We've Got The Beet

 We've reached the root vegetables part of spring, and nothing says spring like a big pot of borsch/borscht. There's as many recipes as there are people that make it, so don't get too hung up on authenticity. This version is meatless, and has pickled red cabbage served on top rather than cooked cabbage in the soup. I also serve it topped with boiled potatoes, hard boiled egg, chopped dill pickles, and radishes. Rye bread would be nice here if you have one, but we went with rye crackers. To me, sour cream is non-negotiable, and a generous dollop at that. Danny had his with non-dairy sour cream and didn't seem bothered. 

You may wish to add sugar. I do not, but that's a matter of taste. If you do, start with a few tablespoons and adjust as needed. 

For the Borscht:

2 large bunches of beets, peeled and cut into small matchsticks. Also use the greens, chopping them fine
2 ½ quarts of water (or vegetable broth)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon dried dill (or ½ cup fresh)
1 tablespoon salt (unless using broth)
Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper
Boiled potato and sour cream


In a large pot add the beets, water, onion, celery, dill, salt, pepper, lemon juice and half the sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beets are tender (about 45 minutes). Chill and top with potatoes and sour cream.

Now that we're fed, shall we do some clothes? Standard warnings apply.

I absolutely loved how this outfit came together. You've seen the frock coat before, but the skirt is new (to me) that I thrifted original tags still on. The fabric is a very soft synthetic, somewhere between suede and velvet. The colours are just gorgeous though the photos don't really show it. There's a bit of purple and green blended into the red paisley print. 

There's an over-exposed look at the frock coat details. It is a pain to photograph, but I wanted to show the giant rosettes.

There's a lot of skirt, but I balanced it with a tight-fitting bodysuit. 

Almost look like I should be somewhere more exciting than Omaha.

Well, how about a dramatic pose? I thought about pulling the neckline below my boobs for a full-on snake goddess look, but this being a family blog, decided better of it. I should try it with a silly bra.

Big gold accessories

We're experiencing a couple of seasons in one day again, so layering was the only sensible approach.

I do love a good peplum blouse. This one was thrifted a couple of weeks ago. 

Vintage shoes and handbag

I have a third, tinier version of the bird but it was too much for the cardigan. Also recently acquired a carved wooden hummingbird brooch, so will be wearing that one soon. 

The giant bakelite bangle is making a first appearance of the year. That thing is heavy!

Hellooooooo

It began sleeting shortly after I took the video. We've had 55 mph winds today with trucks being blown over on the Interstate and all sorts of issues. Keeping my fingers crossed we don't lose power. We've had two days of high winds and still have a wind warning for tomorrow. This worries me as Nebraska has also been in a drought and there's quite a lot of dead, dry brush to catch fire. We didn't have much snow this winter. 

Dressed for an early morning visit to my dentist to have the new crown fitted. All went well.

Wore the Pendleton 49er jacket. 

And another demented bunny brooch. I think that's just the nature of anthropomorphized bunnies-I never trusted Bugs Bunny either.  

Ooops, that's a bit see-through. Should have gone for a padded bra. Hang on, I know how to fix that...

That'll have to do.

When Dan was small, after much pleading, I bought him a bottle of maple syrup in a tiny maple-shaped bottle. Over the years, I've refilled it from a larger jug because it brought him so much enjoyment. At some point, we both stopped thinking about it, it was just a given that I'd decant maple syrup into this tiny, child sized bottle. Well, last week I found a large bottle of maple leaf syrup full of Vermont's best, and I'm going to pack away the tiny bottle for him. The large bottle will be much easier to refill. It felt like a milestone, albeit an unconventional one. 

In the US honey comes in a bear-shaped bottle. Other than German Barenjager which comes in a beehive shaped bottle, I can't think of any other examples of foods packed in bottles that represent the contents. There must be others. Oh, I'd forgotten about lemon juice in a plastic lemon shaped bottle. 

I made the hot cross buns a little early because Easter and Passover overlap this year. My experiment with using spelt flour went well, and the buns came up light and moist. I only iced a few for Danny, and the buns themselves are sugar free and acceptable for the diabetic. The fruit adds enough natural sweetness. The icing also makes it difficult to toast (I use a tray in the oven) so I generally don't ice them until right before serving. I know in the UK the cross is made with a slack mixture of flour and water, and I think they look nicer as well, but the sugar on top is an American tradition, and I don't want to mess with the locally accepted ways. We used to get them as children because my dad who sold pickles had a friend who sold bread, and they'd swap on Good Friday. If memory serves they were very fluffy and had a sort of sugar glaze baked on in addition to the icing cross. We didn't get many baked goods, so the buns were always enjoyed. 

