Reminiscing About The Past

With Mother’s Day coming up it got me thinking about my grandmother and her German-Hungarian mother. This is an old fashioned story from 1918 when my grandmother was nine years old. At school she discovered "all of the wonderful things" her girlfriends brought in their lunches. This opened up a whole new world as mother and daughter experimented together and tried their hand at these new recipes! You’ll love the one for Butterscotch Pie!

Every year around Mother’s Day I begin to reminisce about past Mother’s Days and my relationships with my mother and grandmother. The friendship and love the three of us share is a very special part of my life. We have confided in each other and shared the good times and the bad. They have shared so much about our family history – countless stories of days gone by and of "living life the old fashioned way."

I was thinking about mother/daughter relationships the other day and a thought popped into my mind. Instead of thinking about MY relationship with my mother and grandmother, I began thinking about my grandmother, Elizabeth, and the close bond she had with her mother, Anna.

Elizabeth loved telling stories about her life and had such vivid memories of her childhood. As a nave German girl growing up on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she was accustomed to the ethnic foods made by her German-Hungarian mother. Anna came to America from "the old country" and raised her family on the foods they ate over there. There were lots of dumpling and noodle recipes as well as potatoes and vegetables in season. They never had much meat, once or twice a week and of course on Sundays.

Elizabeth was absolutely enchanted when she went to school and discovered "all of the wonderful things" her girlfriends brought in their lunches! She would tell her mother about them and from this they got new ideas. One such new idea was a pie! They had never heard of pies before as they were not made in the old country. Elizabeth and Anna tried their hand at their first pie – Butterscotch. They were so pleased with themselves! This was around 1918 when Elizabeth was just eight years old. And this was just the beginning of her life long love affair with cooking and baking.

For Mother’s Day this year I would like to honor Elizabeth and Anna, my grandmother and great-grandmother by sharing two of their favorite and very old recipes with you – Hungarian Cheese Noodles and Butterscotch Pie. Enjoy! And Happy Mother’s Day!

Hungarian Cheese Noodles

You can use store bought noodles or make your own. To make your own take 2 cups flour and make a well in the center. Add 2 eggs, pinch of salt and enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Mix until you have a stiff dough. Roll into 2 balls. Flour tabletop or cutting board and roll out each ball to about 1/8" thick. Put flakes (rolled out dough) on a clean towel and leave them to dry about hour. In the meantime, mix 1 pound cottage cheese, pinch salt, dash of pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside. When flakes are dry sprinkle with flour. Cut into 3" strips. Lay one on top of another and cut 1/2" to make noodles. Boil water with tablespoon of salt. Drop noodles into the boiling water. Boil about 5 minutes. Drain. Place noodles into a bowl with the cottage cheese mixture. Combine. Using 2 or 3 slices of bread make crispies by tearing off small pieces and frying in 1 tablespoon oil or butter until golden brown. Sprinkle crispies over noodles. You may also sprinkle with some more sugar on top to bring out the flavor. A surprisingly delicious dish!

Butterscotch Pie

1 cups milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
pinch salt
butter the size of a walnut (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put 1 cups milk in a pan and heat. Mix brown sugar, egg yolks, flour, corn starch and salt with cup milk. Slowly pour hot milk over this mixture. Bring to a boil. Stir until thick. Add lump of butter and vanilla. Pour into a baked pie crust.

To make meringue: Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Slowly add 4 tablespoons sugar. Spread meringue evenly over pie filling. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees until meringue is light brown.

Pie Crust: Take 1/4 cup butter, 2 tablespoons boiling water and a pinch of salt and beat with a wire whisk until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Add 1 cup flour. Mix with a fork until crumbly. If too soft add more flour. Form a ball and roll out making a round crust to fit into pie plate. Trim edges to make them even and flute by pressing between your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until pale brown.

Carrie J. Gamble is co-author, editor and publisher of Grandmother’s Cookbook, a collection of recipes, treasured memories, wildflower watercolors and feelings from the heart. Details about the cookbook and more delicious recipes of Carrie’s grandmother, Elizabeth Rose von Hohen, can be found on their website. You’ll experience "living life the old fashioned way" with Grandmother’s Cookbook. Visit the website and download FREE recipes and "A Family Love Letter" chapter at http://www.grandmotherscookbook.com.

By Carrie Gamble Published: 4/25/2008

 

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Finding the Perfect Flowers for Mother’s Day

When you are choosing which flowers to send your mother for Mother’s Day its important to pick the style that is right for her and the color that says how much you love her.

Finding the the flowers that perfectly match the style and taste of the Mothers in your life is simple once you understand the language of flowers and the meanings each flower conveys. This article shows some simple tricks to help you find the right Mother’s Day flowers.

