M is for Monkeying Around the House

is for

Monkeying Around the House

Today's letter assignment in Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday Class is the Letter M. So the monkeys here at HFTS have been doing some monkeying around this week for Tablescape Thursday, Vintage Thingie Thursday, and Foodie Friday.

Those silly monkeys reached into the "vintage" section of the recipe folder and pulled out a recipe I haven't made in over 30 years.

I was a child of the 50s and 60s, and it seems monkey bread was a phenomena born during those decades. There's not much documentation that I could find on the history of monkey bread, but I do have fond memories of summers during those years when my cousin, Ilene, would come to town to visit for weeks at a time. She was my only cousin who was exactly my age, and we were the best of friends. Like most young girls we spent a lot of time at the swimming pool or just hung out with friends. Nights we would have sleepovers either at my home or at the home of Ilene's grandparents. If we were at her grandparents (my aunt and uncle), we would often wake to the aroma of fresh baked bread . . . monkey bread.

Monkey bread is made from sweet yeast dough that is formed into balls or odd shaped pieces, dipped into melted butter, and then layered in a tube pan for baking. For a sweeter version, many would dip the pieces of dough into melted butter and then a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. A savory version would be dipped into the butter and then parmesan cheese.

Also known as bubble bread or pull-apart bread, monkey bread is basically yeast rolls that combine during baking. The name may come from the fact that the connected rolls resemble the branches of a monkey puzzle tree. But I like to think the name comes from the fun of gleefully pulling apart the loaf right at the table. Kids find it to be great fun!

Recipes for this type of bread were found in women's magazines and cookbooks of the 1950s, so I used a vintage pan that would likely have been in a kitchen during that era. This tube pan has a patent date of December 18, 1923, and most likely was an advertising give away for Swan's Down Cake Flour.

Come on in and have 

a seat on the chaise.

We've a fresh 

brewed pot of coffee.

I'm using the set of Macassar spoons from Singapore that were a gift from Mary @ Across the Pond. You can now find Mary at her new blog, A Breath of Fresh Air.

Coffee mugs are by 

American Atelier in the Monkey pattern.

The monkey cachepot 

is by Kaldun and Bogle.

The small plates are 

Limoges by Philippe Deshoulieres.

The service plate holding the bread is English Floral by Spode. I like the woven motif on the rim that matches that of the cups.

So go ahead and 

pull off a piece for yourself.

Can you smell the aroma of fresh baked yeast bread? It's right out of the oven. I didn't make mine with cinnamon and sugar, so have a little orange marmalade to sweeten it a bit more.

Oh no, what's this? 

 It looks like the monkeys 

have started the party without us.

I told you there was a lot of 

monkeying around going on here at HFTS!

Those rascals have 

tossed the cups about . . .

and knocked over the 

Barrel Full of Monkeys.

If any of you remember this 

game of skill from the late 60s, 

you probably know it isn't easy to win.

Looks like Izzy has 

even popped in for the party.

And this guy is forever climbing 

about the house causing all kinds of mischief.

He's pulled himself 

right up to the top.

You ask about this friendly monkey with his parrots? 

 He's the latest needlepoint project I've recently completed.

His banjo playing friend is patiently waiting 

for me to stop monkeying around and to get stitching!

Oh, I almost forgot. 

 These guys want you to have this recipe so you 

can have some Monkeying Around at your house.

Monkey Bread

Mix 1 cake of yeast into 1 cup of warm milk (120-130 degrees) with 1/3 cup sugar. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and 2 well beaten eggs. Mix well and then work in 3 and 1/2 cups flour. Cover and let rest until the dough doubles in size. Then knead and roll out into 1 and 1/2 to 2 inch balls. Dip dough ball into melted butter (and sugar & cinnamon mixture or parmesan cheese) and layer into greased pan. Cover and let rise till double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Hope you've had a little "monkey fun" today. 

I leave you with the three wise monkeys and the proverbial 

principle "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil."

Now quit monkeying around and get yourself over to the marvelous blogs listed below.

