Basil Pruning Tutorial ... Really!

One of the tastiest treats from the garden has to be fresh pesto.
You can get my recipe for fresh pesto here.
With this goal in mind I planted some basil in my garden a couple of years ago.

What a pretty little basil plant. I put it in my garden and watered it and weeded it and waited.

This is what happened. (obviously these aren't the actual pictures at that time but they do illustrate my point.)
There wasn't enough basil there to make a good spring roll let alone a cup of pesto.
I decided that there must be some secret to growing basil that I just wasn't allowed to know because it sure didn't work for me.
Then.... last year at the Baker's Creek Spring Garden Show I met a lovely man selling gorgeous plants that let me in on THE SECRET. I didn't have to sell one of my kids to get it either. hee hee I just just had to look pathetic which I did to the best of my ability. Then I bought several of his basil varieties and had the best basil patch ever.
Here is THE SECRET. . . . . . You have to prune it. Easy hugh!?!
Here is how.
Look back at the picture of the cute little plant. See how it has two leaves? That is important. On a basil plant the leaves grow in twos opposite each other. As the little plant sends up the stalk it will grow two more leaves.

You need to go to those two leaves and prune about one inch or so above them.

Here is another example on my purple plant.
When you cut the stalk the two nodes at the leaves grow branches. On those branches will be two more leaves. Cut there and you will grow four more and so on till you have a bush big enough to make a gallon of pesto. Happy thought. :o)
Here is what my little plants looked like after about three or four pruning.
I pruned them way back this week and they are even bigger now.

Good luck with yours.

Vintage Scalloped Potato Recipe

My mother has talked about her mother's scalloped potatoes for years. Scalloped potatoes is not something I do well. They are not my favorite way to have potatoes because they often go horribly wrong and have no flavor. Well...... Those days are over! I gave my mother's memory a try. Mom never made these potatoes for me, she just told me how good her mother's were and basically what she did.


Grandma Wood's Scalloped Potatoes (in true grandma Wood recipe form)

Wash and thinly slice some potatoes.

Butter the pan.

Layer the potatoes in a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

Repeat layers till your pan is full.

Pour milk over the potatoes making sure they are covered.

Now here is where I added my bit.

Sprinkle the top with some Parmesan cheese.

Top it off with some cream.

Bake in a hot oven till they are done.
(When are they done? When they are bubbly, brown on top and the potatoes are tender.)

My dear friend Vea invited me (and the other Prairie Hens) over for a Tea Party this week. It was so much fun. That should really happen a lot more often! Big girls need parties too. I am on the quest now for grown up girl parties now.



The party really was quite simple but made us have so much fun. She fixed us lunch with sandwiches, veggies and dip, cookies and Lemon Aid. It was delicious.

The best part of the party was that she and her daughter Natalie had also planned a water party for the kids. They had pools, sprinklers, and food too. They thought the party was all about them. hee hee. I loved it. We had our grown up fun in total peace.

THANK YOU VEA!

I am looking for sponsors for some prizes for my Fall Sassy Apron Swap. If you have an Etsy Store or Website that deals in something related to aprons, kitchen items, flirty fun stuff, or foodie things. I am looking for at least three sponsors. If I get more I might consider running some giveaways here at My Byrd House.

You help me reward my good swappers and You get free advertising here and at the Sassy Apron Swap.

You can contact me at byrhouse1(at)windstream(dot)net or leave a comment with a link back to you please.

Oh, If you are wanting to donate something to give-away here it can be anything to do with home and family and wonderful craftiness.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I have always loved a good bowl of oatmeal and am so thrilled to see so many varieties on the shelves now. I just don't like the sugar they add to the mix. I would rather be in control of that part of it.

A Friend of mine clued me into a great oatmeal mix that you can make from home. It is made with few ingredients that you just might have at home already.


Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
(one serving)

1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 water
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
1/2 apple
2 tbsp nuts
Cinnamon to taste

I put the oats in the blender and give them a quick pulse. Then I put the oats, milk, water and salt into my saucepan and heat on Med-high. I stir constantly as I bring it to a boil. Remove from heat when it starts to thicken up. It will thicken more as it cools.
I put the nuts and the apple in the blender or food processor and chop fine. Then stir the nuts and apple into hot oatmeal. I sprinkle with cinnamon and stir it all up and eat it all up.
You can add some honey, brown sugar, sucanant or stevia if you want it sweeter. I like it just the way it is and like it best with a Fuji apple because they are so sweet.

Old Red Barn Quilt...

Old Red Barn is giving away this scrumptious quilt.



Yes giving it away. If you want a chance at it go to her blog and read all the juicy details for yourself. This quilt makes me weak.

Missouri Peach Pie - PPP

Peaches have to be one of my favorite fruits. Thus one of my all time favorite pies is Peach Pie.

On the way home from the Zoo last weekend I found a road side fruit stand with fresh Missouri peaches. I had to have some. We made Jam and saved a few for pie.

Missouri Peach Pie

Pastry for a 2-crust pie

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

5 cups sliced, peeled peaches

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

2 tbsp butter

1. Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt.
2. Sprinkle peaches with lemon juice and almond extract.
3. Add sugar-flour mixture to the peaches and mix gently. Pour into a pastry lined 9" pie pan. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust and pinch the edges. Cut vents.
4. Brush the top of the pie with cream and sprinkle with sugar. (this is optional but makes a pretty pie.)
5. Bake at 450 deg F for 40-45 minutes, or until juices are bubbly and the crust is golden.
6. Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

Fall Sassy Apron Swap Time

Yes it is that time again. I have started the sign-ups for the Fall Sassy Apron Swap.

For more information and how to join, go visit the Sassy Apron Swap Blog.

Reunion Fun

OK I have a spare minute this morning to post some of the fun we have been having.

On day one we had some Old World activities for the kids. Each family got the assignment to come up with an activity booth to teach the children something about life in the Middle Ages. It was so much fun. We had Alchemy, Spinning, Heraldry, Shield making, Tunics, and Folk Medicine. Here are some of the photos of the fun we had.


My niece Rebekah is a chemist and she taught the kids about Alchemy. Her booth was always full. She told what basics of chemistry they did know back then. It was so much fun. My sister Mary also was in this booth and she did sun reactive dyes with the kids. I forgot to get a photo of that.

You can see here that she let the kids do experiments. It was really fabulous!


My booth was the Folk Medicine. I am into herbs and so I had several samples of the herbs that they would have used back then and what they used them for and what we use them for today.
They kids loved the fact that the top property of most of the herbs and spices back then was to prevent flatulence. The all giggled. We took some especially fragrant herbs like, mint, lavender, rose petals, and such and made little sachets to wear around our necks. We talked about how most people didn't bath and that you would have these handy to sniff and especially stinky times. They also ward off bugs like lice.


My niece Anna had the kids making Shields. She had lots of information about crests and what the symbols stood for. All the kids had fun painting them. I even noticed many of the adults painting their own that afternoon.

My sister Lil and her husband Doug brought natural fibers and taught the kids how to make yarn with drop spindles.

The kids had so much fun and kept bringing me their bits of string to show me what they made.

My sister Anne (who was in charge of all the activities) and her daughter Rebecca had a booth where the boys could make tunics and the girls made flower garlands for their hair. The boys got to design the front of their tunics with crayon drawings that they ironed in.


The last booth the kids got to go to was Grandma's Nursery Rhymes. Most of our nursery rhymes come from the middle ages and were political statements about their times. The kids had to recite any rhyme they know to her to get a bag of sugared and spiced nuts from her. They were so tasty!

The smart grand kids stuck around and got more nuggets of wisdom from grandma.

My sister Jeanne and her daughter Alisa also had a booth where the kids were making family crests. They are still being finished and are really great but I forgot to take a picture of that.

