Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Staying Busy In The Kitchen & An Amazing Handmade Gift


It's a cold and cloudy day
so cleaning and baking sounded
like a good idea.

 While cleaning the kitchen
I decided to Christmas it up a little:)


That led to  . . .


cleaning the pantry . . .


and that led to baking a pie:)
Because of the limited use of my right hand
I cannot peel apples anymore,
but I have found that pie is good
even when the peels are left on:) 


Before going into the oven.


This is my first apple pie using Stevia.


Well, I would say that it looks 
good enough to eat . . .
how about you?

~~~~~🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲~~~~~
 
 Now for my amazing gift.

These leather beaver fur & beaded gloves
were handmade by my Alaskan granddaughter.
They are incredibly warm and almost
too pretty to wear:)


Look at the bead work.
She did that all by hand as well as
the fur and leather work.

I am going to have to attach a ribbon
that runs through my coat sleeves, 
like we did when we were children.
I would absolutely cry if I lost one,
and I am bad about loosing gloves.

"Gloves & Keys"

I am in awe of her creative talent,
these are so warm and cozy
and way beyond any handmade gift that 
I have ever received in my life.

~~~~~🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲~~~~~

Well, that's my post . . .

I truly appreciate all the lovely
friends that I have made
since starting my blog;
 thanks for visiting 
&
 please leave a comment.

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

 

44 comments:

  1. Hello Connie, Your gloves are just beautiful and certainly look toasty warm. That handmade bead work is stunning. Your granddaughter is a very talented young lady. The pie looks good too, although I'm not much of a stevia fan. If I want to eat sweets I want sugar all the way, which is why I drink a lot more water than I do soda and I rarely have dessert.

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    1. Hi Gloriade, Well, I have made berry pies with Stevia and we really liked them, but the apple pies was lacking in flavor . . . NOTE: Stevia IS okay for some things, but apple is better made with sugar. Probably healthier with Stevia, but when you're eating pie, your not thinking about eating healthy, you just want yummy, LOL. It's hard to bake a pie for two people and not over eat . . . that's something that I need to work on.

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  2. Lots of cozy things happening in your kitchen. The hand-beaded gloves are gorgeous!

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    1. Hi Lorrie, thank you for stopping by. I was amazed when Stephanie said her had made them, I've never seen anything like them and the beaver fur is so soft:) The culture and the need to wear very warm clothing is a necessity that Alaskans cannot ignore . . . animal skins and fur are a way of survival. I'm sure that these gloves would be among a ladies Sunday best. They are so pretty.

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  3. Wow, those gloves are amazing. Me too on gloves. I'm always losing one. Neat idea baking a pie in a skillet. I've never tried that before

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    1. Hi Ann, I've been baking pies in skillets for a long time now, especially when I'm only baking one. I like the homey country feel of it, and hey, iron skillets are the greatest!

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  4. I would surely say that pie looks good enough to eat! You have such a cute country kitchen. Those gloves are so pretty!

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    1. By pies are always a little lopsided, but you can sure tell that they are homemade, LOL.

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  5. Replies
    1. Oh, and they are so warm . . . no cold hands for this girl anymore :)

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  6. Hi Connie! I just absolutely love those gloves!! The fur and the bead work are so pretty. She must have inherited her talent from you. Was your mother creative? I didn't know you had limited use of your right hand. Is that recent? One would never know with the amount of crafts that you make! I would love a piece of your pie. Oh, how I wish I didn't have to eat gluten free! I have never used Stevia in a pie but I use it in my GF muffins. How did it taste in the pie? Enjoy your nice clean organized kitchen! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Nancy

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    1. Stevia is a great substitute for sugar, but I find that I like it better in berry pie and than apple. Maybe that is because I usually put brown sugar in my apple pies. Stephanie's mother is native Alaskan and I'm sure she got all of her talent from her. There is probably a gene thing going on in the creative pool, but I am far from being the only creative gal around . . . this world is full of them :) I will treasure these gloves forever . . . and you cannot believe how warm and comfortable they are. As for my hand, I had an accident with it about eight years ago. After a year of therapy I finally got my wrist to bend and by pointer and thumb work normal (they are the most important) the other three fingers are stiff and only the joints that connect them to my hand work, the finger joints do not bend. I've learned to do things differently, but I was determined to not let it stop me from doing the things that I love. I have a lot of pain in my hand, but hey, name someone my age that doesn't have pain, right? That year of therapy and not having any use of it at all for months, made me start using my left hand in more ways than before, so that has helped, too :)
      Life is good!

