Hometown Farmers' Market

Yesterday I went to the Hometown Farmer's Market. (the name of the town is actually Hometown -- this is where I grew up -- Hometown, Pa -- a "suburb" of Tamaqua , Pa -- HA! now you know how big it ISN'T !) Anyhow, the Hometown Farmer's Market has been there, every Wednesday for as long as I can remember. I used to go there with my Mom when I was a kid. She used to buy peaches and strawberries to make jam , or cucumbers to make pickles. Back then, we, the locals , all called the Farmers' Market the Auction. I don't know why -- I don't ever remember seeing an auction going on when I was there, but I guess before my time it may have started out as an auction. Anyhow, over the years it has expanded from the one indoor building and surrounding stalls, to a 2nd building (which used to be the bowling alley where we'd go in the winter when we were kids ) and a ton of outdoor stalls. Nowadays, there are alot of vendors with t-shirts, socks, purses, and that kind of stuff. BUT, happily, there still are many vendors with fresh produce AND homemade baked goods (alot of Pa Dutch baked goods like shoo-fly pie ).

Now, I wish I was industrious enough like my mother was and go to the Farmers' Market to buy peaches and strawberries, and cucumbers to make homemade jam and pickles -- BUT, right now, I'm not --- I'd like to be -- maybe one of these days I'll ask my mother to teach me how to make that stuff -- but right now, I buy jams and homemade pickles at a local shop in town called "the Country Cottage" .(Lori, the shop owner and Pickle Lady, as my kids call her, makes the absolute BEST stuff -- and she's a regular at the Wednesday Hometown Farmers' Mkt where she buys all her produce to make all that good stuff -- Then she goes back to her shop where she has a kitchen in the back and cooks up all her produce into wonderful goodies -- her shop smells heavenly !-- so, if Lori's making that good homemade stuff, I'll save myself and my kitchen the huge mess I'm sure I'd be making , and I'll buy it from Lori at "the Country Cottage"! -- she doesn't have a website, otherwise I'd post it here for you -- I'll take a picture of her VERY cute shop one of these days and post it for you -- it's on Race St in Jim Thorpe -- go visit if you're in the area.)

Anyhow, there's a picture of what I did end up buying at the Farmers' Market yesterday (last picture). I couldn't resist those pretty Black Eyed Susans -- some local peaches, zucchini and tomatoes. I think I'll make a peach cobbler and some zucchini bread , and I think I'll have one of those tomatoes for lunch today stuffed with some tuna salad ---- ooohhhhh , my mouth is watering!

Before I zoom out of here to work for the day, let me tell you quickly about those quilts in the last picture. There are 2 quilts (I just kind of bunched them up for the picture). My mother - in - law gave me these pretty little quilts a few years ago. She found them in one of the New Jersey shore houses my father -in - law owned over the years. They're what I think are called summer quilts -- there's no batting , just the quilt top and the backing. These 2 quilts are very narrow with a muslin dust ruffle attached to 3 sides . Maybe they were used on a cot (like a camping type cot) or maybe for a crib. I'm not sure how old they are, but the fabrics look like they could be feedsacks from the 1930's or 1940's.

Well, gotta zoom to work to make some $ (DARN -- that really cuts into my play time of sewing, baking , gardening, etc. BUT, I guess I better make some $ to help pay for that fabric buying habit I seem to have!!!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)