Candy Canes - An Etsy Treasury

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Car News

Spotted by AuntMartha turning the corner in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, she was too late to get a free whistle.

The Oscar Mayer Wiener Car. 

Member Meet-up

On February 8, 2012, Freethinker Teammates Berit (clingingimages and ClayImages) and Martha (MarthaHorman, MarthaHormanJewelry, GoodOldBooks and AuntMartha) met for lunch in Lakeland, Florida. They were accompanied by their husbands. The food was good; the company was good; the time  together was way too short.

Berit on left and Martha on right.

Variety is the Spice

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Tuesday Tinker - AuntMartha

AuntMartha used to be an Antique and Collectibles dealer. When she closed her business, she just packed up her stock and put it in her basement and her attic. Now she's started to open the boxes and put the pieces up for sale in her shop. It's a good idea to check her store often because she tries to list at least one new piece a week. 

The Sunday Supplement - On Location with our next Tuesday Tinker

As a larger part of the country is still baking in the summer heat, we all dream of the cooler weather, colorful leaves and pumpkins of October!   Our Etsy Freethinkers Team member AuntMartha, to fill our longing for fall, has shared some vacation photos she took while hiking in the Loire Valley of Central France several years ago.

The Loire River

 The house on a little creek running into the Loire where they stayed

A picturesque building near the trail.

Bluebeard's Castle - apparently the man who owned this in the 15th century went
through more children than the neighbors thought was acceptable.
 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais

Should you be interested in other items with European flair, visit AuntMartha's Etsy Shop. She has a lovely assortment of antique plates, figurines, cups and other fine haberdashery.

New ETSY Treasury Featuring AUNTMARTHA

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Tuesday Tinker - AuntMartha

AuntMartha sells Vintage, Antiques and, now and again, supplies. Her Mother was an antiques dealer so she grew up with an appreciation of the history of old things. She followed in her Mother's footsteps and  was an antique dealer also for over 25 years.

Browse her shop and see if you can find a treasure.

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT - On location with our next Tuesday Tinker

AuntMartha likes climbing lighthouses. "It's a grand view when you get to the top usually. I think the best thing I ever saw was a flock of Blue Jays going south. I was above them looking down on all those intense blue backs and wings. There must have been about 40 of them. It was in October at the Cape May light."

Buffalo, NY harbor light - Buffalo is AuntMartha's home town.

Fire Island light - the nearest lighthouse to where AuntMartha now lives.

The interior of Ponce de Leon light just south of Daytona Beach, Florida.

AuntMartha sells Vintage and Antiques on Etsy. 

The Recipe Corner - Grandma's Apple Pie

Assorted apples - I use Empires, MacIntosh, and Granny Smith. If Rome or Cortlands are available I throw one of them into the mix, too.
1/2 cup granulated sugar*
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
cinnamon - at least 1 tablespoon but I put in 2
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Pie pastry for a 2 crust pie

Preheat oven to 425 ̊.
Line a pie plate with pastry. Sprinkle flour over the crust bottom. Slice apples and arrange in crust so they pile up about an inch or so above the edge of the pie plate. Cover with sugar and sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the sugar. Make very thin slices of butter and dot it around on top of the sugar and cinnamon.
Cut the top crust so that it is just a tad smaller than the open surface of the pie. You do not want it to touch the edges of the bottom crust; it has to just float on the apples. Place the top crust on the pie and cut vents or use a pie bird (see picture).
Bake at 425̊ for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 350̊ and bake another 40 50 minutes.
Immediately after taking the pie from the oven, using a wide spatula (or even 2) lift the top crust off the pie. Pour the heavy cream around over the apples and replace the crust. If you do this while the apples are still very hot they will absorb the cream.

* you may use more sugar if you like a real sweet pie - Grandma used a full cup but I've found that it isn't necessary.

Recipe compliments of AuntMartha.

The Recipe Corner - Sopa de Peña

I named this soup Sopa de Peña after the friend who gave me the recipe.

Take 4 large links of sausage (spicy is good) and slice into rounds. Saute them with sliced onion until light brown. Add a small can of sliced white potatoes, a can of diced green chilies, a small can of corn and about a quarter of a cup of your favorite salsa. Add a cup of water, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve with a nice crusty bread. Should feed 4.

This can also be made with elbow macaroni instead of the potatoes. Just use more water because the pasta will absorb a lot. Keep your eye on it and if the liquid gets low, add more. It is a soup after all.

This is just a basic recipe. One can add and subtract meat and veggies to taste.

Recipe compliments of AuntMartha.