I just love to go ‘thrifting’ and ‘garaging’. All those years ago, my mom dubbed going to yard/garage/rummage sales as ‘garaging’. She thought that was a better way to say “honey, I’m going to drive around and find some garage sales today.” Today, it’s fashionable to shop thrift/ vintage shops and that type of shopping has been affectionately named thrifting .
Of the two, I would say that my favorite, by far, is garaging. When the weather warms up and folks get that urge to do some spring cleaning, wha – la! the garage sales signs begin to pop up with the tulips. It’s a lovely sight. Many years back someone cleverly made a bumper sticker that read ‘caution: I stop for yard sales‘. It made me smile. I don’t see that sticker too much anymore, but that hasn’t stopped the garagers from mapping out neighborhoods and loading up their personal cargo vehicles with the discards of one to become the treasures of others. OH, the joys of warm sunny days visiting old neighborhoods and even some of the suburbs. (side note: from my travels in garaging, I’ve found that generally suburbs are still too proud of their stuff and find it harder to part with their items. I prefer the older established neighborhoods.)
But if the weather is too cold or rainy, one is relegated to shop the thrift stores. Although still a fun adventure, (if you like shopping) for me, it doesn’t have quite the same flair. One reason is that the thrift stores aren’t very keen on negotiation or haggling. I love to bargain for a better price. I think I would do just fine at another country’s street markets. We just don’t have that here in our area.
sourdough bread made in my forgotten cast iron dutch oven
This brings me to my show and tell. This past winter, I have been collecting cookbooks from my jaunts to our local thrift shops. And I’ve been finding some real jewels! With each book read, I am improving my baking skills. So you could say that I’ve spent a good part of this winter at Granny’s Bakery School. I’ve baked yummy breads and sweets for many years and LOVE that I can always learn and improve. To smell that delightful aroma filling the kitchen, to open the oven and take out the beautifully baked bread, to hear the oohhs and aahhhs from my family, and then to taste said bread spread with real butter and … y u m!
I must interject that I did actually purchase a new book this year. It was from Amazon, so that’s okay, right? The How to Hygge book inspired me to really slow down and enjoy the things that the LORD has provided. The concept of hygge resonates with me. It’s about making even the littlest of things enjoyable and shareable for others, it’s about not being so busy that you forget to smell the roses. It’s about being content with whatsoever things you have and taking those things to make your home a haven, cozy, and welcoming. That is definitely a godly thing to pursue. Too many times we need to be reminded to settle down, slow down, take a walk, enjoy and be grateful for what the LORD has put in our days. As it is written,
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
-James 1:17
I started my own sourdough starter in November 2016 and it’s beautiful! So when I found this Sourdough Cookery book, you can understand my excitement. Written in the 1970s, it is filled with delightful, gotta-try, recipes. I will be posting my the results of my baking. The little Baking Made Simple book also has wonderful recipes. This book joins this Granny’s House bakery library from the UK. I’ve heard many times that English food is bland and boring, I truly don’t know how or why that saying came about. In all my baking studies…well… they KNOW how to bake some beautiful bakes!! I am happy to make room on the shelf for this cookbook.
That’s all dear Reader, for today’s post. I am so thankful you stopped by for a bit. I am still figuring out how to get all the links that I would like to link functioning. I’m using my son’s computer for now until mine is repaired AND I’m learning how to use a new-to-me blog platform in WordPress. I’ve used Blogger for so long that this is an adjustment. I’m also working on setting up Amazon Affliate links directly on my blog and you can shop some of the great treasures at your leisure.
Have a wonderful day,
Ciao for now,
~Cristina aka Granny
this Granny's House 