Does this depress you?

It comes in different colors, designs, shapes and sizes and is referred to as "depression glass, but finding one of these colorful pieces of glass, always brings me joy.

I was recently included in a treasury of green depression glass. My inclusion was a green glass bowl. Being from Ohio, this glass is very plentiful and many discard it, but the fact that is was made in U.S.A., and was pressed glass was enough to catch my eye.

Depression glass was manufactured during the Great Depression between the 1920's and 1940's in the midwest, and often given away as promotional pieces; included in oats, laundry soaps, given at movie theaters and gas stations. The manufacturing process of pressing the glass into molds allowed it to be made very inexpensively.



Depression glass was made in several colors; from amber, pink, green, blue, green and clear, and others as well. Most people recognize the pink as it seems to be the most sought after, but in fact, each color was made from the same molds during the same time period. White or milk glass is a form of depression glass as it was also created by using molds.

Take a look at some of the various depression glass items I currently offer and remember the first time you saw a piece of this glass. See, it isn't depressing at all.




I hope you enjoyed this look at the past, and I want to remind you that the end of my Etsy 20% off sale is fast approaching. Click on the round Etsy button at the top of my blog and visit my finds of days gone by and handmade objects. This sale ends January 31, 2011; so don't delay.

New twist on an old comfort food

In most of the country it is snowing and chilly outside. This is the time of year you fire up the stove for some comfort food to take the chill away. You don't want to spend a lot of time, and if you didn't make it to the market before the big storm hit, you need to use pantry items. I have the perfect dish. This frugal and quick recipe was all the rage in the late 60's and early 70's, fueled by the casserole craze and the prices and availability of canned tuna.

I enjoy a good tuna noodle casserole but have found it dry and bland at times. I set out to enhance the texture and taste. Here are my adjustments and ingredients.

1 bag of wide egg noodles, boiled and drained. Be sure to add oil to water.
2 cans tuna packed in water (preferably not albacore, too dry)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp of mayonaise (not salad dressing)
1/4 cup of sour cream.
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup peas, either frozen or canned (optional)
1/4 cup of bread crumbs (crushed corn flakes can be used as well)
2 tbsp of butter cubed
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash (regular)
Salt & pepper to taste.
Loaf of crusty bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cooked noodles, mushroom soup, mayonaise, sour cream, milk, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add peas if desired, and remix. Now without draining the tuna, add to the bowl and stir lightly trying not to break up all the tuna. Over mixing mashes the tuna into small pieces which brings nothing to the table as far as taste.

Now select a lovely 1 1/2 quart baking dish from your cupboard. Remember this casserole will be served on the table from this dish, so make it something warm and inviting. Presentation is everything. Grease the casserole dish well and add the contents of the bowl. Combine butter cubes with bread crumbs or cereal crumbs at this time and sprinkle across the top. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes until bubbly. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes and you are ready to serve. A loaf of crusty bread is an excellent complement for this dish.

Here are a few options for casseroles.



I hope you enjoy and stay warm.

A Time for Change

Some people do it in the spring, some in the summer, but I find cleaning and organizing my home and life feels better in the late fall and winter.  Perhaps it is because of my busy season in the fall and I feel I have neglected my home, business, family and friends, or perhaps it is the fact I am trapped inside and have little else to distract me.  Regardless, the process has begun.

Business has been challenging this year. The last few years has brought concern, but this seemed to be the cresting of the battle.  My crafter friends and associates all sing the same song of how their sales are down,  and in most cases, there is one thing to blame, the economy.  So it is time to review the process, the product and the business' direction. If you are like me, I love the creating process of this life, so I am going to scrutinize everything to continue to do what I love.  Change my show schedule, change the product and mostly change the way I market my line of products.

This brings me to my 'change.'   Effective immediately I am directing my online business to my Etsy store.   Etsy does  a great job of marketing, and networking and has provided me with a excellent venue to sell.  This will allow me to concentrate on one site that is bringing the most traffic.  I can add more new products, from my handmade items to my line of vintage.

