Good Things by David

If you're interested in yellowware and want to learn more about this beautiful pottery, I highly recommend buying the three books by Lisa McAllister on collecting this American, British and even Canadian pottery.  The Collector's Guides on Yellowware (vol. 1, vol. 2 & vol. 3) are well-researched, well-written and very informative.  All three volumes should be in one's library if collecting yellowware is a serious endeavor. As much as I would like to call myself a knowledgable yellowware collector, I still have a lot to learn.  Thankfully I've taken a crash course on the subject by reading these books from cover to cover.  The three volumes are broken down into chapters which cover areas such as manufacturers, potter's marks, mugs, bowls, nappies, canisters, canning jars, pitchers, teapots, Westward Expansion pieces, toy pieces, mugs and cups, piggy banks and many miscellaneous pieces.  Helpful glossaries explain the proper terms used for describing a...

For those of you who have been following the blog for some time, you know how much I cherish my only niece.  In honor of a special life celebration that we are throwing her this month to celebrate her childhood cancer remission, I chose to make dozens upon dozens of leukemia ribbon sugar cookies for the 100 plus guests that we're expecting.   I don't think I've ever made any cancer ribbon cookies for anyone, so who better than for my special niece?  Ribbon cookie cutters can be found in several sizes and styles, so it's up to you how large or how small you want your ribbon cookies to be, and if you want them to have the centers cut out or left intact.  I chose the former. My west coast affiliate cookie crafter, who happens to be my cousin, is also helping out with the sugar cookie favors.  Johanna is becoming extremely adept at making phenomenal sugar cookies, so I am beyond thrilled that she is assisting the family. Armed with baked and cooled...

Vintage kitchen towels or tea towels have such special appeal to those of us who collect a variety of household textiles.  The term "tea towel" is what we often associate with the variety of toweling that was spun from linen and used in kitchens throughout the decades for drying delicate items such as glass and china. Tea towels or kitchen towels made from either 100% linen or a cotton-linen blend are easily recognizable by touch and by their look.  These are not the type of super-absorbent cotton towels (think bar mops and other terry-cloth towels) used in today's kitchens to wipe up spills and clean the counters. If you're lucky enough to find new-old stock with the sizing still intact, you will see how wonderfully attractive they were presented to the consumer with their bright colors, crisp texture and natural weaving.  Even better is when you find towels with their original tags. Pricing varies from under $10 to over $30 for one towel, depending on the ...

Whoever came up with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter needs to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  This is one of those classic flavor combinations that is truly all-American and very popular with the generations. In fact, I think that it is one of my favorites.  It's hard to beat a peanut butter cup during Easter and Halloween. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies For those of us who can't get enough of that favored duo, this recipe is for you. The cookie is tender, light, sweet, full of that peanut butter flavor we all love in a cookie, plus it has the added bonus of chocolate chips.  What could be better? Take a moment to click on the printable recipe below.  Go over the ingredients and locate them in your pantry, and start baking.  This is the kind of recipe that is easily done on a lazy weekend morning or afternoon.  If your kids can partake of peanuts, make sure that you keep plenty of these in the cookie jar.  Everyone...

A few days ago a group of us experienced a magical weekend at a sprawling farm in Pennsylvania.  Unbeknownst to us at the time of booking, we ended up staying at chef Jose Garces' magnificent Bucks County estate.  The 40 acre compound included an antique Pennsylvania bank barn, the main house which was built in the middle part of the 1800s, a large greenhouse, some outbuildings, a pool, and acre after acre of lush meadows.  Really and truly, the estate was magnificent to say the least. I'm extremely fortunate to have gathered with several generous and loving individuals who live by the same principles that I do, who share common interests and have the same tastes that I do, and who love of all things Martha. It was a weekend filled with cooking, baking, wine tasting, gift giving, trampoline jumping and relaxing poolside on this verdant 40 acre property called, Luna Farm.  We also spent a day antiquing and shopping for some of our favorite collectibles near and ...