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  7. Connie, What a big apple pie. I bet it was tasty. The gloves are so pretty. Hard to believe they are handmade...your granddaughter's an artist. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Oh, I was surprised . . . I thought that she had bought them in an Alaskan gift shop, so when she told me that she made them I was amazed. I did know that she did bead-work and sold it at craft shows, but I had no idea just how talented she was. Pretty awesome right! What you may not know is that I just met my granddaughter about a month ago for the first time. She is 29 years old and she found me on the internet. It's one of those wonderful stories and she is a blessing to our family:)

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  8. I loved seeing the photos of your kitchen. It looks so cozy and welcoming. That pie! How delicious that looks! I wish I could pop over and have a piece with you. And now for those gloves. I have no words to convey my thoughts about them. What an absolutely stunning gift. Your granddaughter is a very talented young lady. I can understand being afraid to lose one as they are absolute works of art. You can tell she loves her grandmother very much.
    Blessings, Betsy

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    1. She has become a true blessing to our little family . . . she has a sweet personality and a heart of gold. Besides be so awesomely talented. Her mother did an amazing job of raising her.

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  9. Wow what beadwork!!!!! She is SO talented, that is quite a gift Connie!!! :) Lucky you! :)
    Your pie is looking DELECTABLE....I've never made a big pie like that in the pan (in the oven too!)...I love your kitchen decor, especially the little piggie! :)

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    1. I know, I am in awe of her talent:) Our kitchen still has the old wood cabinets from the 1930's and I love them, so decorating it with farmhouse and vintage item is perfect. They are good on the budget, too . . . lots of thrift store finds :)

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  10. Organizing and pie baking are both worthwhile and satisfying pursuits on a cloudy day! What is wrong with your right hand? The gloves your granddaughter made are amazing...she obviously gets her artistic talent from you!

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    1. Hi Melanie, she may have a creative gene, but i am far from being the other person with that :) I never met my granddaughter until a month ago. Her mother raised her alone and I might say, did a fantastic job of it. She is a very sweet young woman and we are blessed to now know her and love her.
      As for my hand, I had an accident with it about eight years ago. After a year of therapy I finally got my wrist to bend and by pointer and thumb work normal (they are the most important) the other three fingers are stiff and only the joints that connect them to my hand work, the finger joints do not bend. I've learned to do things differently, but I was determined to not let it stop me from doing the things that I love. I have a lot of pain in my hand, but hey, name someone my age that doesn't have pain, right? That year of therapy and not having any use of it at all for months, made me start using my left hand in more ways than before, so that has helped, too :)
      Life is good!

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  11. I've never seen a pie made that way, but it sure is a great idea. I'll have to try it. It looks delicious.

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    1. I love baking pies in my iron skillets, they work great and look so homespun :)

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  12. Pretty pie! I love the big apple lump!
    Oh, what a treasure your handmade gift is! So LOVELY!

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  13. Sorry to hear about your hands, I never thought about leaving the peel on the apple, we too have been using other things then sugar, it takes getting use to but seems to work :) Wow what a wonderful gift your granddaughter gave you that is wonderful, looks like creativity runs in the family!

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    1. Hi Connie, I would prefer the peel off my apple pie, but it is still good, even left on . . . I just cann't peel apples anymore. I have been thinking about buying one of those peeler corers that fit onto my mixer. As for my hand, it happen eight years ago, I've gotten very use to it and I don't let it stop me from doing the things I love.

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  14. I also have trouble with my hands due to arthritis so I understand how it limits a person sometimes. My DH does all the apple/potato peeling and I'm so grateful that he does. I use my cast iron pans a lot but have never made a pie in one. Hmmm. Maybe soon?

    How lovely that your granddaughter found you on the internet. I do wonder if that will ever happen to me because we have a daughter (adopted at age 4 1/2) who has chosen to be out of our lives completely and who we have not had news for some 20 years. We do know she married and has at least one child. So you see there is always the possibility of being 'found'. Blessings, GM

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    1. Life can be very complicated. Although, we try to live simplified lives there is always the lives of those we love that pull on our heart-strings. The good book says, that all things work for good to those that love Christ Jesus and I truly believe that. He has a way of turning our bad situations and troubled times into glorious good new. We have experienced this in finding Stephanie and her family, and maybe you will do the same. It is all in His great and wise timing:) I Corinthians 13:13 says, So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
      We have a loving Father.
      Connie :)

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  15. What gorgeous bead work! I know you're proud of her. Your apple pie looks absolutely fabulous. Yummy :)

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    1. Thank you . . . and yes doesn't she do beautiful bead-work . . . I need to ask her, who taught her to do that it's very intricate and detailed.

