Folk Wisdom Food: NO BAKE Treats

Greetings!


We are hoping you are enjoying this holiday season! With warm wishes to you and your family--we will spend this month celebrating the creative, inspiring and--most certainly--old/new ways living of Folk Wise Traditions that you know and love...with interesting new twists, of course!

Today--by request--we're giving you a tasty "break" of sorts--with the busy holiday season, sometimes it's good to get away from the oven, without sacrificing some seriously yummy food! So if you have a sweet tooth, here is a collection of some tasty no-bake goodies!


                                              Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie

                                                          
                                                 Homemade English Toffee

                                               No Bake Butterscotch Treats

No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

White Chocolate Cake Batter Fudge

                                          No Cook Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake

Chocolate Butterscotch No Bake Cheesecake

Enjoy!

Folk Friday HOLIDAY Shopping List!

GREETING FOLK WISE FRIENDS! We wish you an AMAZING Thanksgiving and Holiday season and we are proud to jump in with our own contribution---

We have always loved the hand crafted, professionally created small business, art, or farm created product!

So, below, find a bevvy of these wonderful businesses--by state--but CLICK on the RED LINKS and you can shop ONLINE at their sites!

You can start with our own sponsored site! Click below to find a passel of lovely folk art, beeswax items, old time handcrafted items, and more!

SEE our sponsored store.........................Vagabond Creations



HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

*ALABAMA

Southern OOAKS - Fine crafted sculpture, jewelry design, and art by Regina. Enter CODE: CHAZMAN for free shipping when you buy!


*ARKANSAS

Hardcastle Folk Art - Fun and Funky Fiber Art by Vicki Hardcastle.



*CALIFORNIA

Kitty Kink Artwear- artful, fun, show-stopping clothing and accessories.

Possible Impossibilities Studio - Whimsical, one of a kind art by Deborah Adams.

Mandolin Babe's Pickin Parlour - Old Style musical instruments, musical accessories, handcrafted items and more!


*COLORADO

Cherished Cabin Quilts - Quality one-of-a-kind, handmade quilts and quilt items

FolkyArt Candles - Heavily scented gourmet candles since 1999.

Twisted Thystle - Specializing in organic herbal teas, true aromatherapy body care products, and pure herbals.


*CONNECTICUT
Faerie Moon Creations - Whimsical Handmade Jewelry and Art.

The New England Girl - Handmade, handcrafted, reconstructed and repurposed furniture and designs by Nicole Goncalves.

*DELAWARE
Ellen Durkin - amazing wearable steel attire, and other metal flights fancy.



*GEORGIA
Southern Revivals - Giving new life to vintage, neglected and discarded furniture. Custom restorations with loving care.


*IDAHO

Cottage Garden Studios - Whimsical, Unique art and more by Sarah Sullivan.

Moon Willow Art Studio - The Art and Photography of Karmen Naccarato.



*ILLINOIS

Kitsch and Caboodles - Upcycled Vintage linens and other fun finds!



*INDIANA

Crafty Ridge - Fun, Unique and Modern Crochet.


*IOWA

Miss Effie's Country Flowers and Garden Stuff - farm fresh items with farm charm! Homemade jams and sweets, aprons, jewelry, gifts and more in The Summer Kitchen.

Onion Grove Merchantile - One of A Kind, professionally lettered, handmade signs for all occasions by Jen Van Oort.

Prairieland Herbs - luxurious herbs and herbal care products in Woodward, Iowa.

Willow Avenue Pottery - one of a kind, unique pottery by Rebecca Brandow.

*KENTUCKY

Blueball Mountain Spindle and Needleworks - a unique shop for the yarn and crafting enthusiast! A variety of natural wools, fibers, yarn, crochet and knitting items, plus classes in knitting and crocheting!

*LOUISIANA

Loopy Boopy - One of A Kind unique strange, unique, and dark dolls by Colleen Downs.


*MAINE

Whimsical Bohemian - Needful Things for the Boho Soul.

Autumn Rozario - Faerie and Whimsical Art.


