Wheat Pancakes or Waffles

These wheat pancakes are a recipe handed down from my dear friend Kindra H., and tweaked by me.  A hardy breakfast or brunch that kids will eat right up….  Their bellies will be nice and full, so they make a nice evening snack too: they will sleep really well...





Just mix all ingredients together then fry up your pancakes on a griddle or in a non-stick pan.
Serve with butter and syrup.  For healthier options with honey or maple agave nectar.

•   1 ½ cup wheat flour (1 cup kernels, ground into flour)
•   1 cup white flour
•   ¼ cup flax-seed meal (opt.)
•   ¼ cup honey
•   1/3 cup powdered milk
•   1 tsp salt (opt.)
•   1 tsp baking powder
•   ½ cup oil
•   2 cups water
•   4 eggs

You can use this same recipe for wheat waffles:  Just separate the eggs, and beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with clean whisks until stiff, then fold into the rest of the batter.

Bathing Beauties
Displayed on a wall - or on you - vintage swimwear makes a real splash.

There's a delightful article in the new Country Living Magazine (July - August 2011 pages 43 - 44) about vintage swimsuits!


Katy McColl tells us that she purchased the blue polyester swimsuit with white trim at an antiques mall for just$20
How adorably cute is the display of this vintage swimming beauty in a white shadow box!

McColl tells us that in the early 20th century women did not have cute swimming suit options.  "Obscenity laws dictated that ladies had to be fully clothed in a dark, non-fitting costume that included a dress, pantaloons, shoes and a cap," according to vintage-swimsuit dealer Pamela Fierro of San Jose, California.

About the radical change in women's swimwear Life magazine noted in 1945 that "even the most proper women appear on beaches in costumes which used to be seen only in the rowdiest of cabarets."
But swimsuits continued to grow smaller and smaller....

Vintage swimsuits are super collectable and run from $20 to $1000 US.

So I made a couple of cards, inspired by the whole vintage bathingsuit idea...
Fun times!

If you would like to wear or make a cute wall display of a delightful vintage swimsuit without a large investment, consider making one out of new fabric. 
So fun, and you get the modesty comfort zone of your choice depending on the era you choose!

They are such a hoot!

:-)
Crystelle

So I went outside today, and I found something interesting.
See, I have this "cute" display on my porch of things that I love:
Against the backdrop of an old barn-door and a double laundry wash tub:

• A road-sign (I acquired it LEGALLY!!!  There was an accident, and I asked the repair crew if I could have it...  They said YES!)
• A horseshoe I found in our pasture (I wonder how old it is.  It looks super old.  Big too...)
• A vintage mop bucket (from our ninety plus year old neighbors)
• A wooden apple-box (came with the house)
• Some wooden shoes (to remind me of my roots)
• And a little metal bucket with a bird's nest in it (my daughter found it under a tree, the nest that is...)
• And a vintage sheep-bell (my husband found it somewhere)
  

So, as I was saying, I went outside and noticed things were a bit askew out there.
Then I looked closer and saw this:
Three eggs.....,
And the birds-nest, which was arranged so lovely in the little bucket, now has those eggs in it.....

They are CHICKEN EGGS!!!!

I was wondering why there were only three eggs in the chicken coop today!

We have six chickens.  We used to have more, but I am afraid that a raccoon or two got them....
So we are down to six.
And on a nice day we get six eggs.  When the weather is not so nice we get less.....
Did you know that affected them?
I guess I knew that but never thought about it.
Our chickens just roam around the yard....  They are so fun to watch.  We enjoy them so much!  and they help us keep the bugs to a minimum!  Great fringe benefits....

I guess serious egg-chicken-farmers would put a lamp in their chicken coop to provide more light.  Their laying is affected by the number of hours of light they get in a day....  In the winter when there are less day-light hours, most of our chickens will stop laying eggs altogether.  but I have learned that even if it is summer-day, but darkish and over-cast we will get less eggs.  True.  On a nice day with lots of sun we get six eggs....

Anyway..... We love our chickens.  They are so fun!

It's like Christmas when you find awesome bowls like these!
Aren't they just so bright and cheerful!
I am so excited that I came across these at my estate search last week!
How lucky am I...?

They are for sale, but, trust me, if they don't sell, I won't mind - at all!!!
This is the link if you would like to buy this incredible vintage set of bowls!

And check out this super groovy puzzle we came across...
Rainbows galore.  all in nice and bright peace-colors, all a tiny bit different!
We has such a FUN time putting it together!

And lucky us:  it's complete too!!!!
Ohh, those wonderfully groovy seventies!
Good times!

And check out this hilarious book:
"How to Raise Children at Home in Your SPARE TIME"
We just couldn't stop laughing when we spotted it!

As if raising children makes a great hobby!
This is what dictionary.com says about spare time:

spare time
noun
1. time available for hobbies and other activities that you enjoy
2. time that is free from duties or responsibilities [syn: free time]

Funny Headings and stories in this book too!
This book would make for GREAT paper ephemera...

And a good read, of course!



Written by Cr. Marvin J. Gersch, MD
Copyright 1966

And this:  Not really a vintage find, but a GOOD find anyway:


The kids have been busy the last few weeks going out to pick fresh asparagus for us in the field across the street. 

Yummy!
They were Delicious!

Season is over now, but we thoroughly enjoyed it while it lasted!

And my favorite vintage pattern find this month is this:

McCall's 3704
c. 1973  - V-Neck Vest and Flared Pants
Available right here

It is a super-rare pattern, and the art is fabulously retro!
not to mention the sewing designs are to die for!

Delicious stuff!

And that's it for today!
Have a Happy Monday!

;-)  Crystelle

Super easy, and tastes good too…

•   2 Tbsp vegetable oil
•   1 lb chicken breast, cut into strips or pieces
•   1 bag frozen vegetable combination, thawed
•   ½ tsp ground ginger
•   ¼ tsp garlic powder
•    1 can tomato soup
•    2 Tbsp soy sauce
•    1 Tbsp vinegar
•    4 cups hot cooked rice

In skillet over medium heat, in 1 tsp oil, stir-fry half of the chicken until browned.  Remove.  Repeat with remaining chicken.

Over medium heat, in remaining 1 Tbsp hot oil, stir-fry vegetables with ginger and garlic power until tender-crisp.

Add soup, soy and vinegar.  Heat to boiling.  Add chicken.  Heat through.  Serve over rice.

I got this recipe off a soup can and I love it because it is so easy, and the whole family eats it right up....  :)