Treasures in a Trunk

I recently posted about a collection of books that I just purchased from an estate sale. We have unloaded the massive amount of books but much to my chagrin, there is no time right now to do the books justice. By that I mean that these books are meant to be perused curled up in a comfy chair, piles upon piles stacked to my side, as I go through them cover to cover to find all the treasures tucked in between their pages. No, I am not speaking of dollar bills but of mementos of the past, funeral cards, pressed flowers, newspaper clippings, letters, photos and the likes. These items give you a peek into the life of the books' owner. They obviously had enough meaning to be placed amongst the pages of the book to be saved for future perusal. Perhaps this winter there will be time to engage in such a pleasurable task when the pace is a little slower and I just might be able to loose myself for an afternoon or two.

For right now, sorting through the trunks that I acquired at the same sale will have to suffice! I can pick one out as time allows, sort through its contents gingerly, for some have been in an attic for close to a hundred years and then carefully clean the trunks and their contents. This afternoon, after working in the barn where I had been jump starting the Christmas season, I grabbed a trunk and began that process.    The trunk that I chose today was one that upon initially opening, I saw that it contained some Halloween goodies. The mice left me some perfectly intact decorations that really look quite frightening  but very much like the reproduction ones I have seen of today.

 The majority of the trunk was filled with several children's costumes. Most of the costumes need some TLC but they are nothing like the nylon ones of todays packaged numbers from the Halloween store. Constructed like they were made to be worn everyday, they obviously had been tucked away to be saved for another season. 

Tucked underneath the costumes with all of the contents spilled about was a board game copyrighted in 1898.    .

The players pieces are made out of wood and the die are the tiniest little things I have ever seen. There was the card game PIT which my kids still play today and a cardboard box entitled PLAY CLOTHES. Folded up inside was an army outfit or police officer costume that looked like it had never been worn.

The most fascinating bundle in the whole trunk though, was a paper wrapped parcel of torn out magazine pages from all the fashionable publications from the time period of the dated pages...1921.  Ladies Home Journal, Harper's Bazaar and of course Vogue. I am not aware of who the owner of this trunk is but I sure know much about her from the tear sheets she left in a trunk over the course of a year in 1921. I know that she must have been quite fashionable for there are pages of what look to be the latest fashions. I know that she loved photos and artistic renderings of all aspects of family life. She saved many a short story and poem that were printed upon the pages of the aforementioned magazines. She clipped advertisements on beauty products and home care items. She had many a selection on decor of the day and design of a "good home" as one article was entitled. 

She definitely was drawn to photos of women in peaceful and tranquil settings.

Children were also a common thread as well as Norman Rockwell scenes and Vogue illustrations.

ALL of it could have been applicable today...the themes of a woman's life...past and present...bound inextricably together through the years. Yes, the gentility and social graces that were apparent in these pages are mostly absent from today's publications which is a sad commentary but the subject matter is much the same. (Except for the one article on how the Chicago Public school system had just installed water closets in all schools so that the children could wash their hands at school and thus increase the children's learning.)  I certainly got lost in this activity and could have read these pages of the past for hours but pick ups and Target would not wait. In my fairly quick inventory, I was struck with the similarity of how my files look much like this mystery woman's "file" of images. I often get flack for my files and my torn out magazine pages. Yes, I am aware of a thing called Pin-terest that is all the rage these days and I even have an account but use it way to infrequently. I am such a kinesthetic visual that I cannot "tear" myself away from my old habits. Maybe someone will find my files almost one hundred years from now and wonder at the life that I lived... as I have today. 

Inspiration comes in many forms~

Meg

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I know that I signed off in my last post as, until my canning experience, or something akin to that. Well, my canning is not looking so good, since I seem to be finding treasures left and right that I just cannot refuse but are causing me to stay out of the kitchen. I am so excited to bring those treasures to you at our next sale in November but for right now, it is all about dinner and the lack there of, if some thought is not put into it. I just made my go to recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup when Shane came home for his Fall break this past week. It is one of my family's favorites and so incredibly simple that I have to share it with you. I am fully aware that with the busy schedules of the kids after school with sports and activities paired with homework and showers ( for me that is... who finally might get one) dinner can often be problematic. Here is one recipe that if thrown in the crock pot in the am, it will delight in the pm. Unless you have a child who has sensory issues and asks, "What smells so bad in the kitchen?" Give him a clothespin for his nose and feed him rice.

Ingredients

1 pound shredded cooked chicken ( I boil the chicken in a pot of water first and then shred it or saute chicken breasts in a saute pan with a little olive oil and then cut up.)

