Friday, August 30, 2013

Blenko and Fenton Glass

Any item that is handmade is precious.  The thoughts and efforts, trials and tribulations, that have gone into the production is awesome.  I do want to share with you a few such items:  they are mouth blown glass by skilled craftsmen at the Blenko Glass Company in Milton West Virginia and Fenton Glass in Williamstown also in West Virginia.  Every item is uniquely different and the colors are distinct and exquisite.

Blenko Water Bottle
The unmistakable "water bottle" is considered by many as Blenko's signature piece of glass that has been continuously produced since 1938.  The water bottles represent the months/seasons of the year and I purchased the bottle for April or spring in a soft green color.  Each bottle is hand finished.

This is information from the West Virginia Glass Outlet in Martinsburg, West Virginia:  "Because Blenko glass is made in small batches and its process is performed by hand, it is common to observe small air bubbles, lines or individual marks left by the craftsman.  These are not flaws--but rather the distinctive nature of the hand made process--which identify and magnify the uniqueness of each piece of glass."

Fenton Glass
Another well known glass company is Fenton Art Glass Company, one the largest manufacturer of handmade colored glass in the United States.  Fenton is known for its beautiful colors and patterns.  Each piece of glass is an artistic creation by skilled glass workers and decorators.

The natural resources for making glass were and still are present along the Ohio River area and in the mountainous West Virginia.  Some such resources are silica sands, sodium carbonate, lime, and various oxides e.g. lead.  How about gold or uranium?  Raw materials for firing the kilns were and still are readily available:  hardwood trees and natural gas in particular.  The Ohio River was most often used for transportation.

Nowadays, there is a keen competition from imports that provide beautiful, colorful, and practical glass ware at affordable prices.  Consumers are also more mobile and don't want to be burden with expensive breakable collections of glass.

I am going to save my pieces of Blenko and Fenton Glass and eventually hand it down to my granddaughter.  It is part of her heritage and history, something that she should be proud of in her old age when she tells her children about the glass.  In the meantime, I will enjoy the beauty of mouth blown and hand finished exquisite pieces of glass.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  
Have a long and wonderful weekend.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Seeds for Planting a Fall Garden

It is still too early to plant a fall garden in Northern Florida, but I am planning ahead and slowly beginning to prepare the two garden plots that are now overgrown by black beans.  After I have pulled up a few remaining corn stalks, I am ready to mow down the black bean crop and add mulch from the compost pile and work it in.  The lawn mower has been tuned up and the blade sharpened.

This is a list of the vegetable seeds for my fall garden: Contender snap beans or green beans, 40 - 60 days to mature, top the list.  There are also attractive purple snap beans but when cooked turn green.

Seeds Packets
Beets and carrots are the next best staples for the fall garden.  The beets take 55 - 75 days to mature.  The tender foliage is edible too prepared much like spinach.  The carrots take 100 - 120 to mature.  Both of these vegetables do well when stored in the garden after maturity.

I plant mustard, kale, and turnips for the greenery.  I mix these seeds up, sow, and let grow together.  The maturity time is about 50 - 70 days.  These greens will be sown later in the season where the butter beans are still growing. Kale, uncooked, seem to be popular used in salads. I plan to let these greens bloom to attract bees and butterflies.


Radishes and various lettuce are also on the list for seeds to be sown in the fall garden.  I am on purpose leaving out arugula because it is a little bit bitter for my taste for edible greens.  Some gardeners like to mix their salad greens.  I have done that too in previous years, but my preference for this kind of greenery has been narrowed down to a select few.

Finally, seeds for rutabaga complete the the list of vegetables to sow this fall.  It takes 70 - 100 days for the rutabaga to mature.  I sowed rutabaga last year and it did surprisingly well.  It is a yellow, mild tasting, root vegetable kin to the turnip.

The best information is available on the seed packets.  It usually states when to sow the specific vegetables in the various temperature zones in the country.  It lets the gardener know about germination, spacing, and thinning and much more.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Preserving Grape Leaves

Some time ago, on one of those sleepless nights, I had the TV turned on to the Create Channel and someone was preparing fish, red snapper, and had them packaged ever so neatly in preserved grape leaves.  I can handle the whole fish with the innards removed by the helpful folks at the fish market in Mayport.  But how do you preserve grape leaves?

