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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Homefront Team and the Semper Fi Fund

More than 33,000 American warriors have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan since the beginning in September of 2001. These people's lives and the lives of their wives, children, mothers, brothers, and sisters are forever changed. The SemperFi Fund is there to give assistance to these brave military members and their families. Please take a moment to read what they are all about.

"The Semper Fi Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured members of U.S. Armed Forces and their families. We direct urgently needed resources to Marines and Sailors, as well as members of the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard who serve in support of Marine forces."

 "The basic ideal that drives our efforts is simple: as much as these American heroes have sacrificed, they deserve the best care and support available in their hour of need. Injuries are often severe, and the road to recovery or rehabilitation can be long and costly. Beyond the staggering costs of hospitalization and treatment, related expenses typically pile up quickly. Family members may lose income when taking time off work to visit and care for injured loved ones. Childcare, plane fare and other travel expenses often stretch a family's budget to the breaking point."

"There may be need for physical therapy and counseling. Wheelchairs, specialized equipment and learning devices. Specially adapted cars and vans. Many of those we work with must have their homes modified, or even move into a new home designed to accommodate a serious disability. The list goes on and on, and so do the bills. That's where we come in."


Please take a moment to visit these Homefront Team Shops and support the Semper Fi Fund.

'Help a Wounded Warrior' by PrairieWindDesigns

The Homefront Team is doing a fundraiser to help wounded soldiers. 100% of the proceeds of each of these sales goes to the Semper Fi Fund.

11x14 Photography Ameri...

$30.00
Fabric Flower Bobby Pin...

$15.00
SemperFi Fund Upcycled ...

$23.00
My Daddy My Hero - Cust...

$18.00
Semper Fi Fund Vintage ...

$12.00
SemperFi Fund Vintage W...

$54.00
SemperFi Fund Gift Bask...

$25.00
SALE Marine Corps Rever...

$30.00
Crochet Grey Slouchy Ha...

$16.00
Semper Fi Fund Nursing ...

$24.00
Fluffy Monet Scarf

$20.00
Primitive Patriotic Rag...

$29.00
Blossom, Bundled Rate P...

$60.00
BALLET SHOES Hair Clip ...

$13.00
SemperFi Fund 7/8 Inch ...

$34.00

Monday, October 25, 2010

We have a Winner!

And the winner of a 1941 Searchlight Recipe Book is:

Congratulations Sandy and Cosmo! You have won the antique cookbook from the Cookbook Addict!  Stacey will be contacting you shortly in exchange address information.  A special Thank You to Stacey from the Coobook Addict for offering this great giveaway and sharing her fantastic recipes!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my most popular giveaway to date!  I appreciate all my new blog followers and subscribers! I look forward to sharing with you as we try to find more Inspiration in the Everyday!


Sunday, October 17, 2010

BONUS Post from the CookBook Addict

As promised here is a special Bonus Post from the CookBook Addict! As many of you know, CookBook Addict is offering an awesome giveaway of a 1941 Searchlight Recipe Book! Go To this post and leave a comment! Only comments left on the giveaway post will be entered in the giveaway! Since only one lucky person can win the recipe book, here's a little something as a thank you for all who entered - A Free Recipe!  With so many fall potlucks, bake sales and the holidays around the corner, these torteletts are sure to be a hit!
Tortelettes
(Joy of Cooking 1946)
About 40 one and a half inch cookies
"A very old recipe. Anything as good as these should survive."

Grate:
The rind of 1/2 lemon
Onto:
1 cup sugar
Cream the sugar with:
3/4 cup butter
Beat in, one at a time:
2 egg yolks
Add gradually to make a stiff dough:
1 1/2 cups or more bread flour
Pinch off about a teaspoonful of dough at a time. Roll it into a ball.
Flatten the balls until the dough is very thin. Beat slightly:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Brush the cakes with this mixture.
Blanch, then shred coursely:
1 cup almonds or other nut meats
Combine them with:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle the cakes with this mixture.
Bake them in a moderate oven at 375 degrees until light brown.
I'd love to hear from anyone who tries this recipe! Don't forget to go to this post and leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway for a 1941 Searchlight Recipe Book!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A GiveAway from The Cookbook Addict

