“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.”– an excerpt from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
However you celebrate, dear readers, may your holidays be happy and bright, merry and marvelous! Wishing you all a lovely Christmas day!
If you have been a part of Ms. Jeannie’s blog since the summer, you’ll know that Ms. Jeannie enjoys the fun of gardening (minus April’s poison ivy outbreak, of course!). Her small summer crops were full of crunchy cherry tomatoes, crispy green peppers, snappy garden peas, buckets of sunflowers and more jalapenos then Mr. Jeannie Ology knew what to do with!
After she had harvested all her plantings and tilled her garden back down to the soil again, Ms. Jeannie half-heartedly decided to plant a fall garden in a neighboring patch that was overwhelmed with weeds. She says half-heartedly, because after the zealousness with which she approached her summer garden, (designing her own patch, layout and fencing) Ms. Jeannie felt sort of confined working in the perimeters of this already established bed. It was a funny shape too. Sort of like a squashed trapezoid or a flattened kidney bean, and was flanked on both ends by azalea bushes. But it did back up to garden fencing (ideal for fall peas!) and had a pretty brick border, so…
She carried on anyway and planted two rows of peas, several rows of alternating onions and carrots and a border of zinnias. She was using old seeds, some over five years old as an experiment of sorts to see if they would actually still grow.
The weeds returned almost instantly. Some of the seedlings started to sprout. Fire ants began to picket. Apparently, being fond of the neighborhood, they were not keen on Ms. Jeannie’s idea to relocate their home. And then there were the mosquitoes – so big and so bold, Ms. Jeannie began to think she, herself, was their only source of sustenance.
For weeks Ms. Jeannie battled nature. But, as it turns out 5 year old seeds in combination with weeds, fire ants and mosquitoes does not make for a garden great. The peas bloomed then promptly withered, the onion shoots sent up green antennas from the ground, surveyed the location and then disappeared – never to be seen again. And the zinnias nevr even showed up at all. Ms. Jeannie was depressed. Halfhearted gardening was no fun. No fun at all.
But there was one bright spot among all this sad state of affairs. The carrots! Dear readers, the carrots…the carrots gave it their all! They sprouted, they grew long lacy foliage, they hummed happily. All autumn. Growing, growing, growing in the ground undisturbed. Like a bad mother, Ms. Jeannie paid them absolutely no attention. She didn’t water them, she didn’t weed around them or cover them on frosty nights, she didn’t even visit them on a weekly basis. Frankly, my dears, she just sort of forgot about them.
Until yesterday. When a faint memory tickled her mind. A long lost thought…plantings in the fall…carrots for Thanksgiving dinner (Ms. Jeannie’s original idea for the garden in the first place)… vegetables throughout the winter. Dreamy eyed, Ms. Jeannie wondered what might have become of those carrot seeds from so long ago…
So with shovel in hand, she headed out to the garden to investigate. Expectations were low – incredibly low. After all they’d been in the ground for 5 months. There had been many, many handfuls of cold 30 degree weather. There had been times of drought and times of flooding. And there had been that issue of lackluster attention.
But alas! The carrots didn’t care! No worries, they shouted. The green lacy sprouts greeted her like a long lost friend. They practically sang to her as she pulled them, one by one out the ground. Here’s a picture of the chorus…
Full fledged carrots! Maybe a bit on the small side, some, but with such low expectations, Ms. Jeannie was practically overjoyed with the perfection of them all:) Such beauties they seemed!
Who would have thought you could enjoy such pretty vegetables in December? And with absolutely zero effort. Carrots may just very well be Ms. Jeannie’s new favorite vegetable.
This event called for celebration, so Ms. Jeannie found herself in the kitchen last night making a parmesan and carrot risotto. It was a chilly night – in the mid 30’s – and this was a warm, filling dinner full of autumn sunshine (thank you carrots!).
A lot of people shy away from making risotto because they think it is tedious or complicated, but really it couldn’t be a more simple recipe. The often thought tedious part just means you have to stay by the stove for about 20 minutes and stir frequently so the rice doesn’t stick. If you haven’t ever tried risotto, it is an Italian style rice based dish, that is filling like pasta and can be cooked a million different ways but always includes 3 ingredients: parmesean cheese, white wine and chicken broth.
Ms. Jeannie always likes to use homemade chicken broth but you could used canned or carton broth as a substitute too.
Here’s the recipe, which was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe that had called for long grain rice in place of risotto. This is a picture of Ms. Jeannie’s finished product with a serving suggestion (see bottom of recipe for details).