MASSACHUSETTS

Dee's Transformations - Upcycled art, wearables, and works of whimsy.


*MICHIGAN

Farmhouse Chic Prim Antique -  features prim, shabby chic, and whimsical gifts and decor by local artists, and authors.

Under The Pines - Artesian soaps, herbs and gifts.

*MINNESOTA

Silbury Hill Alpacas - Yarn and other items, handmade on a family farm.

The Ol Farm Hatchery - Chicks, and farm items for sale. 4541 Sheller Rd 3.5 miles east of Sunnyside,Washington.


*MISSOURI

Ginnymae/Handcrafted at Wit's End - Handcrafted, one of a kind vintage feed sack purses, totes and aprons. Custom work happily considered. Use coupon code WISDOM for 15% off regularly priced items.
*NEW JERSEY

Jersey Made - featuring gifts, handcrafted items, and more from artists, artisans, and craftspersons in New Jersey

Maplehurst Forge - A true modern day forge specializing in custom forged furniture, belt buckles, and more!

*NEW YORK

Belly Dance And Yoga Wear - Luxurious tops, pants, skirts and other dance wear

Clayworks Pottery - Hand kilned and unique pottery by master potter Helaine Sorgaine, with over 30 years expert experience.

Crimson Gypsy Designs - Stunning corsetry, skirts and more  based on Renaissance costuming.

*PENNSYLVANIA

Create My World - Handmade polymer clay jewelry, upcycled jewelry, fabric handbags, purses, totes and more.

King of Mice Studios - One of A Kind Wonder Works of Whimsical art by Carolee Clark.

Under The Sycamore Tree - A wide selection of mindful, educat and beautiful toys...proceeds benefit
local schools.

*TENNESSEE

Southern Grace Jewelry - Unique Handcrafted Jewelry Designs.

*VIRGINIA
My Sweet Folly--Unique one of a kind pen and ink art by Lori Crace


WASHINGTON
Pizzazz LLC - in Historic Downtown Prosser (WA); functional art, gifts & greeting cards by American artisans.

Silbury Hill Alpacas - yarn, gifts, and other goodies made on a family farm

*WISCONSIN

Under A Rock Farm - a bevvy of farm fresh and farm made items for your home. Handmade goat milk soaps, lotion bars, shampoo bars, and more.

Vintage Thanksgiving Images, and NEWS!

Alrighty Folks!  We're celebrating Thanksgiving in a variety of ways, around here....first...because we love the old fashioned, here are a few lovely vintage images we've found for you. It's a plethora of sweet, interesting and perhaps weird vestiges of old-fashioned Thanksgiving...

But before that, THERE'S MORE NEWS:

See, we're not fans of the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, known via the giant box stores as BLACK FRIDAY. No siree!  What we're doing instead, is honoring local, handmade, artisan, and small businesses...you know, the way it USED to be, when you supported your neighbor and community directly by buying for the regular Joe (and Jill)....

So...we've launched a FOLK WISE HOLIDAY list--and we'll put it up on THANKSGIVING DAY. These are small businesses, farmers, artists, craftsmen, and more--listed state by state, and via their websites...so you don't even have to walk out your front door!

IF YOU ARE AN OWNER of such a business...and you haven't already, GET US YOUR INFO by posting it in the comments HERE or even in the comment section of this blog BY THIS WEDNESDY. And we thank you!

In the meantime...some cute Thanksgiving wishes...

Really energetic Thanksgiving wishes...

Strangely cute AND creepy Thanksgiving wishes...

And of course, Colonial Thanksgiving Wishes...

   HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FOLKS!

Folk Art Fridays: JACKIE EBERLY

Welcome again to Folk Wisdom's Folk Art Friday!  Each week we feature an artist whose style reflects the Folk Art ethos and tradition.


THIS week, we are featuring JACKIE EBERLY, a talented artist who creates dolls in the old styles, using vintage materials and sometimes techniques...to capture the look of a doll from another time. Using lace, old buttons, old felt, metal, period correct jewelry, hairstyles, dress styles and more..her dolls evoke a bygone feel....


