Archive for 2014

Happy New Year!

Published on December 31, 2014 by Marica

Up the Hill, Down the Hill Old One, lie down, Your journey is done, Little New Year Will rise with the sun. Now you have come to The foot of the hill, Lay down your bones, Old Year and lie still. Young one, step out, Your journey’s begun, Weary Old Year Makes way for his

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BLOG NOTE— Please excuse the formatting inconsistencies in the posts below. These are a result of importing Big Food, Big Garden, Big Life from a blogger platform to the WordPress platform. Wonderful Kat has put fixing this on her to-do list. Thanks, Kat! ∞

“A Woman’s Job”

Published on December 31, 2014 by Marica

How to Be Your Own Decorator, Helen Koues, Good Housekeeping, New York, 1928. We are fast approaching the time when homemakers turn their attentions to storage, organization and redecorating. (If you don’t believe me, take a gander at all of the plastic storage tubs filling the aisles of your local 5-and-Dime store.) To that end, I

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“The decline of Christmas”

Published on December 29, 2014 by Marica

“OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN THE APPLE STORE: THE DECLINE OF CHRISTMAS AND THE LOOMING TECH NIGHTMARE“ Instapundit links to this article by Joel Kotkin at New Geography. Kotkin begins: In the past, this season was marked by a greater interest in divinity, the family hearth and the joy of children. Increasingly our society has

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Goose Gumbo

Published on December 29, 2014 by Marica

The richest gumbo ever in the history of mankind If you think you’ve seen this gumbo before, you are right & wrong. RIGHT: Mr. Big Food has made Turkey/Duck Gumbo El Dorado many times. But it’s not every day he roasts a Christmas Goose so that we have leftover goose for goose gumbo. WRONG: You’ve

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“Nature Noble”

Published on December 27, 2014 by Marica

Rocky Recollect that the Almighty, who gave the dog to be companion of our pleasures and our toils, hath invested him with a nature noble and incapable of deceit. –Sir Walter Scott, The Talisman (1825) from The Quotable Dog Lover (Patricia M. Sherwood, ed., The Lyons Press, New York, 2000)

“Christmas”

Published on December 27, 2014 by Marica

I have a number of books tagged “Christmas” in my library of crappy old books. Some are stacked up on the coffee table. Others are scattered about the joint. (That Grandma Moses book on the floor by Snoopy’s Lights & Display Contest is open to “Waiting for Christmas.“) One unassuming little volume, Great Sermons on

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Christmas Evening

Published on December 26, 2014 by Marica

“No body likes tangerines,” said The Doctor Hope your day was Merry & Bright.

Merry Christmas!

Published on December 25, 2014 by Marica

Merry Christmas from all of us at Farther Along Farm.

“Guy Food” Christmas Eve

Published on December 25, 2014 by Marica

Mr. Big Food’s Southern antipasto: It’s Southern because it has pickled okra and chow-chow Wednesday is “guy food” night. (Meatless Monday, Fancy Tuesday, etc. We are fans of order– of a certain sort– here at the Farm.) Southern antipasto was followed by fried barbecue-seasoned oysters and boiled shrimp.What. A. Feast. Thursday is Heritage night. Tomorrow is

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Here We Come a Carolling da da dadada la

Published on December 25, 2014 by Marica

Truth be told, there was no singing involved. We went calling on our neighbors this Christmas Eve. We brought along fruitcake! I’ll have better photos of the cake in candy shells soon. What a nice way to spend a few minutes with neighbors. The first invited us to Saturday lunch with his hunting club buddies

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I hear tell

Published on December 24, 2014 by Marica

I can make those candle stubs redder. But I cannot for the life of me figure it out. It was all I could manage to do to take the picture in NO LIGHT and do a little post tweeking. But I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make the candle stubs

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While we are on the subject of bourbon… .

Published on December 24, 2014 by Marica

What? You thought we were still talking about fruitcake? “Please, sir, this Christmas, a scarf for my littlest bother? My battery operated lantern generates precious little heat and he’s ever so cold when there’s no flame upon the hearth. “ Each year I receive a gift from Makers Mark (which, by the way, is not

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Recipe: Sue’s Ma’s Fruitcake

Published on December 24, 2014 by Marica

Faithful commenter ‘suek’ has shared her mom’s fruitcake recipe. From the comment thread, we also learn that Sue’s Ma always said, ” ‘No pineapple!’ … because the pineapple (and the immediate surrounding cake) would mold, even if faithfully “watered” with Bourbon. ” But JudyDee’s is fine! Sue’s Ma’s Fruitcake1# butter1# sugar1 dozen eggs4 oz liquor1# flour (3

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Are We Still Talking About Fruitcake?!?

Published on December 24, 2014 by Marica

Another in what is becoming a long line of fruitcake posts… . Candied grapefruit rinds ready to be filled with fruitcake batter and baked My fruitcake turned out to be one of those “Wow! This is delicious but I’m never doing that again” productions. Gumbo pot filled with fruit and flour and spices Kitchen table

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Oh Christmas Tree

Published on December 22, 2014 by Marica

This time of year, there’s a particular time of day when the sun shines straight through the front door. It’s pretty, don’t you think? This is one of five trees we have in the house. Of course, only two are “official” Christmas trees with lights and all– the others, like this one, are just decoration.

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What’s for Breakfast?

Published on December 21, 2014 by Marica

Homemade English muffins (veganized), fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and coffee.

Lights & DIsplay Contest!

Published on December 20, 2014 by Marica

Foreshadowing You really do have to give us credit, don’t you? Who else in the neighborhood has a for real Lights & Display Contest display?

About Those 12 Cups of Sugar…

Published on December 20, 2014 by Marica

The rinds of eight grapefruit halves All I want for Christmas is another kitchen* and another gumbo pot. (JK) It’s gotten to the point where each of us has to schedule time in the kitchen for our various cooking & baking projects. I had to transfer my eight grapefruit halves’ rinds from the gumbo pot

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I Hope You Like Fruitcake

Published on December 19, 2014 by Marica

Because that’s like 370 pounds of raisin there– not to mention the currants and candied this & that and local pecans. I hope you like fruitcake.This is funny. Independently, both Mr. Big Food and I thought that we would make a fruit cake. (Great minds & all.) And then we realized we both had the same

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