On Mother’s Day, sending flowers is one of the best ways to show your love to all the special mothers in your life. Sorting through the endless array of flowers to match the endless array of personalities your mothers possess makes finding the perfect flowers quite a challenge. From the multitude of colors, meanings, and smells each flower conveys, your mission to make sure your mothers get just the right arrangement can become overwhelming. Hopefully, the following guide can help you sort through the petals to find an arrangement that sends the exact meaning you want to convey this Mother’s Day.

The Messages Hidden in a Flower’s Color:

As most people may know, different flowers have different meanings. Pink carnations are acknowledged as the traditional flower for Mother’s Day because they symbolize sweetness, purity and endurance. Red flowers are known to represent life and love, hence red roses for Valentine’s Day. White flowers with their sweet fragrance are regarded as the flowers for those who miss their mothers either because of death, or because of distance. The flowers that you choose for your mother should express the love and respect that you have for her. Some examples of flowers that could be given to mom on Mother’s Day are mixed or white lilies, white daisies, gerbera daisies, orchids, and roses. Roses are always very popular flowers to give. And if you decide on roses, the appropriate colors are pink, white, yellow, or orange.

Creativity in the Floral Arrangement

You always have the choice of sending something traditional or getting very creative when choosing your flowers. For example, you can choose to send mom her favorite flower, or select a beautiful array of colors that are sure to make her smile. And if you don’t know what your mother’s favorite flowers are, well now’s the time to get to know mom a little better, now isn’t it?

Look around at her decor and see what matches perfectly with other items in the room. Are there salient shades that the perfect bouquet can bring out even more? Is there a color scheme that she seems to follow? An arrangement that complements the scheme is sure to please her, and let her know that you do notice the "little" things. The delight is in the details when you use your creativity this Mother’s Day. Choosing the perfect Mother’s Day Flowers may seem like takes a lot of thought, but the simplicity of it all lies in the fact that no matter whether you send roses, carnations, or tulips, she’s going to be pleased. The look in her eyes as she leans her head in to smell the beautiful freshly cut flowers will tell you that everything you did to make the day perfect for mom was well worth it.

Flowers are always a sign of love and respect, and they have the power to bring a smile to every woman’s face. It is a gift that you can bring to mom yourself or it can be delivered by the flower shop that you purchase them from. So whether she is down the street and around the corner or at the other end of the country, you can always give flowers for Mother’s Day or any day you want her to feel extra special.

Steve Papoulakos is the president of Vogue Flowers and has been delivering Mother’s Day Flowers for more than 22 years. Vogue Flowers has long been the Richmond florist of choice with a large selection of quality flowers. Visit them online at http://www.vogueflowers.com.

By Big Oak SEO

Unique Mother Day Gift

That one special day is just around the corner, and it is hinted by all the flowers that have begun to bloom. Yes, it’s that special day for all moms everywhere: Mother’s Day.

Mothers Day Flowers

Make your mum smile this Mothers Day with a fresh bouquet of Mothers Day flowers from bunches.co.uk.

Mother’s day gifts

Finding the right gift for mother’s day doesn’t have to take a long time or even break the bank. Here are some old and new mothers day gift ideas. All you have to do is NOT wait until the last minute: … Flowers – sure, it’s an old standby , but they are always appreciated. Guys never understand why and maybe that’s why moms appreciate it when we think of them; because they know it’s a big stretch for us.

 

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When you receive flowers fresh from the grower, it helps to know the tricks that can extend the life of the flowers you receive.  Here are 10 tips to extend the life of your flowers.

1. Florists realize the virtue of cutting flower stems under water before transferring them from bucket to vase. When flower and foliage stems are exposed to air they will immediately begin to seal up inhibiting the absorption of much needed nutrients. Secondly, when fresh cut stems are exposed to air, bubbles of air become trapped in the stems, preventing the steady flow of water to uptake through the stem.

2. Florists and commercial growers use lukewarm water for their cut flowers. The water temperature should be comfortable to the wrist, approximately 100F to 110F. Theobject is to facilitate the water and nutrients to get to the head of the flower as quickly as possible. Warm water molecules move faster than cold water molecules and thus will greatly enhance the absorption process. The one exception to this rule is bulb flowers, such as tulips, tend to thrive in cooler water.

3. Florists know that a well balanced preservative solution drastically increases the longevity of cut flowers. Under normal circumstances, the plant will supply what the flower needs; however, when severed, the flower becomes immediately deprived of these essential nutrients. Commercial preservatives offer a form of these nutrients to the cut flower. Such solutions contain sugar for nutrition, antibiotics to fight bacteria, and citric acid to add necessary acidity to the water. When using a commercially produced or homemade preservative, always be sure to use the recommended measurements. The recipe included with this article offers the same preservative properties found in most commercial brands, and is extremely effective in prolonging the vase life.

