Delicious Jewelry

I was selling homemade toys at a Fall Festival in Philly. There was live Jazz and all sorts of crafts. Seated right next to me was a jewelry maker. Her name is Zoe.  She makes the most attractive jewelry out of food. I cannot tell you how charming this jewelry is. Judge for yourself.

Here is Zoe's website:

http://www.realfruitjewelry.com/

And a link to her Etsy shop:

http://www.realfruitjewelry.etsy.com/

I think this costume jewelry is modern and fun. A perfect gift for the contemporary Foody in your life or anyone who loves lighthearted modern costume jewelry.  Note. I receive no payment; I just love her stuff.

Mrs. Austine Sutton's Cider Sauce

“Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider. (“Hard” cider is a twentieth-century term, redundant before then since virtually all cider was hard until modern refrigeration allowed people to keep sweet cider sweet.)”
― Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

Mrs. Austine Sutton's Cider Sauce for Ham or Pork Dishes

3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tablspoon Corn Starch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 cup Apple Cider
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Thoroughly mix Sugar, Corn Starch, Salt and Spices together. Stir in the Cider and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring all the time. Remove from heat. Let mixture cool until it is thick and clear. Then stir in Lemon Juice. It is then ready to serve.

This recipe comes from Simpson-Fletcher's Soul Food Recipes.

Sacred Gardens

I must make amends for my long absence, Cher Readers. I have been recovering from a bad fall. I offer you a look at the work of a Sculptor, Gardener and Mystic. I think, given the beauty of the work, I will consider myself forgiven.

Gardens and Gardening...is how we honor the Divine. I have taken the challenge of doing industrial strength Gardening, I see it from every angle. Being a Sculptor, I have created what I believe to be living spaces where Earth is as Important as the work.
Please visit my instagram feed at @jkott333.

A Story of Healing 

Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles

I love Bread and Butter Pickles. I have always made them made with Cucumber. This is the perfect recipe for those who have so many Zucchini in the garden that the neighbors refuse to take anymore and hide when they see you coming. 

The origin of the name and the spread of their popularity in the United States is attributed to Omar and Cora Fanning, a pair of Illinois cucumber farmers who started selling sweet and sour pickles in the 1920s and filed for the trademark Fanning's Bread and Butter Pickles in 1923 (though the recipe and similar ones are probably much older). The story attached to the name is that the Fannings survived rough years by making the pickles with their surplus of undersized cucumbers and bartering them with their grocer for staples such as bread and butter. - wikipedia

Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles 

1 large Onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick
6 cups small Zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/4 cup Salt
2 cups Cider Vinegar
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Celery Seed
1 teaspoon Mustard Seed 

Place the Zucchini and Onion in a large bowl. Salt thoroughly.  Cover and leave overnight. Combine all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Add Zucchini and Onions  to the pickling brine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Pack pickles into hot sterilized pint jars. Fill jars to 1/2 inch of the top with pickling brine and seal. These pickles make excellent bread and butter sandwiches.