Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 i Country Woman

Summer always seems to fly by. One minute I’m stocking up on sunscreen, and the next, leaves are starting to turn and I find myself reaching for scarves and sweaters again. To make the most of the warm weather while it lasts, I try to get outside as often as I can. Fortunately, the five recipes featured in “Fun in the Sun” (page 36) are perfect for cookouts and other outdoor gatherings. I’m also planning to mix vegetables from my own garden—which is overflowing with zucchini and tomatoes this time of year—into a few of the recipes included in our “Backyard Brunch” feature (page 40). As much as I love the outdoors, it’s also nice to have a few indoor activities planned for rainy or unseasonably cool days. This month…

Cat’s Pajamas I was blown away when I saw the cat in the dollhouse featured in your April/May issue. It looks like it could have come from the same litter as the cat that has lived in my dollhouse for many years! The lifelike doll at the sink was gifted to me by my sister, Kathy Ison. We both love your beautiful magazine! CYNTHIA BURNS WINNSBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA Taking Flight I received my first issue of Country Woman and loved it. My husband and I are 91 and 92, and we’ve been married for 72 years. In the 1940s, he started flying planes, and when he’d fly over my house he’d shout things like “Pick you up at seven!” Our friends thought it was so romantic, and I did, too,…

HOW TO Wagon Wreath WHAT YOU’LL NEED Wooden wagon wheel Artificial flowers and greenery, in colors of your choice Craft scissors Floral wire Hot glue Buffalo check wire ribbon CUT stems from flowers. ARRANGE flowers and greenery along one half of wagon wheel’s outer rim, adjusting as needed until happy with placement. USE floral wire and hot glue as needed to attach flowers to rim of wagon wheel. TIE a checked ribbon to top of wheel, knotting it loosely so that it can be used as a hanger for the wreath.…

Over the course of the pandemic, I made more than 300 pleated face masks and distributed them to local hospitals, nursing homes and soup kitchens. I also made 60 masks for the declared essential workers at my company. I’ve made many quilts—some have even won blue ribbons at local fairs—but the project of which I’m proudest is a wall hanging made with the materials I also used to create face masks. I embellished the piece with the names of community members who sewed masks for others. It was a real pleasure to honor them and pay homage to the people who stepped up to make face masks for those in need during a time of crisis. JANICE DESPOTAKIS NORTHFORD, CONNECTICUT…

FRENCH KNOT: Begin by pulling the needle and floss up through the back of the fabric. Wrap the floss around the needle twice. Bring the needle down just next to where it came through the fabric. Form and tighten the knot by gently pulling on the needle. LAZY DAISY: Begin to create a stitch, but allow the floss to form a loop before you finish it off. Then push the needle up through the loop and complete the stitch. SATIN STITCH: With an embroidery pen, draw a shape onto the fabric. Make a stitch that runs from one end of the shape to the other. Bring the needle next to the first stitch and make a second stitch parallel to it. Continue adding lines until the shape is filled.…

When I whip up a batch of banana pudding from scratch—the way my mom taught me—I serve it in an antique bowl that has been in our family for decades. The bowl itself is unremarkable. Its surface glaze is the color of custard and is embellished with a large apple. The raised edge of the base is a tad wobbly because multiple generations sharpened kitchen knives upon its surface. The potters mark, “Watt,” prized among collectors, is still very readable. Some will see only the antique bowl’s value, but I see a cherished piece that has been filled with lovingly prepared foods and placed upon family tables for many decades. Soon after my great-grandma bought the bowl, it became her favorite for its size and versatility. She had eight grandchildren,…

One of the few places in this world where peace and quiet still make an occasional appearance is in the country on summer mornings. As a 9-year-old girl living in Newbury, Ohio, in 1957, I used to let the sights and sounds of the natural world wake me up each morning. When the sun started shining into my room, slanting across my face, I would slowly open my eyes. After a few minutes spent listening to the birds chirping and the bees buzzing outside my window, I was usually ready to get up and greet the day. Only maybe a dozen cars and perhaps one or two trucks passed by our house all day. As such, our home was usually quiet, except for that distant hum of birds and bees.…

Shine Bright Do you trim your Christmas tree with ornaments that have been in your family for many years, or even generations? If so, tell us a bit about the ornaments and send us a few pictures—they could end up in an upcoming issue of the magazine! Home Sweet Home If you’re proud of a recent home renovation, a before-and-after project or a room refresh that turned out even better than you thought it would, chances are good that our readers will love it, too. Snap a few photos and share the end result with us! Just Desserts Have you inherited an antique cookie jar or vintage cooke cutters that hold a special place in your heart? Tell us all about your sweet family heirloom, and you could see your…

Q: Have you repurposed any common household items for use in your backyard or garden? The deer who live by my house love my hostas, but I’ve found a way to keep them from nibbling at the plants. I shred hunks of old bar soap with a potato peeler and scatter the pieces around my garden! CAROLYN KOONS HUMMELSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA I recycle all of the to-go containers that I get from restaurants. The black plastic ones with clear plastic lids make perfect greenhouses that can be used to start seeds inside. They’re free, and you’re helping the environment by reusing items. HOLLY HENSLEY MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA I put a bit of Vicks (yes, the cold remedy!) on the leaves of my tulips and other spring flowers. I also apply some…

