Pancakes and Syrup! Ummm! Good!

This week for our ESN scavenger hunt we are thinking Breakfast. Several of my fellow scavenger hunters have already posted some really good breakfast ideas.  One of my favorite breakfasts, (or breakfast for supper), is pancakes. Pancakes with lots of butter and syrup, and served with sausage on the side. I know that many people  like hot coffee with their pancakes, but I prefer a tall glass of cold milk with mine. I used to make a lot of things from scratch, and have even made pancakes from scratch, but pancakes are just as good or better made from a mix.  Eccentric Thrifter has this 1983 Aunt Jemima Pancake tin that would be a nostalgic way to store your pancake mix. I remember "Aunt Jemima" Pancakes from even further back in my own childhood.

Who hasn't eaten Aunt Jemima Pancakes?

Store your pancake mix in this vintage canister.

Be sure to look at all the shops at ESN.  Our friends have such a variety of things listed for your shopping pleasure.

Pumpkins and Decorating for Halloween

Halloween will soon be here! There don't seem to be as many decorations out around Silsbee this year as there have been the last few years.  I certainly haven't gotten out any of my scarecrows,etc. this year. Maybe I should spend a little time this afternoon putting  out some Halloween decor.??  I just put Mimi's crocheted orange pumpkin on her dining table. That may be the extent of our Halloween decorations for this year.

Our ESN scavenger hunt this week is for pumpkins.  I have to confess, my beautiful ceramic jack-o-lantern has been sitting among the clutter of my packing table for several weeks.  As is typical here, I have neither decided to use it and find a place for it on the front counter, nor to list it on my ecrater store, Hazel's HodgePodge and take pictures and actually list it. Alas, the poor thing will be here next Halloween, still unused by me.

I did find a couple of things in the ecrater stores that, while they are not pumpkins, are things that would help you decorate for the halloween season.
First, this book from Bargain Express, Haunt Your House for Halloween.  This should supply you with lots of ideas for decorating and costume making.

See it HERE. 

I also found this Harvest Scarecrow at Eccentric Thrifter.  He would look so good on your porch or in your yard. 

See it HERE.

I hope you enjoy the traditions of the season in the next week or so. Also hope you will stop by the ESN stores and shop.  It is not too early to be Christmas shopping either. 

You are invited to share this blog with your friends.  Comments are appreciated.

Yellow

It has been longer than I like since I've been here to write and share with you.  Unbelievably, it is October and fall again.  It has been one long, hot, dry summer all over Texas.  The  wild fires have been a very real threat through out the state.

I have been enjoying the cooler fall days.  I finally saw some October Daisies this  past weekend.  I was beginning to think they weren't coming out this year because of the drought.

October Daisies are not as prolific as last year  but still offer a bright spot of color for the fall.

Fall is my favorite time of year and yellow is one of my favorite colors. The current scavenger hunt on ESN is for Yellow.

This is a real treat for me.  The fall colors are always so beautiful. The orange pumpkins, multi-colored changing leaves, yellow and purple chrysanthemums, yellow daisies....

 

One of the lovely yellow things I found was from CarolinaBlueLady.

What could be prettier than this plate with yellow roses?

And a classical fall piece from Eccentric Thrifter.

Autumn Candle Lamp

And Something Yellow from my own Hazel's HodgePodge

Set of Yellow Measuring Cups

Shop all of the stores on ESN to find a wide variety of items in yellow or any other color for that matter.

Wind and Water aka Hurricanes

Remembering the song Peace, Be Still. 

The winds and the waves shall obey My will, Peace be still! Peace be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or [devils], or men or whatever it be,
No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey My will;
Peace, be still! Peace, be still! They all shall sweetly obey My will: Peace, peace be still!

