Idy Mae's Full Moon: A Little Taste of One Story

I thought you might enjoy a small listen to a clip from one story on my new CD, Idy Mae's Full Moon.

My husband Larry leads into this story; the music is by West Virginia old-time musician Dr. David O'Dell on banjo and Lester McCumbers on fiddle.

The story tells one tale from Larry's adventures with his pet crow. Someday I will need to record his story about his pet groundhog Sally.

The cover photo for this clip is Larry and his twin sister Mary with their mother, Dollie Walls Holstein.

Enjoy!

(PS--you can order the CD by clicking the BUY NOW button on the right side of my blog. $15 and free shipping 😊)

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

All That Squash, All That Zucchini: Recipes

Like anyone with a garden this year, we've been inundated with squash. What to do with it all?

I was thinking about all the things I've tried, recipes both successful and not-so-much. Click on the highlighted links if any of them interest you, or scroll down to my latest find, a recipe for Cheddar-Zucchini Bread.

In past years I tried a recipe for zucchini chips. Tasty, and we've made several times since then. I used yellow squash in the photo.

I also tried drying squash, using a method found online. Not a fan of the result, but the chickens enjoyed it.

Squash pickles were so good, but no one here will eat them but me. So not a real solution. Ditto the zucchini pickles.

Then I tried freezing it. Nope. Mushy and squeaky. Chickens scored again. It's not good in soups either, just mushy and unpleasant in my experience. It might work in frozen soups, but I have not tried that...yet.

Last year I tried two new tricks: grind it up and freeze it to make zucchini bread and to add to soups, stews, sauces, and even meatloaf. This time I scored. It was a great way to store the goodness for use year-round.

I also tried sauteeing the squash with peppers, onions and celery. Again, a hit. I could use it in stirfry --it wasn't crispy as fresh-made but still good--or over pasta with lots of parmesan added. I've made a lot of it again this year.

This year I've found two new ways to use my bountiful supply. First is simple: slice it thin and add to salads, something I've done before but forgotten about.

or serve with a ranch dressing dip. Larry ate one whole zucchini himself with the dip. Score!

The second way is also a keeper: Cheddar-Zucchini Bread. I believe this recipe came from a magazine, but I can't recall which.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon backing powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. To this add 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan,1 tablespoon sugar, another 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tespoon cayenne pepper. Whisk all together.

In a separate bowl whisk 2 large eggs and 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Then add about 4 cups grated zucchini and whisk together.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir all together. I was very glad of my KitchenAid because this mixture is VERY stiff. Add 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and stir til evenly mixed. Spread 1/3cup of grated cheddar over the top.

Pour this (actually, more like spreading) mixture into a prepared pan. The recipe called for a 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 by 2 3/4-inch pan, but I opted for 2 regular-sized loaf pans and really liked the resulting shape and crustiness.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes if using the larger pan, or about 40 minutes if using the loaf pans. I used the toothpick test to be sure they were done.

Turn out onto a cooling rack immediately after removing from the oven.


I think this bread would be awesome with a little jalapeno pepper added, or with added bacon or sauteed onion or roasted red pepper or even dried tomatoes.

It is absolutely delicious, hot or cold. We even toasted it to have it with breakfast. I was wishing I had some red pepper jelly to spread on it for even more zing.


And lastly, if you just want to know more about the zucchini plant's history and folklore, click here.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

In the Gardens

My one current hydrangea bloom. This bush has had a few blossoms this summer but the older shrub was eaten almost to the ground in June by the deer. 

A long evening and morning's work in the gardens and yard have things almost back under control.

Every year, the same thing happens. I keep up pretty well through June, and then July hits. And I'm on the road storytelling and when I'm home I'm canning veggies. Larry is constantly mowing and weedeating--and this summer, constantly working on mowers because we've had one breakdown after another. He manages to get the vegetables picked, and do a little tilling, but that's about all he can manage.

Something--deer, probably--knocked the top off the waterer so I replaced it with a potted plant.