From Izannah Walker dolls, to Queen Anne dolls, Jackie puts many hours and details into her vision...


 1.Give us a bit of background on you and your art. What type of art do you do?
I make paper clay over cloth dolls,  I love the Victorian era cloth dolls, I especially like the Izannah Walker dolls. I started making dolls in 2000, and felt really compelled to create my vision of an old doll.  To be honest I really couldn’t say how many dolls I have actually made, as it truly is a labor of love. I enjoy making them, even though it gets to be tedious at times. The outcome is overwhelming, when to see a pic of a doll or to hold a doll I have made in the past, it strikes me with joy and happiness to know that I actually created something that someone else cherishes and loves!

2. What inspires you?
What inspires me now--and I say now because it’s an ever changing subject-- are old photographs, antique fabric and lace, "make-do’s" from days gone by, and the best inspiration of all is camaraderie with other doll makers.


 3. What, if any, art pieces/dolls of yours are your favorites?

I think my fave is the one my mom still has to this day, its the one i call "soldier girl' in blue with the brass buttons on the bodice. My daughter helped in the dollmaking process!

You can find more of Jackie's work at:  http://plain-n-simpleblog.blogspot.com/

Thanksgiving Vids: Do Thanksgiving Colonial Style!

You know, it's not lost on us, this irony of old-ways living shown via the latest technology...

And we thought, why not use that for some benefit with one of the oldest American traditions...Thanksgiving.


So below, we've compiled some favorite how-to videos with Thanksgiving flair. You might want to grab a tasty beverage (how about an old-fashioned cider?), prop up your feet, and enjoy a nice chunk of educational and insightful time learning to cook the way the Colonists did...and start some new traditions, yourself!

Enjoy!


Old Ways Thanksgiving Cooking Style:





18th Century Baked Beans:




MEATPIES are here:




Mushroom Ketchup(!!)




And a bit of Christmas Colonial history....

Delicious and DIFFERENT Thanksgiving Recipes!

Alrighty, Folks!


   With our Thanksgiving Holiday coming up, we are dedicating these next few posts to the history, lore, food, and facts of Thanksgiving.

Of course, it's hard not to think of FOOD, FIRST when thinking of our favorite November celebration, so here's our standard Thanksgiving Recipe Post-- EXCEPT, there's NOTHING STANDARD about it!

Below, we've compiled new, fun, and different ways to make those old-fashioned Thanksgiving standbys...so click enjoy!



MAPLE ROASTED TURKEY

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GARLIC

SOUTHERN CANDIED YAMS WITH GINGERSNAP CRUNCH

HASHED TURNIPS

PUMPKIN BOURBON SHAKES

FOLK ART FRIDAYS: Audrey Eclectic

Inspired by a bygone era, Audrey Eclectic is a unique folk art collection created by artist Heather Sleightholm that features original paintings, prints, post cards, handmade wearables, art dolls, and more.  Audrey Eclectic art is at once a little sweet and a little dark, a little mysterious, always hopeful, and with a story to tell.


1. When did you start creating art? Give us a bit of background on yourself and the sort of art you create.

    I'm  not sure when I first started creating art, because it seems like it has always been a part of me! I've drawn and written stories since I could hold a pen or pencil, and something I don't ever remember not being driven to do-- it just calms my mind and makes me happy. I was always the shy girl who loved to draw in school, and it set me apart. Being creative and artistic became part of who I was, and it was really important to me from the time I was a child to present day.

    I've dabbled in may different kinds of art-- from drawing to painting to sculpture-- but didn't start making my own type of folk art until 2007, after I had my daughter, Audrey (I named my business Audrey Eclectic after her). When she was a few months old, I was able to stay home with her full-time, and when she was napping I couldn't resist the urge to ignore all those chores I needed to do and just paint. As she got older I got more involved with Etsy and my local arts and craft community and started doing more and more gallery events and craft shows.

    Now painting is my passion. I wake up each day excited and eager to paint. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to do it, and that others enjoy what I make.