My heart goes out to all those who endured Hurricane Irene this weekend. Until you have lived through a hurricane and its aftermath, you really don't know what it is like.  The TV coverage and all the pictures of the wind damage and high water show a lot, but until you've been there and experienced it first hand, you really can't imagine the trauma.  Our area was hit by Hurricane Ike three years ago and by Hurricane Rita 6 years ago.  Rita hit about a month after the famed Katrina.  We personally did not suffer a great deal of damage from Rita.  But I can tell you that coming back to a town that had sustained extensive damage, had no water and no electricity, and a temperature of 100 degree that day, was overwhelming.  It really seemed like it would be months before we even had power again.  Since this is a wooded area there were trees down everywhere. I have to applaud the electric companies and all the workers who came from all over the nation to help.  They had our power restored in just a few days. It was still depressing and I can't even think how people felt that lost their homes or had extensive damage from a tree falling through the roof.  On the way home, we saw one place that was flying a flag with a smiley face on it.  Sort of a bright spot of optimism there. 

       I hate to say it, but our area is still in some ways recovering from Rita and especially from Ike.  Our town did not suffer as much from Ike, and everyone, individuals and government planners, seemed better prepared.  That's what experience does for you!  Ike was much worse in the coastal areas south and east of us due to the tidal surge and the winds from Ike were worse to the west of us where the eye hit. But it was still a bad experience here. Like Irene, Ike blew long and hard.  It took forever to move over us, it seemed. So, I have real empathy for those who experienced the worse of Irene this weekend.  I pray they will make a quick recovery. I know it will affect their lives for a long, long time. 

Our ESN scavenger hunt this week is about hurricane Irene and wind and water.  I tried to find some good things pertaining to wind and water. 

I found  this novel with Wind in the title at Mystery Lane Books. It might be a good read if you can find a sunlit place to read while the electricity is off.  Without electricity, internet, or telephone we discovered a lot of things to do. It is possible.  The board games come out, the handcrafts that have been untouched for years......

                                                                     

                                                                                                  Black Wind: A Dirk Pitt Novel

At Barb's Bargains I found this elegant wind chime and the Buddha fountain. 

Two things that use wind and water to help you relax.  Barb's Bargains has a good selection of fountains.

Beautiful Wind Chimes

Soothing Buddha Fountain

And lastly, to remind us of the beautiful days to come after the storm. I found this jigsaw puzzle from Eccentric Thrifter.  Something else to pass the time during and after the storm. And a good reminder of the rainbow promise God gave to Noah.

After the Rain Jigsaw Puzzle

As usual, shop ESN for whatever you are needing. Membership is open to shoppers as well as ecrater store owners.   Also, be sure and stop by my store: Hazel's HodgePodge.

School Days, School Days..Dear Old Golden Rule Days...

Well, school started in our area Monday for the most part.  We used to start school after Labor Day and it always seemed like fall was in the air.  We chose fall plaids and prints for our school dresses. Everyone had to put their new school shoes on after a whole summer of going barefoot and the boys had new stiff blue jeans and fall shirts.  Getting new clothes, shoes, school supplies, and a new lunch kit complete with Thermos bottle and a new book "satchel" was so exciting.  We could hardly wait for the first day of school to wear the new clothes and carry our new items to school. We often sang snippets of the old song "School Days" as we walked to school. 

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick 

You can see the rest of the song Here.  I don't remember singing any but the first part and knew it was old, just not how old. 1907, Wow!

The ESN scavenger hunt this week is "Back to School"  I have always had a fascination with life in the 1800's.  I   tell my kids that in my previous life, I was a pioneer settling the American West. I don't really believe that, but my not too distant ancestors on my dad's side were pioneer settlers in Texas and my mother's family tree springs from Germany.  Those people settled in South Texas. Anyway, I am intrigued with the concept of the one room school house,  the McGuffey's Readers, the BlueBack speller and when I found this Stoddard's Practical Arithmetic at Comyc Gyrl Collectibles, I just had to include it. 

Antique Stoddard's Arithmetic

Now, I am a private tutor.  I love working with the students one-on-one.  I am always looking for something that is fun but basic. This Everyday Mathmatics workbook from Eccentric Thrifter just might have some pages that I could use.

