Vintage Cat and Pumpkin, Apple Pie

Guess I'm always drawn to postcards with cats on them..have quite a few and only wish I could collect more....this one is especially nice......

Yesterday, I made an impossible apple pie.....impossible pies are so easy and so good...my paternal grandmother used two main ingredients and raised 5 children during the Depression..she used Bisquick and Velveeta cheese...I'm not a big velveeta fan but do like Bisquick...hence I've got alot of impossible pie recipes..and they are sure good when you don't have the time or inclination to roll out pie dough.....

IMPOSSIBLE APPLE PIE
3 cups sliced peeled all-purpose apples (3 large)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk 
1 tablespoon margarine, butter or spread,* softened
2 eggs
Streusel (see recipe below)
Heat oven to 325°. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Stir together apples, cinnamon and nutmeg; turn into pie plate. Stir remaining ingredients except Streusel until blended. Pour into pie plate. Sprinkle with Streusel.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.
Streusel
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons firm margarine, butter or spread
Stir together all ingredients until crumbly

half the pie is gone already and the rest will be gone today...and isn't that what its all about?  


I've also made faux apple pies......got the pattern from Oodlekadoodle Primitives

Cats

You've probably seen our black cat, Smoky...he is quite the character...

he is the master of secretive hiding..and will hide for hours, while his owners frantically look for him....we find him in the oddest of places..still haven't found all his hiding places....he also has figured out how to open doors if there is the slightest crack to get his paw around...and knows if he had thumbs, he could use the knob as he's always trying the door knob....if he wants something, he lets you know by scratching a nearby door or cabinet just enough to make noise...he will do this until he gets your attention and then lead you to where the need is..either more food or water or a cleaner litter box...I do clean the box every day.(with 4 cats, you really have to.)....but its never clean enough for Smoky....
He is not a good mouse hunter....the female cats, Bandit and Tuppence do most of that hunting. Heaven  help any mice that happen to wander into our house....his preference is bugs...any bug will do...He and our other male cat, Tommy will sit for hours at the front screen door, waiting to pounce on anything that dares creep under the threshold.


One day a cat dies of natural causes and goes to Heaven. There he meets the Lord himself. The Lord says to the cat, "You lived a good life and if there is any way I can make your stay in Heaven more comfortable, please let Me know."

The cat thinks for a moment and says, "Lord, all my life I have lived with a poor family and had to sleep on a hard wooden floor." The Lord stops the cat and says, "Say no more," and a wonderful fluffy pillow appears.

A few days later six mice are killed in a tragic farming accident and go to Heaven. Again the Lord is there to greet them with the same offer. The mice answer, "All of our lives we have been chased. We have had to run from cats, dogs, and even women with brooms. Running, running, running; we're tired of running. Do you think we could have roller skates so we don't have to run anymore?" The Lord says, "Say no more," and fits each mouse with beautiful new roller skates.

About a week later the Lord stops by to see the cat and finds him in a deep sleep on the pillow. The Lord gently wakes the cat and asks him, "How are things since you arrived?"

The cat stretches and yawns and replies, "It is wonderful here. Better than I could have ever expected. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending by are theeeeeeee best!!!"

Purrsonally Speaking

In this world of hustle-bustle
You may have your this and that;
But there's nothing quite so pleasing
As the purring of a cat.
~ Marcy Stewart Froemke ~

We spent quite a time today and got an entire bushel of apples made into applesauce..a little bit of work but it sure makes the house smell wonderful and tastes so good..didn't add anything to it either, neither sweetener nor cinnamon ..we haven't canned it yet..the apples we got were seconds..perfect for sauce but a little tedious to peel for pies and such...they were about the size of a tennis ball....

Right now, Alan and the boys are working on the locksmith van, getting it ready to go into action soon...it had broken down during the fire time and just been sitting but they are slowly getting it back into running shape. Alan got new tires on it last week and now are working on the brakes....nice to have young men to help him. He really couldn't do it on his own as he's still watching over his finger healing.The boys are such a blessing!

Our youngest also mowed the front yard and edged it so it looks nice again......after the rain we had last week, it needed to be mowed..he also moved our next door neighbors front yard as they are on vacation...good kid, huh?
Last night we had fish and chips....have you eaten the new sweet potato french fries that are popular now? We got them at Costco..they are simply wonderful....I did a google search and you can make these at home too...it was so much easier just getting them already to go......I put a link in so you can see Paula Deen's recipe...

Alan likes these better than regular fries.....you do have to eat them right away..just like potato fries, they are rather bleak when cold.....

Happy Oct. 2nd

It rained again yesterday afternoon and the wind blew so hard! I had clothes on the line and ran out to rescue them or they'd be in another neighbors yard or out in the road somewhere.....Trees whipping side to side..leaves flying...feels like fall for sure....our front porch is covered with leaves...its much cooler also....I've wanted to get some mums for the front and pumpkins but so far haven't found any that I liked well enough...slim pickens so far..probably just our area.....its early days.....and with the weather going from hot to cool, fresh pumpkins wouldn't last outside....

thought I'd post this cute video of the Ross sisters from the late 1940s..those girls were sure amazing! Have a great weekend!

Giveaway Winner

I searched all over for an appropriate way to announce the winner of the giveaway...this newspaper generator is great! Congratulations, Denise! Her blog and creations are wonderful!
Thanks to everyone who signed up..I will have another giveaway at the first of November with some redwork stitchery..perhaps a set of redwork towels.....?
I've been working on my selling blog, have renamed it "Sweet Home Stitchery" and in a few weeks will have it open...the next giveaway will be celebrating the opening....

Here is the official start of the vintage Halloween postcards..hope you enjoy them as much as I do...they are really little works of art..

