Tuesday, March 3, 2009

NUTS, NUTS, NUTS

Sometimes I feel like a nut - Sometimes I don't!

Well, having said that, I' pretty sure it's true, but we actually worked with nuts today.
(Oh, before I forget - the picture in my header is an antique nut dispenser from the Chicago Nut Company but we have it on top of our refrigerator with pasta in it - just thought I'd throw that in)

Back a few months ago, LEA from FARMHOUSE BLESSINGS sent me a gift of HICKORY NUTS and today we finally got them cracked and picked.

I guess I should say my husband did the deed while I did other things. Bless his heart he never gave up even though I heard many squeals of pain from poking his fingers with the picks. But he did it!

Cracking the nuts


All cracked

After picking for 1/2 hour....lol


After 1 and 1/2 hours....LOL (sorry Doug)

But back to the nuts in a minute….

Thursday we’re going up north to my brother and sister in-laws and taking my sister along and then we are all going to a dinner theater at the Wisconsin Dells.
We’re seeing ‘Forever Plaid’ a funny play about 4 teenage boys who started a band in high school in the late 50’s and died in a car crash and miraculously come back to perform the concert that never was.
So we’ll be away for a few days if you don’t see me - they don’t have the internet at their place.

So, back to the nuts….I am making a white cake with homemade fudge frosting and the Hickory nuts are going on the fudge frosting.

Now here’s the story about the nuts and the cake.
When my brother, sister and myself were kids our mom always made a yummy white cake with homemade fudge frosting and piled the Hickory nuts on top of the fudge - oh man….you just gotta try it!
Our father was a Line Man for the Wisconsin Power & Light Company and he was always in areas where there were Hickory nut trees a plenty so home he would come with bags of them and we’d let them dry out in the garage and when they were dry we’d sit around and crack and pick!
Then when we were all married and had our little ones we’d go to a friends farm out into the woods…YES, Hickory nut trees…and the kids would spend the day picking up nuts, we’d have a picnic and go home.

THANKS TO LEA WE WILL RE-LIVE A PAST MEMORY.

Hopefully if I have a chance I’ll take a picture of the cake but it’s not going to be like mom’s - mine is going to be a sheet cake while hers was a layer cake.

I have to say a huge THANK YOU to CHAR from THE PICKLED PEPPER PATCH BLOG for these beautiful scented silicone tree lights. I won them a couple weeks ago on her blog and I chose the Ivory color with Orange/Clove scent - oh, you should smell them, they're delicious smelling. Thanks again Char!




Today was also TAG GRUNGING DAY…I was running low so that’s what I ended up doing besides sewing an order this morning.





I got some 100% wool penny circles in the mail yesterday and boy are they nice. I bought them on Etsy from TwoDancingCrows, I got 25 Penny circles of each color Ivory and Green.


That’s it for today - sorry this was such a long post which I try not to do often.
Karen

19 comments:

  1. We greew up with hickory nut trees in the yard. We used to try to eat them, but I confess I don't like them very much.
    But they do bring back lots of fun memories for me. They are great to add to mud pies! LOL! And they are great to play "war" with pesky little brothers. And they HURT when you get hit with them! :D

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  2. LOL Carolyn, I know what you mean, we used to do the same thing!
    I think they taste like a cross of Pecan and English Walnut.

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  3. We used to pick up hickory nuts when I was little too. There's really nothing like them! That cake sounds yummy!

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  4. Oh I hope you remember to take a pic of the cake and post the pics!
    I have never had hickory nuts! I wonder if you could substitute some other nut?!

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  5. Hi Karen....the cake sounds delish! I have a cream cheese pound cake in the oven now for tomorrow's open house. Have a great time at the Dells...my son when to private school with the previous owners son and worked there one summer as a life guard. Wild times I am sure!! He loved the park and talks of taking his kids there one day. XO Judy

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  6. Karen,
    Your cake sounds delish. I just made a banana cake with buttercream frosting and it is so good. Have fun~
    Pam

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  7. My mouth is watering just reading about your cake!! I can picture your Mother's in my mind and those saliva glands are just a watering..!!! Have a fun time and safe trip...

    You must post your cake and recipe!
    Hugs..
    K

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  8. Hi Karen!....oh that cake sounds sooo yummy!....have fun with your family! Janet :)

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  9. Hi Karen,
    Your cake sounds yummy! Josie wants to make me a cake for my birthday at the end of this month...which means grandma will need to help. (She & I are the bakers in the family.)We just might have to try one like yours.
    Have a safe trip and lots of fun with your family.
    Cindy

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  10. I can't wait to see the cake. I hope you all have a nice fun and safe trip. We will miss you.

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  11. Bless Doug's heart, he must really be looking forward to the cake after all that nut cracking. I remember sitting and cracking nuts for my mom when I was kid. Now we just buy the bags of shelled nuts and don't have the memories of putting the labor into things like we used to. Thanks for the reminder.

    Have a fun trip and enjoy the play!

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  12. Yes Karen I agree the cake sounds Simply Delicious !!
    And what a good guy your hubby is for
    doing all the "nutty work". :-)
    Have a wonderful time with you Family.
    Hugs ~ Connie xox

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  13. I lovvvvvvvvvvve that dispenser!
    vErY cooooool!
    ~you always have the best pictures~
    ;)
    have fun on youre trip and have apeice of that yummy cake for me too!
    hugs~
    angie

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  14. WOW! Doug is very patient! LOL! I hope your cake is as good as you remember!!
    Kim

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  15. The cake sounds delicious, Karen!

    That's alot of tags! It sounds like you and your hubby have been quite busy!

    Have a great weekend!
    Tammy

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  16. Your husband is a patient man. :)
    I'm sure it will all be well worth the effort he's put into them. I hope to see a picture of the cake too!
    Hugs~ Birgit

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  17. That cake sounds delicious!! Such a nice story behind it too.
    Ooooh those hickory nuts look tasty. Your poor hubs... All that work and only a small pile. Maybe you could find a lil' squirrel lookin' for some part-time work to help him. :> )
    Have a wonderful (and safe) time.
    ~Peanut

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  18. Hi Karen,
    I like your long posts:)

    The lights you won from Char are just so neat where will you put them?

    I don't think I've ever tasted hickory nuts but on that cake they have to be so good!
    Have a wonderful time,
    Rondell

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  19. I've picked black walnuts and it is a ton of work! Sounds like a yummy cake tho. Hope you had a blast on your trip. Plays are fun! I Loved my lights from Char. They do smell sooooo good huh! Hope your getting some spring. ♥ Lewaina

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So glad you came to visit - feel free to leave a comment.
I will try and answer as many as I can - maybe not immediately but I will get to you!

Karen