For The Thanksgiving Table, Part II

 

 I guess I'm just a farmhouse gal when you get right down to it. . .

It seems I always gravitate to the basic neutrals of THE COUNTRY FARM HOME. . .

 

I do love the new TURKEY PLATES I purchased for Thanksgiving. . .which we will pile high with turkey, dressing, and lots of veggies Thursday. . .but we have a tradition here started by my Mom for Friday. . .On that day I will put the turkey plates aside and in the center of the table I'll stack plenty of farmhouse white ironstone plates in all sizes, bowls, silverware, napkins, salt and pepper. . .anything one might need to help themselves to the left-overs from the day before. . .It's each man for himself after Thanksgiving. . .

Because. . .to start off the Christmas season. . .I will be busy bringing in the tree and decorations. . .There will be a big pot of spiced tea simmering on the stove all day while I begin to add more cheer to the farmhouse. . .If it's cool enough, we'll have the first fire in the open hearth fireplace, too. . .Nothing says holidays better than a good fire to warm hands and heart. . .

As I was gathering everything for Friday. . .I decided to set one place at the farmhouse table that might also have been used for our Thanksgiving dinner. . .The theme here has no turkey plates or bright colors but I have brought together hints of our country's first celebration. . .a Giving Thanks message. . .pewter and candles. . .a hornbook. . .dried corn. . and a soft, orange ceramic pumpkin. . .

Mother of Pearl and pewter knives. . .with cotton bolls to remind us to give thanks for the bumper harvest this year. . .

A little straw makes a nice nest for the white ironstone. . .On John's 18th century style clay pipe from Colonial Williamsburg. . .a little bird perches. . .with more reminders of the harvest. . .

The farm girl in me immediately felt  hugs from family, past and present. . .Honoring the first Thanksgiving. . .and Mom's day after traditions. . .Remembering our blessings with outward signs of Thanks. . .This says it all. . .And. . .it makes this Farmer's Daughter smile. . .

As an added note. . .I never celebrate a Thanksgiving or Christmas without thinking about Mom and her absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dressing. . .She saved and froze stale bread, biscuits and cornbread for months before as the basic ingredients for the much-loved compliment to the turkey. . .If you would like to read more, and get the  recipe for the dressing and giblet gravy. . . FOLLOW THIS LINK. . .

 

For The Thanksgiving Table, Part I

Paper plates for Thanksgiving? Not at the COUNTRY FARM HOME! At least not this year. . .

A Thanksgiving never goes by that I don't admire the Queen's English Transferware and think "Next year I'll buy one or two." Well, this is the year. . .and, I bought four dinner plates instead of two. . .

There's been so many changes to our lifestyle in 2020. . .cabin fever has certainly set in. . .Too many meals eaten in front of a TV or computer. . .and not at our favorite restaurant. . .Days spent in T-shirts or sweats. . .My clothes closet has rarely been visited. . .I told John last night, "We are in a rut." Time to get out of it and make the next two holidays something special. . .just for us. . .to get us out of our malaise. . .and because all in all, we still are so blessed and thankful. . .We need to show it. . .

So I'm ditching the paper plates. . .only our finest this Thanksgiving. . .

I have such a fondness for this particular pattern. . .The turkey is magnificent. . .and the rim reminds me of vintage transferware. . .In fact, on the back of the plate it reads: "Adapted from original copper engravings". . .I only bought  the dinner plates, because I wanted the turkeys to stand out and catch the eye. . .I decided my white dinnerware would make them "pop". . .and I certainly have plenty of white. . .

I was grouping together the pieces I wanted for our Thanksgiving table and thought it was a good time to maybe inspire you to ditch the paper plates and set a beautiful table for your family for Thanksgiving, too. . .(Don't forget candles.)

In truth, I have two ideas that I'm auditioning for the table. . .This is the first. . .I sort of like the pumpkin color bowl as accent to the colorful turkeys. . .but I also like the other choice. . .You'll have to wait a day or two before I reveal it. . .Stay tuned. . .

 

 

Fall DIY Projects

It's FALL and I know many of you have already decorated. . .but I thought you might want to add a little more to your FALL DECOR with some DIY's that I've posted in the past that never go out of style here at THE COUNTRY FARM HOME. . .

Although I don't have a DYI for the garden cart above, if you are handy with a saw and drill, you can fashion a cart that fits your needs. . .This one was a Christmas present from John many years ago. . .I still love it and use it all seasons of the year. . .The only materials used were wood and a metal wheel that we picked up at an antique mall. 

Here it is from a FALL a few years ago. . .

And then there's the SHABBY BIRD CONDO made from two ammo cases. . . 