Apple Raisin Muffins

I get the Paula Deen newsletter and today she was featuring apple recipes...which I sorely need with 3 bushels sitting in the kitchen...I found these muffins that sounded so good so of course, made some this morning....

Apple Raisin Muffins

1 cup water
2 cups sugar (I made these sugar free and used Splenda)
2 cups grated apple
2 cups raisins
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (sounds like Paula Deen doesn't it?)
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 t. baking soda
3 1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the water, sugar, apple, raisins, butter and spices in a saucepan and heat to boiling...Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.

In a large bowl, stir the nuts and baking soda into the flour. Add the cooled cooked mixture to the bowl and stir until blended..it will be stiff. Fill greased (Pam) muffin tins (she calls for miniature ones, I used regular) Bake for 15 minutes...they can be frozen..makes 5 dozen miniatures or in my case 10 large ones....

They are just full of good things, apple, raisin, nuts and cinnamon..what's not to like?

We woke  up to thunder, lightening and rain....what a change from the hot weather! its alot cooler too, Alan so far hasn't had any jobs so is outside working in the backyard under dark skies....
I completed the first of the redwork towels.

I got the pattern from Pattern Bee
she has the nicest vintage patterns and does us stitchers a real service by making them into useable transfers again....
tonight I will draw the winner of my giveaway and make the announcement tomorrow..still a few hours left to enter..I will make the drawing at 6:00 this evening, Pacific time....

Halloween Postcards

I collect  vintage postcards so thought I'd do my traditional posting of a few Halloween ones from my collection...starting on the First of October, I will post one a day until the 30th..these are all public so I am sharing  them freely.....this is a preview.....
tomorrow will be the giveaway drawing..I will use the random number generator and announce the winner on the first of October......if you haven't signed up there is still time! The link is on the left....

Fall tutorials..Pumpkins, Wreath, Garland

I ran across nice tutorials...we lost most of our fall decorating items with the fire..or at least they are still stored and not available for me to use....so I've been wanting some pumpkins to decorate with..these are easy to make so I am sharing this link with you...you can find the decorations at The Cottage Home
she used upholstery fabric but I have found fat quarters at our Walmart in fall colors that would work well and are fairly inexpensive.....
the second tutorial is similar but using a grapevine wreath...Small Fry & Company
the last time I went to our local thrift shop, I saw several grapevine wreaths but didn't think to just strip them down and reuse them....might very well try this one......

I especially like the fabric leaves....

A third idea and tutorial is for a lighted fall rag garland..if you have stairs, this is really cool...you can find this at Remodelaholic

Finally, here is a video I enjoyed and helped get me in a autumn frame of mind..its hot right now but supposed to be getting cooler as the week goes on...it was 115 yesterday..phew!


Only 3 more days and then I will draw the winner of my fall giveaway...please sign up if you haven't...link on the left side...

Sunday, we drove back up to apple country, Oak Glen for our second visit....had an even better time as we knew our way around a bit better and explored a little more....
the bakery here was so wonderful...Alan explained he needed a sugar free pie and the bakers volunteered to make him a special one....we picked it up on our way out about an hour or so later..wasn't that nice? It stayed hot on the drive home..and tasted very good...he said it was "almost" as good as mine....Los Rios Ranch is a family run apple orchard..They are Christians and have a old time Gospel Night every third Thursday of the month except December...while we were waiting for the pie, we drove down the road farther and found a great  place to eat...Law's Diner and Coffee Shop..it had been recommended by several employees of the different ranches as the best place to go....Alan ordered a Reuben sandwich and I ordered a hamburger..they were both very very good or perhaps it was just the mountain air? Our server was so helpful and let us know about their Friday specials..$6.95 for homemade chicken pot pie..which sounded delicious and we only wished we lived a little closer....but then again, wouldn't be too good for me as I am somewhat dieting.....
It was a hot day....over 108 at our house and just a little cooler here in the mountains...they do have some Bed and Breakfasts in the area and it would be a nice weekend get away...we came home feeling like we'd be on vacation which can't be a bad thing....
back to reality today...always housework but the boys are doing alot better keeping our house clean...no wet towels on the floor anymore and the dishes were all put away which was a pleasant surprise...and its still hot..in the triple digits again with the AC blasting away......fall can't be too far away...

San Diego apartment and a wild fire!

Yesterday we had alot of work to do..some repair work and this wonderful San Diego apartment...its almost downtown but in a residential area, great views of the San Diego airport, and harbor....I really like these older well maintained apartments as they are very spacious..large rooms, and lots of old beautiful woodwork throughout...the kitchen was small but fabulous with new cupboards, even a wine rack and all new appliances....
The views were very nice

if you click on it, you'll be able to see a Navy ship.....

Going home, the traffic slowed down and stopped...then we crept along at about 10 to 15 miles an hour for about 10 miles outside of Temecula...I thought perhaps there was an accident but it turned into something a little more..as we got closer, we saw alot of smoke, and then a heliocopter overhead dropping water...there was a fire on the south side of the freeway, high up on the hillside....here are a few photos I was able to get..

We haven't had many large fires this year although its "fire season" here in Southern California....perhaps the fire department has a different policy now and knocks these small fires out asap because they had the big plane from Hemet dropping fire retardant as well as a smaller plane and the helicopter dropping water. Sometimes before, I think they let them burn if the fire wasn't in a residential area...as you can see, fighting these kind of fires are difficult to fight with the steep slopes, plants and boulders....


Its been a busy week with lots to do...this weekend I'm going to catch up on house and yard work..got the washer going now....nice to have some home time...our youngest son has gone ocean fishing with friends and says he wants to bring back a big fish..our oldest has to work today..so the house is very quiet which is a nice change......