Homemade Brain Food

It always feels kind of good when you find out something you’ve been doing is really good for you….and you were doing it long before you knew about it, kind of like a 6th sense. Well, for me it’s about nuts. I eats nuts for breakfast (don’t like eggs…..got nothing to do with cholesterol, just don’t like them). I started eating pecans last fall when a friend’s tree dropped more than he needed or wanted and gave the hubby and I a bunch of them. Not just a bunch but a trash can full. I froze them, cooked with them (great pies), and shared them and still had lots so I decided to eat them for breakfast. Turned into my daily routine. Easier to deal with than yogurt (after all, no spoon).

Well recently the hubby and I took a trip to the Jersey Shore to visit family (no, I didn’t see Snooki) but I did find an incredibly good grocery store up there with, of all things, a container marked Brain Food in the health food section. It was full of nuts and seeds so I had to try it. I got a little bit of it before we left Jersey and the nuts behind. Obviously I needed a larger amount of brain food. Being the DIYer type of person, I decided to make my own. Honestly, it’s too easy not to.

Homemade Brain Food

1 jar of dry roasted peanuts

1 jar of honey roasted peanuts

1 8 oz can of cashews

1 4 oz bag of sunflower seeds (hulls removed)

4 oz of toasted soy nuts

Mix all the ingredients together. Add Sea salt to taste. Place in the jars.

Ta Da! Brain Food. The best thing about this recipe is you can personalize it. Is your iron a little low? Add raisins. Got extra walnuts or pecans? Throw them in. Almonds? Hell yes!

Nuts have protein, good fats, and vitamins. They’re good for you. But do be careful because they are not low in calories so ration how much to eat at a time. I have a little container I bought at the store that holds about 1/2 cup, perfect amt for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Give it a try. Might help you remember where you left your keys…..again.

Fast & Easy Slip Dress, Men’s Summer Shirts, Rockabilly, and Baby Dolls: Featured Patterns of the Week

Vintage 70's Butterick 6469 Retro Slip Dress Skirt, Jacket Pattern Size 12

Simplicity 6757 How to Sew Juniors Night Gowns With Scarf

McCall's 6966 Men's Button Front Shirt Size Large Uncut

McCall's 9150 Rockabilly Dress Bust 34 Complete

50’s Redingote and Dress, Looney Tunes, and Pinafores, Featured Patterns

            

Redingote (def.) a woman's light dress or coat of the 18th century, with an open-fronted skirt, revealing a decorative underskirt. So I guess in the 1950’s this was a designer’s take on the riding coat of the 18th century, just closed at the top to show off the dress underneath. Gorgeous dress.

Stuffed Looney Tunes Characters, Bugs Bunny, Sylvestor, and Tweety Bird.

Adorable dress with puffed sleeves, elasticized cuffs, and pinafore. In size 4.

Ice Box Pickles

Folks who know me know I like to goof off. After all, that's why my shop's name is GoofingOff. My goofing off includes the kitchen. I love to cook. One of my favorite things to do is restrict myself to using what's on hand, and that includes what's in the garden.
I love cucumbers but when the cukes come in there are just so many fresh cukes you can eat until you start feeling like you are growing bumps and turning green.
A long time ago I found this recipe in the newspaper for ice box pickles and thought I would give it a try. They are wonderful. They are easy to make, taste great, and don't need cooking. No hassles with the water bath or big canner and they are ready in a day. Love to make things that are easy but still get compliments.

Ice Box Pickles
2-3 large cucumbers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablesppoon of salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
Sprinkle salt over cucumers and onions. Let set for an hour or more, stirring occasionally. Do not drain.
Mix the sugar, vinegar, and celery seed and pour over cucumbers. Let stand for 6 hours or overnight. Strir occasionally to make sure all the cucumber slices are covered with brine. Put the pickles in jars or bowls and store in the refrigerator. They will be ready in about one day.
Try making up a batch for your next barbecue or get together.

Medieval Dress and Cape, Tenderheart Bear, Barbie Wedding Dress Rockabilly Halter Dress Featured Patterns

Butterick 4377 Misses' Medieval Dress and Cape Size 6-12

 

Crochet PDF Pattern Barbie Doll Wedding Gown

Vintage Sewing Pattern Simplicity 4249 Misses' Halter Dress Size 16 Bust 34 Inches

Sale 30% Off Vintage Sewing Pattern Butterick 6227 Tenderheart Bear Care Bear Plushie

Lyla's Pillowcase Dress

I've been sewing lately, sewing almost anything that can't be welded or nailed down. Just looking for things to sew, ya know? Well, our little granddaughter, Lyla, is coming to visit and that is all the excuse I needed to sew something. I've been eyeing pillowcase dresses for a long time but either wasn't in the mood or I was surrounded by little boys. Now I'm surrounded by little girls. Yippee! Little dresses and handbags! Bring it on, baby.


I found this super cute fabric with super fruit (for real, there are pictures of super fruit on it) at a yard sale. When I first bought it I didn't know what to do with it until the idea of the pillowcase dress came up. The fruit and pictures are perfect for a little girl's dress. I found a pillowcase dress pattern at the "Sew Like My Mom" blog and started cutting fabric.

I used a yard sale dress in her size to give me an idea of the lenth for the total dress and armholes since Lyla wasn't here yet.

