When it just clicks

You know those days where everything just falls into place?

Those days where you go out with your family and from the moment you step out the door, to the minute you get back home, everything goes well, you have a wonderful time, you smile, you laugh, you shop, you eat and you just enjoy each other's company?

Well that's the kind of day we've had.

This morning, pretty early, we set out for our errands.  We had a couple places we needed to go, Jasmine's new glasses to pick up, a stop at the bank, a stop at the UPS store to ship something, food or the dogs and the turtle etc.

We did half of what was on our list, then stopped in at Black Bear Diner for a wonderful breakfast.  Enjoyed a good cup of coffee, corned beef hash, country potatoes, scrambled eggs and there was even sausage and bacon and biscuits and gravy, and way too much food for me.  But we ate, and talked about our plans for the future, took some more steps towards our decision, debated about movies and who our favorite villains are and who would win in a "so and so against so and so".

It was relaxed, it was fun, and we loved every minute.

Our last stop before home was the local Goodwill.  We love just walking around in there and seeing what treasures we uncover, especially in the book section.

We are a book loving family, and I am an OLD book lover.  The older, the better for me.  And boy did I discover some goodies today.

I couldn't be more thrilled with the two above, which are perfect for us as a homeschooling family.  Elementary Algebra and The English of Business which includes everything from nouns, to verbs, conjunctions, sentence structure etc.

The Algebra one is filled with math examples and descriptions and help for elementary ages.  PERFECT for us, especially for my Nicholas.

Eagle in the Sky, How to paint for pleasure, The Scarlett Letter, The Poor Little Rich Girl and Jane Eyre.  Yes....Jane Eyre :)

And these gems.  The Settlement Cook Book, Complete Pie Cook Book, The Cooking of Spain and Portugal, The Cooking of the British Isles and 50 Country Quilting Projects.

I am in love with this one, it is just adorable and old...so very old.

It reminds me of one of my great grandma's cookbooks.  It was this old green hardcover called The ABC's of Cooking.  The pages had a specific scent, and they were so thin, I was always afraid of touching them.

Originally published in 1903 and compiled by Mrs. Simon Kander, it was put together with recipes from the cooking students at the Milwauke Settlement House.

But who is Mrs. Kander???

When I find a cookbook like this I always become increasingly curious about the face on the page, who they are, where they come from.  I did a google search and this is what I found.

Lizzie Black Kander (1858–1940) was the founder of a settlement house in Milwaukee, where she originated The Settlement Cookbook.

She was born in Wisconsin to German Jewish immigrants. In 1896 she founded the Keep Clean Mission at B'ne Jeshurun Temple in Milwaukee to help educate young Jewish girls to assimilate to a more mainstream American way of life. This was followed by the similarly conceived Milwaukee Jewish Mission at Emanu-El Guild Hall. In 1901 she moved her work to The Settlement, on North 5th Street. (Charitable social work among immigrants was often called "settlement work" at that time.)

One of Kander's aims was to teach young girls to cook and keep house. As she later recounted, her students spent a lot of time copying recipes from a chalk board, so she decided to print the recipes in the form of a cookbook to save them time. Writing as "Mrs. Simon Kander" (after her husband's name), she compiled a 174-page collection of recipes, household hints, and advice on housekeeping. None of the local Jewish religious organizations would help her fund the project, but the husband of one of her female friends was a printer, and he agreed to undertake the work, which was supported by selling advertisements. Although the complete title of the book was The Way to A Man's Heart ... The Settlement Cook Book, it is generally known as The Settlement Cook Book.

I think I'm going to really enjoy this one.   I only wish I had my greatgrandma's book as well.



And last, these 3 bags of Martha Stewart Cotton yarn.  I couldn't just walk by and leave them there, could I?

No, I couldn't.  I did try, promise, but then I had to come back and grab them.  Not sure why as I have so much yarn already, but you never know when may just need something specific right?

So, good day, good time with the family, good finds and then a good walk with our pug girls around the neighborhood.

Now I'm off to work on a project I have been meaning to make for a while.  I can't wait to show you.

Oh and I also have the new Country Sampler magazine and the new 5 Ingredient Recipes from Taste of Home to read. 

How is your Saturday going so far?