An interesting hunter, angler, gardener, and cook named Hank Shaw had the answer on his WWW page that you absolutely must check out.  Hank also has a Duck, Duck, Goose Cookbook tour coming up and maybe you'll be able to talk to him in person.  Hank, you are leaving my Muscovy ducks alone, aren't you?
Grape Leaves

Back to the grape leaves.  When my husband saw the leaves spread out on the table, he wanted to know if they were his Muscadine leaves.  He is so protective of those sprigs!

I picked a large handful, about 25 leaves, from the wild grapes that grow in abundance along the wooded area on the Back Forty.  It is a little late in the season but I selected the best leaves that I could find.

I brought a large pot of salted water to a boil, dropped in the leaves, and let them gently boil for a couple of minutes.  After that, I emptied the leaves in a colander while running cool water over them and when they were cool enough to handle, I rolled them up into slender cigars and packed them into a clean jar.  I only got four cigars rolling up six leaves in each and had plenty of room in the jar for more.

Since it is not a large amount of leaves that I am preserving, I also boiled only a cup of water with 1/4 cup of lemon juice added (per Hank).  I let it boil for about two minutes and then poured it into the packed jar with the grape leaves.

I am storing the preserved grape leaves in the refrigerator because I intend to use them within a short time.  Otherwise, it is strongly recommended to process the jars for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath for sealing and sterilization.  (See Internet for boiling water bath canning.)

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Muscovy Ducks

Since early this spring, we have had a male and a female Muscovy duck visiting our neighborhood. They stay in one yard for a while and them move on to another.  The Muscovy ducks are semi-domesticated living around ponds in parks, back yards, and on land near water.  They are native to Mexico, Central and South America.

They do have a distinct coloring:  usually black/brownish with a dash of white.  The male has a rather large comb or crest that raise when he is aggressive or want to show off for the female.  The female has a very small red crest and her head is white.  She is much smaller than the male, almost half his size.

Muscovy Ducks
The male is chauvinistic.  He often surrounds himself with many female ducks and is very aggressive when mating with one or the other females.  He often takes the female forcibly by grabbing her neck and holding her head under water.  The male duck in our neighborhood had two females following him but he finally settled for one.

Neither of of the ducks make any "quacking" sounds as expected.  I have heard the male making a dry hissing sound.  They are quiet ducks.  One way for them to communicate is by shaking their feathered tails.  I have yet to determine if they are happy to see me, or what?

I don't believe that these ducks are being fed by people in our neighborhood.  This prevents them from following people around, begging for food, and making a nuisance of themselves.  They are quite able to find food for themselves.  They live on mosquitos and any sort of bug that is available.  They also eat ants and spiders, even poisonous spiders.  They nibble on grass and feed on weed.  I've also heard that they will forage in a vegetable garden.

It is said that it takes a longer than normal time for the chicks to hatch.  I may have seen a couple of duck eggs not realizing what they were; I have not seen any ducklings around the scenic creek this year.  Is this the end of the Muscovy Duck dynasty?

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Georgia is on My Mind

Our stretch on I-95 is a long haul.  We try to break it up but we also want to get to our destination as soon as possible.  On the way home, we stopped at the Welcome Station in Georgia and listened in on suggestions for good places to eat.  Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Pooler seemed to get the most votes from the very helpful staff.

Dickey's is located at the end of a small strip mall on US 80 off Exit 102.  What a good smelling place!  Rhonda, the hostess invited us to have a seat at a blue checkered table while waiting for our order.  "Be sure you save for ice cream." she cautioned.


The young chef suggested that we try slow cooked brisket with baked beans loaded with bits and pieces of meat.  My husband also ordered creamy coleslaw.  I had smoked turkey with Dickey's special BBQ sauce and well-cooked green beans with bacon bits for seasoning.

The food was served on brown 100% unbleached, chlorine free paper cut to fit an aluminum tray.  The plastic spoons, knives, and forks were sparkling like fancy silver.

It is still too hot and humid to even think about starting a fall garden in northern Florida.  The garden centers are still bare of vegetable plants.