Flower Preservative Recipe:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon bleach
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
1 quart lukewarm water

4. Florists know that clean, bacteria free, shears or clippers, made specifically for cutting plant stems vastly improves a flower’s ability to uptake fluids. Using ordinary scissors, made for cutting fabric or paper will crush the flower’s vascular system, and prevent proper water uptake. A bulkier gauge tool, designed for cutting stems, will create a sharper cut, causing less damage to the stems delicate vain system.

5. Florists realize the advantages of cutting flowers and foliage at an angle and approximately one inch up from the bottom of the main stem. Cutting a 45 degree angle near the bottom of the stem provides a larger, more exposed area for the uptake of the water. In addition, the angle also enables the stem to stand on a point, allowing the water to be in contact with more of the cut surface.

6. Florists are aware that recutting limp flowers enables the stem to readily absorb more water. A fresh cut will open the veins up allowing the flower stem to absorb necessary nutrients.

7. Florists are aware that keeping fresh cut flowers away from drafts, direct sunlight, and ripening fruit drastically prolongs the longevity of a bouquet . Ripening fruit emits ethylene gas, which encourages poor petal color, discourages petals from opening, and shortens the overall vase life of a bouquet. In addition, direct sunlight and drafts are also major culprits in shortening the life and beauty of a fresh flower bouquet.

8. Florists know that keeping the Oasis foam clean, fresh and soaking in preservative treated water extends the vase life of a floral arrangement. If your bouquet arrives in wet Oasis foam, keep the floral foam soaking wet by adding a small amount of preservative treated water each day. In addition if, after a few days, the Oasis is carefully removed (while keeping the flower stems inside the Oasis), and allowed to drain for only a few minutes, then placed back in a clean vase with fresh preservative treated water, the bouquet’s life can last far beyond the normally expected vase life.

9. Florists know that the stems of hollow-stemmed flowers will benefit from being manually filled with water. Simply turn the flower upside down and pour water into the open cavity of the stalk. To keep the liquid in, plug the stem with a small piece of cotton, then place it in the vase, or place your thumb over the opening at the bottom of the stem and place it in the water. The water trapped inside will keep the stem strong and straight.

10. Florists understand the advantages of removing excess foliage and dieing, wilted blooms. By removing all the lower foliage when initially creating a bouquet, and by tossing the dead flowers as they begin to die, the vase life of an arrangement can be lengthened or even doubled. Changing the water, adding the correct amounts of new preservative, and rearranging the bouquet to compensate for any loss, will also lengthen the cut flower’s general appearance and overall freshness. Simply by taking simple steps to freshen the bouquet, retarding the bacterial growth, you can increase the beauty and life of a bouquet while also creating a bright, appealing floral arrangement that will last well beyond its anticipated expiration

Dried Flowers

Foliage and ferns compliment any cut flower or gladiolus flowers and usually define the design in the arrangement. These are easily preserved and will last almost indefinitely.

Cut Flower Care Tips

First it’s important to remember that some flowers naturally last longer than others, so when dealing with cut flower care, you’ll need to keep that in mind. Flowers like Carnations for example can remain fresh and vibrant for quite a while.

Fresh Cut Flower Deliveries

Fresh cut flower deliveries are a popular solution. Why not send a bouquet of fresh cut flowers as a gift? Flower deliveries are reliable, good quality and very easy to send.

 

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Flower Meanings

Ever wonder what those flowers in that bouquet stand for? There is a message in those grower fresh flowers that you are sending for that special occasion.

Scented, colorful, beautiful and fragile – flowers are perhaps the most beautiful things that were ever created on this planet. What could be a more wonderful gift a person can give to another? All the flowers convey not only beauty, but so much more is contained in their hidden meanings.

Here is a list of some of the flowers with their meanings:

Achillea
Named after the Greek mythological character, Achilles, who used the flower to treat cuts and bruises on his wounded soldiers. Interstingly enough this flower stands for war.

Agapanthus
Comes from the Greek agape, meaning love and anthos meaning flower, so this becomes the flower of love.

Alstroemeria
Named after the Swedish Baron, Jonas Alstomer, by his friend Carolus Linnaeus in 1753. This flower connotes wealth, prosperity, and good fortune.

Amaryllis
Pride, splendid beauty, timidity, and pastoral poetry are the meaning of this flower.

Amaranth
Immortality is the symbolic meaning of this elegeant flower.

