Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake

I often take food to a number of groups with which I am associated, so I am always scouting for good possibilities. A few weeks ago my aunt sent my mother a clipping from their local IN newspaper (Sun Times) and a recipe for oatmeal cake was included in the aritcle. The author had penned a sweet memory of her grandparents and the cake was something her grandma used to make. It must be a fairly standard cake recipe available to everyone because when I compared it to church and Amish cookbooks I own, all of the recipes are practically identical. I didn't follow any of them exactly, but was inspired to attempt making this cake. By the way, I halved mine and baked it in an 8 inch square pan. 

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 cup oatmeal (I used instant/quick) 

Pour water over oats, cover and allow to sit while you cream the following:

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

Once mixed well, add:

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 T. cinnamon

Mix well and add the oats to the above mixture. Pour into a 9 by 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

To prepare the topping, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a pan. Add:
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1/4 milk
1 tsp. vanilla 
1 cup coconut 
3/4 cup chopped pecans 

Gently stir to incorporate and evenly spread over top of cake at the end of the 30 minute baking time. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 10 additional minutes.

For a printable version, click here.

I hope this finds you having a blessed day!

Book Club Field Trip

Over the years, I have penned a few posts about the 1904 World's Fair. I've always been enamored by this grand affair which was held right here in St. Louis and am so thankful that it remains an important part of our local history. Last month my book club studied this fascinating topic. When we decided to focus on the 1904 World's Fair this past month, we divvied-up my personal collection of books, articles and DVDs to explore and then reported to one another during our meeting. You may recall my tablescape a week ago which was set in preparation for our gathering (you can revisit it by clicking here). As a culminating activity to our studies, we decided to take a field trip to the MO History Museum and visited the centennial exhibition yesterday. Originally opened in 2004, it still offers visitors an up-close glimpse of the past.

The display has so many authentic items to share with the public. Can you imagine touring the Fair by this means? 

This bust of David Francis is meaningful since he was the mayor of St. Louis and served as a faithful promoter of the World's Fair.

The 1904 Olympics coincided with part of the Fair and were held on what is today the campus of Washington University. The games ran from August 29-September 3, while the Fair ran April 30-December 1. To educate visitors about this event, a portion of the exhibit focuses on the Olympics.

It's fascinating to learn about this historical occurance, so I highly recommend local people taking a field trip to Mo History Museum in Forest Park! By the way, there is no charge for parking or admission at this particular exhibit. 

Another suggestion I have is to re-watch the movie, Meet Me in St. Louis (which happens to be its 75th anniversary). It's one of our favorites!

How about you? Are you a fan of the 1904 World's Fair?

Tuesday's Tablescape

Once upon a time in a faraway blogland, a fair queen  princess  lady was considering how to decorate Tuesday's tablescape. When the fair lady happened to learn that today is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day, she decided this would be a perfect theme for the royal table!

Now the fair lady had taught school for many years and so she not only loved sharing fairy tales with her noble pupils, but she happened to own a sizable collection of her own. Her grand library contained copies of such favorites as The Town Mouse and Country Mouse,

Snow White, The Penguin and the Pea and The Emperor Penguin's New Clothes (her students had adored the twists on traditional tales).

The lady also pulled out a few versions of Goldilocks and an autographed copy of Ponyella, which was a twist on Cinderella.

There wasn't room on the imperial table for all of her books from the vast assortment, so the fair lady limited the number, scattered some iridescent shreds and created a centerpiece.

She added a fancy vase with a pink flower and a plate she had acquired as a young girl when visiting the real Cinderella at the majestic palace in Walt Disney World. At this point, the fair lady considered her table complete. She thought about the happy times she'd spent with fairy tales during her own childhood and later while shaping the minds of her dear scholars. That made her smile and she lived happily ever after!

A Few New Favorites...

I have three new favorites to share with you. I always appreciate personal endorsements and perhaps you do, too.

I am thoroughly enjoying this new devotional book, Devotions from the Front Porch by Stacy Edwards. My husband gave it to me for Valentine's Day so I have been using it for a few weeks now. Of course, the cover spoke to me because of my love of front porches! Each devotional is just a page long, incorporates an appropriate Bible verse and include a pretty color plate. Naturally I cannot share an excerpt due to copyright, but I will say the topics range from rocking chairs to rain puddles and all are meaningful and beautiful. I would most definitely recommend this book. By the way, he found it at Cracker Barrel which is not surprising since I find their merchandising to be exceptional. The author has two other books ( Devotions from the Garden and Devotions for the Beach) and I am sure that they are equally as good.