Everyday Mathematics

And this book "100 words every high school freshman should know" from Bargain Express, looks like some thing to recommend for every high school freshman as a must have reference book

100 Words

Even though school rooms have changed over the years--From slates to blackboards to green chalkboards to dry erase (white)boards, from one room schools to huge school facilities, from simple books that may have been shared or passed down from student to student to overhead projectors to computers and kindles, from carrying lunch in a syrup bucket to lunch kits with Thermoses to hot lunch served at school each day, and many other changes--the basics are still the same:  Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (or Math) and how to get along with your classmates and follow the rules. 

It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Be sure to shop the stores at ESN for whatever you are looking for--for back to school, up coming holidays, home decor, good books, jewelry, clothes, toys, what-have-you.  You'll be glad you did!

Block Party, Reunion, or Dinner on the Grounds

The ESN scavenger hunt this week has to do with Block Parties.  Well, we in small town America don't have much experience with Block Parties. We are more familiar with Family Reunions and  Pot Luck Dinners--or as some would say "Dinner on the Grounds" after Sunday Services. Along with Block Parties, these are occasions for people to get together and enjoy food and fellowship. The food is always outstanding since everyone brings their best carry along dish--and there is always plenty to eat. I looked for items that would be useful for an outdoor barbeque, a Block Party, reunion, or Pot Luck Dinner. 

Here are a few of the things I found among the ESN scavenger hunter stores:

You always need salt and pepper shakers on the tables and these plastic ones from ComycGyrl Collectibles fill the bill. They are available in green or blue. Maybe use both sets on two different tables? ComycGyrl has lots of collectible salt and pepper shakers.

Great deal at ComycGyrl Collectibles.

What could be cooler than this Avon basket to hold the silverware on your serving table?  CarolinaBlueLady has so many vintage Avon items. This is only one.

Available from Carolina BlueLady

Eccentric Thrifter solves the problem of what to wear to the Block Party or Reunion with these floral capris.
She has a big selection of casual clothing.

Listed by Eccentric Thrifter

As usual there is no shortage of whatever you might be looking for in the ESN stores.

Happy shopping!  And Happy Eating at your next big "get together" whether it be with neighbors at a Block Party, relatives at a reunion, or Church Family at a potluck dinner.

Also, don't forget to check out our store:  Hazel's HodgePodge.

Did your grandma have a candy dish?

This week's scavenger hunt topic is Candy.  Everybody loves candy. Do you know anyone who doesn't like some kind of candy?  I got to thinking about all the beautiful dishes that people used to have. Almost every home had a special candy dish. Especially, older people when I was a child during the 1950's. It might be a bowl with a lid or a flatter plate like dish; it might be rather plain or very ornate; but it was special.  Did your grandma have a special candy dish?  We would like to hear about it and your memories.
I found this really special story about one person's "candy dish" experience.  I hope your experience was better, but this person does have her candy dish and can use it to make more and happier memories for the younger generations.
Yahoo asked: " Did your grandma have a candy dish?" and got multiple answers.  Seems families had all kinds of candy dishes filled with all kinds of candy.
Click HERE for another sweet memory of candy dishes and candy from the Gaga Sisterhood.  All you present day Grandma's may want to have a look at this site.
We spent most weekends of my childhood at my paternal grandmother's house. She and my aunt, who lived with her,  had a tall pink glass dish with a lid that they kept filled with candy.  It was a bowl on a  pedestal and the lid had a tall knob on top.  I recall it often had gum drops in it. Sometimes at Halloween, it was filled with corn candy.  I remember it sitting on the fireplace mantel.  Bro and I were often treated to the candy.  Since we were rather late in life children, and the only grandchildren and niece and nephew on that side of the family, I think we were a bit spoiled.  I wonder if Bro has that candy dish stored away with all the family keepsakes?!?
I also remember a plastic tree that Auntie got when I was 10 or so. It stood on a plastic dish and each twig of the tree was a point where you could put a gum drop.  The plate was also filled with gumdrops. This was a colorful centerpiece on the dining table.
I don't recall Mama ever having a candy dish. I more remember her cookie jar that graced the kitchen counter. Hers was a clown whose head was the lid.  It was often filled with homemade cookies.
Oh, the memories!

