Mon Memory 140~ Memories of Grandma C's Bread Pudding

 

When I was a kid, when we went to Grandma and Grand Dad's,

she usually had bread pudding.

I recall she put in her leftover morning biscuits, and

"light" bread, with a lot of vanilla flavoring.

I can't remember cinnamon.

It was sweet, but I still didn't care for it as a child.

Over the years, I've tried many versions on buffet bars 

that included a white sauce.

I even took a cooking class in New Orleans once

where Bread Pudding is VERY common.

The chef gave many ideas of variations.

The idea that stuck with me and I tried as soon as I got home,

was to add a package of Rollo caramel candies.

Oh my goodness! So good, but very rich.

I never made it again?

Over the years, during this fall season,

I've come to really appreciate the spices of this time of year.

Recently, I had an entire loaf of 35 calorie bread 

that had sat in the fridge until the top dried out.

Thus, time to experiment on making a low calorie bread pudding.

Well, I immediately messed up the calorie part with

a stick of butter.

Still I did cut calories.

Here's the non-exact ingredients

I put together to bring back

 Grandma's memories of 

Bread Pudding.

Melt stick butter in 8x8 pan at 350­°F in oven

 

10 slices of bread cubed

 

In another bowl mix well

2 eggs

1 C half and half

2 T cinnamon powder

2 t nutmeg

2T vanilla flavoring 

1 C low to no calorie sweetener

 

 Blend in bread cubes until saturated

In another bowl blend well

2 eggs

1 C half and half

 

After butter has totally melted 

pour in bread cube mixture 

pat down

then pour the second 2 egg mixture over.

 

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

or until puffy, browned and bubbly.

 

Second thoughts:

Use 8 slices instead of 10

Double the amount of cinnamon and vanilla? 

Since my kitchen didn't smell strong of cinnamon, I don't believe I used enough.

Use the amount of half and half, cream or milk to saturate bread.

It did have a stronger taste after sitting on counter top for 24 hours.

Best if reheated in microwave.

Don't think Grandma melted the butter. She probably greased pan with lard?

I didn't use biscuits like she did. I know that would add a different taste, texture. 

What's your favorite bread pudding?

 

 

Wordless Wed 335~ Garvin Road

 

Garvin Road, Warren County

near Bowling Green, KY 40324 

 

Taken by my mail carrying daughter on her postal route.

Tues Tutorial~ Tic Tac Toe Flannel Board

 

I recently got a request to make a wall hanging TicTacToe game for a Halloween Bash. Limited space means there wasn't much room for tables or floor playing so we went to the wall.  Here is how I put it together. 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday Tutorial

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I pulled out my bolt of red flannel I bought at 

a Florida second hand store for about 5$,

 and cut a 24 inch square. 

That piece was marked off in 8 inch squares.

A piece of cotton black scrap was cut 

into 1 inch wide pieces

 that was longer than 24 inches.

A piece of black felt cut 

into ten 6 inch squares

 will also be needed. 

I cut that from a 1 yard piece I got

 for a buck in Florida as well. 

 (And that's why we buy fabric when its a great deal.)

The one inch strips

 were pressed in half,

 then edges pressed

 to meet the center fold.

 

Strips were stitched along edge,

with wrong side of strip 

centered on the drawn line.

Pin if you need.

Eight inch long pieces x 1 inch 

(or whatever length will tie over your rod)

 were folded in half with folded edges meeting,

and stitched along each edge to make ties.

These were what I had leftover from the 1 inch strips for the lines.

The ends were turned under before edge stitching was completed.

The tie was folded in half to find the center.

The center was placed at the top edge of board (pick your top)

then triple stitched down in center as shown above.

 

Tack down a tie

 at the top of the 2 mid lines 

and on each end

as shown above.

To make the O and Xs,

cut the black flannel 

into 6 inch squares.

You need TEN squares.

 

Use a compass, saucer or anything

 to cut a paper pattern

 for a 5½ inch diameter circle.

