Last Saturday, I made my first foray into an event produced by a creative mix of gals who have organized their diverse talents into a group called the "Homemade Swappers of Sarasota." Their first swap in November, which I had to miss, revolved around homemade food. But this months swap, with the holidays just around the corner, was really timely as it included both food and crafts.
There are many Facebook accounts with accolades about this swap that will give you the whole scoop. My homemade offerings, including recipe for Southern Cornbread Mix , and my "cache" of goodies garnered are posted below.
I contributed a potted butterfly bush and aloe plants, designer (Me, Ha!) headbands, an original painting of pears and artfully wrapped pouches of Southern Cornbread Quickmix.
Among items offered for swapping (no cash exchange) were homemade/homegrown/homecrafted breads, cookies, candy, spiced nuts, relishes, jams and marmalades. There were plants for the garden, peppermint infused beeswax lip balm, lotion and candles, herbal potions (for nerves, aches and colds), dyed yarns, knitted and crocheted items, stitched bags, jewelry, stained glass ornaments, a magnificent pinecone wreath and peanut butter bird treats, artwork from greeting cards to paintings and drawings and on and on.
Daughters Dianne (those are her new stained glass ornaments pictured above - all photos in this post were taken by her) and Liz (she helped organize event and made lots of items) were such fun to be with. Most especially fun was my youngest granddaughter, Mahon. She enjoyed the potluck that everyone "cooked-up" for this event and whirled around the park (which provided covered picnic tables and an adjacent playground for the kids) at amazing speed.
I swapped dried lavender, a charming pen and inkdrawing (for a new picture grouping I am working on and will show you soon) homemade liquors (Limoncello and Bailey's Irish Cream), a garlic plant, some white burlap fabric to craft with, a pinecone treat for the birds, a Soloman's Seal and olive oil balm for arthritis, spiced sugared walnuts, a bracelet made of beautiful seeds and more. It was a delightful event, crafted with love, worth the effort everyone put forth.
Posted below is my cornbread quickmix recipe, a bulk quantity mix. It was a favorite of my mother (Marcelle Mahon) and came into popularity in the 1950's about the time "Bisquick" became all the rage. Mothers were just beginning to join the workforce and "quick breads" were a great time-saver.
Trans-fat awareness has now given us pause when making a choice about "speedy-mixes," but this recipe would allow you to make your personal determination about which fat to use. Being a true Southern girl, I have listed butter and that is what I use.
Other recipe options could include cutting down on the sugar and if you can get some real coarse stoneground cornmeal directly from a Georgia mill (remember, that's where grits are known as "Southern Ice Cream") you will probably get a no-compete request from Paula Dean!!
SOUTHERN CORNBREAD QUICK-MIX
4 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
5 CUPS CORNMEAL
2 CUPS NONFAT DRY MILK
1/2 CUP SUGAR
1/4 CUP DOUBLE-ACTING BAKING POWDER (MAKE SURE IT IS FRESH)
1 TABLESPOON SALT
TO MAKE MIX: Combine above ingredients thoroughly and store in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to bake.
TO MAKE CORNBREAD: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 8" square pan and tilt pan so the bottom is coated. Beat one egg with one cup water. Combine egg mixture with 2 1/3 cups cornbread mix and blend in excess melted butter from baking pan. Stir just until mixed. Do not over mix. Pour immediately into hot pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until top is desired brownness. ENJOY with butter and marmalade or jam or drop some into a hot bowl of soup instead of croutons.
CHEESE SESAME CORNBREAD OPTION: After pouring mixture into hot pan, sprinkle top with 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and two tablespoons sesame seeds.
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