Heirloom Embroidery & Recipes

Yesterday when my daughter was packing a teapot that dates back to the turn of the 20th c. - might even be Victorian instead of Edwardian - I recalled that my Aunt Kate (who was childless) had also given me her exquisite needlework. Tablecloths & napkins, all done by kerosene lantern as farm work in Nebraska demanded her daylight hours. I doubt that even "back in the day" there were any more expert needlewomen than my father's mother's sister, Kate Campbell. My daughter posted the images below to her Facebook page. And, believe me, there could have been lots more. I had truly forgotten how exquisite my Aunt Kate's work was.

As an interesting footnote: before my Uncle Will became a farmer, he was a fireman on the railroad, and after retiring to Oregon, he worked part-time stoking coal fires in a lumberyard, something for which he was highly experienced!

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This week my daughter requested "Bacon Bread" for her husband's birthday party. Fortunately, it was the day Riley & Cassidy have their Gramma afternoon, and they did ninety percent of the work. "Best Bacon Bread ever" was the general concensus. I'm sure I've posted this recipe before, but below is an adaptation using Pillsbury "Grands," as the packages of smaller biscuits seemed to have disappeared from the grocery shelves.

PULL-APART BACON BREAD

Please note this is "pull apart" bread. It is NOT meant to be cut with a knife. Ever. Don't do it. I swear it doesn't taste the same. 

 Special Note:  This recipe is much easier if you prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Cut the pound of bacon in quarters. Cook, cool, & crumble. Shred the cheese. Sauté the onion & pepper & allow to cool a bit so you don't get burned when it's time for "hands on." Do NOT, however, cut the biscuits until the last minute. They'll become too soft & gooey to retain their shape.

1 lb. bacon (I use Oscar Meyer Smoky.)
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar 
3/4 - 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 med. - large onion)
c. 3/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil*

1/2 cup butter (one stick), melted
2 pkg. Pillsbury "Grands" biscuits
Fresh herbs, snipped (optional)

*Instead of oil, I pour off all but a bit of the bacon grease & sauté the oil & pepper in that.

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Cook bacon, cool & crumble. Shred cheese. Sauté onion & green pepper in oil until tender. Cut each biscuit into quarters. In a large bowl, combine onion, pepper, biscuits, bacon, cheese, herbs, & melted butter. (This is a "hands on" task. Make sure each biscuit quarter is covered with butter so it will separate easily from the loaf.)   

Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Layer the biscuit mix in the pan, scraping in every last bit of "fixings." Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes, then invert onto serving plate. Serve warm. (May be made ahead & reheated in microwave.)  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Remember to tell people this is "pull apart" bread, not sliced bread.





This week I tried a "melt" recipe where I only had time to scribble the list of ingredients in a small notebook. No prep or cooking instructions. But when I managed to put it together, it was tasty enough to pass along. For lack of a better name, I simply call it . . .

Artichoke Melts

1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
14 oz. can small artichoke hearts*
9 oz. frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 green onions, sliced
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce**
English muffins or thick-sliced French bread

*I cut the artichokes in half 

** 2-4, depending on your personal taste

Combine all ingredients but muffins & refrigerate for at least an hour. Spread mix on muffins or thick bread. Broil on Low for 5-6 minutes.  (The mix keeps well in the refrigerator for a day or two, so you don't have to use it all it once.)

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Thanks for stopping by.

Grace
 
For Grace's website, listing all books as Blair Bancroft, click here.

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