Here are some more photos of the corsets I made. We have to show off the funness of it all!

I don't know just what Josie was doing that day but she did look impressive.



Jeanne, Alisa and Amanda looking lovely. I have to tell you that I actually made Jeanne's for her last year and she has lost enough weight that she took the back of the corset in 6-8 inches. I am very impressed!


Here is a view of the back of the corsets.


Josie and Jeanne in their loveliness. They made their own skirts.

This one is one of my favorites though. This is little Hannah and it is her 6th birthday today. She is my littlest princess.

Reunion 2008

Since 1999 my family has had a reunion almost every year. The last several have been here in the Midwest so we would be close to my parents. This year is right here.
The theme of the reunion is The Knight's Quest. We all get to dress up in Renaissance festival cloths and play all day.
I contributed to the fun by making corsets for all the women that wanted one.
Here are just a few.

I am off now to George Washington Carver National Monument with the kids. I think we are late. Blogging takes so long.

Pecan Pie

Hurray, I made 2 pies this month so you get another divine pie recipe.




This is one of our family favorites and usually only appears on Thanks Giving Day. However, it was Bryan's birthday this week and I decided to make him pie instead of cake. He loves this pie and really hates rhubarb. He kinda wanted to know why I was making pies that he hates. (because I love them hee hee). So in honor of his birthday I made HIS kind of pie and it is to die for.
Here are my thoughts on pecan pie. I do really like it for the flavor but the traditional pecan pie is so rich, sticky, and sweet that I can't eat more than a bite. This pie does not have corn syrup and other stuff so it is less sticky and sweet. It is rich though and a tiny slice is plenty. (unless you are a big pig and it is your birthday, hee hee). This recipe is actually a chess pie made with eggs, sugar, and flour. I love how the flavors blend together. I will be posting some more chess pies this year. There is a raisin recipe I have that can put you in a sugar coma. I love it!

Pecan Pie or (Heirloom Chess Pie)
1 unbaked 9” pie shell
¼ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup cream
2 cups chopped nuts

Cream butter.Add sugars and salt.
Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.Do not over cook.

You can substitute just about any nut in this recipe. My sister Jeanne makes this with black walnuts sometimes. It is so delicious. My favorite Thanks Giving memories are of me, my mom and my sisters sitting at the table after all the guys have passed out. We take a plate and nibble on tiny slices of our favorite pies and talk and laugh a lot. It is really good times.

Ham n' Spinach Crepes

We made up this recipe at Prairie Hen Day today.

Crepes:
2 Cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 Tbsp oil
1 pinch salt
Mix well. Let set for about 20-30 minutes and cook in a skillet.

White Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 Cups Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in pan add flour and cook for a minute or two. Add the milk a little at a time and mix well after each addition. It will start off looking like play dough and will thin out with each addition of milk. This way won't give you lumps.

Filling:
Chopped ham
Chopped cooked and drained spinach
Chopped chives
Fresh basil (optional)
Grated cheese (white cheese is best, Swiss, mozzarella, or what ever you have)

To prepare:
Mix half of the white sauce with the ham, chives, and spinach.
Spoon about 2 Tbsp into the center of a crepe, top with cheese. Roll up. Serve with extra white sauce and chives and fresh basil leaves if you have them.

Rhubarb - Orange Custard Pie

I don't know if Rhubarb Pie is an acquired taste but this one is the only recipe I will eat.
This is my mom's recipe and it holds some of my very fondest memories. As a little girl I was allergic to Rhubarb and would break out in hives if I ate it. I knew this would happen but I couldn't resist snitching some of this pie. It is that good. Tangy, sweet, sour, and buttery. It does everything you need a pie to do!
I have been craving this pie for months but there is sadly no Rhubarb to be found right here, not even frozen rhubarb. So my little brother Jon said that he could get some up in central Missouri and that he would bring some when he came again. HE DID! THANK YOU JON! So I made pie.