Ms. Jeannie served her risotto on top of a bed of raw baby spinach. She just grabbed a handful of spinach for each plate. The heat of the rice wilts the spinach a touch and adds a bit of bright color to the plate. Ms. Jeannie paired her dinner with Smoking Loon Sauvingnon Blanc, which complimented the sweetness of the carrots. She could have also served this with a crusty baguette too – had she not forgotten to get one at the store!
Here’s a close-up so you can see the texture…
Thank you sweet carrots for growing so great over all these months!!! See you again this spring for sure!
So a little bit ago, Ms. Jeannie met this wonderful character whom she affectionately called Christmas Pig…
Ms. Jeannie’s not one to notice looks first, but as you can see, he was nothing but handsome, with his distinguished rusty patches and his shabby chic patina. This pig had personality written all over him.
Ms. Jeannie made a home and a job for him on her kitchen shelves, holding down her fort of antique ironstone platters.
Pig seemed suited there for awhile. Each morning he’d greet Ms. Jeannie with a smile and a story. He’d recount his past, as she stood sleepy-eyed at the counter waiting for the coffee to brew.
A long time ago, Pig was born into a cast iron stable set made in England. His barn mates included a cow and a horse, a rooster, a lamb and some chickens, possibly there was a goat too (this part is a little hazy).
The stable was owned by a blond boy named Hugh, who fancied short pants and jam sandwiches and calling his mom, Mum. At some point in Pig’s early life, he and Hugh crossed the great ocean together, journeying to America via steamer ship. The crossing was long, but every afternoon, Hugh took Pig out to the lido deck to show him the waves and the water. The salt air settled on their skin.
Boy and Pig wound up in a wonderful old house in the States. Years passed. The boy grew up. Pig was packed away. For years Pig stayed among the packing papers dreaming of what his future would hold. One day, when he could stand the confines of the box no more, he mustered the courage to leave his world behind. Discovery was calling and Pig proclaimed himself a new explorer.
Fate eventually led Pig to Georgia. And then to Ms. Jeannie, where they became fast friends. Together they settled into Southern life.
But soon, Pig began to grow restless. Even though he enjoyed Ms. Jeannie’s company and his job of guarding the ironstone, he began to get antsy. His hooves started knocking against the shelves, then against the platters. At first it was just light little taps – barely audible, but as the days progressed, the taps grew louder and louder until they could no longer be ignored.
Ms. Jeannie understood. A restless spirit cannot be contained. It was time for Pig to move on.
“Let’s make this next trip spontaneous,” he told Ms. Jeannie. “You arrange it and I’ll go. Anywhere in the world.”
And spontaneous it was going to be! Exotic even. Ms. Jeannie was in touch with a lovely lady in Singapore who was ready to give Pig his next story. Thrilled by the prospect of crossing oceans again, Pig packed his bags, practiced his Chinese and headed off to the post office. Unfortunately, a one way postal ticket to Singapore wound up to be a much larger expense then even a Pig could afford, so he returned to Ms. Jeannie’s shelf once again. His dreams of Asian escapades so short lived he couldn’t even remember what they were.
“Keep your chin up,” Ms. Jeannie said. “Something will come along soon.”
Pig sighed and wallowed and tapped around for two days, before Ms. Jeannie reported good news. A porcine model was needed ASAP in New York City for a Christmas production! Pig was perfect for the part!
Giddy, Pig packed again. While he got ready, Ms. Jeannie told him of all of her New York City adventures growing up as a girl. Pig listened intently to every word. His imagination swirling with all the sights and the sounds and the possibilities that Ms. Jeannie suggested.
“Goodbye, sweet Pig,” Ms. Jeannie said as she dropped him off at the post office. “Keep in touch,” she whispered.
Two days later, Ms. Jeannie was delighted to receive a picture and a note from Christmas Pig…
Dear Ms Jeannie!
I did arrive in the city that never sleeps today, safe and sound! I’m enjoying the view from my new home and I’ll secretly tell you something: my new family is talking about me moving to some summer cottage, but I’m enjoying the bright lights in the city and I have bigger plans now… after my first model gig I’m going to look for an agent and I promise you, you will soon see me as a star on Broadway! I’ll blink at you from the posters!
Oh Pig! Ms. Jeannie looks forward to seeing your star:)
Be on the lookout readers – the next famous pig in the city could be our very own;)
Oh dear readers… it has been many, many weeks since Ms. Jeannie has been able to be in touch. She has missed all of you dearly. November found her busy with house guests and shop sales and holiday preparations. And although time is pressing and it seems like every moment is accounted for these days, Ms. Jeannie wanted to stop and say a big-hearted THANK YOU to all of you lovely readers. It is such a joy to be able to share these vintage adventures with all of you. And she hopes for more exciting time travels in the New Year.
