Thursday, August 27, 2020

Indian Star Salsa - Pieces From The Past

August draws forth memories of canning and freezing produce... from the young age of 5 (50 years ago!  What???)... I recall my Aunt Clara teaching my Mom how to can peaches.  

Mom was pretty much a novice in the world of canning since her Mom wasn't much of a domestic goddess, but Mom was willing (maybe urged) to learn.  

I recall dragging a chair over to the counter to help with the preparation of the jars and the fruit - nibbling on the discarded peels of the peaches as they carefully cut the peaches in half and then dropped them into the canning kettle of simple syrup and then transferring them to the clean canning jars.  

I recall also that the remaining syrup and peelings were combined and cooked together and then strained to make peach jelly.  I watched my Dad strain and then squeeze every last bit of liquid from the "left-overs".  


Fast forward 16 years and you would find Dave and I canning homemade salsa on our first wedding anniversary.  It was before having our own garden so we purchased all the ingredients for the salsa from a local farm stand.  

This is a photo from more recent years...


It was after we moved to the Gromer Family farmhouse in 1987 that we planted a garden.  It was amazing!  It was good black dirt and water was never an issue.  The deer and rabbits though... Ugh!  We put up a small fence to keep out the rabbits and then caught the deer "red-handed" as he waltzed across the yard towards our garden and his glorious buffet.  

Dave snuck out and around the back of the house and laid in wait along the side of the garden in the tall weeds/vines/grass that grew along the chicken wire fence.  As the deer approached the garden he waited patiently... and then jumped up at the perfect moment of surprise yelling and waving his arms.  

The deer didn't quite know what to do!  It was like the cartoon characters jumping into the air, turning and running with their legs mid-air.  It literally scared the poop out of the deer!  LOL!  It was the last we saw of our frequent visitor and we started getting an abundance of green beans.  Funny thing... the deer never ate any of our chili peppers that we grew... Hmmmm.  

That garden kept us fed for 6+ months and the pantry shelves were filled with a variety of colors.  We had tomato sauce, salsa, and spaghetti sauce.  We would buy fruit when in season and make jams and jellies of various types.  We also had russet potatoes, zucchini squash, onions, peppers, green beans and probably more... but my mind is coming up with them.  It's been a few days since then. 🤷  

Since living in Colorado we have never had a garden.  The soil is full of clay, water is often restricted because of drought and the growing season is just too short... as is my patience.  I don't have the desire to do starts in the house and nurture them until it is time to transfer outside.  There is often a late freeze in May and and early one in September.  My Dad kept busy with his garden and he was always happy to share his excess.  Now I support one of the local farms.



The other day as I squared up HSTs for a miniature Indian Star block - block #11 of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along I thought that the trimmings looked like some salsa with mango or peach.  What do you think???

I've never added mango or salsa to our recipe, but the purchased salsas that I have had with them were tasty.

Here is our personal recipe that has been tweaked and perfected over the years...  Dave prefers that the salsa not be too watery so we add a large can of tomato paste just before placing in the jars... oh and we allow it to boil for much longer than 10 minutes.  Probably more like 30 to 45 minutes to allow the tomatoes and peppers start to break down.  And our weights are always generous... meaning 2 lbs of peppers is like 2+lbs., etc.


While we lived in Illinois I was often found to be making the salsa by myself and I utilized the food processor for all of the veggies.  I mean I had two small children and time was a precious commodity.  It seemed as though I was in the kitchen from July to September or October making salsa, blanching and freezing green beans, making jams, jellies and apple sauce and tomato sauce.  Time was of the essence!

After my Dad had bypass surgery in 1990 and retired shortly after that, my parents traveled to visit us for a week in August.  We took them to the family cottage in Illinois and let them experience  life on a lake.  Dad was not a fan of water... Mom enjoyed the time.  Neither were a fan of the humidity.  The second morning there they commented that the sheets on the bed were still damp from the previous night's steamy temps.  I think that they were amazed that THEY were not moldy from such conditions.  LOL!

Before returning to IL we stopped at an orchard and purchased a bushel of fresh peaches.  Upon our return to the farmhouse Dad started gathering up any and all canning jars that had been left behind in the basement.  He washed the jars, prepped the peaches and syrup and proceeded in canning fresh peaches.  I'm pretty sure Mom and I were in and out of the kitchen at various times, but for the most part he handled it.  Again, I had a pre-schooler and a toddler that kept me plenty busy, but I was always more than willing to run to the store for more lids or sugar.  Good memories. 💗  Canning and freezing of fruits and veggies is the closest he ever got to cooking. LOL!

After our move Dave volunteered to help with the salsa, but he wanted it chunky-style.  Ok... so, working together, he dices the tomatoes by hand and I pulse the onions and peppers with a few tomatoes in the food processor.  It has been a good compromise... and some quality time together.  And great results with the chunky salsa!