In this sweltering heat, Georgia is still on my mind but listening to Ray Charles gives me the chills.

Ray Charles was born in Albany Georgia but attended the School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine Florida and later on sat in with the Florida A&M University student band in Tallahassee and found the capitol of Florida musically exciting.

Take a listen and enjoy one of Georgia's finest musicians.  
Thank you for visiting my blog and have a great weekend.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Fast Pickling Cucumbers

Pee Dee State Farmers Market
On our travel back and forth to Virginia, we are in a rut stopping at places that have become familiar to us.  One such place is Florence SC where we refuel our car and frequent the Pee Dee Farmers Market located off Route 52 (not Route 58  that I may have stated earlier).  This market includes a 45,000 square foot drive through farmers shed filled with produce and horticultural products.  The market has an interesting web site worth checking out.

This time, my husband selected a huge water melon and I picked up a couple of happy medium sized cucumbers for fast pickling.   I also picked up three wooden crates that are normally used for packaging vegetables.  Any clues what I should do with the crates?

This rainy morning, I made three small piles of cucumbers for fast pickling.  In one pile, the peel and seeds were removed and the cucumber diced.  For another small pile, I removed the peel and thinly sliced the cucumber.  For the third pile, I sliced the cucumber and laid the slices out in a baking dish and sprinkled them with salt.  I read in some of my recipes to salt the cucumbers.  I assume it is to remove the water from the cucumber.  After an hour, I poured out a small amount of water from the dish and rinsed the cucumber slices.
Fast Pickled Diced Cucumbers

For the pickling liquid, I heated 1 cup of water and 1 cup of white vinegar with 1/2 cup of sugar until dissolved  For pickling spice, I used dill seed and dried dill.

In addition to the cucumbers, I arbitrarily also added diced Bell peppers and onions.

I packed small clean jars with the cucumbers;  sliced and diced, peeled and seeded, with or without peppers and onions.  Then I poured the liquid to cover the cucumbers, sealed, and put the jars in the fridge for using as condiments at a later time  This fast pickling cucumber is to be eaten within a short time.

 Thank you for visiting my blog.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Daylilies

After taking the granddaughter back to her home, my husband and I decided to spend another day in Winchester VA because of the rainy weather and people on the road rushing to get home to send their kids to school.  It seemed as if the summer was ending; there was the chilly rain and the green deciduous trees had a slight yellowing reddish hue in their foliage.

Sunday came with more rain but there was no reason for us to stay cooped up in a motel room.  We made plans to go west but took a turn to the north on I-81 instead.  We  were on the road to wild and wonderful West Virginia.  As late summer tourists, we  were looking for things to do. We stopped at the Welcome Station to pick up information and begin our adventure.

Sandra Elizabeth
I was looking for a nursery or a garden center when I saw the brochure for Hillbilly Daylilies in Bunker Hill WV only a few miles up the road.  The Hillbilly Daylilies had a huge variety of lilies in such a variety of sizes and colors on an acre field.  The season for blooming daylilies has peaked but the cultivar named Sandra Elizabeth with her sunny yellow blooms was ready for transplanting.  This cultivar was hybridized by Don Stevens and registered in 1983 in Massachusetts.

Daylilies are low maintenance and relatively pest free perennials that prefer full sun.  They also do well in partial shade and are draught tolerant.  As the name suggests, most blooms last only one day but to keep the plants attractive while waiting for additional flowers to open, remove the spend blooms.

It is recommended that the daylilies be divided in spring or fall every three years to control growth.  Dig around the root clump and lift; however, established clumps may be thick and dense so a sharp ax may be required for division.

Sandra Elizabeth made the trip in a cramped car and needed some pruning to remove yellowing foliage.  The flower stalk should not be cut when transplanting.  I soaked the two daylilies overnight before planting in a hole that I had dug deep and wide enough to accommodate the root system.  I watered and mulched.