This was a project both John and I enjoyed. . .Over the years, I have decorated with whatever whim I had at the time. . .I think the above decor for the Shabby Condo is a favorite. . .but if you are more traditional, here's a much more colorful one. . .

We have dressed and displayed our HER CROWS for many years, according to the seasons. . .They add so much to the dynamic of the farmstead. . .In this HOW TO DRESS A HER CROW  I share everything from start to finish. . .

I like dressing our HER CROWS as Christmas Angels, too. . .In fact, any of these projects can be carried over into you Christmas decor. . .

For more DIY projects from THE COUNTRY FARM HOME. . .scroll to the bottom of the page for more links. . .

Have a. . .

HAPPY FALL, YA'LL!

Finding Eight Years of Posts Easily and What's Going On With Blogger and This Site

UPDATE: Well, Thanks to the REAL TECH in the family (my brother), many of the problems I had with the blog have been fixed and I'm rebuilding some things that were lost. .  Thanks So Much, Bro! 

Scroll down and see what I'm doing with the eight years of posts. . .There are links that are listed in categories. . .More coming. . .Such as DIY, garden things, outside decor, seasonal things. . .This will be so much better. . .and easy access to all the posts. . .I will enjoy it, too. . .I had forgotten how many post I've done in eight years!  

HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT FALL. . .ONE NOT SO FULL OF CHAOS!

Two Must-See Farmhouse Decor Touches

I've been holding onto these photos for almost a year. . .You see. . .John and I are looking for THE COUNTRY FARM HOME II and I definitely would like to incorporate these two into the newest house. . .I found these in one of the houses we toured. . .Love the staircase in the upper photo, as well as the space-saving barn door on a track. . .In fact, most of the home's first floor has these barn doors. . .It was a small house, so any room space available was counted a big help. . .

And this DIY lighting fixture is a MUST. . .Don't you love it?

It doesn't roll on the track but stays in one place. . .It took me a while to figure that out. . .We have all kinds of cast-offs in the barn that we could use to make a similar fixture. . .Maybe I could put one up in THE COUNTRY FARM HOME I. . .Hmmmmmm. . .

FALL CANNING AT THE FARMHOUSE

 It's FALL! In fact, it's the first day of Fall. . .

The FARMHOUSE is smelling wonderful these days with boiling pots of JAMS and PUMPKIN BUTTER. . .Wish you could be here to enjoy it!

I am doing my canning a little different this year. . .Because I have been away from the FARMHOUSE most of the summer and because so many chemicals from crop dusters have dropped on and stunted our fruit trees, I wasn't able to do any canning as the produce came in from OTHER sources. . .FRIENDS and FAMILY. . .an AMISH MARKET. . .

All summer long, John has been such a dear and gathered up all that could be prepared and frozen so that when I returned home this FALL I could do our canning. . .We do have left-over PUMPKIN PUREE from last year in the freezer, too. . .and no telling what else I'll be able to find as I work through everything. . .

Over the years I have shared with you most of my recipes that I am using. . .but that was years ago. . .So I thought it would be simpler to link them here for you than you having to search them out. . .I have also added a link at the bottom of the page for even more canning recipes. . .

PLUM JAM AND PLUM SYRUP

Our plums this year didn't produce. . .but I had some frozen . . .Making this jam always reminds me of my Grandmother. . .because it was my favorite growing up. . .so she canned plenty for the winter. . .Sometimes she would let me "help". . .You can imagine how much help a five year old was. . .but it gave me wonderful memories of her. . .

GREEN TOMATOES

Seems that every FALL, there is an abundance of GREEN TOMATOES in everyone's garden. . .Choosing  enough for several days of FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, I still had a half bushel or more left on our doorstep by some unknown source. . .(If that's you. . .THANKS SO MUCH)

So. . .I decided to can the rest of them. . .simply in salt and water. . .to make GREEN TOMATO MINCEMEAT and GREEN TOMATO CHOW CHOW later. . .I also like a few in the soups I make during the winter. . .They add a taste that most people like but can't figure out. . .

EASY KRAUT IN A JAR 

What a hit this is. . .with everyone. . .It's a bit milder than what we buy in the store. . .and much more flavorable. . .You can adjust the vinegar to your taste, though.

Here's a delicious recipe for using the Easy Kraut that can be eaten alone. . .or on sandwiches. . .

KRAUT SALAD

 

PUMPKIN BUTTER on right

My tried and true recipe. . .Each fall we cut up any left-over pumpkins and cook them down into a puree. . .for John's peanut butter and pumpkin butter sandwiches. . .Yes. . .That's how he likes it. . .Good on toast and biscuits, too. . .

I also can or freeze some of the puree for PUMPKIN PIES. . .So much better than the bought. . .

PICKLED PEACHES in the middle. . .

I use a recipe from the Ball Canning Book. . .One day I'll share this one. . .

