I love glass. I love it for the same reason birds love it, it’s shiny. Cleaning the glass around my house, including my windows, mirrors, and the glass on pictures is one of my chief (and some would think, strangest) decorating tips for the holidays. Glass makes the perfect palette for candlelight and twinkle lights to shimmer and shine which does a lot to make magic in any room. Like the trail Tinkerbelle leaves as she flies by. ♥
Receiving this dish in my early 20’s was probably the thing that alerted me to the possibilities with glass and started the obsession. It was a gift from my Aunt Maroline and Uncle Bob when I got married. When I first saw it, I didn’t know what it 
was or what I would DO with it; there were no bananas in it when I unwrapped it, so I wasn’t sure what its purpose was. I love things with a purpose, so when my aunt told me it was to hold bananas, I jumped for joy. It had a reason to exist! I could have it! The pure charm and whimsy of the thing took hold of my heart, and this banana dish has been on every kitchen table, island, or counter in every kitchen of my life. It is a mainstay. I would be bereft without it. We are never without bananas in our house. ♥
Inspiration is funny. You never know when it will hit or what form it will take. One summer afternoon, many years ago, we were sitting at the picnic table in the backyard belonging to a French man we know here on the island. He spread a white table cloth over the wood table, brought out beautiful cheeses on a board, and served us cold white wine in short, straight-sided thin glasses like these, while French cafe music drifted out the open French doors to his house.
I thought, oo, la, oui! How continental! How adorably foreign! How Charles Trenet! I must have this!
And so it began, the glass collection that will never end. Because
it was becoming obvious that to lead an original romantic life, on the model of the early Zelda Fitzgerald, where dreamy French music and entertaining would take place, I was going to need to gather the ingredients (props); these glasses looked like a good place to start.
We’ve collected ours mostly one at a time. We’ll see one on a shelf in an antique store, it will cost a dollar, and we will jump on it like it’s a trophy. Our eyes narrow and shift around the store, to see, does anyone else notice this wonderful thing is only a dollar? And they don’t, so we grab it and run. What is a dollar these days? A candy bar is a dollar.
Because we find them one at a time, our collection of these little glasses is very mix and match. We’ve found them in pink and green depression glass, etched with fruit and flowers, swirled, and hand-painted.
We have found them etched with the Lord’s Prayer.
We have found ones that we can’t believe have survived so long!
Some of them could definitely tell a story. We found this one from the first Queen Elizabeth in the little antique store on board the QEII. It was not a dollar. But it had our name written all over it. The Finding-Nemo seagull word formed on the lips, “mine” it said, irresistibly, as in take me I’m yours.
Over time, we realized that others, with slightly different shapes, make wonderful water glasses. I know some of you understand this love of pretty glasses, because a couple of weeks ago we put three sets of these little glasses, colored and etched, in the Vintage section of our website, and they were snapped right up! Sets are really hard to find but Joe and I got them out shopping as we were crossing the country! So happy you (whoever you are) got them! I will keep looking, when I’m out and about, for more.
We have found them in all colors . . . and have broadened our definition of “what is acceptable” to include different shapes. We had to, there was no choice; do you look at these yellow jewels and say, oh dear, no, the ridges just won’t do? No, you do not. You don’t even think it.
Setting the table can be like putting together a puzzle, a little of this a little of that. But, for better or worse, however it turns out will be very unlike anyone else’s, because, as you know, you can’t walk into a store and just get this stuff any time, it takes a long time to gather this, a person has to be choosy and get just what she loves. ♥
Glass obsession knows no end. It graduates from wine glasses, and gets its wings with serving bowls, candle sticks, and cake plates. It was probably thirty years of antiquing before I found this at a price I was willing to pay for it. I’m just not paying $200 for a cake stand, but I will pay $56. Yes, I will. Here it is, home at last! Holding my mom’s famous Coconut Circus Cake with pink sugar frosting. ♥
Pitchers and ice bowls call my name too.
Early morning light comes in through the windows and falls across the dining table, and this is what we get, free of charge.
Glass star bobeche and colored-glass vintage sugars and creamers are perfect for the holidays.
And here is my newest find. Something I almost never come across, do you recognize it? Yes! It’s a really beautiful cut-glass Banana Dish, about as perfect as it can be. But, you are saying, “She already has a banana dish . . . this isn’t fair!”