2. What inspires you?

   For me, art and stories go hand-in-hand, so I am really drawn to the story telling aspect of painting. So big inspirations for me are folk tales, fairytales, and classic novels. I also have a deep infatuation with history, so different historical events and historical dress are very inspiring to me. I collect old photos and love old timey twangy music. All of these things seem to swirl in my brain and I come up with ideas of things to paint. I also strongly identify with themes of motherhood and faith, but also love things that are a little spooky. The seasons the the more old fashioned aspects of celebrating them are also very influential on my art.

3. If you have a favorite work, tell us about it, and why.

   That is a difficult question! I try not to have favorites because I know when I create a piece that it will most likely be sold, so I try not to get too attached!

                                         

   Probably my first really successful painting was a painting called Celestine-- its very dark and spooky and shows a girl holding a strange Queen Anne style doll with a crow on her shoulder. i did keep that one! I also like my painting Maple and Bittersweet because it evokes a sort of old fashioned autumn mood.


I am also really interested in Swedish folk art and Swedish Christmas traditions, and have met and had lots of great conversations with others with a love for Sweden or Scandinavian backgrounds because of my St. Lucia painting.


4. Where can people find more on you and your art?

My main website is www.audreyeclectic.com

My blog is www.audreyeclectic.blogspot.com

My etsy shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/audreyeclectic

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Audrey-Eclectic

Twitter:https://twitter.com/AudreyEclectic

Mama Elizabeth's Diary: The Beekeeper's Daughter

You may or may not know this, but I'm a third generation beekeeper. The stories that Mama Elizabeth told, about my grandfather, in some ways...was the starting point for Folk Wisdom magazine.

For me, there's nothing that says both old-fashioned and timeless as someone out there, reviving old traditions, while keeping our pollinators going. That's a beekeeper for you. My mother's stories about WWII era beekeeping, before the advent of fancy equipment, and before the fear of too many chemicals and pesticides..were shear joy.

My favorite story went like this:

"I remember when I was about eight or nine. I was playing in the hortabogy (prairie, in Hungary) with a group of little friends. All of a sudden my father came around from the corner of the house. It was swarm season, you see. And he yelled at all of us: 'did you see that swarm?'  And he pointed just past us, to a small whirlwind of bees flying in a straight line.

'Quick, follow it, and then tell me where it went.'  Actually, this was not unusual for him to do. He had forty hives, and swarm season was always this crazy. Luckily, most swarms landed in nearby trees on our farm. But not this one. This one was headed straight to town. So we all jumped up, my friends and I and we ran after it. It went down past our farm and straight into town."

The reason I loved this particular story was that I could just imagine this sight: a large swarm of bees whizzing by, followed by a large pack of children, running straight after it. It probably made for the talk of the town--err, village-- that day. Such was the life of the Old-Fashioned Beekeeper's daughter.

To celebrate our beekeeping roots, here are some rather interesting uses for honey for you to try:

Honey Facial:
Honey is a humectant, which means it draws and holds moisture. For particularly dry skin this makes a great therapy.
WE HIGHLY recommend you USE RAW or ORGANIC, LOCAL honey, as we cannot tell what procedures store brought honey have gone through, and may be less nourishing.

1. Slather a thin amount of honey on your face.

2. Leave on for 10 mins.

3. Wipe off with warm, moist wash cloth

4. Try this 2-3 times a week before you go out on cold, chaffing days, to help with dry skin.


Honey/Rosemary Hair Treatment
1. Take a large jar of honey (We like RAW or ORGANIC HONEY).

2. Take either a large sprig of fresh ROSEMARY (washed and THOROUGHLY DRIED) and place into honey (or just pour the honey over it in the jar) or 1 drop rosemary essential oil.

3. If using fresh rosemary, leave that concoction in a sunny windowsill to infuse into the honey for a month.  If using essential oil, you may use immediately.

4. In am month, you may remove Rosemary from your herbal mixture, and use the honey.

5. When ready, you may simply slather on hair, wait 10 minutes, then shampoo out. It adds moisture, shine, and body to your hair.



