Sunday, August 24, 2008

Goofus Glass---So ugly, it's cute

I think Goofus Glass is so ugly, it's cute! I've got a cute little bright yellow Goofus Glass vase sitting on my computer desk, as shown in my Saturday, 8/23/08 post titled "Where Bloggers Create" Tour. There was a comment asking what a goofus vase was and requesting a close-up, so here goes......


Goofus Glass can be pretty gaudy! It comes in really bright colors like red, gold, green, bronze, etc, and the paint starts flaking after a while because it was cold-painted (painted but not fired). In fact, someone currently has a listing on eBay of my little vase, only in the original colors (read on for more about my yellow paint probably not being original) and they said it looked like something from the Adams Family (ha! ha!).



The vases which I've seen that are like mine----only 5-1/4" tall, with a raised rosebud design--were usually painted a bright, funky shade of pink, with gold. I'm thinking that my bright yellow paint is not original because it's all on the inside of the vase and also because of the color (the red that is showing in the photos is actually something in the background showing through the vase where the color has flaked off). I bet the original paint was flaking off and someone scrubbed it all off and somehow painted the inside. What do you think? I'm not an expert or anything, so this is just a guess. I would love to get your opinion.



I started liking Goofus Glass years ago when I bought a large red & gold vase; later, I bought one of those antiques guides about Goofus Glass to read up on it, as I had never heard of it. I bought this cutie for a mere pittance at an antiques mall in Waxahachie a few years ago and it's been on my desk ever since.



A little history of Goofus Glass:

From what I've read, most Goofus Glass dates from the period of about ten to fifteen years around the turn of the last century, (1897 to around 1912) although it continued to be produced into the 1920s. It was made by several prominent American factories, especially Indiana Glass. It was made in large quantities and was cheap and affordable.

It was also given as premiums for buying things and was awarded as prizes at fairs and thus, was actually the first "carnival glass" prior to the iridescent glass referred to as Carnival Glass today!

"Where Bloggers Create" Tour



My new blog friend, Brenda, from the Brenda Blog, http://thebrendablog.typepad.com/ , has created a tour for us of the spaces where bloggers create.


So, here's my ever so humble corner desk (in our bedroom) where I enter the wonderful world of blogging a.k.a. Blogland:


Did not realize there were so many cords showing back there!---oops!
Gotta have my Sonic Route 44 iced tea! (Can you say Caffeine Addict???) I love my little bright yellow Goofus Glass vase and my little boy with cart statue being used as a "stamp holder", which I've used in the past for a business card holder.
Note the timer (bottom right) which is supposed to keep me on track, timewise, so as to not lose track of time while blogging (yeah, right).


Thanks, Brenda, for putting together this tour!
I can't wait to see everyone else's spaces where you create!


Friday, August 15, 2008

What's your favorite chicken salad?


I've been thinking a lot about chicken salad lately. It's one of my friend, Sabrina's, favorite foods, and her birthday is today (Happy Birthday, Sabrina!).......so as part of her birthday gift, I decided to gather up a batch of good chicken salad recipes and compile them into a little cookbook for her. I made a cute little cover and then took it down to the local office supply store and had them bind it for her. I hope she likes it!

There are so many good and different recipes for chicken salad. Since it was on my mind, I decided to fix some for Don and me for dinner this week. I used the beautiful pink bowl my sister, Gloria, gave me years ago for my birthday.....

Chunks of chicken, chopped celery, green onion, a little pepper, garlic powder, and some light mayo (have you tried the new Kraft light mayo made with olive oil? Yum!) Quick and easy!
Garnished with some fresh & very flavorful strawberries I got from HEB this week. Simple but we loved it!

Now, my really favorite way to fix chicken salad is to add to the chicken the following: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped up Red Delicious apple, chopped pecans, green onion, black pepper and mayo. ....But, alas, we're trying to eat light, so I decided not to use the cheese & pecans version right now!

There's another version where you add dried chopped cherries (or cranberries), pecans, celery, and apple (about 1/3 cup each to 3 chopped up cooked chicken breast halves), with the black pepper, about a third cup of mayo and a tablespoon of buttermilk to give it some creaminess!

One of my favorite versions of chicken salad is served in sandwiches at Kolache Depot ( http://www.kolachedepot.com/ ). They put mandarin oranges and pecans in theirs and serve on a bun with a dill pickle! Mmmm!

What's your favorite chicken salad recipe???
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