Just the other day I had picked up some roasted chilies and after dinner they needed to be peeled and de-stemmed.  We were both tired from a long, hot day but TOGETHER we got the job done and then went and collapsed.  Teamwork is best...

                                 

Here is my mini-block.  The finished size is 4-inches.  It's pretty darn cute!
It could make a really cute pin cushion... or???

I'm not sure what I am going to do with this little salsa star, but I am open to ideas for this block as well as some of the others that I have.

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear your suggestions!

PS... one last "chili" story.  We had an over-abundance of chilies from our garden one year.  Rather than let them go to waste, we chopped and dried them on cookie sheets at a low temp in the oven.  When dried, we then pulsed in the food processor to make chili flakes.  Despite scrubbing the cookie sheets well, the next batch of chocolate chip cookies were SpIcEy!  Lol!  Well... maybe the next several batches of cookies. 😉

Stay Piece-ful,

Melva
Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along
that features vintage Kansas City Star quilt blocks!

Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Creative Compulsions at Bijou Bead Boutique
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie
Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty
Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More
Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting
Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate
Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch
UFO Busting at Tish’s Wonderland
BOMs Away at What A Hoot Quilts
What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts


Thursday, August 20, 2020

Pieces From The Past - Indian Star







Today's letter is dated April 6, 1947 - nearly a full year since the first letter was sent, dated May 6, 1946.  Notice that they were still censoring letters.  The letter is written in English.  However, again, for ease of reading, I have typed it out. Mr. Kasulke makes a desperate plea.  Take a look...

Rudolf Kasulke
Bergen bei Frankfurt/Main
Offenbadger Landstr. 7

April 6, 1947

Dear Mr. Schleich,

Perhaps you would be surprised to receive a letter from me, having met last time about 1-1/2 year ago.  You remember, I have been a Prisoner of War in Camp Trinidad at that time working at your farm in the sugar-beets campaign and I attach a picture that you may know who of those boys is now writing to you.

I would like to hear that you and your family are well.  Perhaps your eldest son has married and your family is enlarged by a daughter-in-law as you wanted him to find.  I remember very well that time I have been with you and I often think of your kindness and your representative treatment and that of Mrs. Schleich too.  All this encourages me to make a request to you.

When I was repatriated, I did not know where to stay, because my parents and all my relations had their homes in the eastern part of Germany (Romania), which now has become a part of Poland.  To return in spite of this was impossible because nobody was allowed to stay there and those who were still there had to emigrate, leaving all their possessions behind.  This fact means that I have not only lost all my fortune, but my native country too, which is much worse.  I did not know where I was likely to find my parents, if they were alive.  They were alive, though they passed terrible circumstances, but had lost all.

As a matter of fact, I could only “visit” them by letter because they are in the Russian Zone and no personal visits are allowed.  I myself dwell in the American Zone, thus I cannot go over to visit them as well as they cannot come to see me.  You can imagine how horrible this is for me.  Having passed through the war alive and then being separated as a Prisoner of War for years now and am in my mother-country but cannot see my folks for more than four years.

The other fact is, that in regard to the emigration from the Eastern parts of Germany, which has to be, the remaining part of Germany is so (overcrowded) over populated that you wonder how it is possible that life goes on.  But it is no life, being crowded like rabbits in a rabbit hole.  There is no lodging enough, no food, no clothing, no souvenir goods which you need, if you live in a so-called civilized world and if you think that you are standing on a higher level than the monkeys.

Thus, I am resolved to emigrate.  I am young, no member of the Nazi part, not married and have lost my native country.  Further, I have seen parts of the U.S. and I like them, wishing to start there a new life.  But the difficulty is that in case of emigration an American citizen has to be bail for that person.  Unfortunately I have no relatives in the U.S., though my grandfather has been there for some years.  Therefore I ask you if you would kindly do this for me.  It is only a question and I would not like that you would have any trouble about this.  But it would be nice if it could be.  In time, when an emigration could take place, is uncertain, because no definite regulations are issued at the moment.

However, what your decision may be, your kindness will always be permanent in my remembrance.  My best wishes to you and your family and my kindest regards for Mrs. Schleich.  

I am yours truly,
Rudolf Kasulke

You can feel his anxiety as he penned the letter to request assistance with sponsorship and his return to the United States.  He wrote that he included a photograph so that Phillip and Katie could put a face and name together.  However, after all the years of these letters being moved from one home and "care taker" to another, the photo seems to have been either misplaced or perhaps slipped in with another letter.

I decided I would go back and look back at previous letters that had photos included.  I saw this photo and the writing on the back of the photo seems to match the hand-writing of Mr. Kasulke.  (I have corrected the post the photo was included in previously.)