As we approach the big day, Ms. Jeannie is looking forward to one of her most favorite Thanksgiving family traditions – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watching the parade is a highlight every year in the Ology household dating all the way back to when she was a little girl, in love with giant balloons and Broadway musicals.
Usually she watches it every year on TV, while she is cooking, but one year, when she was 8, her older brother and sister surprised her by taking her into the city to see the parade in person! The whole entire event was a treat! The streets were so crowded, and Ms. Jeannie so little, that she wound up spending most of the time on her brother’s shoulders. Having a 6′ foot tall big brother does come in handy! But whether you are there watching the festivities in person, or home watching it on tv – the level of energy and excitement is felt either way (as least to Ms. Jeannie!).
In 2014, the parade will be celebrating it’s 90th anniversary! So she thought it would be fun to take a look back at some vintage parade footage…
Here’s the parade in 1954. Check out those vintage floats and the tree at Rockefeller Center!
We have this man to thank for the creation of the giant balloons that have floated down the parade route for over 85 years…
Anthony or “Tony” as he was known, moved from Germany to New York City to test out his puppetry skills on Manhattan streets. Word got around that he was quite talented and Macy’s executives asked him to design a Christmas window display featuring his marionettes. That led to designing giant balloons for the parade. His first big balloon creation, Felix the Cat, debuted in the Thanksgiving Day parade in 1927.
The address of Macy’s was sewn into the fabric of all the balloons and at the the end of the parade route they were let go from their tethers and left to float high above Manhattan. A few days later they’d float back down from the sky, withered and exasperated, and a prresent was waiting for any person who found them and returned them back to Macy’s. Can you imagine finding a giant Felix in your back yard?!
If you live in the New York area, you can go up to the streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History and watch the balloons being blown up the night before the parade. It is magical to see these flat pieces of billowy material take shape before your eyes. A bit of whimsy in the urban environment of hard lines and hard stone. Ms. Jeannie used to take her dates – it was very romantic and holiday-ish.
In this parade footage from 1935, you can see that it is quit tricky to maneuver the balloons. But no one seems to mind the minor faults and frailties of the procession. Even the street dogs are enjoying the spectacle!
Happy Happy Thanksgiving from Ms. Jeannie and the gang. We hope this is your most delicious and festive one yet!
Funny enough, this is Ms. Jeannie’s second post dedicated to hats and her fifth mention of them in previous fashion related posts. You see, dear readers, Ms. Jeannie has a great love affair with hats, which she is just now realizing.
She only owns three herself: a bright green celery colored garden hat, a wide brim, floppy, shoulder to shoulder straw beach hat and a fancy derby hat which she recycles every year through the magic of ebay – hardly the dynamic collection of a hat lover!
But what Ms. Jeannie has come to realize is that the thing she might just love most about a hat is the ability to subtly express oneself through a color, an adornment, a slight placement of angle. Whether you want to hide from the sun under your big brim or show off your flamboyant style in an eye-catching fascinator – a hat can speak volumes about its wearer without her having to say anything at all. Magical! So when Ms. Jeannie came upon this quote by Martha Sliter – she could completely relate:
“A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothing and wearing a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.”
Well said Martha! A piece of magic is a hat! This got Ms. Jeannie to thinking about the past – back to nostalgic times when women (and men!) wore hats everyday and millinery shops lined the streets of every city. Now those physical brick and morter shops are few and far between but thanks to Etsy, we can still enjoy vintage hat shopping in our new and modern way – online!
Lucky for us – one of Ms. Jeannie’s readers is Cindy – the dynamo behind The Vintage Hat Shop on Etsy. With over 100 hats currently for sale and over 700 hats sold in just over two years, who better to sit down with to discuss the state of the hat union than her?! Enjoy this stroll through fashion history as Cindy gives us all a glimpse behind the curtain of a true vintage hat shop….
Ms. Jeannie: How did your Etsy shop come about?
Cindy from The Vintage Hat Shop: I get asked that question a lot. I knew that when I opened a shop on Etsy I wanted to concentrate on just one item. Hats just seemed to work for me—they are unique, ship easily, and I like the types of folks that buy hats. I love hunting for unusual and stylish hats.
MJ: Explain a little bit about sourcing your hats – do you have to do a lot of mending and cleaning to do or do you look for hats that are only in pristine condition?