So things get a little wild around here. That nasty bindweed tries to take over the world, the gill-over-the-ground gills all over the ground, flowers get stemmy and weedy-looking, or die because this hill is just so dry and there's no way we can water enough to keep everything vibrant. The hardy ones hang on but they look pretty tough. I water what I can but still...

Merchandise waiting to go to the booths--ladders, iron bedframe, metal chairs and an old bike.

The past few evenings and this morning I've been back out there with my stringtrimmer, the rototiller and the clippers. The roses got cut back, and I have no idea if this is the right time to do it but they were getting v-e-r-y tall and messy and only one looked like it might bloom. I cut back irises and lily-of-the-valley, pulled sad petunias from pots and replanted with mums, and weeded, weeded, weeded.

Before tilling and planting

We finally pulled up the cucumbers which were pretty well played out. I tilled the space, and an area of the walled-in garden and planted some late garden--carrots, lettuce, onions, and some broccli and bean seeds. The last two are iffy--they may not ever bear fruit but I had the seed, and at least the beans will set nitrogen in the soil. I still need to get some turnip seed planted but that will be the next trip to town.

I can't say it looks pretty--it doesn't. The poor flowerbeds just got worn out with this summer's hot weather, and they're ready to throw in the towel. I'll plant more fall flowers soon to brighten things up. At least it looks neat out there now.

I've been really happy with the little walled garden this year. It's been a reclamation project. Larry walled it with stacked stones but we hadn't really done much with it. This year I planted some squash, zucchini, lettuce, onions and tomatoes in there and all did very well. I believe this is the first time I have ever had squash plants last through the summer without getting diseased. They're monsters, and so are the two tomato plants.

There are also some random canna lilies in this garden--Larry missed digging some of them up and when we dug the garden the bits of root scattered and came up. I have never seen cannas winter over, so this is pretty cool.

The canna thinks the trellis is meant for it! 

We planted a grape vine in this garden last year and built a trellis for it and this year it's growing very well. The raspberry plants are also taking hold, and the asparagus is recovering after we lost a good many plants last year for some reason. The blueberries I planted in here did not survive and this is my last attempt to grow them. They just don't seem to like our soil. But the one current bush I planted a few years back is thriving.

I really love this little rockwalled space. It will be a hand-worked garden, dug by hand and mulched heavily, from now on, and I am betting it will be one of the most productive gardens we've ever had. Eventually it may be the only vegetable garden we plant if we live here into our dotage. But I bet we'll get plenty of food from it.

Larry and I both picked little flower bouquets, not realizing it. His is roses, ironweed and chrysanthemums,

and mine is pink geranium, basil, stevia and begonia.

It's like bringing a bit of the garden inside with us, and a reminder that the work is worth it.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Junkin' and Thriftin' and Pickin': Some Recent Finds

I've been out and about lately, and that means there are opportunities to go looking for new stock. It's such a fun activity for us--the find is really the best part of selling.

Here's a bit of what we've picked up on our travels:

Center of the table is a large amber pitcher that I believe was made by Blenko, sometime in the late 1940's-early 1950's.

So pretty! 

Cookie cutter always sell well, as do those silly cow pitchers and the Pyrex Kimberly mugs. Can you see the little cash register there? I thought it was a pencil sharpener but it is not. The drawer slides open. I liked the heavy green shotglass too, first one like that I've seen. The small cleat figurines are hard to see but are 2 owls and a frosted glass dog. The ceramic teapot has me stumped. It's not useable as a teapot because the lid does not come off. It has a small  hole in the top and one in the bottom. So is it an incense burner, maybe?

A funny little bottle with a face stopper, a square toothpick holder from the Degenhart glass museum, and a pretty early 20th century toothpick whose maker I have not identified yet. It's painted very prettily. There's a glass chili pepper there too.

These canisters were a lucky find. In very good, clean condition. These are also good sellers in my booths.

I'll hold on to these little metal candleholders until spring, when I'll paint them turquoise and hang them on a chain to sell.

Another two good finds--a green Fiesta pitcher, and a Trenle-Blake restaurantware platter, both West Virginia-made. The platter was actually made here in my county. I love the Ovenex cupcake holder and the rolling pin too.