And I am saying, “I didn’t get it for me. I got it for you.” ♥
Yes, I did; this little jewel is going to one of you, and all you have to do to be entered for the random drawing is leave a comment and tell me (and everyone!) your favorite housekeeping tip. Or, like last time, you can just say hello! Or maybe a Jell-O recipe would be good. 🙂
In a couple of days, after everyone is all signed up, we’ll draw a name. More fun in this giant mutual admiration society of ours! Willard starts going out this morning…today and tomorrow. I’m off to work on my book! Talk to you later! Happy day to all! ♥
Hi Susan! Love the banana dish !!!! No housekeeping tips – but a tip about making jello…I used to call my mom the “queen of jello” – she made jello molds for every holiday..and had a collection of all kinds of copper molds…She always dissolved her jello in a big pyrex measuring cup – so she could see that all the jello was dissolved in the boiling water. She never added the cold water until not a spec of undissolved jello remained. Her jello was perfect every time!!! XO!
Your mom sounds fun!
Thanks for sharing about the banana dish….never would have guessed that is what it is for! Love glass….have a hard time recycling little jam jars and caper jars, etc. I also love the pink depression glass from my grandmother…so thin and delicate. You know, it’s kinda funny….I’m starting to recognize your stuff (like the fish vase used in the tablescape). “Getting to know you…getting to know all about you”…tee hee.:)
Isn’t that funny! I wondered if someone would notice!
Hi Susan
I just started looking for beautiful glassware , never saw this piece ever, only ever saw bananas hanging!!
I don’t have any tips, just wishing you a wonderful upcoming holiday season. I LOVE LOVE all of your inspiration and tips you share with all of us , your favorite fans!!
thanks!!
Thank you Pam, have a wonderful day!
Oh glassware and dishes…..one can never have too many….can she? As would be obvious to any visitor that came to our home full of several display cases and hutches brimming with treasures from my great-grandmother and grandmothers. I love to bring the various pieces out and use them….they are jewels to my table.
Love it Sheri!
Hey Susan,
Let me give you a special “Thanksgiving” idea.
Every year my dad will bake an apple pie for Thanksgiving—he’s famous for them. “One apple pie?”—you ask. “That’s it?”
He bakes it in an old, iron skillet and that way it serves many people. He has done this for years and will continue to this year. Now, it may not be the most gorgeous pie ever—what with the gazillion lumps due to the large slices of apple within, and it may weigh a ton to carry to the house where Thanksgiving is being held that particular year, but it tastes like Heaven:)
Give it a try—especially since you spoke of your obsession with black in the newsletter and you’ll have two pies in one!!!!
Oh and don’t forget the ice cream and a slice of pumpkin pie to accompany it:)
Great idea, probably looks homemade and wonderful besides tasting good!
ohhhh, i’m hyper-ventilating! you’re giving this away?! it’s gorgeous! like all your glass pieces! i keep a few choice pieces that i use; this banana keeper would be and outstanding piece for me, used and loved! o would love to win this; thanx for the opportunity to do so.
Okay, I gotta have this banana dish, so here’s my comment: It’s Autumn and I’m eating a cold, crisp Comice pear with goat cheese for lunch. Ahhhhhh!
Perfection!
Hello Susan! I so love reading your wonderful blog and I love collecting glass, too. More specifically, glass cake stands. I started collecting them in the 80’s and to this day, my heart still skips a beat whenever I see one at an antique show or second-hand shop. My only tip is that when you find that special piece of glass or porceline platter at an antique shop or flea market, take it home, carefully wash it with warm, soapy water, love it and Use it! Use it! Use it! to make your own memories with it.
Thank you Linda!
I am falling in love with bananas all over again — they are a must for my morning smoothie. I’m thinking every household needs a lovely banana-holder. I hope I’m the lucky one.
Now, onto a household cleaning tip….I splurged and bought some Libman cleaning cloths. No lint. No more papertowels. While cleaning can be a drag, they make me feel like I’m doing my part for the environment and they do shine up glass quite well.
Thank you Jodi!