TVHS: I have my own certain criteria for hats—I won’t buy a hat that has a foul smell, is soiled or needs a lot of repair. I do replace elastic back bands, remove veils, do a bit of minor mending. I iron a lot of ribbons. And I go through many lint rollers.
MJ: Your shop spans many decades – do you have a most favorite time period?
TVHS: I like the ’40s hats myself. I just think it was such an interesting era and the hats are a reflection of the times. The styles were rather “gutsy” and dramatic. So many supplies were in short supply during the war and innovation was the key. I admire and respect that. Such a variety of fashion styles are available from that time period.
MJ: Are you just as interested in hat related paraphernalia, like hat pins, hat boxes, etc as you are hats?
TVHS: I am interested in hat related items but I seldom buy them. I have too many interests and I make myself concentrate on just hats. The hat pins that I have were passed on to me by family members.
MJ: Kate Middleton seems to have brought some new attention to the hat industry, are most of your clients from the U.S. or overseas?
TVHS: I have clients all over the world. I have sold hats to folks in 27 countries—(yes, I keep a list!) About a third of my sales are international. I have hat dealers in 3 countries that buy from me for their shops. Australia is the country to which I ship the most hats.
MJ: If you could put one of your hats on any famous head, living or dead, who would you choose?
TVHS: Some of my hats would look great on Lady Diana. Can you imagine!
MJ: What is your most popular selling style of hat? And most popular decade?
TVHS: That’s a good question, but I haven’t quite figured out the answer yet! There doesn’t seem to be one decade that is consistently popular. Right now I am selling 1960’s cloches that look like they came from the 1920’s. For awhile 1940’s tilts were very popular. The tilt/slouch look from the 1930’s consistently sells well.
MJ: At the moment, there seems to be just a few men’s hats in your shop – is it harder to find men’s hats then women’s, do they sell more quickly or do you just have a natural affinity for a more feminine style?
TVHS: I like men’s hats but I don’t seek them out. Men want their dress hats to fit exactly and it is very hard to size them. Most of the fedoras that I find are a small size. So I rarely list them anymore. I do sell newsboy caps which can be worn by either men or women.
MJ: In your shop bio, it reads that one of your buyers was Polo Ralph Lauren – how exciting! Have you seen your hats in any of their campaigns?
TVHS: No, but I haven’t been looking . Guess I should check that out.
MJ: What is your most favorite hat currently available in your shop?
I like the 1930s maroon tilt slouch hat. I like the quiet simplicity with a touch of classy style. But my favorite changes often.
MJ: Tell us a fun hat buying story in regards to one of your customers…
TVHS: Last week I sold two hats to Loretta Young’s daughter-in-law. Loretta Young loved Lilly Dache’ hats and one of the hats purchased was a black velvet Dachette turban. The hats will be used at a Loretta Young 100th anniversary exhibit at the Hollywood Museum in LA that runs from December through April. She even encouraged me to attend!
Two of my 40s hats were purchased to be worn by extras in the movie “42”, the Jackie Robinson story starring Harrison Ford now being filmed in Macon, GA. You can bet I will be going to see that movie!
Many of my hats have been purchased for vintage weddings, theatrical productions, professional photo shoots and to women that like to dress in a vintage style. Today I sent a hat to a woman that is going to a Gatsby themed wedding and wanted a vintage cloche. You just never know! That’s what makes it so fun.
MJ: Do you have a favorite “hat” movie? “Hat” actress? “Hat” actor?
TVHS: I like the 40s movies and actresses—Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman. I can’t pick out a favorite hat movie! What guy wears a hat better than Frank Sinatra?
MJ: Why do you think women’s hats fell out of fashion as a regular, everyday accessory?
TVHS: A lot of people attribute the demise of hat wearing to hairspray! When women get their hair all “dolled up” and put on hairspray so it stays in place. They don’t want to ruin their “do” with a hat. I know on the days when I go hat shopping by the end of the day I have “hat hair”. It isn’t pretty.
MJ: What do you look for in a vintage hat?
TVHS: I look for a hat with class and style. Sometimes I buy hats I don’t like because I know there is a market for them. But usually if I just don’t like a hat at first sight, I don’t buy it. And I love most any hat that tilts.
MJ: Do you wear hats yourself?
TVHS: Now you would think so, wouldn’t you? But in reality I seldom wear hats. They just aren’t in fashion in this area. (Which makes them available for hat buyers!!). But I do come home and try on every one that I buy. Shhhh. Don’t tell the family, they already think I am hat possessed.