A white McCoy planter, painted plate,  pretty beaded purse, grease container, glass foot by Boyd glass, a speckled ceramic piggy bank, and two pretty mid-century juice glasses.

I don't buy many clothing items, but I really liked these mocassins, and the crocheted top in handmade. It's absolutely lovely. And much too small for me daggone it.

 This a cookie jar from Williamsburg, designed to look like one of the homes there.

Antique biscuit jar, silerplate pitcher, teacups, red-framed mirrors, a barrel jar...

and a favorite find, this lovely antique fringed velvet tapestry.

The soft colors and design just won my heart.

And plates--blue and white always sells,

floral not so much but occasionally. These are all made in England.

And that's just some of it! There's some furniture too, but I don't have photos yet.

Now, back to work! Painting awaits me.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Marietta Booth: Update

I have so many storytelling/writing projects on the burners right now, but the booths at both locations are keeping us hopping too. Here's a look at what changes we've made at Marietta.

We sold the pieces we had in this spot, so we moved things around and added art prints to the wall.

Also new to the booth is the little potty chair, lower left.

So cute--even still has the graniteware chamber pot in place!

Silverplate tea service took aa good bit of polishing!

Little folding planter stand could use repainting, so if it doesn't sell soon it will come home for a re-do.

We had a Vietnam-era flare box on top of this cabinet, but it sold so the child's rocker took its place.

Two Pyrex casseroles that were promotional pieces were recent finds. Black Tulip on left, Midnight Bloom on the right.

This is a funny story. We had an oak dresser with mirror at our other location that just didn't move. One problem was that one drawer was flimsy. So we took it home, repaired the drawer and took it to Marietta. It sold in less than a week! It's so odd how something sits at one place and goes so fast in another. We stopped in to check on the booth the same day the dresser sold and as it happened we'd just picked up this dressing table and had it in the van. I had planned to paint it, but kinda hated to because it was in suh lovely condition. We just moved it in as is. It has a matching stool too.

I love this cedar chest. It's just gorgeous with the carvings on it. I brought in more art prints for this area. They don't sell fast but they do sell. One is of the Philippi double covered bridge.

We've had this dinette set 90% complete since June, and finally got it done and into a booth.

Aluminum canister set sell well these days. I try to keep at least one set in each booth.

We sold that intriguing antique pedal knife sharpener this month---and the barrel butter churn in this photo is sold now too. So we brought in a couple industrial stooks and a "tanker" desk chair--so called because the old metal desks from the 1940's that these chairs went with were called tanker desks, because they were as big and heavy and sturdy as tanks!

Blenko glass, with a large green unidentified vase.

The gray corner shelf Larry made is still with us. It may end up going to Ravenswood, as these shelves sell quickly there.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Just Thinking

Our trip through coal country the other day got me thinking.

We saw so many abandoned homes, so many closed businesses. Some people were doing all right apparently, as evidenced by their nice homes and vehicles. But many more seemed to be hanging on by a thread. As a commenter said on my last post, it takes a strong person to stay and keep trying.

One young couple really struck both of us. They were outside a convenience store with their two children. The mother wore a shirt that indicated she worked at the store. The man was unkempt, bearded with sagging shorts and a torn t-shirt. Now, I know we can't tell much by appearances--lots of people dress like that and have beards because they like the look. But his didn't seem to be a fashion statement; he looked and acted down and out, picking at the children who were happily eating ice cream while their mother looked on nervously. What it seemed to us was that she was working, he wasn't, and they were just barely scraping by.

And that led me to wonder about this: it took us about 45 minutes to drive from where we saw the couple to downtown Charleston. 45 minutes to places where there is work available. So why didn't they drive to the city and get jobs for them both? Even two minimum wage jobs would be better, surely.

It seems so simple, doesn't it? 45 minutes isn't a long commute by most standards; I drove over an hour to my job every day for over 20 years. Lots of people do it. So why do people in some place feel trapped, like there's no way out for them?