Mr. Kalsuke makes mention of Phillip's and Katie's eldest son - Edward William Schleich - who went by the name of Bill.  He was born in March of 1921 and would have been 26 years old at the time that the letter from Mr. Kasulke was received.  Bill was often the driver of the truck when the Schleich's had the POWs work at the farm.  Bill was the one having the conversation with my Dad regarding Camp Trinidad and the men that helped in the sugar beet fields.  The recording of the conversation was included with the Friendship Quilt Block post in June.

Bill was not, in fact, yet married at the time of this letter.  He married in October 1949 and had a daughter - Glenda - born in 1953. This picture is probably from 1954.  Bill is in the brown jacket and cowboy hat in the center, his wife - Ethel holding their daughter, Glenda, next to him.


When I called my cousin Glenda asking for a few of her special memories she shared these things with me...

"Daddy's favorite dessert was cherry pie, and he would even bake the pies himself.  Most days for breakfast he had bacon, eggs and toast but on occasion he would have pancakes.  He didn't like syrup so he would put peanut butter on his pancakes.  He typically had bacon, eggs for breakfast.  On a rare occasion when he did have syrup his fork would end up sticky and he would say "How does the d@m* syrup always jump to the top of the fork?" He didn't like sticky fingers!"

When I asked about his favorite meal the answer was "I don't think he ever sat down to a meal he didn't like."  Uncle Bill was much like my Dad, some meals may have been sub-par and they would let the cook know it, but they would never walk away hungry.  

"Daddy would have popcorn just about every night and he loved watermelon and cantaloupe", we spoke in unison, "of course!"  The Arkansas Valley farmlands are known for their melons... the "Rocky Ford Melon" is now quite popular across the US, and the Arkansas Valley Fair has had a "free melon day" that people would line up for well before the give-away started.

My memories of Uncle Bill... He was my sponsor at my baptism.  I don't recall the event since I was just 6 moths old.  I was raised in the Methodist church and they didn't use the term "God-father", but essentially, that is what he was.  He had a large garden and cherry trees. He also had horses and chickens.

I recall one particular story Dad told of helping his Mom butcher a chicken.  She had instructed him on how to hold the chicken so it would not get loose while on the butcher block... and to not let go once the head was off.  (sorry if this is too graphic...)  Oh to hear him tell it!  LOL! The chicken managed to wiggle loose and the wings started flapping, hitting him in the face (I just can't stop laughing!) and eventually got loose... (Yep!  A chicken, running around with it's head cut-off)  And Katie was mad because the meat was going to be bruised.  I don't know how long it was before the chicken was captured again, but when he told this story it didn't matter, because all listeners were having a hardy belly laugh.  

Since the chicken meat ended up bruised, perhaps Katie opted to make chicken pot pie instead of making roasted chicken... Chicken Pot Pie is one of my husband's favorite meals.  Several years ago I made up a special cookbook for our daughters that contained some favorite recipes from family members and close friends, as well as picture of the individual or couple.  I included their Dad's favorite in their books...

It is a recipe from the Betty Crocker recipe book we received as a Wedding gift 35 years ago.

I shared a slow-cooker recipe for Chicken and Dumplings, another favorite, in 2018.  Chicken and Dumplings is a meal that could be stretched a bit further with extra veggies and "gravy" and served with bread (another staple on our table at dinner time)... I wonder if this would have been a meal shared with the POWs when they worked at the Schleich Farm?  I'd like to think so. :)

Now, on to the pattern that accompanies this letter... The Indian Star.  This block is an easy block to piece and should measure 12-1/2" inches when finished.





One pattern tester, Stacey, reversed her lights and darks... the end result is interesting.  I'll be waiting with great anticipation to see what fabrics and colors all of you choose for this block.  Come back and link up when your block is finished for an opportunity to win a free fat-quarter.

So, as I wrap up, tell me...

What was the stand out item in Mr. Kasulke's letter for you?  Or this post in general?

Leave a comment... you know I love to hear from you!

Piece Happy!

Melva


Linking with:

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Creative Compulsions at Bijou Bead Boutique
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie
Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty
Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More
Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting
Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate
Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch
BOMs Away at What A Hoot Quilts
What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Colour & Inspiration at Clever Chameleon Quilting
Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter






Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Pause Button

Sometimes life get so busy all you want to do is press the pause button.  That is where I am at right now.  

I don't have any big quilt projects going on, yet there is so much other "stuff" going on around us that it is a good thing, because I am not sure I would be able to focus much.  

Nothing too serious, just out of town doctor appointments, learning details of international wire transfers, figuring out tips and tricks to make the computer side of worship leadership less stressful, Dave monitoring the local water association water tank repair... Yes, it was week three of distractions and challenges.  Add in on that some excitement for getting ready for some time away to unplug and press a much needed reset button.  