MJ: Can you tell us something a little “extra” about these 5 hats from your shop (Ms. Jeannie’s favorites!)…
This hat has a great memory. I purchased it on a trip to see my family. We had such a terrific time that day. Now it is off to London.
I purchased this hat because the color was unusual. And the feather looked like a bird!
There is an antique shop that I stop at often, they don’t know my name, they just call me “The Hat Lady”. I found this hat there. Could anyone pass up a 1920s cloche in this condition?!!
Turbans are very popular right now and this is such a great color. It has more of a structured shape than other turbans that I sell.
What a classy way to do a winter hat! That beading adds just the right touch of interest.
MJ: What was your most exciting hat acquisition story?
TVHS: Last summer I went to a local estate sale. A widow had died 15 years ago at age 90 and her nephew was just cleaning out her home. She was meticulous about her belongings. Her hats were exquisite! I got some from each decade 1910s-1950s. One of her hats was made by a local milliner, that will go to our county museum. I have two of her hats that I just can’t quite bring myself to list. I am a sentimentalist at heart. I had such a great time that day! And I was so honored to pass her hats on to collectors that would also treasure them.
MJ: You have lovely models in your shop! Tell us a little about them.
TVHS: I had searched for months for a new mannequin. I had been to antique shows, and every shop in our area but just couldn’t find a mannequin that suited my style. I had decided to order a new one on line and just make it work. My husband and I decided to go out to a small town for a Friday night dinner and parked next to a tiny gift/antique shop. The mannequin gal with the dark brown hair was in the window! The shop was closed for the night and the next day was the last day for the season. You can bet that I took another trip back to that store early the next morn and purchased her. I went to the same shop again this spring and bought the redhead. Oh, and of course many hats, too!
It makes me happy each time I use them. I have named them both Jo—after a classy aunt.( yes, she wore hats and loved them!)
MJ: What style advice would you give to the first time vintage hat buyer?
TVHS: Buy hats you love of course. But the real secret is to give your hat a good tilt. For the “oo-la-la” factor.
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Other interesting tid-bits from Cindy’s world:
Currently on her bookshelf:
Currently listening to: Country music on the radio.
If she could luncheon with anyone famous living or dead, she’d choose: Eleanor Roosevelt
Of course Eleanor would be the one in the hat!
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This interview is part of an ongoing interview series that Ms. Jeannie is orchestrating about artists, writers and musicians and their inspirations. To read other interviews in this series, simply click here.
The moment Ms. Jeannie saw this picture, was the moment she loved it…
Can’t you just feel the excitement of the people as they watch the plane sail by? Even though we can’t see their faces, you can tell by their posture that they are captivated. Ms. Jeannie loves the composition of it too… how you can see the silhouette of the hats and hairbows, the angle of the treeline and the plane just about to leave the picture.
On the reverse side of the photo it was stamped with this information…
The copyright year was dated 1927… the place… San Antonio, Texas. The 1920’s was the time of early aviation when figures like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh were flying about the skies conquering goals and testing limits. It was an exhilarating time in history – full of promise and potential. The aeronautical industry was on the cusp of blooming, and travelers were about to witness a whole new sense of freedom and independence. This got Ms. Jeannie to thinking about what a unique little gem she was holding on to. That perhaps there might be an interesting story behind this photograph. So she put her research hat on and got to work.
As it turns out, 1927 was the year that Charles Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis. He was only 25 at the time – and many people doubted that such an attempt could be successful.
Could the plane in Ms. Jeannie’s photograph be involved in such a tremendous way? Ms. Jeannie started down that research road next, comparing a bunch of Spirit of St. Louis photos to her photograph to see if they were similar.
They do look similar to Ms. Jeannie’s airplane, don’t they?
At this point, Ms. Jeannie thinks these two planes resemble each other close enough to start assuming that it could be the Spirit of St. Louis. She has one other clue that might aid in her investigation. If you remember, the photo processing mark on the back was stamped San Antonio, Texas, so now she needed to figure out why the Spirit of St. Louis would have been in Texas.
As it turns out, (thanks to charleslindbergh.com) after Lindbergh returned home from Paris, he embarked on a nationwide victory tour sponsored by aviation enthusiast /businessman Harry Guggenheim.
Many people had doubted that one man could pull off such an endeavor, Harry Guggenheim included. Needless to say, when Charles was successful in his 33 hour flight, there was much fanfare and celebration. Charles became world famous overnight! Suddenly everybody wanted to see, know and hear from this magnanimous man.