I found some cool dresses recently. I think this 70s bridesmaid dress will be perfect for Easter 

I'm tempted to cut it apart into two pieces. We'll see. 

Definitely not my usual sort of look, but it fits nicely and when I saw what they sell for in upscale department stores I appreciated the five dollars I spent. 

The designer is an orthodox Jew that makes dresses inspired by the modest items the women in her community wear. It is a nicely made dress, but not $500 USD nice. It does not appear to have been worn much, if at all. 

I'm getting plenty of wear from this green lace skirt and the jacket part of a 60s suit.

The surprise in this outfit was the knit top. It is very long, and I have it tucked in though I'll probably cut and shorten it as I'll never wear it out. I saw it sitting week after week at the church thrift shop, and at only a dollar I wondered if I could make it work. I like bat sleeves, and the colours go well with things in my existing wardrobe. I could have done without the brass embellishments at the neckline, but that's the 90s for you! I could unpick them, but as it is subtle I won't bother. 

The shirt is Alfred Dunner who made sportswear for very unsporty women, like my mother. 

My tapestry belt worked beautifully with it as well. 

Un-retouched photo to show how well the new under-eye concealer is working . Covergirl Outlast. And it did indeed. All day, and most of the evening. I am wearing *a lot* of makeup here, much more than I'd typically do. Nothing will get rid of lines, or make me look younger, but that's never been my goal. I just don't want to look ill. I definitely think it helped with the dark circles.

You can see the decorative neckline a bit better here as well. I'm surprised how much I like this top. Definitely not my typical look, but I'm glad I took a chance on something different. 

I can't say that it was the outfit, but I had a very nice day out on Friday. After a rough couple of weeks feeling unsure of doing things by myself, it was so nice to spend the day doing the rounds of a few smaller thrift shops before picking Dan up after school. He's on break now for ten days and he plans to spend the time sleeping and watching baseball. That sounds like a good plan. 

I won't say the day felt, "normal" because I'm not even sure what that would mean now, but I felt well enough to stand, walk a short distance, and even bought a few pieces that caught my eye. I called in at a shop on the other side of Omaha that I don't visit much. When Dan was little we frequented it as it was closer to wear we lived out in the country. Now, it feels like the edge of the known universe to drive thirty minutes to the west side of town. I'm glad I did, as I found some excellent vintage pieces for a very small sum. None of my clothes from last summer will fit this year unless by some miracle I gain thirty pounds, so I've been on the lookout for sleeveless blouses (it gets very hot here in summer) and shorts that aren't indecently short. I found some cute blouses that won't break the bank. 

Anyone for a quick peek around the house as I decorate for the holiday and spring in general?.

Childhood toys

Another childhood toy

My mother bought these at Woolworth's before I was born

Bunnies were mine, cup was something I bought for Dan

Dan bought the straw bunny and chick a few years back

Melrose the bunny head on a stick has come out to terrify children and adults alike. 

Not Easter specific but a nice basket 

A rather nice, modern Madonna and Child

A clock that's been in my Dad's family for a long time

And finally, a lamp I bought for my mother because she just loved this sort of thing. It lives on my piano. It is unpleasant to dust. 

OK time for one last outfit (saved the best for last).

I've always admired the way Monica of Senora Allnut wears large print skirts, and have had my eye out for something similar. I finally found one and while I can't hope to come close to Monica's skill at styling a piece like this, I'm happy with how it came together. That's the beauty of blogging-you meet people that share ideas, and inspire you to try something a little bit different. Or a lot different in this case. 

I probably should have worn heels, but these days I like to be a bit steadier on my feet. I had a few things to do outside the house today and enjoyed wearing this outfit so much. There's quite a lot of room in the waist (which I've pinned and hidden beneath a belt), so there's room to grow. The skirt is made in Turkey, and is the second piece I've bought from this brand (the name of which is escaping me at the moment and the skirt's in the wash). Stretchy jersey isn't usually something I go for, but perhaps I ought to! Certainly doesn't get any easier to care for in the wash and hang dry. 

Have a great week everyone.