AMISH PEACH JAM on the left to spread on BREAKFAST BREAD PUDDING

This is very delicious. . .It's made with Jello!. . But, there is one disclaimer. . .Since Jello has animal protein in it, I do suggest processing it in a water bath or canner. . .and to eat it within a year or less. . .We have never had any problem with it. . .but it raised concern with others. . .

 

These are the first in a long line of canning. . .Certainly there is more to come. . .one of which is FIG JAM made the old fashioned way with sugar and NO Sure Jell. . .It will be the first time I've made it. . .Want me to share?

FOR MORE FARMHOUSE RECIPES, VISIT DUNCAN FARMSTEAD   THEN SCROLL DOWN TO SEASONED SOUTHERN STYLE AND WHAT'S COOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE 

White Ironstone-Stoneware-Plans for Fall

In our FARMHOUSE, white IRONSTONE and STONEWARE reigns. . .I am a lover of any dinnerware. . .and have collected many patterns over the years. . .but when I want simple farmhouse. . .it's the shades of white that I go to. . .More and more I decorate THE COUNTRY FARM HOME with lots of wood and naturals in the background and tons of farmhouse whites. . .This wasn't a quick decision. . .It has evolved through the last nine years I've blogged. . .

And. . .so. . .I am looking forward to FALL and decorating again with this neutral palette. . .I feel like I've missed most of Summer and am more than ready to get busy again at the FARMHOUSE. . .

This SUMMER has been different from any other. . .I have spent most of it away from the farm. . .not due to COVID-19. . .although it brought its own set of changes. . .but due to crop dusters spraying pesticides and herbicides. . .I have violent reactions to them. . .Our farm is sprayed on the ground when it needs it. . .and I tolerate that quite well. . .It's the planes that get me. . .We have asked the pilots not to fly over our farmstead. . .but they do. . .leaving a path of ruin. . .

 

They say a picture is worth a THOUSAND WORDS. . .

 

Remember our beautiful CREPE MYRTLE?

It was almost 100 YEARS OLD. . .

Here it is NOW. . .

 

Our GARDENS. . .SHRUBS. . .FRUIT TREES. . .pretty much look the same throughout the farmstead. . .

 

 

 

If it does this to plants. . .you can imagine what the spray does to a person's lungs. . .and immune system. . .John has bravely stayed at the farm and maintained it all Summer. . .but he now has health issues, too. . .Don't get me wrong. . .We are farmers. . .and we know bugs and weeds have to be killed. . .We have only asked that the crop dusters not fly over us. . .Unfortunately, there are laws for ruined crops due to aerial spray. . .not for people's lives. . .

 

Be that as it may. . .You all know how much I love OUR FARM and COUNTRY FARMHOUSE. . .Soon the crops will be harvested. . .the crop dusters will cease flying. . .and I'll be able to return to my BELOVED farm and do some FALL DECORATING indoors. . .with IRONSTONE. . .STONEWARE. . .ans PUMPKINS. . .It promises to be 'SIMPLY FARMHOUSE'. . .

 

 

I CAN HARDLY WAIT. . .

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Yes. . .The title is a little bit corn-y. . .but here's another. . ."You could have knocked me over with a feather" when I saw a full page photo in the FALL ISSUE OF COUNTRY RURUSTIC MAGAZINE of my wreath making at the Felix Valle House historic State Park in Ste. Genevieve, MO. . .

In the article, I not only shared DIY instructions for making your own herbal wreath, I also share a little history about the French "jardin potager" or kitchen garden. . .which is a mix of vegetables and flowers often planted in geometric shapes. . .I can remember seeing these types of gardens when, as a child, my family visited Canada one summer. . .Coming from the Delta with Scot-Irish and English background, their gardens were fascinating. . .But. . .more about that later. . .I hope to elaborated on that subject on my STE. GENEVIEVE JOURNAL blog soon. . .and maybe share the planting of my own Jardin Potager. . . 

Another subject I touched upon was the language of herbs. . .and chose the cuttings for the wreath according to the messages I wanted to fill my kitchen with for the fall and winter. . .We didn't have room to publish the chart I made. . .All the better for you. . .because. . .now I can share it with you here!

You'll find there are various charts with different meanings for each herb, but I tried to pick the most common ones.

I had loads of fun that memorable day spent dressed in 18th century and making wreaths, just as others have done for thousands of years. . .Hope you enjoy it, too, with your copy of COUNTRY RUSTIC. . .(Links below)

Also see:

MAKING KITCHEN HERBAL WREATHS AT THE FELIX VALLE STATE PARK

PLANT NOW FOR FALL HERBAL KITCHEN WREATHS 

COUNTRY RUSTIC MAGAZINE 

STE. GENEVIEVE JOURNAL