ALL NATURAL BEESWAX FURNITURE POLISH:
Besides healthy honey,  bees make beeswax which smells divine, in my opinion. There are many uses for beeswax: Medieval to Victorian ages hold records for using it to plug wooden buckets, and waterproof shoes (to name a few uses!)

This beeswax polish is ALL NATURAL--many recipes call for the use of Turpentine, which is an easy thinner to the beeswax. Frankly, I feel it sort of kills the lovely beeswax smell and, again, falls into the chemical department.

Ours is so natural you could use it to polish your cooking spoons, or even use it as a hand cream, if you desire!


*1 oz beeswax (we like the natural, non bleach kind. It's yellow instead of white).
*8 oz of olive oil
*2 or 3 drops of essential oil like lavender, lemon or rose (if you like a scent other than the beeswax)


1. Grate or cut the beeswax into smaller pieces.

2. Heat the beeswax IN A DOUBLE BOILER (beeswax is extremely flammable, it cannot be put onto direct heat).

3. Once all the beeswax is melted, add olive oil to the mix. Make sure you are heating at medium or low temperature.

4. Stir a few times and continue to heat until wax and oil are well blended. 

5. Add a few drops of essential oil if you wish.

6.Pour into clean and thoroughly DRIED glass jars. Allow to cool.

7. Once cool, take clean cloth and rub into polish. Use this and rub in circular fashion on all your furniture until you cannot see the wax. Enjoy the lovely scent and your shiny wood furniture!

FOLK WISDOM TIDBIT: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving

With The Thanksgiving Holiday upon us, here's a related tidbit...

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving may be what many of us idealize when we think of the holiday, but is also one of the writings of Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women."

Yes, "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving" was one of several short stories written after the success of Women, and chronicles the 19th century drama of the Bassett family, of New Hampshire.  The story follows the trials of the 8 Bassett children, who must make Thanksgiving dinner themselves after the parents are called away for a family emergency the day before Thanksgiving.

The story chronicles the small details of dinner preparations and customs, and the relationships between the siblings, not unlike Little Women (or Little Men, for that matter). It's a must read for fans of Alcott, and those who love the time period, or tales of old Thanksgiving.

What are your fond Thanksgiving memories? Leave 'em in the comments section!

FIVE Great Winter Upcycled Projects

With Winter almost upon us, it's time to head inside. Between bouts of hot chocolate, comfort food, and family time, what better way to work your Wintertime indoor-time than with some serious crafts?

These crafts are useful, fun, AND upcycled! Get your cool, happy side together with these useful recycled crafts that use things from around the house! We've listed 5 for you to explore!

Hubby Have a large sweater? Or do you have an oversized sweater you're not sure what to do with?

 

How To Make A Woman's Dress from a Large/Man's Sweater

                   Cool craft to do with the kids. Uses alot of those old milk or water jugs....

How To Build A Milk Jug Igloo

                                            Who knew you could make these??

 Make A Pair of Upcycled Boots From A Sweater!



                                                          Enchanting and easy to do...
.

Cute and Cool Upcycled Snow Globes

While not 100% "Winter-y," think Snowflakes....

Upcycled Doily Garland/Bunting

ENJOY!

Folk Art Friday ~ Mary Azarian

Welcome to Folk Art Friday!

Today's featured folk artist is Mary Azarian, creating an all-encompassing folk art life by depicting folk art scenes via the old-ways method of WOOD BLOCK print.

Heritage and nostalgic scenes are alive and well in Mary's works: life on the farm, nature, bedtime stories and old medieval peasant life, are encompassed in old-time patterns and wrapped in a bit of lore...all within the specific technique of wood block printing.

As noted by Mary:

"I grew up on my grandfather’s small farm just outside Washington, DC. Grandpa had a few thousand chickens and a flock of geese that menaced the customers who came to buy his eggs. My uncle grew vegetables and had a farmstand. My interest in gardening developed at an early age and continues to this day.
I began drawing and painting at an early age and fell in love with woodcuts when I did my first relief print in the fourth grade. It was a 3”X4” lino block of an angel with “NOEL” at the bottom. It was a valuable lesson in the need to reverse words when doing a woodcut. The finished print read “LEON”.
Undeterred, I continued to do lino cuts until I got to Smith College where I studied printmaking with the one of the great 20th century printmakers, Leonard Baskin. I began to work on wood and have never lost my enthusiasm for the medium.