I am so excited to bring you this giveaway from Stacey at the The CookbookAddict! Stacey is a wealth of information when it comes to cookbooks! I am making this a two part giveaway! Watch for an upcoming BONUS Post! 
A little about meMy name is Stacey and I live in NE Wisconsin near Green Bay. I’m a stay at home mom of 3 boys and a baby girl ages 1-8, we have 2 dogs, 1 hamster, and since it rained last night I’m guessing about 5 frogs the boys brought inside that are hiding somewhere in my house. I also have an amazing husband who is (for some reason) crazy supportive of my vintage cookbook addiction.
How did you start collecting?
I think it started with my frustrations on how our eating habits have evolved over time. I look at us now with our lists of must have staples in our hands while grocery shopping and wonder how those lists have changed from milk, sugar, and eggs to instead Mac n cheese, hot dogs and frozen pizza. I became attracted to the simplicity of the past, simple recipes, simple ingredients, the time when you were out of bread you just made more (and were able to name every single ingredient in it too!). I also fell in love with the personal side of history that comes with them. The everydayness of their stories. I could relate to having to scrape meals to together during hard times and I could actually use information like “how DO you get gum out of carpet?” I feel like nowadays we think we’re smarter and above people from the past. Yes we do have more information than they did, but for the most part, I feel sometimes all we’re doing is re-inventing the wheel.
Please share a little about Vintage Cookbooks.
All of the different types of cookbooks can be a little overwhelming so I like to break them down into categories and some of the main ones to know are:
There’s the late and great 1800’s early 1900’s antique homemaking/cooking/serving cookbooks. Typically the oldest type found (if collecting American cookbooks). You can find recipes for detergents, facial cream, medicine (of course I wouldn’t use the opium they list as an ingredient but that’s just me) and about a million other things you forget weren’t invented by companies. I also love them for examples of “how one ought to behave in public” and “what is expected of the hostess when guests are to be served”. They’re like Emily Post on steroids and absolutely, positively fascinating! Prices vary with these but they’re extremely popular and collectible.
There’s what I like to call the “big mama-jammas” the “one stop shop” cookbooks. They can be counted on for having recipes chapters for breakfast, hor d’orvs, dinner party menus, recipes for bridge luncheons, Sunday suppers and everything in between. They’re usually thick and heavy and generally were put out by big hitter companies like Good Housekeeping, Betty Crocker, or Culinary Arts Institute. They are also a pretty sure bet if collecting and consistently popular.
There’s also the cookbooks that were put out by church and local groups to raise money. They’re smaller in size but have some of the best tried and true recipes you can find! As far as collecting and value go they’re a world all their own. I personally think that they should stay in the area they were written for so only occasionally do I put them up for sale but of course that’s just MY opinion!Then there’s the advertising recipe booklets that were generally put out by top companies usually to promote a specific product. With company funded test kitchens on Park Ave. and spokeswomen that became the rock stars of their time. There’s pure advertising genius with these babies because this is time where eating and food REALLY started to change. It was after WWII and companies had a surplus of “shelf-stable” processed food that they had been sending to the troops and decided to market to the general public. These promo type books were around earlier but they increased exponentially during the late 40’s and into the 50’s. It’s good to do your research with these but cover art and rarity play big factors in value. For me that’s where I stop, for the most part but others sometimes collect what they think WILL be popular and that’s a good way to ensure long term success in your collection.
What are your favorites?
My personal favorites are a toss up between my 1899 White House Cookbook with so many “extras” tucked between it’s pages I swear I can still find things I never saw before and my 1902 Women’s Favorite Cookbook with the most amazing illustrations and one of the most complete sources for every recipe dealing with the home at that time. Then there are the handwritten books I have with notes about bills to pay and dates to remember and all of them are from ladies who lived in my area. They’re just priceless to me and I would sob uncontrollably if I lost them.
What is your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from wanting my kids to have memories of how absolutely AMAZING home baked bread smells in the oven and how lucky they are in life. Also I know it sounds kind of corny but it’s inspiring to me to think I’m helping save these recipes that all of these under-appreciated and over-worked women were so dearly proud of by making sure they get treated and recognized as the treasures they are.

So are you ready for the Giveaway? Just comment to win A 1941 Searchlight Recipe Book!

Here's How to Enter!
Leave a comment for each separate entry! Please leave an email address or Etsy shop name in each comment you make! Otherwise we won't know how to find you if you win!
1. Mandatory Entry: Visit The Cookbook Addict and browse around Stacey's shop -leave a heart if you are so inclined(not mandatory)! Then return here and tell us what you like!
2. Follow  Stacey's Collecting Vintage Cookbook Blog and leave a comment that you did so.
3. Follow this blog, Prairie Wind Notions and leave a comment that you did.
4. Become a Twitter follower of  CookbookAddict on Twitter or Like her on Facebook  (1 Entry for each - leave a comment!)
5. Tweet the following:
#Giveaway from CookbookAddict http://prairiewindnotions.blogspot.com ends 10-24 #cookbook @prairiewinddsgn @cookbookaddict3
and leave a comment with the link to your tweet. You may tweet once a day for an extra entry.
6.Post about this giveaway on your facebook page. Leave a comment with a link to your facebook page.
Giveaway starts Sunday, October 10th and ends at midnight on October 24th. Winner will be determined by Random.org.
Good Luck!



Monday, October 4, 2010

We have a Winner!

Congratulations!
I went to Random.org and Lucky Number 16 is the winner!
Congratulations Elizabeth! You are the winner of a Ten Dollar Gift Certificate to Laura Elaine Designs! Head on over to Laura Elaine Designs to do some shopping!
Thank you to Laura for offering this great giveaway and Thank You to each of you for entering and promoting this giveaway!

It was so much fun I'm doing it again! Stay tuned this week for another fabulous giveaway from one of my favorite Etsy shops!