I thank you for your support over the years, and hope you will continue to visit my shop.  www.kpdreams.com which will take you to my Etsy store and my e-mail address will remain the same;  karen@kpdreams.com.

Karen

Thrifting Thursday - Boy did that feel good

Since coming home last spring, I have been forced to limit my thrifting trips.  Though Ohio has some great garage sales, I am  usually working on weekends and can't enjoy the thrill of the chase.  That is why when in Florida, the thrift stores are great. 

Yesterday while returning from getting a much needed hair cut.  I stopped at the new Goodwill Store in Buckeye Lake, Ohio.  This was a grocery store in it's past life, and is very big inside.  So I wasn't surprised when I stepped in and found wide aisles, plenty of light and lots of merchandise.  And the staff was so helpful and nice.

I was fortunate to find a couple of new items.  First was a set of Melamine picnic plates.  These beautiful plates are done in the red checked picnic design and are in great shape.  A set of 4; wow!  These are sure to be a hit on my shop on Etsy.

The second find was a pyrex mixing bowl.  Now I have a set of three of these bowls now on Etsy, but this particular bowl is of an odd size and I just can't decide if I want to sell it or keep in my RV for my use.  Decisions, decisions.  I also found several pieces of glassware that I will be using to make my new line of  yard art.

A day of accomplishment in my mind....I am sure my hubby won't look at it the same way, as we are after all living in an RV.  Hope you have a great day, and  check out my shop on Etsy;  www.etsy.com/shop/kpdreams for these great finds and more.

Monday, Monday

Good morning! Well, at least it I think it is morning. I found myself getting up at 4:00 a.m. to watch the space shuttle launch. As many of you know, I wanted to see the last night launch. It appeared I would get that chance as my husband came home on Sat, and we ventured to see it, but it was cancelled due to weather. He had to go out on Sunday, so not traveling again or staying over. I was determined and since Florida isn't that far across, I thought I would give it a shot watching it from Crystal River. Well the night lit up like the world was on fire, I could see it like it was next door, and then the shuttle launched and the most I saw was something that resembled a flare. I was totally dissappointed, but it is done. But this is why I am dragging this morning. I am not the kind of person that gets up at 4:00 a,m. goes outside to take pictures in the cold (yea I know, 30's isn't cold), and then come back inside and goes right back to sleep. I had to play solitare for about an hour before I went back to sleep. Okay, that said, lets get on with today's blog.




Today I am going to share a recipe that I ran across at one of my shows. I did a show a few years back in Crescent City, Fl. It has a lovely old cracker town feel but limited restaurant choices. We set up in the town square and were able to walk to a downtown Mexican market which also offered a diner on one side. I ordered chicken tacos. Now with Taco Bell being my favorite restaurant, I didn't think of options. Out came my tacos, soft and very minimal. They were the best tacos I have ever had and I very thoroughly figured out the recipe and I have it as often as I can, especially when my hubby is on the road.

Chicken Tacos
You will need 1 rotissere chicken from deli
Corn tortilla shells
Shredded cheese
Cilantro
Taco Sauce or Salsa

Debone the rotissere chicken and discard the carcus. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.

Wash cilantro good to remove sand and dirt. Remove the leaves from the stems. You will need approx 1/2 tsp per taco.

Using a flat skillet, larger than the size of the tortillas, heat up and add small amount of oil to bottom. Take each tortilla and fry until it begins to bubble and just turns light brown. Remove and place on plate with paper towel between each tortilla. You might have to add oil throughout this process.

With that step done you are ready to start the assembly. Take each tortilla, add chicken, top with cilantro, salsa and cheese. Now bite into them and take a trip down south of the border.

You can use any toppings you like, onion, sour cream, but I love the original taste so much, I don't want to muddy the waters.

Enjoy.