After graduating from college I moved to small hill farm in northern Vermont. My husband, Tom, and I farmed with horses and oxen, kept chickens, a Jersey milk cow and sheep.......We raised three sons who helped with our large gardens and maple syrup operation. It was a wonderful life and a great way to bring up children. These years on the farm became the inspiration for many of my prints.

....I (eventually) decided to see if it would be possible to earn a living selling woodcut prints. I began producing prints in black and white, printing each block by hand. Eventually I began adding color by hand-painting each black and white print, a non-traditional approach, to say the least. Finally, I found an old Vandercook proof press, the Rolls Royce of proof presses, and began using it to produce the prints.
In the 1970’s I begun to illustrate children’s books and have produced over 50 books, including Snowflake Bentley, which won the 1999 Caldecott Award for the best illustrated picture book of the year."

To see more of Mary's exquisite works, or to order, please see:  www.maryazarian.com

IMPORTANT NEWS is TOO MUCH NEWS!

  Great photos by great photographers, and other amazing projects--one of the reasons we are  DELAYING our magazine publishing--to give you MORE and better FOLK WISDOM!


Alrighty, Folks!

   There's been A LOT going on behind the scenes here at Folk Wisdom Magazine. A LOT. In fact, TOO much has been happening, and maybe at too fast a speed....

When I began this endeavor, I had a vision for this magazine--as a hub for the sort of information people wished they remembered or held onto. I've heard many people say: "I wish I remember how Dad did this," or "did you ever get Aunt Sylvia's recipe?" People yearn for older information, lost history, and on and on.

There is a revival in the way things were done--the simple things, the tried and true things. Even science has acquiesced that some of the ways we USED to do things are the way they SHOULD BE DONE (organic farming and food, knitting/cooking/garden therapy, getting away from too much television, etc), and the goal was to bring a simple little magazine with several articles by experts in the DIY tradition, but the DIY would use older skills and create crafts/food/ideas from another era, but with a bit of hip flair. I would be happy with a black and white magazine with color cover, and we'd call that a day---

But as I started down that path.... I never dreamed so many friends, acquaintances and artistic people in my world would come together to help make this dream a reality. Not only has that happened, but it has happened in a way that has resulted in the magazine going from a smaller production to a magazine with color, ideas, stories, recipes and interviews from scores of talented people!

I am very very excited to be able to share these with you, the reader. However, it has become very apparent that in order to allow Folk Wisdom Magazine to follow this amazing path, production and delivery time will need to be pushed to a later date. There are just too many opportunities happening and the growth is one our humble staff has to get a hold of fully...

So, with apologies--and excitement--we have now pushed back the PRINT DATE of FOLK MAGAZINE to January 2014.


For those early subscribers, you have been refunded, with deep apologies and thanks for your early support! We will be sending out that info, along with exciting news shortly, to our newsletter list.

**ARE YOU ON OUR NEWSLETTER list? It's the little box with the beehive, on the right of your screen! It allows you to be 'in the know' when we post contests, giveaways, and all of the folk-wise news**** 

The magazine will have the same great opening pictures by Jen MacNeil-Traylor. Same great folk-wise articles, and some new interesting ones.


Many MANY THANKS for your support and understanding. I will be announcing some very enticing offers, contests and giveaways in the near future and before you know it, Folk Wisdom will be arriving in your mailbox and on your doorsteps, ready to inspire, impress and WOW you!

In the meantime, please check out the NEW DATES of the Cover Photo Contest--which we ARE still running!


And feel free to send your recipes to Folk Wisdom, at any time! Email us at folkwisdommagazine(at)gmail(dot)com

Zan Asha, Editor in Chief
Folk Wisdom Magazine