Wisdom From Grandma

I’ve had several people ask me how to sew a button back on a piece of clothing. I’ve tried just explaining the steps, but they said they needed to see it being done to understand. So, here is my very first video tuturial. If you find it helpful and would like explanations for how to do other household tasks, I’d be happy to make more how to videos. Hopefully, I will improve as I make more!

When Grandma put up fruit and vegetables for the winter months, canning jars and other canning supplies were easy to find. All the local general stores carried products to help preserve all that garden produce. Now, it can be a bit more challenging to find the supplies you need to can your summer harvest. I’ve put together this shopping list of favorite canning supplies so you can easily find what you need.

Ball Wide-Mouth Mason Canning Jar 1 Qt., Case of 12 - Ball is a classic. I have many heirloom jars that Ball made back in the late 1800’s.
- These jars are perfect for canning tomatoes.
Ball Home Canning Kit-This kit includes everything you need to start canning except the veggies
Ball Regular Dome Canning Jar Lid, Box of 12 - You can use jars over and over, but you’ll need to use new lids each time.
Ball Fruit Jell Liquid Pectin - Most jelly recipes call for pectin.
Ball® Complete Book of Home Preservation 400 delicious and creative recipes for today - This book is a great reference for people who want to can a wide variety of fruits and veggies.

I love these decadent breakfast recipes for holiday mornings. Remember, as with most of these recipes, you will need to prepare your Christmas Morning French Toast the night before so it will be ready to cook in the morning. I think I’ll try this recipe this Christmas instead of my standard stuffed French toast or hash brown casserole.

Ingredients:
1/2 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Directions:
Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The following morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.