1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed or canned diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cups water

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth (I use low sodium)

1 tsp each cumin, chili powder and salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

1 Tbls chopped cilantro

 *7 corn tortillas (optional)

   vegetable oil

Assorted toppings of choice such as cheddar cheese, salsa, avocados, sour cream and rice

I double all of the ingredients to make a large pot to feed a family of 7 and have a little for the next day.

Directions

Place all ingredients except for tortillas and oil in a slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. I sometimes leave it on for longer and the longer it cooks the better the flavors meld. It is even better the next day!

 * Before serving, Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10-15 mins. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup and any toppings that you would like. I lay them all out in bowls and it is a help yourself affair.

If you have little time before serving or if you have a child who has sensory issues and cannot eat spicy things, cook up a batch of whole grain rice and serve a scoop of that in each bowl and a plain bowl of rice to the sensitive child.

This recipe makes a hearty meal for a chilly fall or cold winter night. Serve with a side salad and rice and it is quite filling!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think should you try it!

~Meg

Summer's Last Vestige

It truly was a magnificent Fall day today. One could not help themselves to the call of the outside given by the crystal clear blue of the sky and the crispness of the air. With the forecast of a possible freeze warning tonight, I made way to the vegetable garden to gather some of the last of the harvest still clinging to their life giving vines.

I picked enough tomatoes to hopefully can some salsa this week and some peppers to make pepper jelly. If my goal is achieved, I will certainly pass on the recipes if they are a hit! I love to give homemade gifts from the kitchen at Christmastime. There have been years that my cup has runneth over in that department and years where I never found the time to fill that measuring cup! This year...

I picked lots of herbs and just found a recipe for herb oils that you freeze in order to preserve the taste of the freshly grown herb over the winter. Rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, oregano and mint, my hands wore the scent of all for the remainder of the day. I will be sure to post a blog about what I do with this harvest in the very near future.

There was one large patch of color left in the vegetable garden and that was of the nasturtiums. They are growing wild so I had to pick some of their autumn hued flowers to bring some fall indoors.

In other areas of the yard, as I walked back to the house with my load, pops of color beckoned me to them. Upon viewing them, if not for the crispness in the air, it certainly looked like the summer months. The flowers seemed to be screaming with their final display of color as if to say, breathe me in one last time before I fade into the grey and colorless landscape of winter. They were putting on a show almost as if they know their days are limited.

Sure the mums are still in bloom and the asters, the proverbial signs of fall but these are the species of the warm summer months.

Even the lavender was showing a few bursts of a last hurrah.

The garden will soon be put to bed for the winter months. The garden and patio sets will be housed in the barn for the cold months. Sure enough though, they will all be brought back after their winter slumber to give us great pleasure...yet again.

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all. -   Stanley Horowitz

Until the canning projects have come to fruition~

Meg

Zumba Under the Stars

I am sure that you are wondering what the heck is Zumba Under the Stars? Most of you who have come to our Preview Parties before are probably saying, "No way that any stars will be seen that night since there is usually a deluge on the night of the Life's Patina Preview Parties!" Tsk, tsk...such negativity...We have been kind to mother nature and we seem to have won her over since the last two events we have held at the barn have had delightful weather. We are ecstatic that the weather again looks promising for this Friday's Zumba Under the Stars with Dr. B., otherwise known as Bhavana Shymalan. She has garnered an impressive list of accolades in the Zumba world and rumor has it, she teaches an amazing class! She will be with us this Friday evening, October 17th to lead us through an energy filled Girls Night Out Under the Stars to benefit Philadelphia Public Schools. Bhavana and her husband M. Night, have been vocal advocates of reform in education. 

We at Life's Patina are honored to be hosting this event. The spearhead behind it all is Bonnie Koss, a dynamic women herself, who likes to impart change in the FUNdraising events that she has put together and led in the past few years. She is a dynamo of good will and her energy and her positive spin on life are apparent when you meet her. She has put this event together as a successor to last year's that we held in the barn where two van loads of school supplies were collected and then donated to Philadelphia Public Schools. 

All you have to do to attend is to clear your schedule, show up at the barn at Life's Patina at Willowbrook Farm at 6:00 pm with school supplies, $15 to cover dinner,  and your dancing shoes (in this case make them gym shoes) so that you can join in on a fabulous night of camaraderie and fun to make a difference! If you would like, it is a BYOB event so feel free to bring the bevy of your choice. Water and non alcoholic beverages will be provided. Of course, being that it is at Life's Patina, shopping will be involved if you so desire. It will be your last chance to peruse our Fall displays and decor before we break down to get ready for the Holiday season and as always, we will be donating a portion of our proceeds to Philadelphia Public Schools and the purchase of desperately needed basic school supplies and books.