Enough whining... Did I complete last week's Tuesday To-Do's?  I did! Mostly...

I have blocks selected for the various sites (one block per night that we stay) and I will be prepping "kits" for hand-sewing opportunities.  If things go well, I will have ten kits to grab and go.  I have seven kits prepped.  


I need to get the pattern test quilt finished and get a photo shoot done before September.  DONE!  

I used blue variegated embroidery floss for the big-stitch binding finish.  

Below is a sneak peek at the quilt and its backing.

Now all I need is a photo shoot, which may happen this weekend.  I keep thinking that I need a tiny baby to assist with that, but I don't currently have any little babies around me right now.  But I have an idea rolling around in my mind and I can only hope that it works out. 


Plans for the coming week??? 

☙Have some fun away with our daughters and grand-children and create some interesting "art" using balloons, paint, canvases and t-shirts and a pellet gun.  

Have a "play-date" with a friend to make some "UPCYCLED 4" X 6" MIXED MEDIA POSTCARDS" to participate in a postcard swap hosted by my friend Mark Montano.  

Finalize the next Pieces From The Past Sew Along post and block to be released on August 20th - Indian Star is the block.  It is a beginner friendly block and will be pieced in a short amount of time.

It is hard to believe that we have reached the half-way mark of the sew along.  

Some assembly instructions will be given with block #12 so there is still plenty of time to get caught up.  Also, I am opening up the link-ups on each of the posts again.  No prizes, no drawings.  But if you are participating and didn't meet the deadline to share your block now is your opportunity.  If you are participating outside of the US, now is your chance to share your blocks!  I want to see the variety of fabric choices and personal design choices, from traditional to modern.  If you don't have any social media accounts to link up, or feel technologically challenged, feel free to email the pictures to me at MelvaLovesScraps@NolanQualityCustoms.com and I will share with the rest of the world for you. 

Recently I have had an attraction to the big-stitch binding, which is definitely a modern look to my more traditional style.  It gives a fun flair to the quilt and offers an opportunity to slow the pace and enjoy the process of some slow stitching, which I find quite therapeutic.   A few years ago I shared some binding tips and various techniques

What is your favorite binding finish?   

Leave a comment... I love to hear from all of you.


Piece Happy!

Melva

Linking with:

What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Colour & Inspiration at Clever Chameleon Quilting

To Do Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us

Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Creative Compulsions at Bijou Bead Boutique

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts




Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Turning To-Do In To Done

Last week was rough!  It seemed as though I faced a new challenge each day, though none of the obstacles were quilting related.  You know, just life stuff.  Issues with a major credit card company, technology issues that affected the latest release of the Pieces From The Past Pattern - Russian Sunflower, an update that were required on the church computer before being able to create the Sunday worship slides, and notifications that recent medical bills are not "covered" by our "non-insurance" provider.

Even with all that happened, I was still productive in the studio.  Woohoo!  The silver lining of the cloud, right?

Let's review what I hoped to complete...

❧  Clean and oil machines ✔  Boy, were they full of lint!



❧  Pull fabric for pattern test quilt


The stripe-y tie-dye fabric was the inspiration for the pull.  it is a flannel that my sweet SIL sent to me and will be used for the backing.



❧  Start piecing test quilt


Dave had a men's event he was attending so that meant that I had time for sewing, with no other cares in the world. 

I invited a friend over for Friday evening and we chatted as she watched me sew.  She is relatively new to quilting so she had plenty of questions and I was more than happy to answer them. 






❧  Piece and machine embroider sign blocks for my Postcard Camping Journal

You can see that I still need to clip threads and I have a few extra ready to go.  

One will be used for an upcoming camping weekend with our two daughters and all three grand-kids.  We are super excited about the time together.  We have a special "art project" that I'll share when it is done.

This brings me to plans for the next week...

❧I have blocks selected for the various sites (one block per night that we stay) and I will be prepping "kits" for hand-sewing opportunities.  If things go well, I will have ten kits to grab and go.

❧I need to finish the pattern test quilt finished and get a photo shoot done before September.

And since I have had two weeks of unplanned interruptions... I'll call my list good. 

Have you seen the social media challenge for quilters?  

Ten days, share 10 quilts that you have made.  You can offer a description... or not.  You can nominate another quilter to take up the challenge... or not.  The "rules" are pretty loose in my mind.  So, if you want to take up the challenge, consider yourself nominated!

I was nominated personally, but have been sharing my quilts on the Melva Loves Scraps facebook page.  When the fb challenge is over I will probably move over to instagram... 

Piece Happy!

Melva

Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Pieces From The Past Sew Along
that features vintage Kansas City Star quilt blocks!

Linking with:

To Do Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us
Mid-week Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Creative Compulsions at Bijou Bead Boutique
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie
Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty
Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More
Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting
Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts