And the Winner is....

The entries are ready for the paper bag....

Little One shakes it hard...

She pulls out the winner...

Big Sister opens it up...

And the Winner is...

Sheryl!

 

Congratulations, Sheryl!  I can't wait to send you the reproduction Vintage Greeting Cards!

And Thank You to each of you who entered--you are each special to me!

Blueberry Cream Pie

Blueberry Cream Pie

Mix Together:

1  Cup  Sugar

5  Tablespoons Flour

in large mixing bowl.

Stir in:

1  Cup  Sour Cream

1  Cup  Milk

1-2  Cups  Blueberries (or berries of your choice--Raspberries, Blackberries, etc.)

and stir until well combined.  Pour into an un-baked 9-inch pie shell and bake at 350* for one hour.  Cool completely; store in refrigerator.  Serves 8.

My sister, my sister-in-law, and I, along with our 10 children (that's a combined 10--we don't each have 10 children!) went out to Blueberry Bluff to pick berries.  In a little more than two hours we had picked 165 pounds of berries!  I'm more than a little bummed that I forgot to take my camera...  If you're looking for an awesome place to go, I highly recommend Blueberry Bluff (you can google them for more info).  No, this is not a paid advertisement for them; they know me only as "the lady who lost her keys in the field."  My sister found them for me, praise the Lord!  I was more than a bit panicked.  That evening we had a Blueberry Pie Tasting:

 Blueberry Cream Pie ~ Grandma's Blueberry Pie ~ Blueberry Cheese Pie

"Great is the Lord,

and greatly to be praised in the city of our God,

in the mountain of His holiness...

For this God is our God forever and ever:

He will be our guide even unto death."

Psalm 48: 1 & 14

This recipe is from my friend Danita; she is the one who supplied the recipe for Ceasar Salad Dressing., which incidentally has been the most popular post on this blog; currently at 1,528 views.  I think you'll like this recipe, too.  Thank you, dear friend, for sharing! 

{Happy Birthday}, a Give-Away, and some ramblings...

Happy Birthday!

No, not to me, but to Gift of Simplicity!  Tomorrow, June 4, marks the second year of this blog!  In honor of this, I am doing my Very First Give-Away!

Do you like this Vintage Reproduction Postcard?

Or do you like this one?

Or how about this card?

Or what about this one?

Or better yet, how about One Dozen cards, three of each design?

I think the final option is the best, don't you?  (I hope so, because that is the Give-Away.)


Here is how to enter this Drawing:
For each of the following steps you complete, you will receive one entry.  Complete one, get one entry; complete five, get five entries--you get the point.

1.  Leave me a comment on this post (and tell me how many of the
     following you were able to complete).
2.  Share your favorite recipe from this blog on Pinterest.
3.  "Like" my blog page on Facebook--
     use this link: Gift of Simplicity .
4.  Share my blog page on your Facebook page.
5.  Follow me on Pinterest.
6.  Tweet this blog.
7.  Share on Google+.
8.  Share through another form of social media (LinkedIn, etc.).
9.  If you are new to this blog, let me know who sent you and you
    BOTH will receive an extra entry.

Now, I will need you to leave me a comment telling me how many steps you were able to complete.  I don't Tweet, use Google+, or LinkedIn, so I'm trusting you to be honest!  :)  I'm not techy and haven't figured out how to use those cool little gadgets, so this will be done to the absolute best of my ability to be accurate, but will depend on you telling me how many entries you completed.  I will have an extremely unbiased person (my 4-year-old) draw the winner from a paper bag.

This Give-Away is open to residents of the USA and Canada, and closes at Midnight, June 10th, 2013.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here on the home front, things have been busy.  School has been out for two weeks and in this two weeks we have had dentist appointments, a really cool 3-day writing class (for the boys)/geo-draw (for big sister)/play camp (for little one), a day in town with the boys-whew!, a sewing day, a blue-berry picking day (3 moms, 10 kids, 2 hours, 165 lb. blueberries).