Here are some beautiful candy dishes I located among the ESN scavenger hunter stores.

Unique Blue Swan Candy Dish at Carolina Blue Lady.

Beautiful orange candy dish at ComycGyrl Collectibles.

A more contemporary M & M dish from Bargain Express

Lastly, searching for candy themed items I found this reminiscent of  an old time candy store.

New Sealed Springbok Puzzle: Candy Galore at Eccentric Thrifter.

Whether you collect glass, novelty items, cookbooks, or whatever, you can find something to fit your needs or add to your collection among the stores on ESN.

The Red, White, and Blue: Independence, Freedom, and Justice for All.

The ESN scavenger hunt this week centers around Red, White, and Blue.  In honor of July 4, Independence Day, I decided instead of looking for actual Red, White, and Blue colored objects, I would make my search for things having to do with Independence, Freedom, and our American History and Heritage.

Here are a few items that I found.

Reminding us that Freedom isn't free.
A Disabled Vets Commemorative Coin from Bargain Express.

Recalling Our Fight for Independence and American History.

Paul Revere Bell Decanter
An Avon Collectible from Carolina Blue Lady.

A flag to wave and show our patriotism on July 4.

Let Freedom Ring Banner Flag from Eccentric Thrifter

Again reminding us what it takes to maintain our Freedom.

Freedom lies in Being Bold from Walls that Talk.

Hope everyone has a Great 4th of July and reflects on our nation's Independence.  We are just trying to stay cool here with the record heat for these parts.  We  have enjoyed some good meals this weekend in the company of some extended family. I will miss seeing fireworks this year due to the drought, but we do have a watermelon chilling to cut and enjoy on the 4th. 

Uses of Fire

The ESN scavenger hunt this week has to do with fire.  That's exactly what we don't want to see here in Texas this weekend.  I just heard on TXCN TV that 230+ counties of the 254 in Texas have burn bans in effect. I'd say that is pretty dry.  East Texas is usually the wet side of Texas, but we are so behind on rainfall for the year so far that it has seemed like Central Texas in August here all through June.  We have had brown grass and there have been wild fires in the area. There will be no firework sales anywhere and the only displays will be over the water.

For my scavenger hunt I tried to think of good things about fire.  Of course, the first thing that came to mind was fire for cooking.  I found a coffee carafe from  Your What Not Shop.  This makes me think of coffee brewing over a camp fire. My bro has a chuck wagon and serves chuck wagon meals for special occasions.Here's a link showing him at a local festival in Fredricksburg, TX near where he lives. Of course he would make coffee in a enamelware pot, but you get the idea.  

I also found a soup pot at Eccentric Thrifter.  I can imagine a big pot of homemade chicken soup bubbling on the "fire" of my electric range.
Then I thought about fire for light and found these candles from Lilacs N Dreams.  What a way to add light and mood to your decor!

I also found these more modern electric lights at .Barb's Bargains.

Of course, we can think of fire for heat, but since we have plenty of heat here right now from the sun; we will leave that search for another day.

Buy it HERE

Find them HERE

Buy it HERE.

Details HERE

Take a look at all the listings on ESN.  You are sure to find something you want or need.

Buttery Biscuits--Specialty of the House

This week's scavenger hunt for ESN is Butter.

My thoughts on butter leads to homemade biscuits.  I think I've made a zillion biscuits in my life time. Biscuits were a staple, everyday item when my kids were growing up.  I still love to make biscuits and even better to eat biscuits-- and what better than one slathered with lots of butter--and maybe strawberry jam. 

 

Here's my biscuit recipe:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2 Cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 T baking powder

6 T. (or 1/3 cup) Crisco

1 Cup Milk

Note: For Buttermilk Biscuits, reduce baking powder to 2 tsp., add 1/2 tsp. Baking soda with dry ingredients and use buttermilk or soured milk.