 I cut two pieces of fabric 20 inches wide by 22 inches long to allow for hem on the bottom and a casing on the top. 

I sewed the side with a 1/2 inch "hem" that would leave a finished edge for the armholes and a seam that wouldn't ravel....or unravel.

I ironed down 1/4 inch then created a casing by ironing down a 1 inch hem along the top on both pieces of fabric. After the casings were done, I sewed the two pieces together leaving 9 inches from the top on both sides for armholes. 

Then I made a 1 inch hem. I used a semi decorative stitch ( I say semi decorative since I have a pretty basic machine).


After sewing the dress together I realized I didn't have grosgrain ribbon for the shoulder straps so I made my own straps from fabric I cut away.

Here's a picture of the finished dress on the little miss.

Easy peasy and fun to made. Sorry about the chocolate cheek. Grandpa was the culprit.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

I'm so darned thrifty. I just hate to throw anything out that can be used.  Needless to say I was always intrigued with the thought of making something from watermelon rinds. After all, that's a lot of potential good eating going to the compost heap from just one good sized melon. I've looked at recipes for years and most call for large amounts of rind, pickling lime, and about 6 jars going to the canner. That's a lot of food and a lot of work. Not too crazy about that.
My problem is since it is just me and the hubby we usually don't eat a lot of watermelon at one sitting leaving me to think of a million and one ways to use watermelon before it goes bad. I did have a hankering for watermelon salsa and that left enough rind to make a jarful so I started scouring my cookbooks. Unfortunately to recipes I've found call for canning and I am just not in the mood to can. I know how but just don't want to. Besides, I'm only making 1 jar....a lot of work for one jar, so I came up with my own recipe. It's a bit like my Ice Box Pickles with a couple of differences. Here it is:

Pickled Watermelon Rind
You'll need about 2 cups of rind.
2 cups of sugar
1 cup distilled vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
4 or 5 whole cloves

To prepare the rind, cut the pink off leaving only the white...that's the rind. Pare the green off with a potatao peeler then cut the rind in 1 inch by 2 inch pieces. Place the rind in a saucepan and cover with water. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil. Let the rind cook at a medium boil for about 20 minutes. This step helps soften the rind. Drain the rind and set it aside.

While the rind is cooking, mix the vinegar and sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon and cloves. Add the rind and stir carefully making sure all the rind is covered.
Place the rind in a jar or bowl and refrigerate.

That's it. The rind is refreshing and yummy, a great addition to a summer meal.

Kitchen Ideas from A Cook's Delight Vintage Cook Book

A Cook's Delight
Future Homemakers of America
Newberry High School

While yard saling I found this awesome cookbook called "A Cook's Delight" from the Future Homemakers of America, Newberry High School, Newberry Florida from 1961. The book has some wonderful old recipes in there but I found these Kitchen Ideas I had to share.

"If a cracked dish is boiled for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the crack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and will be so strong it will stand the same usage as before.

Put a layer of marshmallows in the bottom of a pumpkin pie, then add the filling. You will have a nice topping as the mashmallow will come to the top.

Dip your bananas in lemon juice right after they are peeled. They will not turn dark and the faint flavor of lemon really adds quite a bit. The same may be done with apples.

A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the top of the soup. Remove the lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose.

To prevent splashing when frying meat, sprinkle a little salt into the pan before putting the fat in.

If the juice from your apple pie runs over in the oven, shake some salt on it, which causes the juice to burn to a crisp so it can be removed.

Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling. It will help seal the egg.

Small amounts of leftover corn may be added to pancake batter for variety.

Use a strawberry huller to peel potatoes which have been boiled in their 'jackets.'

To make bread crumbs, use fine cutter of the food grinder and tie a large paper bag over the spout to prevent flying crumbs."

I can remember my grandmother adding salt to the pan before frying but didn't know what for.  I have to try the pumpkin pie and the lettuce ideas. As for a strawberry huller.....I don't even know what one looks like, much less use one!

Full Skirts, Kick Pleats and Kimono Sleeves, Loving the 50’s

New (sort of…new for the shop) listings at Goofing Off.

McCall’s 9150 Rockabilly Dress

 

Simplicity 4202 Dress with jacket. Kick pleats and kimono sleeves! Be still my heart!

Simplicity 4249 Misses' Halter Dress

Designer Linda Allard Ruffled Wrap Tops

Here’s a few of the latest listings in the GoofingOff shop. Click on the title and you’ll go to the listing



Butterick 5370 Stylish, elegant wardrobe by designer Linda Allard for Ellen Tracy.




Simplicity 9895 M&M’s Candy Costumes




McCall’s 8037 Retro Sundresses by designer Bill Tice




Simplicity 8387 Easy to sew Top and Split Skirts




McCall’s 3111 Ruffled Wrap Tops

Happy Independence Day!

Today is Independence Day. I have to work but still feel blessed since my job is caring for America's veterans....and getting paid for it (that always helps). We all brought food to graze on throughout the day and it turned out to be a feast. D brought the best beans (ask for the recipe and she tells you she pulls it out of her ass), W's hubby brought pasta salad, and I made my awesome Ice Box Pickles. I'll make sure to put the recipe on my recipe page so everyone can try it.
Well, have a happy holiday, enjoy your family, and have fun watching the fireworks.