Mom's Rhubarb - Orange Custard Pie

1 Pie crust
3 eggs separated
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch slices
1/3 cup chopped pecans

• Beat egg whites until stiff; add 1/4 cup sugar gradually, beat well after each addition.
• Add butter and juice concentrate to egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Add remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and salt; beat well.
• Add rhubarb to yolk mixture; stir well. Gently fold in meringue (egg whites). Pour into pastry-lined 9" pie pan. (make high fluted rim) Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake at 375 deg F 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325 deg F and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes. Cool.

Here is a seal of approval.

My Nephew James couldn't get enough of it. It was good enough to lick the spoon when you are done!

The Zina B Dress

I have been working on this dress off and on for about 6 months now. I keep making changes, hanging it up, coming back to it, adjusting things here and there.
Here is where the dress stands now.

I finally got someone that could model it for me too. It fits me but looks better on Clara. :o)

It is called the Zina B because when my mother saw it for the first time it reminded her of the dress her grandmother Zina B Cannon wore all the time. She said that Zina had it made in several bright cottons and that it also had a white collar. I am thinking of adding that to a future version.
Anyway, here are some more pictures of it. I also made an under dress to keep it modest. hee hee.




Here is one of the earliest versions I worked up last winter.

Spider Friends

My son Joe has been working really hard cleaning up the wood piles in our yard betting ready for my mom's new house.
I have been very worried about what "friends" he might find. There are so many snakes this year and I didn't want him to find any copper heads.

Well this is the friend Joe found.

That is the bottom of a wide mouth pint canning jar. The spider still gives me shivers.

Joe took the camera and took the pictures himself. He took the spider outside to take the pictures and brought back an empty jar. I asked him if he squished it and he looked shocked. Of course not. He took it to the woods and let it go.

Caroline-a in the Lolita

Miss Caroline turns 9 tomorrow. In honor of her birthday I gave her a Lolita apron that I was honored to get to test the pattern. I just love how festive this apron looks. The pattern should be showing up very soon for public sale at Sew Liberated.

Retro Day

Our quilt guild, The Newtonia Battlefield Quilters held a mini retreat today. It was called Retro Day. The theme of the day was projects from the 1930's and 40's.
There was a gorgeous table runner with a wonderful vine and flowers made from 30's fabrics. There was a really fast and simple quilt made from 30's fabrics too. Of course I was too dumb to take pictures.
The other project just so happened to be an apron pattern made from vintage apron from the 1930's taught by yours truly. It was so cute and yes I took pictures. Each lady took her own spin on the apron.

These are four of the sweetest ladies I know. It was so much fun working with them today. There were several others there today too but they didn't get to making the apron.

We also had to bring our finished blocks for this year's raffle quilt that we sell chances for to make money for the guild to fund things like our Project Linus quilts and quilts we give to our community members when there is a need. (several went out with the tornado we had here and we will be making several more to donate.)

Aren't they gorgeous! I am so excited about this year's quilt. I love 30's fabrics.

My Sassy Summer Apron Attempt

Ok I am just squeaking in here with my Summer Sassy Apron for the Swap. It was a bit of a challenge and of course I couldn't just buy a pattern and make an apron. I and to try designing things and that always has fudge factor and I didn't make a muslin mock up this time. (like I ever do).



I had to have something that screamed summer and my partner likes bright colours (hint) and wanted something modern in the fabric. (I used a new line - to me at least).



Sorry but my little lady doesn't have a back so the picture is a little lumpy. I made bias trim out of the yellow to go around the back, pockets, and hem. The ties are short and should reach around my skinny partner.

I posted it at the post office today with global priority (hint) so if you life out of the US and you haven't got your package and you are skinny and like bright colours, this apron just might be yours. Hee Hee.
I hope my partner likes it and that it fits. It is very hard for Chubby Chikas to make things to fit the skinny chickens.