"X" is for X-Stitch . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

"X" is for X-Stitch . . . so I got a bit creative with this one . . . haven't we all done that a time or two?



Cross stitch
our of frame

More specifically this post is about one specific piece of cross-stitch. It’s a framed cross-stitch that I first saw back in early July 1984. It was, and still is, hanging on the wall in Great-Aunt Sylvia’s family room. Aunt Sylvia, my husbands’ Great-Aunt, who died in October 2010, just two months and three days short of being 102 years old. Aunt Sylvia was an absolutely amazing Quaker woman whom I feel so blessed to have known and known so well. Her home is now a place where our out-of-town family members can always find a bed and share meals and conversation when they come to town for visits.





corrugated backing

I'm sure at some point I asked Aunt Sylvia about this stitchery, but I don't recall what she told me. I’ve looked at it and whoever stitched it didn’t ‘sign it’ – that is she didn’t stitch her name or initial on it or date it. I did take the back off the frame (it just slid off) and found a piece of corrugated cardboard and when I removed that I found that the stitchery was just taped down to the piece of paper that had been in the frame when it was purchased!





Back of cross stitch

I’m nearly 100% sure that Aunt Sylvia stitched this piece. I won’t however try to guess when it was stitched . . . but a good guess would be before 1950. The fabric appears to be linen as it has a sheen to it.

 

I don't know what it is about it that strikes me the most:

 

Is it just that I've done so many cross-stitched/counted cross-stitched pieces myself, over the years?

 

Is it the story about it that I'm sure she shared with me?

 

Is it the saying? "Everyone is queer but Thee and Me and sometimes I wonder about Thee."

 

Is it the way that it makes me feel?



I just can't explain it . . .

Cross Stitch

As someone who learned how to embroider as a young child and became quite an addict of the counted cross stitch rave as a young adult I have always admired this piece of stitchery at Aunt Sylvia’s house.



What do you admire? Why do you admire it? Is it because of what it is? Who made it? What makes it or the person who made it so special to you?

 

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Alright, it’s recipe time, and recipes that begin with the letter “X” are nonexistent in my files, so since this post was about Aunt Sylvia’s x-stitch I’m going to share with you a few of Aunt Sylvia’s recipes. These are recipes that she shared in the Mooresville Friends USFW’s (United Society of Friends Women) 1998 cookbook, and I shared them in our 2014 cookbook that was just released this last weekend at the USFW Fall Bazaar – fundraiser to support missions.



The first of Aunt Sylvia’s recipes I’m going to share with you is Conversation Salad, much like the Applesauce Jello recipe I grew up with but with a few additions. Second is Simply Ham and Potatoes quick and simple and easily adjusted for any size family! And lastly something for dessert Grape-Apple Crumble, so you have a complete meal.

 

Conversation Salad

½ cup red hots (candies)

2 cups hot water
2 (3 ounces) packages raspberry Jello
1 cup ice water

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups applesauce
½ cup nuts
2-3 ounces cream cheese or cottage cheese



Dissolve red hots in hot water. Dissolve Jello in candy water. Add ice water. Add lemon juice and applesauce. Mix thoroughly and cool until slightly thickened. Add nuts. Mix cream cheese or cottage cheese and mayonnaise and swirl through Jello mix. Turn into mold and chill until firm.

 

Simply Ham and Potatoes

Slice of smoked ham, uncooked
White potatoes, quartered or eights, as preferred
Milk

Place potatoes in oven-proof skillet. Place ham slice over top. Pour milk over to cover completely. Bake in moderate oven until potatoes are done.

This recipe can be adjusted for any size family.

 

Grape-Apple Crumble

3 cups Concord grapes (less seeds)

1 ¼ cups white sugar

3 Tablespoons tapioca

3 Tablespoons margarine

1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups apples, diced

Separate washed grapes from skins. Put pulp in pan and boil for 5 minutes, stirring. Press pulp through sieve to remove seeds. To the pulp add the skins, sugar, tapioca, butter, lemon juice and salt. Cook stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add diced apples. Pour into buttered baking dish, about 9-inches. Cover with topping.

TOPPING:

7 Tablespoons cold margarine

7 Tablespoons sugar

¾ cup all-purpose flour

5 Tablespoons nuts, chopped if desired

 

Mix above as for pie crust. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle over grape mixture in baking dish.

 

Bake at 375˚F for approximately 20 minutes.