 

You can fold your felt square and circle

into fourths as shown and

 cut off the outer felt to make a circle.

I ended up laying open and flat, 

pinning and cutting to 

make a more perfect circle for the O.

Make FIVE circles.

Cut a 5½ inch square paper pattern

and fold as shown above.

Mark off 1 inch on the 2 sides as shown.

Cut out the center on the angle.

 

Fold the flannel square

 the same way you did the paper.

 

Cut out the triangle of flannel

as marked above

same as you did the paper

Make FIVE Xs.
 

Whoever makes the first play

 will use all 5 of their pieces.

That's why 5 of each are made.

 

 On the Highway 127 yard sale years ago,

I bought a hand full of misprinted yard sticks. 

I think the yard stick will work fine 

to hang this lightweight flannel 

wall board game. 

Just tie the ties around the yard stick.

 

 I hope they have fun.

 

 

 

Quilt Shot 151~ Tahara Japan Gift Block Quilt: First of Many

 

Here is one of the quilts that resulted

from the event that started here.

  Eight ladies from the Elkhorn Creek Quilt Guild

have stitched together using the

HIdden Ladder Stitch

over 150 blocks

made by people of 

Tahara, Japan

our sister city.

 The ribbon above denotes the block

from the Tahara, Japan Mayor.

This is only one of the pieces

of connected blocks

to be put on display

in our local library

as part of their 100th anniversary in October.

 

So two of the "quilts" were

hung in the foyer of the library last Friday,

in time for the 100th celebration.

 

Wordless Wed 334~ Central Kentucky Fall

 

Driving from 31E North from

 Glasgow to Bardstown to 

Versailles to Midway.

It was breathtaking. 

Pictures actually taken starting at Green River 

after I went through the most awesome tunnel of trees 

going down to the river, 

but didn't have my camera ready.

When taking shots, 

I don't have a clue what I'm getting

 as I just hold up the camera

 and press the button down

to take multiple shots

 while I watch the road.

The most beautiful shots were

the valley of Lincoln's Boyhood home

and north of New Haven.

Versailles to Midway was still beautiful.

 

Quilt Shot 150~ Alex's Memory Quilt

 

This quilt used pieces from 4 of 6 of Alex's grandmother's garments.

A loose knit sweater and a cashmere sweater were included in the bag.

It was felt they wouldn't wear well and shrink considerably

 in a quilt that would be washed often

so they weren't used.

This was the first memory quilt I made with

 knits, sweat shirt and corduroy all in one quilt.

I typically make them from cotton type garments.

My old machine couldn't have stitched these 

without stretching or skipping stitches.

My new Janome M7 worked like a dream.

No iron on interfacing was used.

  A simple square pattern was decided upon

to attempt putting together different kinds of stretch fabrics

Remembering the old fashion technique of using cardboard templates,

one was made to decide how to efficiently use the fabrics.

Didn't know what pattern would be used.

At the least would be a random pattern.

Would you believe there were exactly enough squares to make this pattern?

I only had to make a change on the top row,

but the difference doesn't show?

After the top was sewn together,

a blanket was laid on the right side,

trimmed down to the size of the top and pinned all around edge.

Pins were turned for sewing.

After stitching a 5/8 seam all around except for the opening,

the quilt was turned inside out.

Eleanor Burns of the PBS "Quilt in a Day"

was the first place I saw

 this method and called this part of the process

"Birthing the Quilt"

because big quilts pulled through a small opening

makes one think that's what's happening.
 

 

At the "hand wide" opening that was left unstitched,

the edge was turned under 5/8 inch

since this was the width of the seam

all around the quilt.

 

The Janome "Acu Feed" system 

(which I consider an advanced walking foot)

top stitched this bulky 4 layer seam 

like buttar!

The edge road along this part of the foot.

 

I made a Tshirt quilt using this "Birthing Quilt" method

and like this quilt, I felt I didn't even need to even tie the quilt. 

It actually stays together very well.

Something about the knit fabric

and the top stitching that

 keeps it all in place.