The Hillbilly Daylilies is an awesome place for field grown daylilies and their website is full of colorful lilies, information about planting and caring for the lilies.  Check out www.hillbillydaylilies.com and go to idyllic Bunker Hill in WV, explore some history and enjoy beautiful sites, and select your lilies.  They will be dug for you.  It may be difficult to decide what color and size to choose from so allow plenty of time.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Memories of Elvis

When I found out that Elvis was to perform at the Hampton Roads Coliseum, I insisted that my husband take me to that concert--an event I did not want to miss.  I don't remember the songs he sang but that powerful voice, the music, and the wiggle (be it only his little finger) brought about raw emotions and screaming fans.  This was in 1972, a long time ago, but I still remember Elvis.

I remember sitting by a woman who offered me the use of her binoculars to take a closer look at Elvis.  What did I see?  I saw a glimpse of his chest and scarf.  Did he have hair or not?  I don't know.  I might have swooned, if that is possible while sitting.  Furthermore, I don't know what it means to swoon.

Twenty eight years later, I visited his final resting place at Graceland Memorial Park.  His grave site was covered by real and artificial flowers, mostly roses, and a few teddy bears.  Rest in Peace, Elvis.

Elvis Aaron Presley
1935 - 1977

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Black Beans

Earlier this summer, I sowed black beans as cover crop after the spring/summer harvest to control weeds and add nutrients to the soil.  As a bonus, the beans are maturing and ready for picking.  Black beans are one of my favorite legumes. I think they are the most versatile of the beans and quite a powerhouse.

Black beans are the most nutritious of the legumes.  They are a good source of protein as well as calcium, iron, folic acid, and potassium.  The beans are high in fiber content, too, and antioxidant.  If there was nothing else to eat, I would do very well with black beans  fresh from the garden.

The black beans are growing vigorously.  They are covering the surface of the garden plot, keeping the weeds at bay, withstanding the heat, and not needing much water.  The beans are beginning to mature, putting out long green pods.  They are ready to harvest when the pod seems to be dry, turning brownish.  Forget about picking green pods:  they are almost impossible to shell and the beans are not black.

Black beans are popular in Mexican and Cuban dishes.  They are popular in my kitchen, too.  I can mix them with corn kernels; I can add them in salads; and mash them up and use as fried beans.  Fried beans, huh?  I can also spice them up with onions, garlic, and cilantro.  I can add dried oregano and ground cumin to a pot of black beans.  How about a bit of sugar and white vinegar?  The black beans are indeed versatile legumes.

Dried black beans from any grocery store are rather inexpensive.  I usually soak them overnight but the cooking time is still two hours.  Some say that half an hour will suffice.  Hmm?  It's best to check from time to time.  To thicken the bean liquid, mash some beans and keep simmering.  Black beans along with some of the thickened liquid served over white rice and topped with chives makes a most nutritious meal by itself.

Thank you for visiting my blog

Monday, August 12, 2013

Building a Concrete Stoop

On one of the hottest days with high humidity, my husband and I decided to build a cement stoop in front of the entrance to our summer kitchen.  The summer kitchen is a screened in porch outside of our bedroom and it would be nice to have a stoop to step on instead of stepping directly into the grass and yard.  We decided that a three by five foot rectangle would suffice.  It would even hold a small potted plant as a decorative touch.  How difficult can it be to build a small stoop?

We started by clearing the area of grass and roots.  It was important to have a smooth and even area to pour the cement.   After clearing the area of debris and leveled it out, we built a sturdy wooden frame made of 2x4's.  The frame should be sturdy enough to resist the pressure exerted by the cement when it is being poured.

Caution:  Before you start messing with the cement, be aware that it is caustic, meaning it is corrosive.  So it is recommended that you wear waterproof gloves, long sleeved shirt, long pants, and high rubber boots, even in 96 degree F heat with high humidity.  Promptly wash splatter from your skin.  Rinse out your clothing before putting them in the washing machine.

How much concrete do you need?  To make it easier for me to write this blog, I Goggled "concrete mix" and from the results selected "Buying Guide:  Concrete Mix--Home Depot."  Interestingly, for a 4 inch slab and a 5'x3' area, I would need 720 lbs of concrete in either twelve (12) 60 lbs bags or nine (9) 80 lbs bags.  We used sixteen (16) 40 lbs bags but the thickness of our slab was less than 4 inches.

Before we started  mixing the concrete, we placed a "fiber divider" against the porch and what would be the stoop.  This is for the divider to absorb the possible expansion of the concrete in hot weather.  The divider comes in various sizes and may be obtained at the home improvement center.

