Coming Soon to beachcats bargains!

The ancient Japanese tradition of knotting, folding and twisting, dating back to the 17th century, is newly chic as the dangers of plastic to our health and the environment have become widely known.

Chic and versatile, furoshiki is the original eco-lunch bag from Japan. If you can tie two knots, you can transform the Furoshiki ECO-lunchwrap into a stylish lunchbag! Double-sided and machine washable, the cotton furoshiki (pronounced f-ROHSH-kee) wrap is sewn from colorful fair trade textiles hand printed by artisans using wooden blocks and wax batik techniques perfected over generations.

Whether you are packing food at home, picking up take-out or just need a versatile bag, these wraps make it easy to say goodbye to plastic bags, vinyl totes and other leachy food containers.

Buttermilk Pie...Yummy!!

Buttermilk Pie ~ A Holiday Tradition At Our House!

My family loves Buttermilk Pie! A must for Thanksgiving and Christmas...just like the turkey and dressing. I usually make two deep dish Buttermilk Pies. There are those who would encourage me to make more! Everyone who tries it LOVES it and I've shared my recipe with many friends and family members. So, now I'll share my yummy Buttermilk Pie recipe with you!

Yummy Buttermilk Pie

4 Tablespoons Flour
3 Eggs Beaten
2 Cups Sugar
1 Stick Softened Butter
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Cream the butter, sugar, and flour together.
Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla mixing well.
Pour into a deep dish pie shell.
Bake on 325 for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

I know...I know...you may not like buttermilk and you probably made a face when you saw the title of this blog. BUT if you don't try it, you're passing up something so yummy it melts in your mouth! I'm telling you, you're missing one of life's total pleasures if you don't try it! :)

This is not my picture but my pies look very much like this. Forget the diet! Indulge and Enjoy!!

Vintage Trifari Jewelry

I love vintage Trifari jewelry! I have a few pieces in my personal collection that I can't part with and others that I truly love but do have for sale in my eCrater Store.
beachcats bargains

One thing to keep in mind if you're interested in purchasing vintage Trifari jewelry...it WILL be signed! There are no unsigned vintage Trifari pieces. Through the years all of their pieces were signed with one of several Trifari signatures. Trifari was very diligent when it came to protecting their designs and advertised the fact to let their customers know to look on the back to be certain they were getting the real thing. Some Trifari pieces were copied by smaller manufacturers so it's always wise to check and look for that signature.

The Trifari company was sold to Liz Claiborne in 2000...along with Napier an Monet. Sad on many levels...the production was moved outside the USA and quality took a hit. Some pieces were sold on Trifari cards but they are not signed...and of course, are not vintage.

All the pieces pictured above are for sale at beachcats bargains eCrater Store.

The Bowl

My mother recently moved into an assisted living facility. She is very happy there and the move went well...as well as moves can go. She didn't want to take many things with her. I guess at this time of her life it was a good idea to downsize, clear the clutter (although she had very little clutter), give things that are dear to her to the people who are dear to her. One of the things she wanted me to have was the bowl.

As far as I know, my grandmother had the bowl first. The bowl was used in the preparation of most every meal. It is after all a great size and shape for mixing things up! My grandmother had 10 children so the bowl was used a lot! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for more years than I can imagine cooking for that many people. Just think after they all married and had children of their own...our reunions were huge...and the bowl was always there...ready for duty.

My mother was the youngest girl...there were nine girls and one boy! I guess that's the reason my grandmother gave her the bowl...although I'm not really sure. I can't remember my mother using the bowl that much, if at all, when I was growing up. Things had changed...everyone wanted something new and modern. The bowl had a home on a high shelf in a little used part of the kitchen cabinets. It gathered dust for many years. For some unknown reason though, my mother moved the bowl with her each time she moved...and that was several times. Never used but always available...that was the status of the bowl.

Now the bowl is mine. I've thought a lot about it's life (strange but true). I really like the way it looks and it's shape is very functional, but what I like the most is the part it played in my family's history. I've decided to return it to active duty. The bowl will once again be used to mix things up. Good things for my family to enjoy. I know my grandmother would approve. After all, she was a great cook who spent half her life in the kitchen with the bowl!

Baby Cheers at beachcats bargains

I'm excited about a new line I've just added to my beachcats bargains stores...Baby Cheers. I've started with a few of the products I think are really neat! It's been a few years since I had a baby but I think most new (and not so new) mothers will LOVE these colorful, soft, practical, well-made items for baby and baby care.

One of the unique items that made my favorites list is "Socks in a Box"... a pretty Keepsake Box filled with 6 pairs of quality socks for size 0-12 months. As with all the products from Baby Cheers you can buy for a boy or a girl...pink or blue.

Who could resist this super soft and cuddly Plush Pup? Not me! You don't have to be a baby to want to hug this little guy or gal. CUTE!!

Other items include picture frames, diaper bags...from mini on-the-go size to larger messenger bags, and the "Dipes and Wipes" Keeper.

Hopefully this line will do well at beachcats bargains. I would love to add some of the other Baby Cheers products in the near future! :)

My Very Special Grandmother...

I've been blessed with a loving family. My parents divorced when I was a senior in high school but for the most part I only remember happy times. Both my grandmothers were special but I was especially close to my dad's mother...one reason was because I was the only grandchild on that side of the family for many years. The other reason was because she was a VERY special lady and grandmother!

My grandparents owned a lake stocked with fish. They built a small cabin on a rise in the middle of a lovely wooded area...a beautiful setting. In the summers my grandmother opened the lake on Saturdays to anyone who wanted to pay $2 to fish. She would get up at the crack of dawn and travel from her home about 10 miles away. For several summers when I was young I loved to go with her, and did, most every Saturday. I would spend the night at her house which was also fun and help her pack the things we needed for the day. The "money box" with change; snacks & soft drinks, (which she also sold) and anything we might want... like games or special treats.

The fishermen/women started arriving early! She knew most by name. We never worried about the dangers a woman and young girl might encounter out in the middle of the woods alone...I don't think it ever occurred to her (or me) to be afraid. Even with the "money box" stuffed full we felt safe.

We wrote poetry, took walks, floated on rafts in the lake (out of the way of fishermen) and had tasty picnics. Some of the best childhood memories I have are of my grandmother at the lake. I wish there were pictures to share but unfortunately I don't have any, so just close you eyes and imagine...peace, love, and good times!

Yummy Yum-Yum Potato Casserole

2 lb. bag (Ore-Ida Southern style) hash brown potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. ctn. French onion dip
8 oz. ctn. sour cream
10 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 c. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Thaw potatoes. Mix everything together. Put in a greased 5 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 mins.

Topping:

2 c. crushed corn flakes
1/2 stick melted butter

Sprinkle corn flakes over casserole and drizzle with butter. Bake additional 15 mins.
It also freezes well!

Certainly not healthy...just GOOD!