Furnishings

Posted on by theexileskitchen

The single Jenny Lind bed had been my Aunt Irma’s when she was a little girl. Loaned to my mother for my use, it was the bed that I slept in from the time I climbed out of the baby bed, till I got married and left my mother’s home. When my mother moved to Mississippi nineteen years ago, my aunt said that I could have the bed. I was thrilled. Family heirloom. All three of my sons have used the bed as their own, during their growing up years.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I- we- had emptied the storage units I had been renting for so long. I couldnt wait to set up the Jenny Lind bed in my room.

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This is the way my room looked in June 2016.

I have been gathering furnishings for a few months. The area rug came from Wayfair. The gray bedspread was bought at the store with the big “W” on it. Amazon was where I found the pretty curtains. The pinwheel patterned quilt is one I made myself many years ago. The colors match nicely and I was pleasantly surprised. I guess we all gravitate to certain colors our whole lives. Soft blue and white have shown up over and over in my life.

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The pine floors were refinished a year ago. See the contrast from these new pictures to the top one? They had actually been painted to look like mahogany. And whatever your opinion may be about maintaining a true Craftsman vibe to a farmhouse as old as mine and keeping the floors dark, I love the lighter, more natural pine color. 20180121_143809

Miss Marigold and I walked the property this afternoon. A visit to the barn first. I love the ancient barn; wouldn’t trade it for anything! You step back in time when you step into its shadows. We also surveyed the perimeter of my big field, picking up trash thrown out by passersby. I was happy to see that the daffodils I planted a year ago have begun to stretch from the sleepy ground. Can Spring be close? We can hope.20180121_144727

Worship this morning. Homemaking at noon. Being a landowner this afternoon.

Blessings from the Exiles Kitchen.

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MaBell Simple Supper

Posted on by theexileskitchen

Simple suppers are a must during playoff season- well, any season that you’re busy. We’re watching the Saints get spanked by the Vikings right now. Sigh.

Oh well, supper will be good.

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I cooked extra MaBell Smoked Sausage for this mornings breakfast and now it’s anchoring our supper dish: Red Jambalya. Here’s what to do~

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In a skillet, heat up 1tbl of cooking oil. Add 2 ribs of chopped celery and one small, chopped onion. Soften up, but don’t over cook it. Throw in 1 pound precooked MaBell Smoked Sausage. Add cup white rice. Then add a medium sized can of diced tomatoes. Fill the can with water and pour over the rice and meat mixture. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. I like mine a little spicy. Cover and cook over medium heat till the rice is cooked through.

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MaBell’s Smoked Sausage is packaged by King’s, a local meat processing company in Southwest Mississippi and their smoked sausage has made them famous. If you would like a sampler of their products, here’s their address:

King’s Packing Company

3066 Hwy 570

Summit, MS 39666

Happy simple supper from the Exile’s Kitchen.

 

(An update on King’s Packing Company: due to Covid-19, they are having trouble getting meat to process and the plant has been temporarily closed. When King’s opens back up, I will let y’all know.    4-27-2020) 

(As of this week, June 14, 2020, King’s Packing Company is back open and making sausage.)

Empty

Posted on by theexileskitchen

Happy New Year

That’s it. No punctuation. 2017 was a roller coaster. We had some very good days, like Sunday, December 31. My granddaughter was baptised. That was a wonderful way to end the year.

But there were many days last year spent in the hospital with my mother. And I said final, earthly good-byes to cousins and friends. Good and bad equalled out, I guess. Felt like a roller coaster, though.

I did, finally, get to empty the storage units that I had been renting since September 2014. That was a burden lifted from my shoulders- my sons did the heavy lifting. Ha! It will also free up funds to go to something else.

At my farmhouse the empty boxes piled up on the porch, as the collections found a permanent home. Tea pots, Fire King mixing bowls, Flora Gold depression glass. Sadly, many pieces of the depression glass did not make it out of the storage unit whole. Delicate cups and saucers, an oblong butter dish, footed scalloped dishes and a big platter were shattered. Oh, well. I had fun all those years ago searching to build the collection and now I get to do it again.

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Three years ago when we were packing up my belongings, many cookie jars in particular, my eldest son told me: “Mama, when you eventually get settled somewhere, I know one thing; when I come to visit, there better be cookies in everyone of these cookie jars!”

I found them as I unpacked. I can tell you where they came from and/or who gave them to me. There’s a very inviting and satisfying sound to a lifted cookie jar top. Washed and dried, then lined up on the kitchen counter.

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Strawberry:Jeanie Antiques, Osyka, MS – Miss Pig:New Orleans – Apple:Walmart – Blue Gingerbread Boy: Ponchatoula, LA – Pressed Glass: Church Christmas Exchange -Red Painted Fruit: New Orleans – Yellow Glass w Cookie cut-outs: New Orleans. Mama  gave me most of them; she and Aunt Lina loved to go junking. I have some new-to-me new ones to add.

 

Thinking about what my son said, and seeing how cheery they all looked grouped together, cookie recipes starting coming to mind. Expect a cookie of the month recipe for 2018.  There that’s my New Year’s resolution. Let’s see if I can keep it.

I also found all of my cookbooks. Many Southern Living cookbooks, including the two that have my recipe for Granola Muffins. I had originally called the recipe Cereal Muffins, but the kitchens at Southern Living renamed it.

 

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I always liked the intro they wrote to my recipe.

I know I’m not suppose to write about the weather, but I just can’t help myself. It’s cold, folks! The high temperature for our part of Mississippi is 34°. You Yankees are probably telling me not to complain. Remember, I’m Southern. My blood is thin. As soon as Christmas is over, I long for warmer weather and planting flowers and vegetables. I’m excited about the prospect of homegrown food and flowers on my table again.

New Year’s Blessings from the Exiles Kitchen.