When it was necessary for me to replace my brush about six weeks ago, I happened to purchase a Wet Brush Pro. I didn't seek this brand as I was previously unfamiliar with it, but I thought it seemed like the best choice after examining all of the options at the store. I must say that I truly love the way it brushes through my wet locks and works quite well when I dry/style. After the fact, I looked it up online and discovered that the manufacturer claims it to be a good detangler and I concur. This particular style is also supposed to reduce dry time and for someone with thick hair like mine, even a few minutes can make a difference! It replaced my wide vent-style brush and I would definitely buy another one like this. 

Raise your hand if you like almonds. Keep your hand up if you like wasabi. If you're a fan of both, I suggest you try Smokehouse Almonds Bold. They are delicious and have just enough wasabi flavor to make your nose tingle! My parents gave me this bag for a Valentine's Day treat and while I have always enjoyed Smokehouse brand almonds, I find this flavor to be outstanding. A few almonds can be a healthy snack, but keep in mind these do have a higher sodium level. I believe the bag reads that a serving contains 115 mg. per 28 almonds. That's really a lot of nuts for a quick snack, so you can consider serving size as it's likely you wouldn't eat that many at a time. I think the American Heart Association recommends we consume no more than 2,300 mg. of sodium a day. At any rate, I think they're great!

Do you have any new favorite items? If so, I would love for you to share with me! 

Happy Monday!

Tuesday's Tablescape

Since I am hosting my book club tomorrow evening, I set the table early and am allowing you a sneak peek.

We are studying the 1904 World's Fair and all read different books on the subject this past month. That inspired my choice in table décor.

I used both volumes of my Universal Expostion books as a base to the centerpiece. I picked up these official fair publications at an antique mall years ago and find the financial statements, employment listings, directories, etc. to be fascinating.

On top, I added my bouquet of porcelain roses. They were given to me three years ago. Click here to revisit the former post and learn about them.

A "Meet Me in St. Louis" cassette and antique gloves rounded out the display. 

I think my new coasters are a perfect addition to this table. My friend made them for me as a Christmas gift. Don't the little Victorian ladies look like they are resting with a good book after an afternoon at the 1904 fair?

I pulled out my paternal grandparents' wedding china. Since I only need forks for tomorrow, I used the dessert setting with a fork at the top of the plate.

To finish each place setting, I fashioned napkin roses.

I am sure we will have a good evening learning about the World's Fair and enjoying one another's company. I wish you could join us, too!

Linnean House

Last week I posted about our trip to see the beautiful orchid show at MO Botanical Garden. While we were on the grounds, we also strolled through the famous Linnean House. It, too, was a treat!

Mr. Henry Shaw, founder of MO Botanical Garden, built this interesting structure in 1882 to winter-over his citrus trees and other types of plants. He named it in honor of Mr. Carl Linnaeus who actually developed the botanical naming system for plant material. Part of the Linnean House hosts cacti and succulents, while the other portion is home to camellias, small citrus and jasmine trees. 

 A small water feature adds interest and humidity. 

The Linnean House is the oldest greenhouse west of the Mississippi River and we're fortunate to be able to enjoy it yet today!  

Happy Monday! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hopefully you've had an enjoyable 

Valentine's Day. I hope this finds

you with a happy heart. 💟

Tuesday's Tablescape

With Valentine's Day around the corner, this seemed a fitting table.

The napkins pull-out the delicate pink flowers in these china plates, which are resting on silver chargers.

The centerpiece consists of a teapot, creamer and sugar from a childhood china set and one of my Precious Moments, all nestled on a cake plate.

I hope you had a good day!

Lovely Orchids

MO Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to visit any season of the year, but it's a special treat during the wintertime. Aside from witch hazel, very little was in bloom outside on the grounds during our recent trip there. There were many blossoming plants found inside the building exhibits, however. The most showy of all the flowers could be viewed at the orchid show. This annual event is currently underway in the Orthwein Floral Hall and may be visited through March 24. The multi-sensory experience is enough to lift anyone's winter spirits!

All of the showcased orchids belong to MO Botanical Garden. The first specimens were given to Mr. Henry Shaw in 1876 and ever since Shaw's Garden (AKA MO Botanical) has continued to increase the collection with all varieties, including rare and unusual ones. Today they have more than 6,000 orchids!

After walking among these beauties, I felt inspired to grow a few more. I have one orchid and while I enjoy growing it, I am  realistic enough to realize that my thumb may not be that green! Instead, I will appreciate all of the lovely specimens at MO Botanical Garden.

I used my Waterlogue application for this orchid picture.

Blessings to you!