The concrete we used was already mixed with sand and pebbles but we needed a large container, also found at the home improvement center, to mix the concrete with fresh water (not sea water or any other kind),  It is imperative to work quickly when mixing the concrete with the water so that it does not begin to dry or set.

Among the tools we used was the hoe to mix the concrete with the water in the container.  We also used it to spread the wet concrete when it was poured into the wooden frame and we used a trowel to smooth the top of the concrete.

The most important tool we used was a "screed" consisting of a 2'x4' and about two feet longer than the frame's surface.  This screed was used to remove excess concrete within and from the frame.  When all the concrete was poured, we used a trowel with a jagged edge or teeth to rough up the concrete or make grooves in the concrete so that it would not be slick when it rained and cause us to slip and fall.

Finally, after the concrete was poured and grooved, it has to "cure" for 5 days when the temperature was above 50 degrees F (not a problem).  The concrete, or at least the surface, must be kept moist and warm to obtain strength and durability.  We covered our slab with plastic and anchored it down with bricks.  We checked to make sure that the concrete remained moist.  If it wasn't, we gently wet it down with spray from the garden hose.

Now we have a stoop that marks the boundary between the summer kitchen and the outer world.  It's a crossing over from one realm to another.  It's a transition from a domesticated, tame, and safe place into the wild, more earthy, and a more natural place where the grass grow high, birds chirp, and squirrels scurry for pine cones.

Thank you for visiting my blog. 
By all means, leave a message.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Frogmore Stew Night

Frogmore Stew originated in the Low Country of South Carolina.  Legend has it that a shrimper was short of food and couldn't decide what to cook for dinner.  He chose to boil red potatoes, sausage, and corn.  He added shrimp since that was plentiful along the coastal region.  Frogmore Stew may be called by many other name but for the die-hards, there is only one name.

Frogmore is an unincorporated community on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County in South Carolina.  It is not even a blip on the map.  Frogmore is known for Penn School where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. studied and lectured at Penn Center during his formative years as a civil right leader.  It is said that he worked on his "I have a Dream" speech at the Penn Center.

My husband asked if I was going to have frogs in this stew.  Give me a break!  When my granddaughter found out that we were going to Frogmore stew for dinner, she sided with her grandfather and wanted to be assured that there wasn't going to be any frogs in the stew.

For my husband, myself, and granddaughter, I boiled in water and vinegar 1 and 1/2 lbs of fresh Mayport shrimp with heads still on them.  I added lots of dill and Old Bay Seasoning..  I let the shrimp boil/simmer until pink.and set aside to cool for peeling later.  I reserved the liquid for stock.

I also boiled peeled potatoes, halved or quartered depending on their size.  While the potatoes were boiling, I cut spicy sausage into hefty bite size pieces that I stir fried in Canola oil.

In a large pot, I finally combined the shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and stock as needed.  When it began to boil, I added halved ears of corn and let it boil/simmer for a few minutes.  This delicious stew was served with home made bread.

On the way home from our road trip, we stopped at the Pee Dee Farmers Market on Route 58 off I-95 and among fruit, plants, and pottery there was a stand with wines, vinegars, and ciders.  I picked up a bottle of Southern Sunshine Semi-Dry South Carolina Muscadine wine that was proudly produced, vinted, and bottled by the Hyman Vineyards in Conway SC and I was assured that it would go well with Frogmore stew.

If we were to continue on Route 58, we would reach Cheraw, the birthplace of the extraordinary jazz giant--Dizzy Gillespie.  His music adds ambiance to any evening.

We enjoyed the Frogmore stew, the wine, and listening to Dizzy Gillespy playing his crazy bent up horn like no other.  In the heat of the summer, I had goose bumps.  Sweet mercy, what a night!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Green Tree Frogs

Every morning when we feed the fish, some of the frogs are disturbed and jump from the lily pads into the water. They make us jump too, but we manage to stay on dry ground.

The other day, I wrote about okra and that I was not too concerned about washing the vegetables from our garden because we seldom use pesticides.  However, we do have help with elimination of various bugs and larvae.  I noticed one little green tree frog tucked into the crevice of an okra leave and there was another one on the next leave.

