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Sunday, May 30, 2010

TDIPT WEBSITE UPDATE MONDAY NIGHT !




............Click to enlarge photos..............

To Dwell in Primitive Thymes will be updating their mercantile Monday evening. You are very welcome to take a peek at all the new creations the artists have come up with for the month of June.

Above are new prim cupboard door / wall pockets I have conjured up ~ which are perfect for a prim bath. I love making these pockets and adding the vintage antique finds from my antique store excursions. On the two antique vintage hankies in the bath pockets, the edging looks like it is tatting lace, but I am not sure. I absolutely adore that soap saver that opens and the talcum powder tin that still has a bit of powder in it and still smells good ! A bit of inspiration for these pockets are from Piney Creek Primitives.

You may find my wall pockets tomorrow evening on my page on the TDIPT Mercantile website. Just click the wall pocket on the sidebar.

God Bless Our Troops ~ Past , Present and Future !

Hugs,
Linda

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie ~ my secret recipe ....



This little pie and another one just like it went camping with my dh and his friends. It is a big hit with these fishermen out in the wilderness ! My dh's friend even told his wife it was better than hers...oh, my ! Since this pie went camping, I bought throw away pie pans and bought containers at the bakery to fit the pie. This is a ten inch pie container shown. Great for traveling and putting in a cooler.

The bottom crust was homemade, but I cheated for the top crust... it is Pillsbury in the dairy case and it is not bad tasting if you are in a hurry to make a pie and do not want to make up your own pie crusts.

2 1/2 cups 1 inch sliced rhubarb- I peel my rhubarb first of the outer layer since it is stringy

2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

About 1/2 cup crushed pineapple , drained ~ my secret ingredient ...sh , don't tell anyone

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup sugar depending on if you want it really sweet or tart tasting

4 tablespoons of flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons of butter , cut up in little slices to put on top of filling before you place the top crust on it.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix together the sugar, flour and nutmeg in a bowl and add to the fruit and lemon juice. Put the mixture in a prepared ( with a pie crust ) pie pan. Let the crust hang over the edge about an inch or an inch and a half or so. Place pats of butter on top of the filling and and then place the top crust on carefully and take the two edges of the crusts and fold under and pinch together so the filling doesn't seep out . Cut a few slits in the middle of the pie crust. You can add a cut out dough strawberry for decoration as I have done.

The pie will be in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Place on a rack to cool. I place some foil around the edge of my crust so it doesn't burn and take it off about ten minutes before the pie is done so it browns nicely.

Pie crust ~

for two crusts

2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening ~ I use some Crisco and real butter mixed to make one cup
7 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water ~ I put ice cubes in a bowl of cold water
I add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a tablespoon of the water
Also, I add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to the flour and salt.


Mix together the flour , salt and powdered sugar. Add the shortening/butter mixture throughly. Add a tablespoon of water one at a time and mix until it is moistened and dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. Gather dough into two balls. Shape one into a flattened round on a lightly floured covered piece of wax paper. Lightly flour top of dough with flour and place another piece of wax paper on top and flatten with a rolling pin until it is two inches larger than the pie pan. Place carefully into pie pan.

Repeat the process for top crust. And then flute the edges of the crusts together as I mentioned above. Place a 2 to 3 inch strip of foil around the edge of the crust so it doesn't burn.

This pie is really good !

Have a fun day !

Hugs,
Linda

Monday, May 17, 2010

Do You Like Heinz Ketchup ?

This is where it is made in Pittsburgh. And yes, they are lowering the sodium content in the ketchup, so I hope it tastes the same !



Some photos of The Strip District in Pittsburgh. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.



I couldn't resist buying a package of assorted biscotti cookies from this vendor. And they are fresh and delicious ! I bought one coconut macaroon cookie and it was the best I have ever eaten.!



Assorted flavors of Italian breads sold in The Strip District and it is so good ! You can see my reflection in the glass while I was taking this photo.



Fresh fish and seafood to be had also, along with free ice to pack it for the ride home. This was taken in Wholeys. www.wholey.com


A few photos of a beautiful old church built in 1891, I believe, located in the Strip District also.






I went to Pittsburgh over the weekend to visit with my sister and walk the Heartwalk in North Park for Allegheny General Hospital. After the heartwalk, my sis and I went to The Strip District in Pittsburgh. Right on the North Side , near the Strip District, is the Heinz Ketchup Plant.

Saturday mornings are packed full of vendors on the sidewalks, and it is just an awesome way to spend a few hours taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of ethnic foods and the array of shops !

My sis and I had lunch at Pamela's Diner there. I had a chicken salad and it was huge and delicious ! I could not eat all of it. We could have split one.

On Sunday we had breakfast on the North Side of Pittsburgh, not far from McNight Road, at a place called Kelly's Diner. Vases of fresh flowers on the tables and the breakfast was great !

Pictures below of my sis during the heartwalk and a view of downtown Pittsburgh from North Park.




I had a great weekend ! (( Thank you, sis ! ))

Pittsburgh is a wonderful big city !

Okay, now it's back to cleaning and cooking, etc..............

Hugs,
Linda