with the photos...

This is the branch Vickie found over on the side of our lot. It took her an hour and a half to decorate it! First she put it in the corner of the living room but ended up on her table in the dining room, as you can see. She was much more thrilled about her branch than she was about our big tree...you can probably tell this from the expression on her face. She put her jack-in-the-box and some of her coloring books under it. Can't wait to share this picture with her when she's all grown up!

Isn't it amazing how a simple photo can bring back a memory so clearly? I remember the excitement of that day like it was yesterday. What are some of your fondest Christmas memories?

Warmly,

 

Baking Up Memories!

Making Christmas cookies with the kids are some of my very favorite holiday memories. Starting way back when Kyle was just a little guy, we've all looked forward to at least one day of baking together every year. Here's a photo from back in the early days...isn't he as sweet as can be?

Here's one of our newest favorite cookies...Vickie shared this recipe with us and we love the nutty crunch. A different take on traditional cut-out cookies, it's a keeper!

Cocoa-Almond Cut-Outs
Find it in our must-have book, Christmas Cookies!

3/4 c. butter, softened
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
2-3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. baking cocoa
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 c. chopped almonds

Combine butter, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well and set aside. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in almonds. Divide dough into 4 portions; wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Chill for 2 hours; remove each portion when ready to roll out. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Arrange on lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen.

Hope you and your little helpers love it as much as we do...bake up some new memories this holiday season!

Warmly,

It's Official!

Thanksgiving is officially behind us and you know what that means...it's time to decorate for the holidays! Last year, I took some photos of the finished decorations to look back at this year. I thought I might find some inspiration or maybe even come up with new ideas this year based on what I still like about last year.

Okay, maybe no one else thinks about decorating this much (I know Vickie & I do!) but I thought I'd share some of those photos and maybe add some inspiration to your weekend!

Love this little fruit tree...and it fits just right in the corner
at the bottom of the stairs!

You really can't have too much greenery...and poinsettias
are a must at our house.

Nothing says Christmas like the warm glow of the fireplace
and the little tree next to it reminds me of the frosty weather outside!

We'd love to see how you're decorating too...post some photos on our Page on Facebook or link to your photos here in the comments!

Happy decorating!

A Triple Celebration!

Coming from a family of EIGHT, every meal was an adventure, as you can imagine. And Thanksgiving was always a memorable event, not only because of the big feast but also because my brother DJ and I celebrated our birthdays at the same time!

The dates fall just two days apart and, often years, we overlapped with Thanksgiving. My mother always made it special for us...even down to our tiny party hats!

These pictures were taken on my 2nd and 3rd birthdays (my brother was turning a year older than me) and I thought you'd all get a kick out of them...we sure do!

Enjoy!

A trial run...

This year, we're going to have at least part of our Thanksgiving gathering in the cabin. It's a special place for me and its cozy atmosphere is perfect for appreciating family & friends.

Over the weekend, I wanted to set the table out there as sort of a trial run, and to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving, of course. I snapped some photos and thought I'd share them here with you...

Here you can see the whole table set...click on any of these photos to view it larger.

Aside from the dishes, nothing really matches and I like it that way. A little of this and a little of that makes a table really shine.

 

Each place will be personalized with a vintage photo of a family member. I just love the vintage postcards sprinkled around and the transferware dishes are favorites too.

(As often happens with us, Jo Ann found the exact same dishes separately from me and brought hers in to share...but I had mine first!)

Here's another placesetting and in this one, you can see the sweet little turkey candle who makes an appearance every year.

I found him way back in 1973 and he's been part of our Thanksgiving ever since...
longer than Matt & Emily!

We'll use this little table for coffee & desserts after the feast. It includes one of my favorite finds...the little brown cow platter! Jo Ann and I found this in an antique shop in Lebanon, Ohio. Isn't it dear?

Thanksgiving is all about family & friends but getting your table (and the rest of the house!) all dressed up is part of the fun too...how will you make your Thanksgiving table special?

Warmly,

Grandma's Corn Muffins

Meet Clay, the grandson of one of our longtime
Gooseberry Patch friends, Flo Burtnett.

Over the years, Flo has sent us dozens of recipes (maybe even hundreds!) in the mail and most of them included a personal note or photo of her family. We always looked forward to her Christmas cookie recipes each year...she had the best ideas!

This corn muffin recipe was another one of our favorites and her note about making them with Clay really warmed our hearts. Our little helpers can really turn an hour in the kitchen into a warm memory to be held for years to come, can't they?

We were sad to hear of Flo's passing before we could share this sweet story & photo. After talking it over with her family, we're sure that Flo would have loved to see her recipe and her sweet grandson featured here.

Pull one of your little helpers into the kitchen and make some new memories today...

Grandma's Corn Muffins
In loving memory of Flo Burtnett

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
4 t. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
2 T. shortening, melted

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder; blend well. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk and shortening. Add dry ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full; bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes one dozen.

Thanks again, Flo...we'll miss you. 

Getting ready to give thanks...

Everyone has that certain decoration that really makes the season...it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it! Maybe it's a particular ironstone platter to serve the turkey or maybe it's Grandma's gravy boat that always sets the table.

For me, it's my Thanksgiving chandelier. I dress it up for most seasons and you may have seen it last year all decked out for Halloween.

With the big feast happening later this month, I haven't wasted any time getting my chandelier ready for Thanksgiving dinner. The earlier I get it decorated, the longer I'll get to enjoy it, right?

Here are a few photos...

 

You can see all the berries, gourds and greenery spilling over...it's so pretty when we're all gathered underneath it.

My favorite part are the tags hanging down here and there. They're all stamped with words that remind us of the season and really set the mood.

How do you spruce up your home for Thanksgiving?
Any must-have decorations for the season?

Warmly,

A weekend full of celebration!

As we mentioned over the weekend, my grandson Sawyer turned 6 on Saturday. His birthday is always extra fun with all the costumes and parties going on for Halloween. This year, in addition to a costume parade with his schoolmates, there was plenty of fun to be had trick or treating...

(Note the costume change...I guess Darth Vader lost his shine after wearing it all month!)

We also went bowling for his big day. Here's the new 6-year-old all decked out in fancy shoes...I love the tongue sticking out in concentration!

Afterward, I got together with a few girlfriends for a spooky celebration in the cabin...

 

Check out those creepy carrot fingers coming out of the yummy taco dip!

Hope you enjoyed this festive weekend too...

 

A page from our scrapbook!