First order of business…
Tonight is the end of the auction for the “Monkey Business” romper set I made for the Ruby Red Fashion Friends 14.5″ dolls. If you haven’t taken a peek at it, and would like to do so, you can click the picture of it at the right side bar or you can click HERE. There are over 650 views on it, so bid accordingly… :o)
Second order of business…
Charlotte sent me the recipe for her peach pie and I thought you all might like to have a copy of it…
Peach Pie
Peel, pit, and halve peaches. Place in an unbaked pie shell, pit side up. Sprinkle over the peaches a mixture of:
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. flour
Pour over all: 1/2 pint heavy cream. Bake at 325° for 1 hour, or until knife comes out mostly clean. Cool. Keep leftovers in the fridge.
Notes: I always use a teaspoon and dip the cream over all the sugary areas before I put it in the oven, so it gets more or less covered in the cream, and the sugar gets more absorbed.
Peaches should be nicely ripe and sweet! I always do the sniff test–if they smell like peaches, they are ready to be used! 😉
This pie needs to be completely cool before you cut into it–chilling it in the fridge for a few hours will help it set up faster (although it really IS wonderful slightly warm, too!). You will probably need to use a sharpish knife to cut thru the peaches, as they can kind of slip a little under just a table knife. It kind of depends on the peaches–some seem to bake a little softer than others.
I often use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, that you just unroll, but I have also made my own crust. You can do whichever you wish!
Enjoy! Charlotte
P.S. The first time my mother made this recipe, my brother and I were probably early elementary–maybe 2nd (him) and 3rd grades. After Paul finished the pie, he picked up the plate and licked it! He was scolded, as he knew better! He said, “But, Momma, it was So Good!!” So I always refer to this recipe as “plate-lickin’ good”!! LOL
…and here is a picture she sent along… YUMMY…thanks for taking time to do this, Charlotte!
Third order of business… Josefina!
I wanted to find a charm of some kind to make Josefina a necklace…so I headed to Hobby Lobby and found several charms that might work, but when I saw this one, I was pretty sure it was the right one… It’s a tiny little dreamcatcher and picks up all the colors in her skirt…It’s just pinned on her blouse because my “in house jewelry maker”, Rebecca, is out of town until Tuesday…but I’ll have her get on it ASAP. I’m just wanting something simple like a silver chain with a magnetic closure in back.
It’s really a nice piece and goes so well with the skirt fabric.
I hemmed her skirt by hand, and it closes in back with a small piece of Velcro to accommodate all waist sizes for the dolls. Next it was onto her belt… I wanted to use silver Concho’s to mimic the pattern in the print… because I too, thought the fabric reminded me of them. I took a long strip of Ultrasuede and fringed it at the ends and then fed it through the slots on the Concho and stitched it on the backside to hold it in place. Then I cut the strip in half at the ends and used Velcro to make it fit her waist in the back.
I tied some ribbons around her braids…
I tucked her gold hoop earrings inside her braids since she’ll be wearing silver around her neck…
Lastly, I made a pair of blue leather moccasins for her. They are a good color match for her skirt… and hopefully other things the winner might have… I used the same waxed thread to lace them with as I did for the stitching…
The shoe on the left is cut out and partially glued together, but you can see how different they look when you “wet mold” them (moccasin on the right) and become more shaped in the toe area… Josefina thinks they are the prettiest moccasins she’s ever had…
Here are a few pictures with her skirt fabric so you can see how they look.
BUT WAIT….that’s not all…
COME BACK TOMORROW TO SEE SOMETHING ELSE FOR THIS SET… IT’S WONDERFUL…
See you tomorrow, or maybe tonight, at the end of the auction!
Blessings, Jeanne
It looks like we might have a bidding war going on for Stella’s outfit! This will be interesting to watch.
Thanks for posting my recipe and picture. I have to confess, I keep a “file” in my emails of recipes–both those I send and those I receive–so it was pretty easy to just copy and paste it into an email to you, and attach the picture! Cooking and baking really aren’t my favorite activities, but I do have some really good recipes that are what I would call TNT–tried ‘n true–and when I mentione one, someone will say, “I’d love to have it, if you share!” and I always do share (except for one recipe…). It’s just easier to save them in a file in my emails, so I don’t have to type them out more than once!! I know….Lazy!! LOL
If anyone has questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Now, Josefina….oh, how Pretty this outfit is going to be!! That concha belt and those moccasins are just perfect with this outfit. And the little dream-catcher picks up the colors of the skirt beautifully! My first thought was that it was a bit long, but truly, it’s not out of proportion, I don’t think, and it just Works with that skirt.
Now, what else could you be doing?! Hmmm….a bag or satchel of some kind?
Hi Charlotte,
I’ve kept a computer copy of some of my most requested recipes handy too and just forward them to whoever wants them…gone are the days of copying them over and over each time someone wants one. :o)
I’m sure the necklace will look better when it actually gets threaded on a silver chain…
Oh, you’ll have to wait and see what else is next…
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Thanks for the recipe. When I do not want to use a ready-made cake (there is no such product in Poland), I guess it is a shortbread or semi-shortcake? When we have ripe peaches, I will definitely try it out soon. Thanks Charlotte.