I'm tired.

This coming Sunday will be the boys' 11-year birthday, so that means a celebration!  And then Church Conference on Father's Day weekend, so this means that any posts this month will be what I can get completed today and scheduled to post throughout the month. 

And here is the final Tea Party recipe:

Buttermilk Almond Scones

with Devonshire Cream

For the Scones:

2  Cups  Flour

1  Tablespoon  Baking Powder

2  Tablespoons  Sugar

1/2  teaspoon  Salt

6  Tablespoons  Cold Butter

1/2  Cup  Buttermilk

1/2  teaspoon  Almond Flavoring

1 Egg, separated

For the Glaze:

1/2  Cup  Powdered Sugar

1/4  teaspoon  Almond Flavoring

1  Tablespoon  Milk, or as needed 

For the Devonshire Cream:

8  ounces  Cream Cheese, softened

2  Tablespoons  Powdered Sugar

1/2  Cup  Sour Cream

For Garnish:

Turbinado or Raw Sugar

Sliced Almonds

For the Scones:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Mix dry ingredients.  Cut in Butter until coarse.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients; pour in Buttermilk, Egg Yolk, and Almond Flavoring.  Mix together gently, until dough clings together and is sticky.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  Turn out onto a floured surface and shape 6-8 inches around.  Cut into pie wedges or use a favorite cookie cutter.  Handle as little as possible.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush lightly with beaten Egg White and sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar.  Bake for 9-10 minutes.  Cool completely; frost with Glaze and sprinkle with Sliced Almonds.  Serve with Devonshire Cream.  Makes 8 to 10 scones, depending on cookie cutter size.

For the Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.

For the Devonshire Cream:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer if desired.  Serve with Scones.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.  Also yummy on bagels.

"For ye know the grace of

our Lord Jesus Christ,

that, though He was rich,

yet for your sakes

He became poor,

that ye through His poverty

might become rich."

II Corinthians 8:9

 

One there is above all others,

Well deserves the name of friend;

His is love beyond a brother's

Costly, free, and knows no end.

Which, of all our friends to save us,

Could or would have shed his blood?

But this Savior died to have us

Reconcil'd in him to God.

Oh! for grace our hearts to soften!

Teach us, Lord, at length to love:

We, alas! forget too often,

What a friend we have above.

Recipe adapted from Southern Fixin's, page 188.

Shortbread Tea Cookies

Shortbread Tea Cookies

In a stand mixer combine:
1  pound  room-temperature Butter
1-1/4  Cup  White Sugar
5  Cups  White Flour

and beat on medium to medium-high for 10 minutes.  Press into a jelly roll pan, score, and bake at 300* for 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature, cut along scored lines and frost, if desired, with:

Petits Fours Frosting

1/2  Cup  plus  3  Tablespoons  Water

7  Cups  sifted Powdered Sugar

3  Tablespoons  Light Corn Syrup

1  teaspoon  Vanilla -or- Almond Extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until frosting reaches 110*.  Quickly pour warm frosting over cookies or cakes which have been placed on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet.  Yield:  3 cups.  You may find that you will need to give the cookies or cakes a second coating of the frosting.  If you're careful, you can remove any crumbs from the baking sheet, scrape the frosting back into the saucepan and reheat the frosting to re-pour over the cookies.  I sprinkled my cookies with culinary lavender after the second coating of frosting.

"When thou hast eaten and art full,

then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God

for the good land which He hath given thee."

Deuteronomy 8:10



Mother, Daughter, & Dolly Tea

Mother, Daughter, & Dolly Tea

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of helping host a Mother, Daughter, & Dolly Tea with Lori F.  Our daughters are in the same class at school and were the gracious hostesses to their classmates and friends.   What fun it was to pull out all of the fancy china, serve dainty food, sip from Grandma's teacup, and spend the afternoon being a lady!

