Halloween Candy for the rest of us!!!!

I love the Natural Candy Store. I've been buying from them for the past four years. Yes, it's a bit expensive but it's absolutely the best place to go for any and all holiday candy. Whether that holiday is Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter, or any other holiday you can think of, it's were to go if you have any food issues.

For me, this fall, I bought a few things that I thought I'd share.

I admit, I haven't ripped into the Dandies yet - which is rare. I've had their marshmellows before and - I'll put it this way, even my family gobbles them down and has stated they are the best marshmellows ever. I'll give a full review of the pumpkin flavor later after I try it.

It's been almost six years since I've last been able to eat candy corn without getting ill.  This is made with corn but it's all non-gmo.  It's much sweeter than I remember the kind you get in the checkout line at the grocery store typically is - more like how I recall the pumpkins being but with a bit of a waxy-er texture.  I love it.   Since it's sweeter (you can really taste the honey), you really can't eat more than a couple of handfuls at a time but there is a good amount of flavor other than just sweet. The dyes are natural - from pumpkin, apple, and carrot. 

I've been eating Surf Sweet gummies since I discovered them four years ago.  They taste exactly like good, quality natural fruit flavored gummy bears.  I really haven't noticed a difference between these and every other gummy out there other than these taste better.  

You might think the above is caramel chocolate cups and...they are but they are vegan. Rather than cow's milk, this uses rice milk. It also has tree nuts (almonds, cashews) and a lot of other stuff in it. They are called "Vegan 'Milk' Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Bites". I'm going to admit, I could only eat one. The chocolate was just too sweet. The caramel tastes like pumpkin pie but the chocolate makes it taste like pumpkin pie in a milk chocolate crust. I think this would be divine if it was a dark chocolate with a hint of sea salt on top. The caramel can stay tasting like pumpkin pie - it's really quite that good. And it's not that the overall affect is bad, it's just a bit too much sweetness at once.

Hopefully this helps those that are also looking for allergy friendly options this Halloween. (The gummies come in snack size - perfect for giving out as treats!) Once I try the marshmellows, I'll let you know about those as well.

Meatball Stew

I posted this over on my LJ blog way back in 2011 but never did here so...here it is!

This is so I can remember what the heck I did but also, it was GOOD! Being allergic to well, everything, has it's draw backs. It means I can't have such yummy things as chicken pot pies from the store or even good ole soup in a can. I have to make everything myself. Last night I wanted some sort of beefy soup/stew type yummieness.

I used this recipe as a base and made the following changes:

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 pound of ground hamburger to be made into meatballs
* 2 apples
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 cans of reduced sodium Beef Broth (I don't remember the name of the stuff I bought but I do remember the reduced sodium label. It was the only beef broth that didn't have Tomatoes or some type of corn in it)
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 (really) large pinch of rosemary
* about 2 teaspoons of onion salt
* 4 medium carrots, cut into pieces
* 3 large potatoes, cut into quarters
* 1/2 a pint of mushrooms

Directions

1. Stir the flour and black pepper on a plate. Coat the beef with the flour mixture.
2. Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned, stirring often.
3. Stir the broth, water, thyme, and bay leaf in the saucepot and cook over a medium heat for about an hour.
4. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes to the saucepot. Cover and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from stove and discard the bay leaf.

Honesty, it was delicious. I poured it over some sourdough bread for dinner. You might want another can of beef broth if you want a soupy soup. I don't like a lot of liquid -I like lots of veggies and meat with a little bit of liquid.

The directions aren't clear. My guess is I cut and pasted them and never corrected them. Here are the corrected directions.

Directions:

1. Stir the flour and black pepper on a plate. Cut, peel, and core the apples. Cook the apple slices in boiling water for 10 minutes. Put these apples in blender to make applesauce (you can just use no sugar added applesauce but it can be hard to find). Mix together the applesauce and the ground hamburger. Make into meatballs and roll these around in the flour and black pepper mixture.

2. Cook the meatballs.

3. In a stew pot, put the broth, water, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, onion salt, and meatballs together. Cook over medium heat for an hour.

4. Add in the mushroom, carrots, and potatoes to the stew pot. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Stir. Remove cover and cook fr another 10 minutes. Remove from stove and discard the bay leaf.


It's really a good hearty recipe that can easily feed a lot of people. It's not hard to make and it's wonderful on these cold rainy days we've had for October so far!

Apple Picking Time!

Every year I go apple picking in the fall to gather up the apples I'll need over the winter and early spring. This year, I went to Homestead Farm again and ended up with a little over 30 lbs of apples in about five minutes. There were just a ton of apples on each tree, ready to be picked. I loved it. My Mom, who came with me, did too. :-)

The day was gorgeous out. I ended up going for a few Suncrisps and many more Enterprise apples. Both are extremely modern apples but finding anywhere that sells the period correct varieties is next to impossible. Plus, these are good apples. :-)

I'm going to start the freezing process over the weekend, probably Sunday, so I'll have all the apples I need. I *might* even try to find a period canning recipe this year and can a few of them. We'll see!