With the help of the Guggenheims – America got to do just that. Paid for by a fund set up by Harry and his father to promote aviation research and education, Lindbergh aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, visited 48 states and 92 cities on what became known as the 3 month long Guggenheim Tour (aka the US Victory Tour).
While in each city, Lindbergh gave speeches detailing his flying adventures. Here’s a program from his stopover in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 27th, 1927. You can get a good sense of the level of pomp and circumstance involved in the tour.
Along the tour, Lindbergh spent three days in Texas – September 26th – September 28th, 1927, stopping in Abilene, Fort Worth, and Dallas and flew over the following cities: Crosbyton, Stamford, Roaring Springs, Jacksboro, Bridgeport, Alvarado, Hillsboro, Waxahachie and Denton. Ms. Jeannie’s photograph could have been taken at any one of those places, with the film then being developed in San Antonio.
Now that Ms. Jeannie had a plausible situation surrounding her photograph, she contacted the charleslindbergh.com website about her theory and included a picture of the photograph. A few days later, a consultant for the Lindbergh family contacted Ms. Jeannie with verification that her photograph was indeed a picture of the the Spirit of St. Louis flying over Texas on the Victory Tour. How exciting!!!
Ms. Jeannie loves that even after almost 100 years, Lindbergh is still surprising people! See more of Ms. Jeannie’s historic photograph in her Etsy shop here. Do you have any stories about Lindbergh in your family? If so, please comment with your stories! And if you are not familiar with the charleslindbergh.com site – stop by and have a visit – it’s a wealth of information and photos!
It’s a cool, cloudy, over-cast day in Ms. Jeannie’s world today – the perfect atmosphere to accompany her new blog post all about Cheshire cheese from England.
It was experimentation lunch on Saturday in the Ology household! Always up for a game of “see-what-you-think-about-this-cheese,” Mr. Jeannie Ology, brought home a package of newly discovered Cheshire cheese from the market. Paired with a few local apples, a baguette and a new bottle of Italian il Carnevale di Venezia Pinot Grigio – it was a feast in the making!
Well, sort of.
Oh dear readers, have you ever tried Cheshire cheese? If so, please comment.
Ms. Jeannie was surprised to find that it was a very dry, dense cheese and very very crumbly. Similar in texture to feta but not as salty and not as moist, it reminded Ms. Jeannie a lot of curds in cottage cheese minus the creaminess. Mr. Jeannie Ology was not really a fan at all – preferring more the strong pungent textures and consistency of blue cheeses, aged cheddars and smoked goudas.
Ms. Jeannie had to agree. This cheese was incredibly mellow, so mellow, in fact she believes it might have actually gotten lost somewhere on its transatlantic journey to America. Perhaps though, she was at fault. Did she pair it with all the wrong flavors?
The pinot grigio also turned out to be very light in taste – although not bad – it would have made a far better picnic wine on a hot summer day. What was really needed now, wine-wise, to go with the cheshire was something that was complex and full-bodied, something overflowing with flavor that might have helped develop the subtly of the cheese. Sorry light Italian wine.
The apples were even a poor match, with their crunchy crispiness. Because the Cheshire was so dry, something more along the lines of an apple chutney would have been lovely. It could have surrounded the cheese like a nice hug. Or a fruit, drippy with it’s own juices like a mango, or an over-ripe plum or a mixture of crushed berries – that would have been equally delicious. But fruit companions pose their own set of problems – because we are no longer in summer fruit season.
So what to do with this non-chalant little wonder of a cheese? Ms. Jeannie took to the research department…
Hailing from Cheshire County in North West, England, as it turns out, Cheshire cheese is one of the oldest cheeses in Britain. It’s crumbly, dense, ultra-firm texture was created purposefully, so that the cheese would remain intact while being transported to market in wagons and carriages. Aha!
At the start it had many many friends, including the Royal Army who stocked only cheshire cheese on their ships. Throughout the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, cheshire cheese reigned supreme. It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that it began to see a decline in favoritism. Mostly this is accredited to the industrialization of the cheese making process, and now there are only a handful of farms making cheshire cheese the traditional way – which apparently – is the flavorful way.
Cheshire cheese comes in three colors: red, white and blue (very patriotic!). The white variation (what Ms. Jeannie sampled above) is the youngest of the three. The red, which is actually a pumpkin color is tinted with annato (a pulpy American tree seed used for dying fabrics and food) and the blue, which is aged with mold, resembles more of a veiny blue cheese. Perhaps Mr. Jeannie Ology would have liked that one better!
As far as recipes, Ms. Jeannie headed to epicurious.com to see how they suggested cooking with this now famous cheese. Surprisingly, there were only two recipes listed! How could this be, with a cheese that has existed since the 1600’s?!