Hi Susan! I love getting your emails – Blogs & Willards! Your posts are always so personal & heartfelt. The topic is about such every day things, but continues to be a surprise – What will she write about next? Your giveaways have been a real unexpected surprise! And the wonderful person that you are shines through so much with how you show how truly excited you are with giving. Seems everything you write about, I think… Oh, I Love That, too! You & everyone else that write messages have made me realize that all my collections of all kinds of things are as special as I think they are. One of the collections that I treasure is the various glassware that I have of my grandmother’s. Some of the things were her mother’s. (Me, being in my mid-50’s & having them passed down…they’ve been around for a long time!) That and her teacups are most revered. I am having a special birthday celebration next week for my husband & am already planning the table setting. You mentioned sharing a recipe with Jell-O. That grandma was a Jell-O every kind of salad lover! The first recipe that popped in my head is something my family has come to call “Banana HooHa”… (I know a weird name, but in moment of someone asking me what it was, that’s what came out & what ending up sticking). One of the ingredients is JELL-O pudding… AND of course bananas!!
1- 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 c. sugar, divided
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
6 medium bananas, divided
2 c. cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serve size) Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding
2 c. thawed Cool Whip topping, divided
1 c. chopped pecans
Mix crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar & butter; press firmly onto bottom of 13×9″pan. Freeze 10 min. Beat cream cheese & remaining 3/4 c. sugar w/electric mixer on med. speed until well blended. Spread carefully over crust; top w/ pineapple. Slice 4 bananas; arrange over pineapple. Pour milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 c. of the whipped topping; spread over banana layer. Top with remaining 1 c. whipped topping; sprinkle w/ pecans. Refrig. 5 hours. Slice remaining 2 bananas just before serving; arrange over dessert.
First off, such nice comments, thank you so much Cindy! Very sweet. And the recipe, sounds heavenly! Thanks for that too!
I am SO looking forward to reading through everyone’s tips. I am a flop at successfully keeping house, but I’d have to say there are three things that if I do them, I am always very thankful. 1. Get dressed to shoes with hair and makeup done every day. This is golden for when there are urgent care visits or drop-in visitors. 2. Do a swish & swipe each day (FlyLady’s tip). Also golden for the drop-in visitors and the unwelcome flu bug. 3. When starting a meal, fill the sink with hot, soapy water and clean as you go. Like I said, I can barely ever keep up with these (I am good at number 1 though).
Susan, I would love, love, love if you would give us a glimpse of your daily routine. I’m sure it’s much different than mine because you don’t have small children in the home, but ideas are always nice!
Mine is so artsy, studio-y, kind of the same every day, then cooking and walking, that kind of thing.
Susan, oh my gosh!, Why can’t you live down the street from me! What a wonderful neighbor and girlfriend you would be….of course you would always have something cooking, which could be a plus or a minus for me, have to do alot of walking if I were to visit you, ’cause I know you would be the perfect hostess and offer me something to wonderful to eat! Then, again I know some wonderful recipes to offer you! And we could admire each other’s collections, do I dare go there? I suppose we are like crows, they like sparkling things also! So, like everyone else I too, would love to receive the banana dish with all your extra love included! Hugs, Cocoa
Thank you Cocoa, your name is so cute!
How the heck do you DO that, Susan? How do you make the blog or the Willard last as long as the song suggestion? You’re one of the most talented senoritas around. I know that technically, you’re a senora, but seriously. Ya know what I mean? And, out of respect for all the real glass lovers here, I don’t think you should enter me in this particular giveaway because I don’t eat bananas and the loverly piece…Hmmm…Just had an idear. I could put paper napkins in it. Nevermind. I’m in! btw, didja get to La Super Rica on this last go round? Hope so. And, it feels really special that your guy thinks we’re cute. 🙂 Have I not said thank you yet? Jiminy! Thank you for another wonderful Willard and blog. As always, you remain, da bestest! <3
Thank YOU Siobhan! Didn’t get to Super Rica because we forgot and ate! Then we were mad at ourselves! Next time!
I leave my comment in the spirit of ‘turning my day around’. I’ve had One of Those Days. I drove off in my car to take the dog to his vet appt (not sick, just annual shots) and apparently drove away with the phone on the roof of my car ( I was talking to my Mom when I loaded the old dog into the back seat) and now the phone is LOST. I retraced my path to the vet both in the car, and then more slowly on my bike just to be sure it didn’t bounce into the grass somewhere. …. GONE. A Susan Branch Banana dish would be appropriate for someone like me who is clearing going bananas!