Measure and sift together dry ingredients.  Cut in Crisco using fork or pastry blender until mealy.  Add milk and stir until flour is all mixed in. The softer and stickier the dough, the lighter the biscuits will be.  Turn onto floured board and press or roll out. I press mine rather thin then fold over and press out and fold over several times. This makes them open up if you do it once and I think makes them flakier if you do it several times. Get your dough about 1/2" thick. Cut out biscuits with glass, biscuit cutter, or empty Large vienna sausage can. (because it is aluminum),Place on ungreased baking sheet with space between each biscuit. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush tops with butter and enjoy.

For an excellent pancake batter, add 1 egg, a little more milk and a little sugar.  Also served with lots of creamy butter and syrup. 

I looked through ESN for kitchen items.  Here is what I found.  I like to think everything I cook is "Seasoned with Love" and this would be so appropriate in the kitchen.  Only wish my house had more walls....

Seasoned with love decal from Walls that Talk.

Others have featured this cookbook, as I am not the only one thinking of hot, buttered bread.but look through the stores at ESN. You can find any kind of cookbook you might be looking for.

The  Bread Machine Cookbook from Bargain Express

I have an old fashioned rolling pin like this and love it for making pies and biscuits. Everyone needs one if they are doing any "real" baking.

Wooden Rolling Pin at Eccentric Thrifter

And you have to have the right mixing bowl, right?  Look at this pretty and collectible one.

Beautiful, useful mixing bowl from Carolina Blue Lady.

Seems you can take any topic and find things to fit on the ESN  stores.  Whether you are thinking cooking,  collectibles,  apparel, whimsy, wedding plans, books, or whatever take a look at ESN

Paper Items = Books, in my book

This week's ESN scavenger hunt is for paper items. Bookworm that I am, I just had to center my search on books. I have always loved to read and I hate to see the day that electronic devices take over completely and real paper and ink books become obsolete. 

You can find just about any kind of book in the ESN Scavenger Hunter Stores.

I love to cook, and there are all kinds of recipe books available.

Like this Mexican Cookbook from Eccentric Thrifter

I've always been one to "look it up" when I wanted to learn something new. I'd be willing to bet our encyclopedias got used more than most over the pre-internet years. And I can't quite get used to not having a "real" paper dictionary at hand.
Here's a good reference set for the home handyman.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about home repair and maintenance
 from this Time Life 10 book set
available from Eccentric Thrifter

Who doesn't enjoy a good novel or romance or whodunit now and then?  I know I do.  Seeing a movie is just not the same as a good read.

One of many good books at Barb's Bargains Reading Corner

And didn't we all grow up reading "funny books" ?  What were some of your favorites?  I liked Archie, Little Lulu, and....so many more. Also, the "funny papers" in the daily and Sunday papers.

One of the collectible comics available at Comyc  Gyrl  Collectibles

And of course, there are the instruction books for crochet and all kinds of crafts.  We spent many hours making things using these printed instructions.

See this one of many crochet and crafting instruction books at  BB Addicted to Crafting

Like other categories there are always lots to choose from at ESN. Drop by and take a look around. Enjoy a good book of your choosing today.

Accessories???

The ESN scavenger hunt this week is Accessories.  My first thought on this was of clothing accessories; shoes, hats, jewelry.  Way back when, we got a new Sunday-go-to meeting outfit every Easter.  Mama usually made our dresses. In fact, I don't recall Mama ever buying a ready made dress; maybe an occasional pair of western cut pants, or a winter coat, but never a dress.  I had some store boughten dresses but seems that my aunt was responsible for those. Of course, Auntie sewed for me, too, but she did sometimes buy a dress. But Accessories were something else.  Each Sunday outfit had to have special shoes, bag, hat, and gloves to accessorize it.  Shopping for these items was a special treat.  We would go up and down Houston Street in San Antonio, from store to store, trying on shoes and looking for just the right ones to complete our outfit.

