100+ Recipes to be shared

I am a confirmed postcard collector and have been for 40 years. About 7 years ago I joined postcrossing as a way of generating new and interesting additions to my vintage collection.

As the website generates random senders and matches them with random recipients, I tried to make it easy. On my profile I requested recipes. In two years I have collected more than 100 recipes for appetizers, mains, bevvies and desserts plus salads and veggie dishes.

I am happy to share. Please send me a contact or leave me a comment. I will send it out to you as a pdf.

The Pod-people have arrived?

Have the pod-people arrived???? noooooo they are....water-rolled Weed Balls

Today I had reason to review some historical journals, looking for the first record of Japanese Barberry in Nova Scotia. Our library at the Nova Scotia Museum houses these leather-bound journals. The one of note today is the Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. The volume is XI, p.667 and dated May 1906. Written by AH McKay, the short note describes these odd tightly coiled balls of seaweed.

I remember seeing my first amongst the odds and sods specimens in the Museum Collections 20 some years ago when I first started. They are intriguing…tightly rolled masses of plants churned by wind and water and cast upon the shore. The top ones are from Washabuck Lake Lunenburg Co. and contain lots of spruce needles as well as stems and leaves. The lower ones were collected from the coast and are entirely seaweed.

Most of these reach 10cm. The sun bakes them as they lie upon the stones. Wind blows the water into waves of energy rolling the plant matter until it forms these masses.

Winter seems to offer more of these than spring and summer. Have you found any?

*Photo by Marian Munro.

January’s Carnations

This note is a repeat of one of last year’s posts. I am reoffering for the 400 plus people who joined the page throughout 2015.

1.Carnations to make and enjoy!

January’s birth flower is the carnation. This popular flower for arrangements is associated with love, fascination and distinction. The flowers, particularly the red ones have also been associated with May Day and the Labour Movement, or even socialism. This connection evolved into the wearing of carnations on Mother’s Day, celebrated in the US and Canada on the second Sunday. Traditionally one would wear a white carnation if Mother had passed on or red if Mother is still alive.

The Latin name of the carnation is Dianthus caryophyllus, as given by Theophrastus and refers to Dios, divine and anthos, flower. The postcard dates from 1906 and is illustrated by Catherine Klein, an extraordinary flower painter.

Many of us will remember the handmade Kleenex carnations that decorated many a gift and bridal party cars when we were youth. For those wishing to show others, the instructions are:

Supplies:

Tissues – I used 3 ply for extra fluffy flowers

Bobby pins

Markers

Scissors

Floral tape

Dollar store fake flowers if you want to make a bouquet

First, layer 2-4 tissues on top of each other. I used 3 per flower because I had three ply. Then fold them accordion style, push a bobby pin over the center. Next pinch of the ends. I left about 2 inches on each side, but you can make any size you want. Then take a marker and color the ends. (Optional).

Now starting at the top, pull each layer of the tissue apart until it is at the center. Be careful not to tear the tissue. Work your way down the side until you reach the bottom, and then repeat on the other side. Then fluff.

Then repeat…a bunch of times. This is where the hours of busy time come into play!

It is also optional to pick up some stems of greenery from the dollar store. Expose the tips by cutting away the top leaves. Attach one carnation per stem with floral tape after first attaching the flower to the bobby pin, then to the naked tip.

Similar flowers can be made of coloured tissue paper. Stack 4-6 pieces of tissue cut into 8inch squares and follow instructions above.

Happy New Year and all the best in 2016

I must confess that I took holidays, so I have no blog post this morning. However, neither did I receive any recipes from anyone. Please send me recipes using wild berries, flowers, leaves, roots that you gather or that your family used. Image below is of blueberries as depicted by Maria Morris Miller. Painting from the NS Museum History collection.