The ones I saw had these distinct white stripes encased with black bands.  Otherwise the frogs were green and smooth with no other markings.  They move to other locations during the hottest time of the day but return to the same leaves in the late afternoon.

To find out how beneficial and helpful the green frogs really are in the garden, I checked with the University of Florida IFAS Extension.  I found out that they like beetles and its larvae, crickets, caterpillars, and the shield shaped stink bugs.  What is so amazing is that what the frogs like to eat is bigger than they are in some cases.

These little green frogs are small.  The ones in my okra leaves are about 1 - 2 inches long.  They are small, but they are noisy.  My granddaughter says that the frog call Spain!  Spain!  Spain.  They are probably calling their mats.  Take a listen!


Thank you for visiting my blog.  Please leave a message or send an e-mail (see my profile).

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

On the Road Again

We were cruising along fine until we had to make a detour for an "incident" by Exit 33 on I-95 in South Carolina.  If I had turned south on Route 21, I would end up in Beaufort--an intriguing place I would like to visit.  But granddaughter was expecting us so I turned north and merged with I-95 only to hit another snag in North Carolina.  The travel lanes were not moving so we exited to Route 301 that parallels I-95.  This was a new adventure for us.  We have never had to make detours before; maybe we weren't supposed to go.  Of course, we were meant to go and pick up our granddaughter.

We first visited with relatives in the Hampton Roads area, enjoyed their good cooking, tasted sweet red wines, and shared stories about grandchildren and exchanged recipes.  Here is a "yummy and healthy" recipe for Marinated Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Onions:

Prepare three (3) cucumbers any way you desire:  peeled, seeds removed, and sliced; or leave the skin on, the seeds in, slice and quarter.

Also cut three (3) tomatoes into wedges.

Peel and slice one (1) medium onion.  If you tear easily when working with onions, put a lighted candle by the onion.  It is supposed to eliminate the "gases" that the onions omit.  This I learned from Martha Stewart's Cooking School on PBS .  I have yet to try it. 

For the marinade:  Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup water.  Add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp course ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup canola oil.

Combine ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

On the road again, the traffic was heavy but nobody was doing anything crazy.  We were cruising along until we needed gas, coffee, and something sweet--no problem.  It didn't take long to hit the road again.  I put the pedal to the metal and saw red and blue flashing lights coming at me.  Did he have the sirens on too?  Yep!  He was coming for me.

I have many miles on my tires and I can't recall when I last got a ticket.  Officer Peterson was very nice and polite.  I apologized and said I had no excuses.  He went back to his car to check me out and write a ticket.  I told him that it took him a long time to write that ticket.  He said that he had a lot of writing to do.  I groaned.  He wished me a good day and I was on the road again.  I wonder how much this is going to set me back?

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Please leave a message or an e-mail (see my profile).

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Peach Cobbler


When we traveled through South Carolina to a family reunion this past May, we stopped at a Welcome Station and I picked up a neat booklet called Edibles Magazine for May/June 2013.  It described beautiful places to visit and things to do while visiting the state.  It also contained scrumptious food recipes.  One writer described the tasty and healthy peaches as excellent for those trying to lose weight.

How apropos!  I recently bought half a bushel of South Carolina peaches at the Farmer's Market and Melody Reid at the Edibles Magazine has kindly given me permission to share a peach cobbler recipe.  Now, this is not a low calorie recipe.  I won't even try to count the calories but I'll share the peach cobbler and the recipe, too. Here it goes:

Peel and slice peaches to make 4 cups.  Divide 2 cups of sugar.

Combine peaches, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan.  Mix well and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Put 8 tbs of butter in a large baking dish and place in the oven for the butter to melt to 3/4 of its original size.

Slowly mix remaining 1 cup sugar with 1 and 1/2 cups of self-rising flour and 1 and 1/2 cups of milk.  Add to the butter in the baking dish without stirring or mixing.  Spoon fruit on top and gently pour the remaining syrup from the saucepan into the baking dish.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

Put in a preheated 350 degree F oven and bake 30 - 40 minutes.  The dough rises during the baking.  This is so good served warm with vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Please, leave a message.  Have a great weekend!