Anemone
From the Greek word, anemos meaning wind. This flowers sends a meaning of love, lust, abandonment and daintiness.

Anigozanthus
The name comes from the Greek word anisus meaning unequal and anthos meaning flower, This is the plant with the unusual flower.

Anthurium
If you receive this from someone it means they are hard working, think of me.

Aster
This flower comes from the Greek word meaning star. This is a symbol of love, daintiness, after thought.

Astrantia
The Astrantia is an old plant name with the origin unknown. Since the flower is star shaped, it has been assumed that the Greek word astron meaning star plays a role in the origin of the name.

Baby`s Breath
True to it’s name, the flower represents innocence and  purity of heart.

Bachelor’s Button
This flower symbolizes delicacy, hope in love, and blessedness.

Bamboo
Based on Chinese tradition, the ingredients to a happy life are happiness, wealth and longevity.

Bells of Ireland
This flower stands for good luck, the Luck of the Irish.

Birds of Paradise
These are named for King George III’s wife, Charlotte of Macklenberg-Streliz, who was crowned Queen of England in 1761. They convey freedom, a good perspective.

Bouvardia
Named after Louis XIII’s physician, Charles Boubard and conveys enthusiasm.

Bupleurum
From the Greek word boupleurs meaning Oxen rib.

Calla Lily
Named for Francesco Zantedeschia a true beauty.

Camellia
Many different meanings for different colors. The Red variety means excellence. White means adorable and lovely. Pink means I long for your touch. Blue means you are the flame in my heart. You never thought there were so many things that can be said wih flowers.

Carnation
This flower stands for fascination, admiration, pure love, my heart yearns for you, and a mother’s love.

Chrysanthemum
This is named by Carolis Linnaeus in the 17th Century. It means cheerfulness, you’re a wonderful friend, rest, loveliness, optimisim, abundance, wealth. The red one means love, yellow means slighted love and white means truth.

Cosmos
The name of this flower comes from the Latin word kosmos meaning beautiful.

Daffodil
Based on the Greek mythology character, Narcissus, who was known to be so arrogant that when he looked into a mirror he fell in love with his reflection. He was later said to have been turned into the flower. This flower stands for chivalry, respect, you are my only one, the sun shines when I’m with you, unrequited love.

Dahlias
Named for the Swedish botanist Dr. Anders Dahl. It measns dignity, elegance, good taste, and instability.

Daisy
This flower stands fo innocence, loyal love, I’ll never tell, purity.  No wonder she holds Donald’s heart.

Delphinium
This comes from the Greek word, delphis meaning dolphin. It conveys flight of fancy, ardent attachment, and agility.

Dianthus
This omes from the Greek words Dios meaning god and Anthos meaning flower.

English Lavender
The name comes from the Latin word lavare meaning to wash.

Equisetum
This name has origin in the Latin word equis meaning horse and seta meaning bristle.

Eucalyptus
This tree comes from the Greek word eu meaning well and kalypto to cover.

Forget-me-not
Just like the name says — daithful love, undying love, do not forget, memories.

Freesia
Named after a German physician , Dr. Friedrich Reese. It’s meaning is love, calm, careful, passion, and rushed.

Gardenia
This one is named after a Dr. Alexander Garden a physician and botanist in South Carolina. The flower conveys secret love, or lovely.

Gerbera Daisy
This one is named for a German naturalist Traugott Gerber. It standns for purity and strength.

Ginger
This plant and herb means diversity, and unlimited wealth.

Gladiolus
Gladiolus is Latin for sword. It symbolizes graceful, a strong sense of character.

Godetia
Named for Captain William Clark and means pleasing.

Golden Rod
Comes from the Latin word solido which means to make whole or strengthen.

Golden Craspedia
This one stands for edged and frigid.

Heather
This name means your wishes will come true, admiration for another.

Heliconia
This flower symbolizes great returns.

Hyacinth
The flower is named for the Greek mythology character, Hyakinthos, who was loved by the god of the sun, Apollo. Jealousy, on part of the god of the west wind, injured Hyakinthos causing blood to be shed. From the blood, the flower grew and Apollo named it for Hyakinthos. This flowers symbolizes consistency, please forgive me, jealousy, loveliness.

Hydrangea
Thank you for your understanding, heartlessness, arrogance, aloofness is the meaning of this flower that blloms all summer long.

Iris
Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow. Your friendship means the world to me, faith, hope, wisdom are the meaning of this annual flower.

Kalanchoe
This flower stands for endurence, a lasting affection.

Leptospermum
Its origin is the Greek words leptos meaning slender and sperma meaning seeds.