One recipe was for Scottish farmhouse eggs, which is essentially scrambled eggs with cheese and onions; and the other, a crabmeat crostini with chives and creme fraiche. Both, Ms. Jeannie noted, enhanced the cheese with a bit of cream (is this a hint?!)
The latter recipe also recommended a pinot grigio as a wine pairing, which would be lovely considering in addition to crabmeat and cheese, the recipe included tangy lemon and lime juices along with a peppery hot sauce. Sounds delicious!
Further research turned up the British Cheese Board website, which turned out be the equivelant of winning the cheese recipe lottery! There was a bevy of cheshire cheese recipes (organized by season, no less), along with other recipes for wonderfully obscure cheeses like Caerphilly, Cornish Yarg and Wensleydale. Such delightful names – thank you England! Wensleydale, in particular sounds like a new day of the week — as in — “Oh darling, let’s not go Monday or Tuesday – let’s go Wensleydale!” So now we know – if need a new cheese recipe – stop by and visit the BCB.
Ms. Jeannie will keep you posted on how some of these new recipes turn out, but in the meantime, if you have any suggestions as to how you like your Cheshire – please let us know!
Last week found Ms. Jeannie, unexpectedly, in sunny Florida, helping her father who had fallen and hit his head. It was a scary week involving the Intensive Care Unit, doctors and specialists, prescriptions and timetables and making what felt like a million pots of soup.
In the midst of all the bad, Ms. Jeannie searched for the good. Happily, she found it staring right in front of her on the walls of her dad’s house….
Family photos she had yet to record in her family history information!
Herbert (pictured above – with the curly hair) is Ms. Jeannie’s grandfather. He was a firemen in Chicago for over 40 years. His father Joseph, was also a fireman in Chicago, as well as Joseph’s father, Jacob, who immigrated from Germany.
Joseph first became a fireman in the mid-1910’s. He was an engineer with Engine Number 24 in Chicago. Here’s a picture of Joseph, in his uniform alongside his wife, Mary. Mary was also from Chicago – not too much is known about her yet (more research to do!).
Mary and Joseph had two boys: Herbert & Charles, but Charles died when he was a baby. Joseph eventually found his way to the Army Air Force base in Sarasota in the early 1940’s where he was fire chief. This is a picture of him with Ms. Jeannie’s dad. She just loves this photo!
Tragically, Joseph died after being run over by a cement truck. He was 67 years old. Mary died 20 years later. It must have been hard.
Joseph’s son, Herbert married Cecylia Lucille, whom everyone called Lucy. They were married in 1933 in Chicago.
Lucy was born in Buffalo, New York to parents, Jozef and Jozefa, who immigrated from the province of Posen in Germany.
Jozef was a tailor in Buffalo throughout his life. Together, he and Jozefa had eight children. Four years after the last one was born, Jozefa died from burns sustained when her clothes caught on fire in the kitchen. Jozef wrapped her in a blanket to extinguish the flames but the burns covered over 80% of her body.
Unprepared to raise 8 children on his own and overcome with grief, Jozef had to place his children in the Catholic orphanage in Buffalo. Family members eventually collected all the children again, but most of the 8 grew up at the orphanage – Lucy included. She was 18 when she left there.
This is a picture of Lucy’s first Holy Communion, which must have been taken just about a year before her mother’s death.
Although Herbert was not yet a fireman, when he and Lucy married, Ms. Jeannie thinks it must have been reassuring for Lucy in some way when he became one. For all the sadness that surrounded Lucy’s childhood, happiness in her adult life with Herbert really made up for it. They were great loves and had a lot of fun together.
In addition to being a fireman, Herbert was also the firehouse cook. Boy could he make a mean bowl of chili! He was great at making big pots of things – but Ms. Jeannie guesses after 40 years of cooking for a company full of firemen, it must be hard to scale down!
Lucy died when Ms. Jeannie was just a baby so she she doesn’t really remember her, but Grandpa Herbert remains strong and lovable in her memory. He was a marvelous grandfather, full of fun and kindness. He was forever bringing little treats and presents to Ms. Jeannie and her sister. And he told wonderful, exciting stories about life at the firehouse.
He also loved to sing and tell jokes, believed in playing the lottery every week, had a fondness for doughnuts with coffee, and a cigar in the afternoon. He loved crossword puzzles and baseball games. He loved all types of affection and he loved to dance. He taught Ms. Jeannie how to be a card shark when it came to poker, how to love unconditionally and how being pleasant, good-natured and grateful was far nicer then being opinionated and troublesome. Everything about him was just lovely.