Changing Perceptions of Beauty

I saw this wax bust up on ebay a few days ago and had to share it.  Normally, in the 21st Century, when we hear about "changing perceptions of beauty", the articles focus on things like body type, weight, or even hair styles.  Rarely do they focus on the actual facial features.  However, I think this bust shows how dramatically our perception of what beauty is has changed.

Another one I found on Ruby Lane from the same era also shows how vastly our perceptions have changed.

What do I mean when I say "changed"?   Well, for one thing, both of the wax figures look happy.  They are both smiling.  They have expressions rather than the blank void of emotion catwalk models we see today - or the faceless mannequins in the store.  There skin is pale but it has color to it - a pinkish tint to the blond bust and a more sallow look to the brunette.  Still, both are beautiful.  They aren't covered in make-up - to me, it looks like a light bit of lipstick and a hint of blush - it's more natural. Like they've just come in from a cool fall day.  It more real than what I've seen at Fashion Week this year.

Maybe, some day, we'll be able to get back to the smiling, happy faces with little to no make up being fashionable.  

Mom's New Italian Lace Chemise

Mom stated she wanted a chemise like the lace ones she saw at the Renaissance Faire.  Ones like this out of cut velvet but with the sleeve sewn up so it's...a sleeve and not a hanging sleeve.  I also pointed out this style worn under a gown and she liked that as well - she wanted something a bit more decorative than the normal plain linen chemise she has for her gowns.

Well, her birthday is coming up and I decided she needed a as-historically-accurate-as-you-can-get lacy Italian 16th century chemise.   So, first, the inspiration:

From Realm of Venus

From Realm of Venus

From Realm of Venus

All the above are 16th century Italian and all have some sort of lace-look to them. The top and bottom one have cut work while the middle one does have insertion bobbin lace. Using bobbin lace was common through out the late 16th Century and early 17th Century Europe with a high neck smock in England using the same technique and another well in the 17th century. I used bobbin lace because I had a lot on hand and it's far more time effective than doing cut work now.

For the fabric, I'm using a linen cotton blend.  Linen cotton blends, known as fustian, were quite popular throughout Europe.  Italy, being so close to Egypt, the cotton capital of the world at the time, had cotton for much cheaper than places like England or Germany.  So, although it is period, the real reason I'm using it is because it's cheap and I had it in the stash.  I've used this stuff for many of my own smocks and chemises and LOVE it.

Materials:
A little over 3 yards of linen/cotton blend
1 spool of linen thread
Beeswax to pull the linen thread through before I sew with it
Scissors
5 yards total of insertion bobbin lace (2 1/2 yards of each type)
around 4 yards or so of the lace for the cuffs and neckline

I first cut out the rectangles for the sleeves, the rectangles for the body, and the cuffs.  I then took a small strip of fabric from the length of one of the body rectangles to be used as the neckline binding.  From scrap fabric of the same type as the fabric I was using, I cut out the two underarm gussets (squares).

The big part about the sleeves was really cutting them up correctly.  I made sure the sleeves mirrored each other (chemise sleeves are always mirrored) and drew lines on the fabric in pencil. I then cut along those lines and rolled the edges of the sleeve pieces along the former pencil lines.  After I stitched up on row of the rolled up edge, I'd add the lace via whip-stitch.   I'd then roll up and stitch the next piece, add it to the lace edge.  Once the sleeve was sew up correctly and back in rectangular from, I added the sewn up gussets.  It was then a matter of leaving a 2" opening at the bottom and stitching up the rest of the sleeve to make a tube.  Once that was done, I gathered up the cuff, put the cuff binding on, and added gathered lace to the edge of the cuff.  I wanted to make sure there was a lot of lace on this one.  

For the body, I just rolled up and stitched the edges, followed by stitching the two pieces together, leaving about 8" at the top to insert the sleeves.  I only added half the sleeve (the gusset and up to about half way) into the body.  I then gathered up the top of the sleeves and neckline, added the neckline binding, and added lace to the neckline.  Here is the result:

All laid out

This is before I redid the cuffs slightly to make the cuff binding smaller.

On the dress dummy

Close up of the neckline and cuff detail

Close up of the lace around the neckline and inserted into the sleeve

Sleeve detail

I gave it to Mom already and she loves it.  I told her I'd happily take it back if she didn't like it and she told me in no uncertain terms I was not getting this one back.  :-)

Edwardian Skirt

Since the shirtwaist got it's own post, the skirt should too.  :-)

Simplicity 8375

I've had this pattern for years and didn't think to use it recently until Gina over at Beauty from the ashes used part of it to make her fabulous sailor dress.  I finally took a hard look at it and realized the skirt actually is pretty good for what I wanted with only minor edits.  The blouse I used mostly because I loathe trying to draft/drape collars.