On a side note, I think it should be called Zumba in Front of a Mirror. I love to go the gym when time allows, for while I am physically active with a lot of heavy lifting, sanding and the likes, there is nothing like being in a room full of women working out together...except if it is a Zumba class. If you are an avid Zumba goer, you go girl for you will rock it! If you are not, please do not let that deter you. I have taken only one Zumba class in my life, probably because I was not in one led by Dr. B, and I came out of that class with a huge smile on my face. Not knowing the moves, I certainly felt like I had two left feet. Considering that it was done whilst looking at myself in a mirror, I could do nothing but laugh as the image in front of me was going in the wrong direction of the other images and my hips were certainly not moving in the direction that they should have been. If you are taking yourself wayyyy to seriously and are a novice, come out and break that habit!

For more information and to let the organizer know you are coming for an accurate count click on the following link -

Zumba Under the Stars - Facebook Event Page!

See you on Friday night the 17th!!

~Meg

Gathering on a Beautiful Fall Day

I am crazy about themes! 

We just completed our second event of the Fall season that celebrated the theme that is prevalent in all of our happenings here in the barn this Fall. For each Barn Sale and Preview party that we hold, we benefit a local charity or charitable organization. We try to pick the organization so that it fits into the theme of a sale or sometimes we are inspired by an organization and chose the theme based on it. This season is no different and our theme is Education. In this area of Pennsylvania that we live in, we are so very fortunate to have the services of wonderfully staffed and supported public school systems. We also have the choice of some of the top private schools in the country in our back yard as well as a variety of schools that cater to a wide variety of denominations and beliefs. "The world is your oyster," so to speak, as far as education goes. Yet, for many children in our area their school experiences are vastly different.  Our Fall season launched with a fabulous preview party that benefited Chester County Futures which is a poverty prevention program that provides academic, mentoring and scholarship support for motivated, disadvantaged Chester County youth. Their goal is to provide their students with college readiness and life skills needed to be self sufficient and to prosper. We enjoyed learning more about the organization and its successes at the preview party and our attendees had first dibs on some of our one of kind pieces that seem to be the most coveted.

We attached the base of two corbels to an old copper trough. Wouldn't this make a cool beverage holder for wine bottles? It now will for a lucky lady who took it home.

We hosted our second event having to do with education here in the barn today on the loveliest of days. This was a private event given by the Cristo Rey High School in Philadelphia and a group of women who are spearheading an "angel" campaign to supply the students at this school with all of the "extras" that we so take for granted every day...a hot breakfast, tutors, school uniforms, books, etc. I wonder if the angels had anything to do with the beautiful weather?

Watercolor by Artist Cheryl Decker Sauder

The attendees enjoyed a deliciously prepared luncheon,

With the school's color of blue punched throughout the decor

and of course...books!

The weather could not have been any more beautiful and it allowed the luncheon to be held out in the barn courtyard.

I picked everything that was appealing in the garden to assemble the flower arrangements to reflect Fall and to coordinate with the blue.

Nasturtium, purple sage, dill fronds, lemon basil, mint, yarrow and hydrangeas all worked very well together to make sweet little groupings in my blue and white tea cups.

Cabbages in an open vintage suitcase, which happened to have a blue liner, made wonderful decor for  the buffet table.

Loriane, our favorite caterer treated us to her delicious Rosemary Shortbread Cookies which are heavenly and addictive. She sells them by the box at our sales and will have plenty of them for Holiday treats at our next sale.

All in all, it was a beautiful day with a beautiful outcome of supporting another group of people making a difference in the education of our youth.

Our third and final event for our Fall season will be

Zumba Under the Stars 

with Dr. B who is a dynamic Zumba instructor who happens to be M. Night Shyamalan's wife. It too will benefit education and a cause near and dear to Dr. B, Philadelphia Public Schools. This event will be held in the barn courtyard (all of the tables have already been moved out to make room) on October 17th beginning at 6 pm. More information can be found on our Facebook page and website as of tomorrow. No rest for the weary and we are on a roll! Come join us for a last glance at the barn in all of its Fall splendor before we roll in the Holiday season with our Holiday Sale in November. 

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

                                                                                     Nelson Mandela

Each and every little step we take adds up to a world of difference~

Meg