But it takes a decent vehicle to make a drive that long. The road was two-lane almost the entire way, so the drive could be tricky in bad weather. Which means tires that can handle ice and snow. Last time I bought tires it was over $500 for a set. That's a lot of money for a lot of people. Then there's car insurance and upkeep costs.

To buy a car, a person needs to have credit. If you're living on the edge, chances are your credit isn't that good. Larry said that often in coal country people don't own their homes or their land, they lease from the coal companies. I don't know if that is still true today, but if so then there is no collateral to put up for a loan, and nothing to sell to get another place to live. Relocating means money for security deposits. And then there's child care.

And all of that is assuming you have the education and/or skills required in today's job market. If you live in a place with limited internet service, would you have the computer, online and keyboarding skills required?

It would feel like the obstacles were insurmountable if you had no money to start with. These problems are no different from those of anyone anywhere is similar circumstances, and it made me realize how lucky and how blessed we are, how much we take for granted. We have home and food, the wherewithal to buy what we need. It wasn't always easy for us but we managed because we had resources to start with. And I knew how to get the grant money so I could go to college. You have to know about such things to know how to get it, though.

I don't have any solutions. Life is a tough road for many. It hurts to see children caught in the struggle to just survive. It is no wonder some people just give up, why some turn to drugs or crime when they have nothing to lose.

Sorry for the depressing post. Sometimes when I write it's just thinking out loud as I try to understand and come to grips with things I cannot fix. But oh how I wish I could.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The UBB Memorial and More

It was, as Larry had warned, a good step out of our way to visit the memorial to the miners killed in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine. We followed the Big Coal River as it snaked its way through one mining community after another.

Most of the mines in the area appear to be shut down although there were a couple that looked like they were still in operation.

Empty houses lined the road in some places; in others, neatly kept homes with mowed lawns.

A damaged swinging bridge led across the river to what looked like a whole community of empty houses.

Whitesville has definitely seen better days.

Most of the storefronts were empty, and on this Saturday night the streets were almost deserted.

Larry remembered when tractor trailer trucks lined the main street and the sidewalks were crowded with people; today the lone stoplight seems like a leftover from those better days.

But the memorial is a work of art, well-kept and striking in its position by the side of the road. Another car pulled away as we arrived and I was glad to know we weren't the only visitors on this rainy evening.

More than just a listing of names and dates, the memorial includes a history of coal mining in West Virginia as well as a detailed account of how the explosion happened. For someone like me, both are valuable tools to understanding the tragedy and the reasons for it. Sadly, it was neglect, ordered by the mine operators, of standard safety procedures that caused this accident. While culpability was charged and some went to jail, even justice cannot bring back the men lost. One of them, I remembered, is buried in Larry's family cemetery. As far as we know he is no relation to Larry but must have some connection to someone in the Holstein family.

We left, both of us quiet as we thought about the miners, their families, the memorial.

The road twisted and turned and then opened up to several long straight stretches. This is the area known as Twin Poplars, named for two huge poplar trees that once stood at either end of the straight stretches of road. I remembered when, about 10 years ago, I told ghost stories at the middle school in Whitesville. the principal told a story about Twin Poplars. As I remember it, he said that the area was popular for drag racing back in the 1950's. One night two boys faced off in the game called "Chicken," where the drivers head straight for each other until one "chickens out" and veers away, avoiding a collision. (Flashback to James Dean.) This time, neither one veered off in time, and both were killed. The principal said that if you are on the road late at night on the anniversary of the accident, you may see a car coming right at you at full speed, but it will disappear just as you are sure you're going to die. I have never found any other version of his chilling tale.

Twin Poplars, WV

Southern West Virginia is struggling, and yet there is such heart there, and such welcoming courtesy. This last was exemplified by the man I asked for directions to the memorial. "Yes ma'am," he said, "you're goin' the right way. Just keep goin' til you get to Whitesville. You can't miss it." He touched the bill of his cap, and pulled away in his 1980's primer-painted Ford pickup.

Manners. Even hard times can't erase them.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.