turning a 'failure' into a 'treat'

Remember my homemade canned Muscadine Jam from last summer's post,  Muscadine Jelly....with pectin or without...the taste-test comparison results .  At its conclusion, I spoke of labeling the no-pectin product as 'Muscadine Jam', which I did, and as we've tried to eat it as a jam product, it proved too thick and unspreadable.  That's when it occurred to me it might make a good 'fruit bar'.  I just didn't have a recipe for a fruit bar at the time, until now.

A few days ago this Strawberry Jam Squares recipe from Kraft foods caught my eye.... using a few simple ingredients....
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup butter
....substituting a half-pint jar of my muscadine jam for the 1 cup strawberry jam...

...the hardest part was using my fingers to press/spread it over the crust mixture already prepared in the bottom of the pan, as my jam was thick and sticky.  I did not include the walnuts in the topping.

The three of us couldn't wait for it to cool before taste-testing and we enjoyed it warm from the oven.  Tom thought it'd be good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  I agree.  Now that it's cooled, we can pick it up with our fingers and it's easier to eat.

So, we turned a canning 'failure' into a delicious treat by being flexible and finding the right recipe for a unique jam product.  And this is all that's left of a 9"x9" pan baked this very morning...

...I only hope I can remember how to make this 'failure' again!    
We shall call this recipe 'Muscadine Jam Squares'.
~Lisa
Muscadine Jelly Season is Here  post from 9.1.2011 talks about the canning process I used 

now you see it..... now you don't

Wild blueberries grow abundantly all over our property here at Shady Grove and I've had my eye on this one bush.... the only bush whose small wild blueberries are beginning to turn color.... the dark blue color of a ripe blueberry.... let's get a closer view....

 ...now you see it...

 .......

 ....now you don't!

And it was delicious!   What is interesting is that I don't particularly care for the flavor of domestic blueberries, but love the taste of wild blueberries.  After these photos were taken, this little bush was stripped clean of all its ripe little berries and what a great feeling that I beat the deer on this one!  That doesn't happen very often.
~Lisa

a great-grandmother's treadle Singer sewing machine

Remember this sewing machine accessories box (painted turquoise by my paternal grandmother) from the post the other day?

She painted so many things 'turquoise' but thankfully spared my great-grandmother's (her mother's) Singer treadle sewing machine....

With so much discussion recently about my Alabama paternal great-grandparents, it generated interest in investigating my great-grandmother's Singer treadle sewing machine.   In a matter of minutes, using these sites:
http://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm
http://www.sewalot.com/dating_singer_sewing_machine_by_serial_number.htm
http://www.singerco.com/support/machine-serial-numbers

we were able to determine it was made in 1912.

What ornamentation and decoration!  A golden sphinx is at the  top right.  The metal attachment in the middle, is the bobbin winder.

Crafted engraved metal ornamentation on the side....

Check out the back...

....a closer view of the engraved metal craftsmanship on this plate that covers an access area to some of the inner parts of the machine.

This machine was well used and well loved.  I believe this was purchased new for my great-grandmother in 1912 as she would have been 18 years old and a new mother.  As a little girl in the 1960s, I sewed on this machine with her very patient, and gentle guidance.

My paternal great-grandparents as I remember them:  Maltie and Winnie Glaze, Birmingham, Alabama.  I loved them so.  He'd take me out to his workshop and let me use his tools.  Granny would let me sew on this wonderful machine.   They 'invested' in me by simply 'being' with me, teaching me and guiding me. 

Now I want to restore this machine.  I guess that means another project to add to the want-to-do-list!  Gosh, that list is long... now where's that post I just wrote about how there's not enough hours in a day already?!
~ Lisa