Corn Dogs Takes: 25 min. • Makes: 10 servings It’s surprisingly easy to make homemade corn dogs that taste just like those sold at carnivals and fairs. —Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, LA 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup self-rising flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2/3 cup 2% milk 10 pop sticks 10 hot dogs Oil for deep-fat frying 1. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour and egg. Stir in milk to make a thick batter; let stand 4 minutes. Insert sticks into hot dogs; dip into batter. 2.In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry corn dogs, a few at a time, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels. 1 CORN DOG 316 cal., 23g fat (7g sat. fat), 45mg chol.,…

Creative cooks have long known that flowers aren’t just for table decor—they also add vibrant color and flavor to your food. Pansies, borage and lavender are common suggestions for edible flowers, but a variety of common plants, such as magnolia, hibiscus and pineapple sage blossoms, can be added to your recipes. You may be surprised by the strong or savory flavor of certain flowers. Nasturtium can pack a peppery punch, and calendula is a more affordable alternative to saffron. Holly Shimizu, formerly the curator of the National Herb Garden in Washington, D.C., says that individual florets of chive and dill can be sprinkled over food, but she cautions, “Don’t use the whole flower head. It will be overwhelming.” Other garden favorites, such as elderflowers or roses, have the sweet flavor…

All-American Hamburgers Takes: 20 min. • Makes: 4 servings We do a lot of camping and outdoor cooking. Hamburgers end up on our menus often. —Diane Hixon, Niceville, FL 1 lb. ground beef 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion 2 Tbsp. chili sauce 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. prepared mustard 4 slices American cheese or cheddar cheese, halved diagonally 2 slices Swiss cheese, halved diagonally 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted Optional: Lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion, cooked bacon strips, ketchup and mustard 1. Combine the first 5 ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 4 patties. Grill burgers, covered, on a greased rack over medium direct heat until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear, about 6 minutes on each side. 2. During the last minute of…

Draw a hen’s head and tail onto cardboard, or use the templates at annwoodhandmade.com/ miniature-paper-hens-free-tutorial . » Cut out and push pieces into a 1-in. plastic foam ball and dab edges with glue. » Paint cardboard as desired. » Cut out 2 strips of crepe paper, each 1x9 in. » With a pair of scissors, snip many small cuts along 1 side of each strip to create a feathered fringe. » Cut the strips into smaller pieces. » Apply glue to the uncut edges and wrap them around the ball until only the beak and comb are uncovered. FIND MORE CRAFTS BY ANN WOOD AT: annwoodhandmade.com.…

Tell us about yourself. Even as a child, I was always growing something. I started with flowers but began growing veggies as a tween. I now live with my husband northwest of Chicago in a house with a big backyard, and I’m planning to start a raised container garden. What are your hobbies? I enjoy sewing, crocheting and hand embroidery. A few years ago, I started an embroidery business and sell my work at local craft fairs alongside my husband’s wood turned pens. Who inspires you the most? People who help other people: volunteers, first responders and people working in social service positions. In the past, I coordinated community outreach projects through my workplace, and I loved feeling like I was making a difference in someone’s life. What makes you…

For years, Minnesota teacher Laura Adamczyk Schaper has been working with her first and second graders to write and publish their own class books. The first book was called Stuart’s Great Adventure, and Laura got the idea when she heard about a company that helped teachers publish books with their students. “I thought that would be fun,” she says, “but I didn’t have a topic in mind until the class hamster, Stuart, escaped from his cage.” The whole class spent the day looking for Stuart, without any luck. Fortunately, when Laura returned the following morning, she found that Stuart had climbed back into his cage on his own. “That set the idea to use Stuart as the topic,” Laura says. “The students came back with ideas as to what Stuart…

For years I dreamed of building a small studio that I could retreat to whenever I wanted to read or write. In 2020, I finally turned that dream into a reality. I decided that, for me, the best plan was to start with a basic shed design and customize it to suit my needs. So my husband and I leveled a spot in our apple orchard, and a few weeks later the shed was delivered, unpainted, with a plain interior crying out for decoration. I planted a small garden in front of the porch, with a walkway made of salvaged bricks and concrete stepping stones. Inside, I filled the space with cozy furniture in neutral colors and installed a turn-of-the-century potbellied stove that I found on Facebook Marketplace. I found…

Tote Bag WHAT YOU’LL NEED Tote bag with pocket Embroidery floss or thread in three colors Embroidery needle Scissors Embroidery pen CHOOSE colors for flower petals, centers and stems. DRAW flowers, using pen, above pocket. Draw lines for stems, and circles for petals and centers. THREAD needle with 3 strands of color chosen for petals. ADD lazy daisy stitches to petals. THREAD needle with 3 strands of color chosen for center. STITCH French knots into center of each flower. THREAD needle with 3 strands of color chosen for stems. PLACE needle through back of fabric under bottom petals. End stitch slightly behind pocket lining to create stems. Add leaves (with lazy daisy stitches) as desired. Handkerchief WHAT YOU’LL NEED Handkerchief Embroidery floss or thread Embroidery needle Scissors Embroidery pen 6-8…