The pattern uses five panels total - which is fine based on patterns from 1906.  There are a couple of five piece/gored skirts from 1906.   However, I had to figure out what Aunt Maggie was wearing.

In the photo of her looking down towards the photographer, you can pretty clearly see a pleated kick pleat on one side.  The pleat is angled slightly, going up towards the hip.  However, there doesn't appear to be much more in terms of any decoration.

My guess is the skirt was similar to this one from 1909:

1909 Historical Pattern

But fuller and with the gore angled the other way.

For the fabric, I chose a lightweight wool blend I had on hand.  It's simply what looked the most correct visually for this style of skirt.   I cut out the pattern pieces - using only the skirt panel pieces.  The waistband is just a strip of the same material.  The kick pleated gores I cut from what was left of the material.

After sewing the back, I pinned the front of the skirt up to see where to place the gore.  I cut the side panel of the skirt back and at an angle to fit the pleated gore.  

 The finished skirt!  

Close up of the gore.

It's not the most interesting of skirts but it is practical for everyday wear with just a hint of interest.  I really liked wearing it.  I think it balances well with the pintucked shirtwaist.  

Historical Sew Monthly: Heirlooms & Heritage

The Challenge:

August – Heirlooms & Heritage: Re-create a garment one of your ancestors wore or would have worn, or use an heirloom sewing supply to create a new heirloom to pass down to the next generations.
I chose to recreate an outfit from a photograph of my Aunt Nan and Aunt Maggie (my Papa's Aunts) from about ~1907 based on what they are wearing.  I did use vintage lace to recreate the shirt

Fabric:  A wool blend for the skirt, a linen cotton blend for the shirtwaist

Pattern:  As a sloper, I used Simplicity 8375.   I also used this pattern from 1906 to get an idea of what the pattern shape should be for the shirtwaist.   I edited the skirt pattern as well, adding gores and making a different waistband.

Year: 1906/1907

Notions: Thread, the belt, vintage deadstock lace, a small sewing kit that hangs from the belt in the pictures, a locket, hooks and eyes, buttons!

How historically accurate is it?  If it weren't for the wool/acrylic blend I used for the skirt, it would be nearly perfect.

Hours to complete:  Two weeks of research, maybe two days of actual sewing?

First worn: August 27, 2015

Total cost:  The linen cotton blend is the stuff I get at Joanns so maybe $10 for the couple of yards I used?  The lace was stuff I had in the stash - I got a huge hull years ago from someone clearing out their grandma's sewing closet.  The laces were all antique and they were often wrapped around pieces of cardboard -never used.   The wool for the skirt I got at the thrift store for $3.90 for the entire yardage.   The belt was maybe $1 at the thrift store as well.  The locket I think was Aunt Maggie's and the sewing kit was Aunt Nan's...I'm have gotten the reversed.  I'm not sure.  Either way, it belonged to the people in the original photograph.

So for those who haven't been following along with the research and shirtwaist progress, here's the short, short version.  (There's also a post now on the skirt itself since I couldn't let the shirtwaist steal all the fun.)

The above is a photograph I found in my parents' attic of my Mom's Dad's Aunt's - Aunt Maggie with the dark colored skirt and Aunt Nan behind her. They are at Great Falls, VA (in the background) and I can tell because of this:

Taken by this guy in 2009

The only thing that changes is the water levels. I swear.  Anyway, I decided to recreate Aunt Maggie's outfit.  Here's a slightly better view of her skirt:




Notice the pleated kick gore? Yeah, had to recreate that.  You can see she has something small hanging from her belt.  You'll see the sewing egg I used soon enough.  She also wears some sort of locket looking necklace, so I used one that I think belonged to Aunt Nan, her sister.  Because I have yet to find any sisters anywhere in the world that don't "borrow" each others stuff.  Ever.

 The difference between 1906 and now (or even really a few years ago), is they've built a wall.  You can still see where Aunt Maggie sat down, but it's about two yards past the railing.  I remember the outcry a few years back when yet another person fell and drowned in the rapids.  They built the wall in response...not that really stops a lot of people.  The water level is also lower than normal.  We haven't had a good rain since early July.

 Where they took the rock picture has a bit of a tree in the way - you can see it to the right of me. I did see it and try to recreate it a bit but it was very shadowy.  This spot looked better - even if I am trying to control Abby.  You can just see the kick pleat in the bottom part of the picture.

 The back of the skirt.  I made sure to keep the back pleated and not follow the directions Simplicity gives about pleating all the way around.  It's actually a pretty nice full skirt.  The petticoat helped with that a bit.  :-)

All and all, I'm extremely pleased with the outfit.  I love the shirtwaist/blouse and had fun wearing the outfit at the same spot Aunt Maggie wore something similar over a hundred years ago.