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  16. Lots going on in your kitchen. I've never made a pie in a cast iron skillet before. Your pie looks so delicious. Your granddaughter is very talented. Your new gloves are amazing..

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    1. Hi Kyle, thanks for stopping by to visit . . . I am totally amazed at her intricate bead-work and the fur work, too. She's a very talented young woman.

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  17. I'll be over for pie! THose mittens look amazing. You'll be praying for extra cold weather this winter!!

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    1. You've got that wrong, I've never prayed for "extra cold weather" in my whole life, LOL. Maybe as a child, I may have prayed for snow.

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  18. Hi Connie the gloves are so beautiful , your granddaughter has a special talent ! The pie looks wonderful when I make mashed potatoes I buy the red skins no peeling and they are delicious No time to peel 15 lbs on Thanksgiving . Thanks for sharing love the idea of making a pie in a skillet, I am so going to try that.

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    1. I like the hominess of a pie baked in an iron skillet . . . it just screams country to me:) Stephanie does have a special talent; I do not know anyone else that works in fur and beads . . . These gloves make me want to travel to Alaska and see the beauty of the land and to see the amazing talents that come from their culture. I will treasure this gift forever.

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  19. What an amazing gift from your new granddaughter! How very special that she sent you such a treasured gift, it will keep your hands warm for sure and the beautiful beadwork is gorgeous! I understand what you mean about limited use of your hands, as I had carpal tunnel surgery earlier in the fall. I think one of those apple peeling stations would probably help you out a lot but it is an investment. I love cooking in iron skillets it just add such flavor to the food! Have you tried cooking with agave? My husband and I tried stevia, Splenda and some of the other artificial sweeteners and they all had a bad taste when cooking with them. But we found that we can cook with agave syrup and it's very good and doesn't have that lasting bad taste. I am so in love with my joy pillow and can't wait to get to Walmart to get a pillow form for it so that I can display it! Joy is a word that is so special to my heart and I'm just thrilled to have this beautiful treasure that you made! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Hi Marilyn, I am delighted that the pillow cover arrived and that you love it . . . that warms my heart :) Actually Stephanie didn't mail the gloves to me, but we got together the day before Thanksgiving. I was amazed that she made these, they are gorgeous and a true treasure. I'll have to give agave a try, but for now I have two bags of stevia in the pantry . . . my husband is diabetic so I am trying to make him sweets that he can eat without as much guilt . . . of course they still have carbs, but better than using sugar, too.
      Have a lovely weekend!

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  20. Connie, your kitchen looks so cute for Christmas! Love your vintage style. Those gloves are amazing! Don't blame you for wanting to add a ribbon to them. Gloves are so easy to lose. :)
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. I know I would be heart broken if I were to loose one of them.

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  21. What an amazing gift...so beautiful! She is extreme talented! I am heading to Alaska this Spring, I sure hope to see lots of beaded work....maybe I can find a nice little gift for myself.

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    1. I love needlework, but I don't think that I would have the patience to ever learn to do bead-work like that. She is a very talented young lady. I will treasure those gloves forever:)

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  22. Oh my that pie! wow. I've never made one on cast iron but what a great idea! and the gloves are amazing. I know that I frigate beadwork takes painstaking concentration. I've done a little and it takes a lot of patience. I agree, an Apple pie is just not right without Brown sugar. I just don't use as much. I use raw local honey and drizzle some over the apples, plus adding the brown sugar....for a very good result. I used to use agave exclusively for a couple of years, thinking it was healthier than all the other natural sugars, but I heard it was not good for the liver so I researched it and what I heard was right.My little we got very fatty and had a high count, but after cutting out all agave, the count has gone down to almost normal! So I stay away from it. Natural doctors recommend local raw honey that is unfiltered as the best sweetener as it helps your immune system too. I still do use small amounts of white sugar, but mostly Stevia and the raw honey. try it! Marilyn

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