 

Katelyn and Allison welcomed each of their guests at the door and invited them to choose a vintage hat to wear for the afternoon.  After we had taken Mother-Daughter photographs, we served our Tea out on the porch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches on Croissants, Mixed Berries with Greek Yogurt, Lemon Tea Cookies, Almond Scones, Vanilla Bean Scones, and Buttermilk Pecan Scones, as well as assorted Teas and Pink Lemonade.

After Tea, the little girls played Bingo and Musical Chairs and then crafted a hair clip for themselves and for their dollies.  All too soon, the afternoon ended and it was time to return home.  Thank you, each one of you, who helped to make this afternoon a time of sweet fellowship and blessing!

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us:

and establish Thou the work of our hands..."

Psalm 90:17

 

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Mix together:

1/2  Cup  Mayonnaise

2  teaspoons  Dried Basil

1  Tablespoon  Lemon Juice

2  12-oz.  Canned Chicken  (or 3 Cups cooked Chicken)

1  Cup  halved seedless Red Grapes

1/2  Cup  thinly diced Red Onion

Red Leaf Lettuce

Croissants

On a croissant, place one leaf lettuce and approximately 1/4-cup Chicken Salad.  Makes approximately 18 mini croissant sandwiches, or 8 regular-sized croissant sandwiches.  Yummy!

Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

Serves:  8 to 10

Salt & Pepper
1  pound  Elbow Macaroni
1  28-oz.  Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
6  Tablespoons  Butter
1/2  Cup  Flour
1/4  teaspoon  Cayenne Pepper
4  Cups  Whole Milk
1  Cup  Chicken Broth
4  Cups  Mild Cheddar
2  Cups  Sharp Cheddar

Preheat oven to 400*.  Cook Macaroni in 4 quarts boiling water until just al dente, about 6 minutes.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add Tomatoes and juices, stirring to coat.  Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the Tomato Juice is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt Butter.  Stir in Flour and Cayenne Pepper and cook until golden, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in Milk and Chicken Broth until smooth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Off heat, whisk in Cheeses, 1 teaspoon Salt and 1 teaspoon Pepper, until Cheese are melted.  Pour over Macaroni, combining well.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake until top begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.  Serves 8 to 10 as a main course; 15 to 18 as a side dish.

"A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth:

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:

the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."

Proverbs 13: 2a, 3a, 4b   

We really enjoy Macaroni & Cheese for an easy lunch.  I especially liked the way the tomato gently flavors this recipe and gives it a pretty rosy hue.   This is slightly adapted from Cook's Country, April/May 2012.

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

Creamy Italian Pasta Salad

1  pound  Tri-Color Rotelle Macaroni

1/2  Cup  Diced Red Onion

1  Diced Red Bell Pepper

4  Small Jars  Marinated Artichoke Quarters, liquid reserved

2  15-oz  Black Olives

1/2  bottle  Salad Supreme Seasoning (found in the seasoning/spice aisle)

Reserved Artichoke Liquid, plus enough Italian Salad Dressing to equal 1-1/2 Cups

1  Cup  Mayonnaise

Dried Parsley as garnish

Cook Macaroni the minimum time, according to package directions; drain well and cool.  Stir in Red Onion, Bell Pepper, Artichoke Hearts, Black Olives and Salad Supreme.  In a small bowl, mix together the Artichoke Liquid/Italian Dressing and Mayonnaise; dress Pasta Salad with dressing as needed.  Sprinkle with Parsley and mix thoroughly.  Best if made a day or two before serving.  Serve 12-15.

"He shall feed His flock like a shepherd;

He shall gather the lambs with His arm,

and carry them in His bosom,

and shall gently lead those that are with young."

Isaiah 40:11

Many, many years ago, when I was newly-married, I participated in a recipe chain letter.  I received this recipe from Amy C. and we have enjoyed it.  I don't like mayonnaise-y pasta salads (nice and creamy, but too blah) and I don't like many Italian pasta salads (lots of flavor, but too oily).  This is a nice combination of the two--just the right amount of creamy and flavor.