Thursday, July 31, 2014

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Knitting - A Woman's Cardigan from 1952


From the Australian Woman's Weekly.  Go to my flickr account for the pattern.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

First, Boil Your Duck

(copyright-free Audubon image from Dover.)

TO MAKE CURRY PUFFS.  Boil one duck, with the liver and gizzard.  Cut the meat of the duck into dice.  Chop the gizzard rather fine.  Rub the liver to a smooth paste with a little butter, and mix thoroughly with three even tablespoonfuls of curry powder.  Place over the fire one quart of the liquor in which the fowl was cooked.  Add the chopped meat, gizzard, one medium-sized onion, grated, one nutmeg, grated, and salt to taste.  When it comes to a boil add one tablespoonful of chopped parsley and the liver and curry mixture, thinned with a little of the hot liquor.  Thicken with three tablespoonfuls of browned flour rubbed smooth with three tablespoonfuls of butter.  This will be sufficient filling of a dozen and a half puffs.

For the puffs, bake cream-puff batter in the usual way.  While still hot split near the top and fill with the curry.  Serve hot.  Or, if you do not wish to bake the puffs almost any baker will let you have them without the usual sweet filling.  They must in this case be placed in the oven for a moment to heat, before adding the filling.  Watch carefully that they do not become too brown.

(Three tablespoons of curry powder.  Someone liked it hot).  From the Ladies' Home Journal, October 1892.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Friday, July 18, 2014

Quote of the Day


Many years ago, two priests were travelling on foot through the mountains of Spain.  They arrived at a river where there was no bridge, only a ford, and found a pretty girl standing by the riverside, wondering how she was going to get across, because the water was fast and the current strong.

Frey Juan took pity on her and offered to carry her on his back and she accepted.  He was a tall, stout man and he easily made it across, whereas the girl would probably have lost her footing and gotten drenched or perhaps even drowned.  On the opposite bank, she thanked him gratefully and went on her way.

 As soon as she was out of earshot, Frey Esteban began to berate Frey Juan.  “Shame on you!  A man of God, behaving in such a shocking and indecent way!”  And Frey Esteban continued to scold Frey Juan for quite some time.

Finally Frey Juan turned to him.  “Brother, I’m sorry that you are having to bear such a heavy burden,” he said gently.

“What are you talking about?” asked the astonished Frey Esteban.

“The girl.  I put her down six miles back, but you are still carrying her.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Girls and Their Toys



I know, I know.  There's something seriously wrong with me, but I really want one of these.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Monday, July 7, 2014

Unaccustomed As We Are


I will be in Chicago (well...Schaumburg, technically) for a conference until Thursday night.  With my sweet lovely boss and six other RNs, and only the public affairs officer along as backup.  

Let's hope we can keep the seven of them out of mischief.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Friday, July 4, 2014

...Shall Not Perish From The Earth


Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. 

We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. 

The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. ~ A. Lincoln.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Knitting - a "Jumper" from 1940


From the Australian Woman's Weekly, March 1940.  Instructions are below - left-click to enlarge.