Looking for accessories on ESN, I found accessories for American Girl Dolls.  And patterns for kitchen accessories.  I got to thinking about the shows I love to watch on HGTV and how they use accessories-lamps, pillows, knick-knacks, etc.- to finish out the decor. That led me to realize that here in the music store, we say that we have musical intstruments and accessories.  Those accessories are things like guitar strings, reeds, drumsticks, stands, straps, what have you. I googled accessories and found accessories for all kinds of electronic devices. 
I looked up the definition of "accessories" and here is what I found:
ac·ces·so·ry noun /akˈses(ə)rē/ 


accessaries, plural; accessories, plural
1.A thing that can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive

- a range of bathroom accessories

2.A small article or item of clothing carried or worn to complement a garment or outfit

- among the hottest items are hair accessories such as rhinestone-studded barrettes

3.Someone who gives assistance to the perpetrator of a crime, without directly committing it, sometimes without being present

- she was charged as an accessory to murder

adjective /akˈses(ə)rē/ 

1.Contributing to or aiding an activity or process in a minor way; subsidiary or supplementary

- functionally the maxillae are a pair of accessory jaws



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Web definitions

clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing
a supplementary component that improves capability

accessary: aiding and abetting in a crime; "he was charged with being accessory to the crime"


With these definitions in mind, I went back to look at the ESN photos again and found some items that will add beauty to your decor.

I found some neat garden accessories, including this garden gnome at Barb's Bargains.

Here's a really unusual and neat accessory, a brass door knocker from Eccentric  Thrifter.

And of course, you can count on Carolina Blue Lady to have some beautiful accessories for your home such as this Magnolia Bell.

Going back in time, I found this crochet pattern book for bed and bath accessories from Bargain Express.

Whatever kind of accessories you might be looking for--except those giving assistance in crime--take a look at the ESN ProStores.  Chances are, you'll find something to add beauty or usefulness to your life.

Railroad Crossing...Look out for the Cars, trains, and trucks in our town.

Our scavenger hunt for ESN this week is transportation. How apropos!
Silsbee is a Santa Fe Railroad town from way back.

The "Santa Fe" yard, now run by a contractor, is right in the middle of town.  We can hear the cars bump, bump, bumping at any hour as a new train is put together. Often, when one is going from north to south or south to north down "Main Street" -actually 5th St. or Business 96--you will "catch a train".  That means a long, long wait while a long, long train pulls out of- or into- town, or a train goes back and forth across the street adding cars.  Mimi always reminds us that the train means someone has a job.  Here is some of the history of Silsbee as compiled by the Silsbee Bee.
And everything you might want to find out about the History of Railroads in Texas.

all railroad pictures are from google pictures.

Another form of transportation we are well aware of in East Texass is the log trucks, which go by our place day and night en route to the paper mill at Evadale.  The loaded log trucks come from the west on Hwy 327 and stop at the traffic light at 327 and 96.  They do make a racket as they take off on their way to hwy. 96 and east to Evadale aka Stinkydale or Evil Smells.  Again, people who work "at the mill" and their families say "that's the smell of money".  The paper mill is owned by Meadwestvaco. and I just researched a bit and found that Meadwestvaco is much more than just a paper mill.  I also found this site with skadoodles of log truck pictures.

This all being said about, I turned my thoughts to travel and searched ESN photos for places one might go. Preferably quiet, serene places, like Hawaii.
You can pack your beautiful floral hawaiian shirts from Eccentric Thrifter and head for a tropical paradise.

One of many available at Eccentric Thrifter

We can even travel back in time with a good book from Barb's Bargains.

Barb's Bargains has a good selection of books.

We could travel around the world. Even to such a remote place as Russia. These salt and peppers from ComycGyrl Collectibles are reminescent of the Russian nesting dolls.

adorable salt and pepper set
.

We might look to Bargain Express for money for our fantasy trip.

One of the collectible coins at Bargain Express

Whatever you are shopping for, be sure to check out the stores on ESN, including my store, Hazel's Hodgepodge.