Hi Alina, pie crust is a mix of flour, shortening (or lard or butter, or sometimes oil), a bit of salt, some some ice cold water, then mixed into a dough. Then you roll it out flat and put it into a pie pan. If you go to a web site like allrecipes.com and search for “pie crust” you will probably find several, and there will be pictures, too! I hope that helps.
Yum, Charlotte, I can almost smell your peach pie from here, in the middle of the country! I’ll have to try that one for sure! It’s nice to know that you too, use the pre-made pie crusts! You do such a good job with the edging, and it looks as pretty as it must taste!
Oh my, Jeanne, Josefina looks darling! She is the one doll that has a very limited selectin of the way to dress, mostly skirts and blouses, but you have made this look oh so special! I LOVE the dream catches dangle, and that just “makes” this outfit! It matches up so well with the colors of the skirt! Love the sash too! And the boots! Perfect!
I like the way you wrapped the ribbons around her braids. I do this a lot with my Kaya, but never have with Josefina. Mine usually wears just one braid, but I’ll have to try two for a change!
What’s next for this outfit? Something for her to hold?
I like all the blue. The dream catcher makes me uneasy. It has important, significant meaning to indigenous people. Its not an arts and crafts project from hobby lobby. That’s cultural appropriation.
People wear Christian crosses as jewelry all the time. I think it adds so much to this outfit. Now to find one myself. Jeanne finds such unusual things.
Julia, I have rosaries and crucifixes, plus cross necklaces for my dolls. It is just using things that are significant to the customs of the times and dress of the dolls. I think Jeanne is perfectly correct in showing cultural displays of Josefina’s times.
Hi Julia,
I’m sorry if you felt uneasy about the dream catcher necklace. I only used it because it matched the colors in the dress set and was the only charm I could find with silver. It was only used for decorative purposes and I place no significance on it or what it stands for. It was not intended to offend anyone…
Blessings. Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, the outfit has come together nicely. I love the necklace.
She has a kind of Native American look and a Spanish look combined.
How did we get to mid-July? Can Summer be half over already?
Oh, boy! JEANNE, everything is spot on here! Absolutely perfect. Brava, my friend! (Trying to imagine what else is “more”! Yikes!) Looking forward to tonight’s action!! 👍🥰
CHARLOTTE, thank you for the recipe and all the tips. I gave up making my own crusts years ago, but I always roll the Pillsbury out more and often roll a little cinnamon sugar into it or if doing a quiche, fresh ground black pepper. Thanks again to you and Jeanne for publishing this.
Everyone have a great day.
Hi Sally,
Thanks for the comment on the Valentina doll. i was the one who mentioned her. Tbh, it was a tongue in cheek comment. While I would LOVE to have one, that price is waaaay out of my spending limit. If she were the same as the American RRFF that would be a different story.
Kind of strange that I might be the first comment? The peach pie looks delicious. Thanks for sharing Charlotte’s recipe, Jeanne. 🙂
Great concho belt and those boots are so authentic. Everything is coming together. I know all of the colors in Josefina’s necklace match, but it seems a bit much to me. Seems like it takes away from that beautiful blouse. I’d probably like just the dark blue medallion part, but I’m sure when it gets a silver chain it will be perfect.
Luca is rooting for Stella’s monkey outfit in the auction and is ready to turn in his banana shirt and shorts for something else. I think he got tired of picking fruit. I saw him with some car theme fabric. What’s with that? 🙂
Hope everyone had a great weekend.
How interesting. When I wrote this morning, there were no other comments. Now there are a lot ahead of me. I’m sure just another glitch. 🙂
Dear Joy, ditto for me.
I am only the first to comment if I am still awake from the night before and I post at 3 am. This morning, I posted around 10 am (my time) so I knew I couldn’t be first but it looked like I was.
Now, as you noted, there are others before me. Computer gremlins at work (laugh).
Thanks Dorothy. I was starting to think I was tetched. 🙂
It was a strange morning. It was late morning when I sat down to right and there were no comments???? Then I refreshed the page and there they all were. I knew no way was I first.
The word is “write” (sat down to write) but then everyone probably knew that.
Strange as my latest comment says awaiting moderation? Why is that?? This one will probably have that too.
I keep thinking about the necklace. Now, I’m wondering if it would be possible to take off the bottom silver dangles and add them to the bottom of the dark blue round piece? Maybe Rebecca can take a look. That way, it would be simpler, shorter, and the blouse would be the star. Know it is just me as others love it, but it just seems to be too much as it is. 🙂
Woops! Went back to yesterday and wanted to add here. Dorothy in PA, what joy to have tea/Dolly friends. I think that sounds like an almost perfect world!
Barbara in SE TX, thanks for mentioning the tea room myslteries. My goodness, the titles are a hoot!! I put one in my Amazon basket. Looks like there are 10 altogether?
Hugs to all!
Sally
Make sure you have the Guideposts Tea Room Mysteries. There are actually 25 of them. I got mine from Guideposts. I had no idea they were on Amazon.