Herbert died in his mid 80’s of cancer, having never been sick in his entire life. In his final months, he gave many of his old family photos to one of the nurses aides that watched over him, simply because she expressed an interest in antique photographs. That was his way, always giving, so we can’t fault him for his generosity, although this has left Ms. Jeannie with quite a challenging genealogy project on her hands. She thinks one day, that the photos Herbert gave away, will eventually find their way back to the family. “When the time is right,” as Herbert would’ve said.
In the meantime, Ms. Jeannie likes to keep her eye out for firehouse-related antiques. Etsy has quite a few amazing finds like the ones listed below… maybe one day she’ll find something from Herbert’s or Joseph’s fire companies. Wouldn’t that be spectacular?! (click on each image for more info)
Ever since Ms. Jeannie published her blog post about the Runaway Bunny, she can’t get the stories of Margaret Wise Brown and Albert Clarke off her mind.
They’ve got all the lovely elements of a captivating story…romance, suspense, intrigue. Would it make a great screenplay? A book? A documentary? A play? Ms. Jeannie’s not quite sure yet…but she’s on a mission to find out…
While doing a bit more research on Margaret, Ms. Jeannie came across a biography of her called Awakened by the Moon, by Leonard Marcus.
She went online to check to see if her local library had a copy of it, but they didn’t. However, while searching their site she noticed a new link was added for Better World Books, the international library donation program. So she clicked that link to see if perhaps they had Awakened there.
As luck would have it – they did!
And they offered free shipping! So for $3.98, Ms. Jeannie found what she needed. Not only did she save money (as it turns out this book was a bit more expensive on both Amazon and Ebay) but by buying from BWB she’s also helping contribute to their Book for Book program, which donates one book to a needy person for every book purchased!
This all seems very in keeping with the spirit of Margaret Wise Brown – so a big yay on three levels! Yay for savings, yay for donation campaign, yay for spirit!
After ordering her book two days ago, Ms. Jeannie received an email today from Better World Books with notification that her book had shipped. Now if any of you have ever done any shopping online, you are familiar with these standard sorts of notices. Usually they are just quick little acknowledgements with a thank you and a description of your order and perhaps a tracking or invoice number.
But this one from Better World Books was different. It was funny and clever and captivating, and most of all it told an engaging little story. It was so fun and original that Ms. Jeannie just had to share the whole thing with you here…
Hello,
(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note – it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)
Holy canasta! It’s me… it’s me! I can’t believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I’ve got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can’t believe I’m leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already – the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge – so many memories. I don’t have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it’s time to see the world!
I can’t wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol’ brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?
I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I’ve had, I’m ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn’t take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I’ve found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.
But hey, enough about me, I’ve been asked to brief you on a few things:
We sent your order to the following address:
name
address
address
countryOrder #:
We provide quick shipping service to all our customers. You chose shipping, your book should arrive within 4 – 14 business days. The Postal Service may occasionally take slightly longer to deliver your book. At this time, we are not able to offer tracking on these shipments.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my friends at Customer Care by submitting a ticket.. If you could please include your order number that would be very helpful.
Eagerly awaiting our meeting,
So fun!
If you are in need of a book or a new donation cause, check out Better World Books by clicking here. Don’t forget to pass the link along to all your book lover friends… help spread good energy throughout the land:)
Happy weekend!
An identification has been made!
Thanks to Dave the snake expert, the snake skin Ms. Jeannie blogged about the other day has been determined to be a black racer, a common constrictor snake found in the Southern US.
Ms. Jeannie is SO glad she did not see this snake in all its real-life glory!
They can reach up to 60″ inches in length, so Ms. Jeannie’s snake skin was well on its way to being a mature adult at 47″ inches long.
Active during the day, racers got their name because they are fast movers. Similiar snakes are the black snake, the rat snake and the king snake, but the racer is the only one of these grouping who will actively (sometimes aggressively) try to get away from humans while the other snakes will just freeze in their tracks or slowly slink off.
It is believed (although scientifically unproven) that snakes evolved from burrowing lizards over 130 million years ago. Through all these years of evolution, snakes have developed a a very sophisticated sense of smell and the ability to feel vibrations in their environment.
At night the black racers like to curl up in old tree stumps, between boards, or other out of the way places which makes sense that the snake skin was found in the shed.
Hopefully, this will be the end of Ms. Jeannie’s snake blogs!
Thanks again to Dave for the helpful info!
In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat 