Friday Favorite: Buttons
I’ve always like buttons for some reason, I can’t quite explain it. I’m drawn to their usefulness and beauty. I remember going to the Warther Museum when I was young and being in awe of her button collection. They were all laid out to look like quilt tiles. I wanted to make one myself someday, I’m sure I’ll never reach her total of over 100,000 buttons, though.
I distinctly remember sitting in my paternal grandma’s living room and pouring out her button jar on the carpet. I’d spend quite a while organizing the buttons by size, color, shape. She had quite a variety, some round, some oblong, some smooth, some covered in rhinestones. I had my favorites that I’d linger over as I’d put them back in the jar. I remember doing this often when we’d stop by for a visit.
When my grandma died back when I was college, I asked for her button collection. I was happy to get it, still in the same jar it was in when I was little, with my favorite buttons still inside.
Last summer, my maternal grandmother died, and I too asked for her button collection. I don’t have memories of looking through her collection much, but I’m glad to have it all the same.
I have my own small button collection in a jar. I don’t specifically buy buttons, I try to acquire in the same way my grandmother’s most likely did. Through extras on clothing or picking them up off the sidewalk. If I’m making rags from a shirt, I always cut off the buttons and add them to the jar.
I’m sure I’ll keep slowly adding to my collection and maybe I’ll even make a design with them someday. (like this fabulous tree on Flickr) I wonder how many buttons I will collect in my lifetime without ever specifically seeking them out.
Do you have anything like this that you’ve been fond of since you were a kid?
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Cats and Winter Driving
I love almost everything about winter but the driving. It’s not so much that I mind driving in the snow personally, it’s all the other crazies on the road that worry me. Yesterday I almost didn’t make it home after the weather took at turn for the worse. It all started after a field trip with my nieces & nephew.
Their home school group arranged a field trip for the kids to tour the Cat’s Meow Village in Wooster. We saw how screen printing was done and iron on transfers were made. We also learned about the history of the company and got to see how they make all the little wooden houses, the kids thought it was very interesting. We also learned how Casper, little black cat, ended up on all the houses.
After the field trip, I met Mr Chiots to deliver a big pot of venison stew for the fearless hunters to eat, then I headed home. All was going well until about a half hour into the trip, then the roads took a turn for the worse, they were covered in a sheet of ice. For some reason, here in NE Ohio, everyone seems to forget how to drive in the snow during those warm summer months. People were flying by my at 80 mph and were swerving in and out of traffic. Of course many of them ended up in the ditches, most of them after bridges. They must think the “Bridge Freezes Before Roadway” signs are just a suggestion, not a fact. Normally the trip takes me around 50 minutes, I arrived home about 2 hours later.
The tally for the trip ended up being about 12 cars that I spotted in ditches. Two accidents that closed down both lanes of the four lane highway I was one, with fire trucks and everything at the scene. Ironically the back country roads I take for half of my trip weren’t too bad, old fashioned cinders are still the best I think. Not to mention, I think rural people are better versed at less than perfect road conditions since it’s the norm for us.
I’m happy I made it home, hopefully no one was injured too badly in any of those accidents. Perhaps those people will be more careful in the future. Winter driving is something I definitely am not looking forward to!
What are the roads like in your area in the winter? Does snow create big traffic problems?
PS – I didn’t take either photo above while driving, that would put me in that category of stupid drivers with all the people flying by me yesterday. I was stopped in a traffic jam yesterday for the blurry tail lights, and the winter road photo was taken last winter while Mr Chiots was driving, this is the road into town from our house.
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Healthy Carrot Oatmeal Bites
As Mr Chiots and I transitioned from buying packaged food, we needed an alternative to the granola bar. When we’re out filming, we need to have snacks that give us energy and keep us from getting too hungry. I discovered the recipe for these healthy cookies several years ago and have been making them ever since. These little cookies make wonderful on the go snacks. They’re packed full of all kinds of healthy ingredients and you can be at peace knowing there’s no high fructose corn syrup, soy protein isolate, artificial colors, flavors, partially hydrogenated fats, GMO ingredients or any of that scary stuff.
The term cookie is used loosely here, these are not your typically over the top sweet cookie, they’re actually less sweet than any granola bar I’ve ever eaten. If you’re going to make a batch, make sure you double it, these freeze beautifully so you can keep a bag full in the freezer and grab a few before you run out the door. I amended the original recipe to suit our tastes by adding flaked coconut and some more ginger and cinnamon to add even more healthfulness. The cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and the ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory.
Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
1 cup white whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 teaspoon baking powder (or 2/3 t. cream of tartar and 1/3 t. baking soda)
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (or nuts of choice)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup real maple syrup, room temperature
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, warmed until just melted
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Preheat oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, oats and cinnamon. Add the nuts and carrots. In a separate smaller bowl use a whisk to combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. *quick tip* – if you measure the coconut oil in the measuring cup first you don’t have as much maple syrup stick in the cup, most of it slides right out.
Drop onto prepared baking sheets, one level tablespoonful at a time, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. I use a small ice cream scoop and press into my hand, these cookies have a tendency to fall apart a bit so they need some care. Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden on top and bottom.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
I play around with the flavors in these every time I make them; sometimes I add raisins and lots of cinnamon, sometimes macadamia nuts, dried pineapple and large coconut flakes. I think some savory ones made with pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes would be heavenly as would a curried one. If you add a lot of extra stuff you may want to add a little more oil and maple syrup. You cold also play around with different oils, some clarified butter in a curried cookie would be great, and maybe olive oil in the tomato pine nut cookie. I’ve never strayed from using coconut oil because I like the flavor it offers and the health benefits as well. I’m guessing you could also use honey or molasses in place of the maple syrup if you’d like, although I’ve never tried to. Since we sugar our maples, I have maple syrup around and use that.
If you’re looking for any more wonderfully healthy cookies check out 101 Cookbooks blog, she has a lot of great choices including these Grown-Up Fig Cookies and these with bananas and chocolate.
Bake up some of these little snacks and tuck them into the pockets of your loved ones when they head out the door, they’ll thank you for it!
What’s your favorite on the go snack?
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The Sun Shone Brightly and the Sky Was Blue
Don’t know what got into me but when I sat down to write this post last night I decided to write a silly poem. Hope you enjoy it.
It was the perfect day to put up Christmas she knew,
The sun shone brightly and the sky was so blue.
Out of the attic came the decor, where it had been put away.
It was nearly 50, so no frosty fingers on this beautiful day.
Out came the step ladder and up went the pine,
white lights and pine cones along the roof line.
Stars, watering cans, and pots nestled by the front door,
Pine was draped down the sides that reached to the floor.
The sun was setting when she was all through,
She turned on the lights and took in the view.
Simple, natural decorations are the theme around here,
Shown to inspire others around the big blogosphere.
Do you put up outdoor Christmas decorations? What kinds?
Update: people are always asking where I got my grapevine stars. I’ve had them for many years, you can find them for a good price here on Amazon.
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Eating Alone
Mr Chiots is off hunting with my dad, hopefully filling our freezer with lots of venison for the year to come. As a result I’ll be eating alone all week. At least I have a ton of leftovers from Thanksgiving, so it’s quick and easy to warm up something while I’m working.
I find the quickest way to warm up dinner is to put it all in a small cast iron skillet and throw it in the toaster oven for 15 minutes. While it’s heating up I can do something else, when it’s done I eat right out of the skillet. The skillet will also keep the food warm for a while in case I’m in the middle of something and can’t eat right away. This works equally well for two, just divide onto plates, or share the skillet – not as romantic as sharing a milkshake.
Being an introvert, I appreciate solitude and quiet and I’m getting plenty of that this week. Perhaps this is why I like gardening so much.
Do you enjoy being alone or do you relish in being around other people?
P.S. For all you other introverts out there I’d highly recommend the book The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, even if you’re not an introvert this book would help you understand your friends & family members that are.