Are all of them by Susan Page Davis, or are there other authors, besides? Going to try a used one. Thanks, Barbara.
They are all written by different authors. There may be some written by the same one but for their series they usually get several writers involved.
I really love this outfit! The concho belt and mocassins are perfect. I love dream catchers and actually have one on my bed post. I support St. Joseph’s Indian School in South Dakota and they always send dream catchers with their requests for donation. I have several and have given some to my grandchildren. The idea behind them is wonderful and should be shared. I can’t believe you found such a tiny one to add to your outfit. I love it!
I’m not much for baking. As a matter of fact, David actually does the pies for Thanksgiving but I’m really going to have to give this peach pie a try. David used to make his own crusts but has given the pre-made crusts a try and we like them very well. Thanks Charlotte for sharing and Jeanne for posting. I don’t know if we’ll make our trip to western Colorado this year in time for peach season. If we do that would be perfect for this because we buy so many peaches and even after sharing with family we still can’t eat them fast enough so this pie would be perfect for us.
I’m finally feeling less effects from my encounter with the floor at church so I should be able to accomplish the final bit of my study reorganization today. I was moving rather slowly last week. Getting closer to being able to sew again. I’ve actually forbidden myself from opening any e-mails that concern buying fabric until I have a chance to make up some of what I have. All my girls are in their favorite summer attire (my Bonekas have chosen their Jeanne Marie pants and pretty white tops) and they all look so cool and comfortable. I’m still trying to get around to making them all bathing suits and then the really cute oval pool on Pixie Faire – and maybe some of the pool accessories.
So sorry about your fall, Barbara, but glad you’re on the mend.
I’ve supported St Joseph’s as well as Southwest Indian Foundation. I love the dreamcatchers St. Joseph’s has sent. My daughter hung one next to her bed. when she was young.
Thanks, Laura. I still have either a pinched nerve or an irritated nerve in my right hip but the ice/heat therapy seems to be working. I love the dreamcatchers too and just added a new one to my collection when I finally got around to opening the latest donation package from St. Joseph’s this morning.
Wow, 5 bidders on Stella’s outfit, and if they are like I am, there are “waiting in the wings” bidders. Back when I was building my PC/early AG collections, if it wasn’t a BIN I was one that put my bid in at the 15- 20 second mark and almost always won. i can think of only two instances that that didn’t pan out, but I got the item later at nearly the same price.
Hi Charlotte, that pie looks wonderful. Similar to my grandmother’s, but easier as her had a cooked custard filling. My grandfather always thought it was superb, but when it was made with Red Haven peaches that made it over the top. I always search for Red Haven if I can find them. It’s one of those things I need to make every year like her plum cake when the Damsons come out.
Hi Jeanne, that’s a darling little dreamer catcher charm and has all the right design to set off the skirt. i have a gold one with a piece of turquoise I got at Hobby Lobby, but it doesn’t have all the dangles. need to find one there. I have Cherokee ancestry back on my Dad’s side and I love that AG made Kaya. If she was Cherokee instead I would own her, but she’s Nez Perce tribe and things aren’t the same. Her Concho belt is perfect. I was right! The blue moccasins are the perfect footwear. I like the way you wrapped her braids as the Pueblo Indian influence would have been there. Muy hermosa, Josefina!!
I love the wrapped braids as well, and I think it would also work on a single braid.
As for dreamcatchers, here’s an article https://www.onetribeapparel.com/blogs/pai/meaning-of-dreamcatchers
I think they’ve become so common that we don’t have to worry a lot about cultural appropriation, though that’s always problematic. I used to worry about wearing my Native American jewelry, but since I bought most of it from Native Americans, I have to assume they expect me to wear it. Dreamcatchers were a symbol of the Pan-Indian movement in the 80’s, which I supported, and various NA organizations send them to me, so I again assume it’s ok for me to have. Authentic dreamcatchers are described in the essay — since Josefina’s dreamcatcher is non-authentic, I think it’s completely ok for her to have it, though this style was probably not available in 1824.
The outfit is beautiful and I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll add for tomorrow.
The pie looks wonderful and probably tastes even better.
For tea shop mystery fans, the series by Laura Childs is fun, with descriptions of tea tables and china patterns.
Hi everyone,
I’m not sure what is going on with the comments on my blog, but I’ve had to “approve” almost every one… I looked to see if my settings had changed and I can’t see anything new…
I commented on a couple and even had to approve “myself.” I’m trying to fix it…but I keep checking my phone every time I hear it ding to approve any new comments…
Blessings, Jeanne
I had no problems, even though I included an URL. Maybe it fixed itself by then. Now I’m watching the end of your auction. I want the outfit to go higher.
A big congrats on Stella’s monkey outfit! 🙂 Hope the moderation thing is fixed by now. Hope you’re celebrating.
Wow, That is a lot of Monkey Business! Is that your highest bid yet! You were offering a complete outfit. Good for you!
Love Josefina outfit and the blue. Shoes are great! You are getting to a super cobbler!
Waiting patiently to see the complete outfit!