Jenny Matlock @ Off On My Tangent - Alphabe-Thursday

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch - Tablescape Thursday

Suzanne @ Colorado Lady - Vintage Thingie Thursdays

Designs by Gollum - Foodie Friday

My Romantic Home - Show & Tell Friday

www.foodtimeline.org used as a reference.

L is for Lavender and Lounging with Tea & Scones

L is for Lavender

Provencal Lavender Fields, original oil on board by Karen Tual

If you've ever seen fields of lavender in bloom, then you know the beauty of this remarkable plant. Lavender has been used in cultures for over 2500 years and first came to this continent with the Pilgrims in the 1600s.

Lavender is a delightful addition to a sunny garden spot. It grows in clumps and likes a sandy, well drained soil.

Spring and summer yields the joy of delicate lavender blooms.

A soothing bath with lavender salts is the perfect ending to a long day. It's a wonderful way to relax, rejuvenate, and revitalize.

Lavender baths are healing. The delicious sent of lavender is the perfect aromatherapy.

After my shower I like to soothe my skin with Pandora Balthazar's lavender foot cream and body butter.

Lavender is also a wonderful fragrance to use around the home. Not only does it make everything smell fresh, it also helps get rid of bugs.

Long ago lavender wands were often given to young women to protect trousseaus and use to perfume linens stored in closets or drawers. Today, many of us like to use lavender sachets in our drawers and closets.

Lavender sprinkled about a closet is a good way to keep one's clothes smelling fresh.

Lavender flowers, stems, and leaves have long been used for culinary purposes.

Lavender tea is a perfect morning pick-me-up or a late afternoon treat. Fresh lavender leaves are best used as an herb for savory dishes. Lavender flowers, both fresh or dried, offer beautiful color and flavor to a variety of dishes. Use only lavender that is clean, pesticide free, and grown for culinary purposes.

Today I've made lavender scones for you . . .

and brewed you a pot of lavender tea.

The teapot is old Sheffield plate. It was a find from a vendor at the Round Top Antique shows several years ago.

The vintage silver-plate cream and sugar are from my mother. She gave these to me for my playhouse when I was a young child. They are marked "Made in Japan". Most of the silver is now worn off, and the copper is showing through in some places. They are very sentimental pieces for me, but I also like the sweet shapes, the pebble texture, and the floral details.

I've set it all out on a tea tray so you can enjoy your lavender treats out on the sun porch.

I've filled a petite Quimper cornet with lavender sprigs and a few fresh flowers from the garden. It is unmarked, but most likely produced by Adolphe and Arthur Porquier, 1875-1903. The croisillé of this piece is one of my favorites. This decor was very time intensive and expensive to produce, so it was not often used in production after WW II.

A pair of sweet vintage linen napkin were a recent gift from Mary @ Across the Pond. You can read about this and the other delights she sent me here. I was the fortunate winner of her celebration of her 800th post give away. Thank you again, Mary! I'm definitely enjoying my gifts.

Your cup of tea and lavender scone are served on pieces of Quimper from my collection. The larger wand of lavender was purchased in Santa Fe last summer. A street vendor would make these on the spot and embellish them with a fresh rose bud and other flowers. The lavender is now dried, but I add fresh blooms now and again to perk it up.

The cups and saucers are early HB Quimper. They were a purchase during my first visit to Quimper, France. They have the softest blue glaze, and the painting on the cups is unusually detailed and fine.

The saucers are deep and painted with a simple border of floral sprays. The petite plate holding the scone is unmarked. It repeats the delicate croisillé decor of the AP cornet.

Since I'm serving tea and sharing about lavender today, I thought it appropriate to include this pair of hand appliquéd and embroidered tea towels. The little lady on the left is dressed in her lavender best.

The tea towels are the skillful handwork of my mother many years ago, and they've now been handed down to me.

So happy you stopped by today. I'm linking this post to Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday for "Letter L" today, but I've also linked up to some other weekly memes this week. Click the links below to visit these great blogs for lots of interesting posts.

Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday

Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday

Laurie's A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday

Gypsy Fish Journal - Silver Sunday

Rhondi @ Rose Colored Glasses - Tea Party Tuesday

Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor - Tea Time Tuesday