Subj : Re: food and family was: To : NANCY BACKUS From : Janis Kracht Date : Mon Dec 09 2019 12:16:22 Hi Nancy, >> that proficient... :) I did help make my wedding dress (quite a simple >> one), but one of those two did most of it.... :) >> Still, that's cool that you were able to help with it :) > I'd learned some basic sewing in school, just never really developed > into a seamstress... ;) We also did sewing in middle school (6th-7th grade I think)...I remember the kind of thing we were assigned .. some simplistic waist only apron (no-fail type ). I personally couldn't wait to dump that class and switch to an art class . Later when I was a Jr. in high school, I had the opportunity to select certain classes as I approached the last years of high school so I dropped Chemistry (didn't need it) and took Oil painting.. that was a great class :) :) >> I started sewing all my clothes when I was in about 7th grade because >> my arms and legs were longer than the pre-packaged "sizes" allotted for >> from clothing store racks ... > So you've always been a "stringbean"... ;) Lol.. yes, that is the darn truth.. I take after my Dad's side of the family... Taller and thinner than my mom's family :) >> well with very even stitches. By the time I was in High School, working >> summers at our local Hospital, I was able to save up enough $$ to buy a >> more modern Singer (still mechanical as opposed to electric) and that >> made sewing even easier. At some point in High School I had a job >> working for a dress shop in Warwick, NY where the 'well-to-do' >> Hollywood types that lived in Warwick liked to shop... so I sewed a >> dress for Gloria De Haven (most people don't even know who she was I >> think )... It was cool because of course people like her wanted >> dresses made from exotic fabrics, etc. And because of people like her >> and the dresses I sewed I had enough $$ to make my dresses for High >> School proms, etc.. like a sari silk dress, and also a gold lame dress. >> I _think_ I still have them here somewhere ... > That's neat... :) Working at that dress shop gave you experience with > the exotic fabrics so you could confidently work with them for your own > dresses.... :) Yes, it did. The village of Warwick was a sleepy town of not much note for years... Then various people from Hollywood 'discovered' it, so close to Manhatten and NYC. I was pretty busy after that :) > And you'd probably be able to wear them still, if you > did find them.... :) I think they are upstairs in a closet, maybe I'll check today... Now I'm curious :) >> After I married Ron, he bought me a 'dream' machine that was electric, >> did embroidery and all that stuff . > You'd be able to appreciate it, and make good use of it.... :) I never > had anything much more than a basic machine... worked well enough for > mending, and simple sewing... :) And I did make good use of that machine... early on for the kids, I had real fun making jeans for the kids, and for me. I put embroidered things on their jeans and mine >> payment on a new one, so when Singer came out with the Athena 1000 I >> bought one of those... it was such a great machine (still have an >> Athena, it's an Athena 2000)... I sewed for everyone in the family, my >> kids, my sisters, my mom...creating daring dresses for my sisters (as >> couples my sisters/their hubbys, and Ron and I used to go out dancing >> in Jersery at night clubs owned by some friends of my Dad... that was >> incredibly neat). >> When my youngest sister got married, another of my sisters couldn't >> find a bridesmaids' dress in her size, so I made a copycat dress for >> her from scratch that matched everyone elses. She was so happy, I >> remember :) > Now that is indeed a gift... to be able to do that from scratch.... :) Clothing construction just all made sense to me... I guess once you make enough pieces of clothing, it is not such a mystery. >>>> You are so right as to everybody's body being different in how it >>>> processes its fuel... Mine certainly isn't as accomodating as yours >>>> is... >>> Well, there are days when I would like to just be 'normal' but I guess >>> the combination of my height (geez, I'm not that tall, but ~5' 6" >>> maybe) and my pulse clocking in at about 70 do it.. got me... :) >> Apparently you've also got a very efficient metabolism... mine tends to >> shut down all too easily... :) >> Understand, one of my sisters has a metabolism similar to yours. It >> can be hard for her as well, so I always sewed dresses for her. > Is that the one you made the bridesmaid dress for....? Yes, it was. I remember seeing her face when the bridesmaid's shop clerk told her it was impossible to get a dress for her in her size.. she was crushed. I told her 'don't worry about it, I'll take care of it'. Bridesmaid's dresses are generally pretty simple in design. :) I knew I could find matching fabics so I wasn't worried. >>> Sure, that makes a lot of sense, really. She still won't try anything >>> along those lines. They wheel her down there I guess, and then wheel >>> her back. >> Sad. I suppose that at her age, and given the stroke, it might have >> become more than she actually can do anymore.... >> And that's if she can even understand what the staff is saying to >> her... If she cannot even recognize family members you have to wonder >> where she thinks they are trying to take her, and for what purpose. > Quite possible... Is she settling in to living there now....? Yes, so that's good. It's a safe environment for her I think. >>>> That's a mood booster, for sure... :) And you'll have the fresh >>>> veggies to look forward to even as the season gets less appealing >>>> outside... ;) >>> Yes, I was so happy to see they've expanded the veggies they package >>> included eggplant (they are smaller, purple ones almost like japanese >>> eggplant). >> Oh, that sounds really good... I do like eggplant, especially the >> japanese sort... they cook up very nicely... :) >> Yes, and they are so sweet. I love japanese eggplant :) > I've never grown it myself, but I do get it now and again when I see it > at the Asian food market... :) I did grow regular eggplant in my garden outside one year but this is the first time I was eggplant from Aerogarden, so I was really happy about that :) >>> The seed pot kits arrived a few days ago... now I have to sterilize >>> the aerogarden "Farm" we have in the living room so I can plant the >>> new pods. :) >> It's for a good cause, after all... ;) >> Yep - just a bit of work... you really have to sterilize everything >> thoroughly with bleach. Thankfully it's not hard to do, it just takes >> a little time. > And do you have the plants growing yet....? No, not yet... I have to sterile the big Aerogarden "Farm", it's huge .. well compared to other aerogarden units I have. My plan is to sterilize that one today and then get the plants started. These aerogarden seed pod kits are 'engineered' to grow faster than regular seeds, etc. so they will be off in no time. >>>>> My favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies is one that I've used >>>>> since "forever".. it is so good, just 2cups peanut butter, and 2 cups >>>>> sugar (I cut down the sugar to about 1 1/2 cups), and no flour. >>>> Those would be rather nutritious... and be an easier way to eat the PB >>>> than on a spoon from the jar... >>> Oh yeah, I munch on those anytime I get hungry :) >> Good show... :) Easy to keep handy, too... :) >> I'm out of them now and have to make more - I was thinking about it >> this week but I still have some Thanksgiving deserts left that I made >> :) Pumpkin pie is gone, but there is still some Italian Ricotta Cake >> left (great for breakfast haha). And there is still some_ Chocolate >> Cake with vanilla pastry cream between the layers covered with >> Chocolate butter cream frosting left. For that cake, I split each layer >> then filled the split layers. > That sounds mighty good.... :) I'll bet it's all finished now, > though... :) Yes, they are :) That chocolate cake was my favorite of them :) >>> an order in for it. Ron will pick it up on Wednesday this week for >>> Thursday's Thanksgiving, and according to their instructions in an hour >>> and half or something like that we'll have Turkey Dinner :) >> Did that work out nicely, as advertised....? I've thought about it, but >> since I'm not feeding 12, or even half that, never really figured it was >> worth doing for us... :) But it does look like a nice deal... :) >> It worked out great, and there were plenty of leftovers which to me >> was important ... I love turkey and gravy openfaced sandwiches... My >> only complaint if I was going to be really picky was that their >> cranberry sauce wasn't as good as mine. You could tell it was made >> from fresh cranberries, but they used big chunks of orange peel in it.. >> some may like that, I wasn't crazy about it... > If I remember correctly, their cranberry sauce also has apple in it, so eek, I'm glad my daughter didn't have any of it, since apples are a problem for her as well. > I'd not be able to have it anyway.... I've made that from scratch with > the cranberries and little pieces of orange rind in it... making it > yourself, you can control how sweet you make it, too... :) Yes, and how HUGE you make the chunks of orange rind (or not).. Lol >> Also, without the carcass you can't make turkey soup but that is not >> so critical :) If I hadn't sent the leftover legs/thighs home with >> my grandson I could probably have done it :) > You'll just have to cook up another turkey just for the carcass.... ;) I've done that before, we really like turkey :) >> Oh, and they didn't include sweet potatoes.. can you imagine a turkey >> dinner with _only_ white mashed potatoes??? :) > Maybe that would have been an available add-on... ;) I know that they > do have a side entree in their Market Cafe offerings of mashed sweet > potatoes... and recently added sweet potato gratins to their frozen > potato gratin line... Frozen is not quite the same as fresh... but it's no trouble to throw some sweet potatoes in the oven or to cook them on the stovetop :) I did that later with the leftovers. :) >> But the turkey and the >> gravy were plentiful and very good. They included the whole turkey >> (whole turkey breast sliced, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2wings)... tons of food. > Just not the carcass... I guess that they figure that someone > interested in the convenience wouldn't be making turkey soup > afterwards.... ;) Yeah, that and I guess they wanted the carcasses to make other dinners they could sell :) >> Now I'm thinking about Christmas but I think I'm going to do what I've >> always done in years past... Roast turkey/gravy/sweetpotatoes/mashed >> potoes/veggies as the first course, then homemade cheese ravioli and >> meatballs as the second course. >> It's really easy to do if you plan ahead and freeze the ravioli until >> it's time to cook it. >> :) > A proper Italian feast, for sure.... ;) Yeah, I don't want to mess with Christmas Dinner Take care, Janis --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4 * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38) .