Lilac
This flower statnds for love or absence of passion.

Liatris
This flower means enthusiasm.

Lily
Different colors of lillies have different meanings. Yellow means gay and walking on air. White means purity, virginity, majesty.

Lily of the Valley
This spring flower means sweetness, you complete my life, return of happiness.

African Corn Lily
Comes from the Greek work Ixia meaning bird lime because of its sugary sticky sap.

Limonium
Its origin comes from the Greek word leumon which means meadow. It conveys sympathy, remembrance, lasting beauty.

Lisianthus
The name comes from the Greek word lysis meaning dissolution and anthos meaning flower .

Matsumoto Asters
This one comes from the Latin word meaning star.

Narcissus
Liek the daffodil, the name comes from the Greek word Narcissus meaning numbness. It conveys self-esteem and vanity.

Nerine
Named for the Nereids in Greek mythology. The nereids were sea nymphs and daughters of the sea god, Nereus.

Orchid
Its origin is the Greek work orchis meaning testicle. Love, beauty, refinement.

Ornithogalum
It comes from the Greek word ornis meaning bird and gala meaning milk. Named for the star of Bethlehem that appeared in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Peonies
This means happy marriage, prosperity. In China, the word for peony is sho yu meaning most beautifu.l

Phlox
Our souls are united. Means flame in Latin.

Pittosporum
Comes from the Greek word pitt meaning pitch seed.

Platycodon
Named balloon flower because buds look like inflated balloons ready to burst.

Poppy
Remembrance, wealth, pleasure, imagination, eternal sleep.

Pincushion Protea
Comes from the Greek God, Proteus who was known to be able to change into different shapes.

King Protea
Comes from the Greek god, Proteus who was known to be able to change into different shapes.

Queen Anne’s Lace
Haven, self-reliance.

Ranunculus
Comes from the Latin word ranunculus meaning little frog. You are in attractions.

Rose
All roses are symbolic for love, however each color has a separate meaning. Red means love, respect, courage. Pink means grace, perfect happiness. Dark pink means gratitude. Light pink means admiration, sympathy. White means innocence, purity, secrecy, I’m worthy of you, you’re heavenly, humility. Yellow means undying lover, platonic love, friendship. Orange means passion, desire. Blue means extraordinary, mystery. Red and White means unity. A rose should never smell so sweet.

Salal
Zest.

Salvia
Comes from the Latin word salvia which means to heal.

Sandersonia
Named for John Sanderson, who discovered the plant in 1851 in South Africa.

Statice
Rememberance

Snapdragon
Comes from the Greek word anti meaning like and rhin meaning nose. Gracious lady, presumption, graciousness.

Solidaster
Solid aster is named for its parents, Aster and solidago (golden rod).

Stephanotis
Comes from the Greek words stephanos meaning crown and otos meaning ear, a crown of ears. Luck, prosperity, wedding.

Stock
You will always be beautiful to me, lasting beauty, promptness.

Sweet pea
Delicate pleasures.

Strawflower
Comes from the Greek words helisso meaning to turn around and chyrsos meaning gold. Never ending remembrance.

Scabiosa
Comes from the Greek word scabies meaning to itch.

Sunflower
Comes from the Greek word helios meaning sun and anthos meaning flowers. Adoration, pride, sunshine.

Trachelium
Comes from the Greek word meaning rough throat because of the medicinal uses to treat neck and throat pain. Neglected beauty.

Tuberose
Comes from the Greek word polis meaning white and anthos meaning flower. Voluptuousness.

Tulip
Like the rose, colors of tulips have different meanings. Red means declaration of love, believe me. Yellow means hopeless love, sunshine in your smile. General means perfect lover, frame, beautiful eyes.

Veronica
The origin of the name is disputed. It is unknown whether it was honoring St. Veronica or the markings of the same species of the flower resembled the markings on her sacred handkerchief she handed to Christ while he was carrying the Cross.

Violet
Named for Baron Walter Von Saint Paul Illaire who discovered the plant in Tanzania in 1892. This annual stands for modesty, faithfulness, virtue.

Waxflower
Named Geraldaton wax after the town in Australia where the flower originated. Happiness in Marriage.

Zinnia
Like the rose, Zinnias color represents different meanings such as red means constancy. White means goodness. Yellow means daily remembrance. Mixed means in memory of a dear friend. General means thoughts of an absent friend. Pink means lasting affection.

Knowing the meanings of flowers will help you convey a wealth of meaning by sending just the right flower.

Let him / her know how you feel with a bouquet of flowers. Make up a bunch of sweet messages using flowers. There is so much you can do with flowers, once you know what a particular flower stands for.

 

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