Poor baby! So sorry. Go look again!
Thank you for urging me on to have all the glass clean for the holidays!
I too have seen those dishes and not known they were for bananas!
Growing up my mom would always let me cook or bake but she had one rule: clean up as you go along. Many years later, I still do this when I cook or bake, I clean up the mess right away. I also clean up after an event, no matter how late it might be. I want my kitchen fresh for the next day. Cleaning up time lets me re-live the event and the conversations so it is never a lonely task even if hubby is asleep!
That is wonderful quiet time!
Hmmm..a banana dish…I’ve never seen one but now when I go to the Antique Mall I will be looking at glassware in a different light..no pun intended..well maybe. You are a generous soul and I do truly look forward to reading your blog…makes my day….Take care dear friend….Lorie
Thanks Lorie!
I had a Banana Dish just like yours, and I never knew how to use it. So happy to find out about it because it was my grandmother’s dish and I have always treasured it even without knowing what it was. The only tip I have comes from something a friend introduced to me. She gave me Bar Keeper’s Friend and some crocheted net scrubbers to keep the sink nice and clean. This was a great gift and now we use it all the time. Thank you for your wonderful writings. I love them!
Thank you Marion! How great you have a banana dish!
I too have an obsession with glass. It began with my “inheritance” of my great-grandmother’s punch bowl. I was the oldest great-granddaughter, so it was decided that I should have it. Even though she was long gone before I was born, I fantasized that perhaps my love for entertaining came from her. When I asked about the punch bowl no one could ever remember seeing it used. It sat on top of a curio cabinet forever. So much for my imagination!!!
Ha ha ha, hope you are making up for lost time!
I just returned home from an all day quilt class..such fun! How wonderful to sit at my computer and learn about a banana dish and THEN to discover you are giving one away!! Wahoo! Since the chances are small that I will win…I will now be on the look out for such an amazing dish! Every kitchen should have one. Thanks for the opportunity to join in on the fun! I have loved your artwork for years, now I love your blog too!
Thank you so much Susan!
That banana dish is just beautiful! I’ve never seen one before now. My housekeeping tip…leave the housework for later and play with your puppies instead! They’ll love you for it…as if they didn’t love you enough already!!!!
Hi Susan,
Lots of kindred spirits out there – Your blog is wonderful – I check every day.
The bananna dish is lovely. Our family always had Lemon jello with crushed
pineapple and grated carrots in it for Easter dinner. It is good with ham.
I still make it.
Yum. Yes, lots of kindred spirits!
Hi Susan! I, too, love glass of all kinds, and I particularly love old purpled glass and cut glass. I’ve never seen a banana holder before, but it is gorgeous! My bananas would love to have a wonderful place like that to hang out! My collection of purple glass, although not huge, is starting to outgrow the space I have for it on my kitchen window ledge, but I like to leave it in the sun so it will continue to turn more purple.
Clean from the top down. Dust ceiling fans, furniture, etc before you clean the floors. Vacuum, sweep or mop floors last that way any dust that fell while dusting will be caught when you do the floors.
OMG! I don’t have a great housekeeping tip, but another cool use of baking soda is to dump it on a smelly pan you don’t feel like cleaning right away. Kills the smell and soaks up the gunk and wipes right out when you ARE ready. Teehee! I’d love this dish ’cause my 15-month-old is finally, mostly, eating bananas. I can’t stand ’em, so this would help! xoxo
You could leave it to her! 🙂
Hello Girlfriends across the country. Thank-you Susan for sharing all that is good with us. I have a daughter that is born 2 days before Valentine’s Day. She is 2 1/2 , and is currently slurping up homemade chicken soup. Anyways…after she was born…she has become my excuse to collect beautiful things. Specifically plates, season specific tea ware and pink depression glass. I have a little boy as well…and every Tuesday after school, he looks forward to a formal afternoon Tea . Why collect beautiful things if you don’t use them??? My children will have the memory of me setting beautiful tables for them long after I am gone. This website serves as inspiration.
You are making magic for your children is what I think! Thank you Nicole!
Hi Susan! Like you, I love the sparkle of crystal and china displayed on shelves behind glass cabinet doors in the breakfast area of my kitchen. I absolutely adore tablescapes with a variety of cake pedestals, crystal bowls, along with a cookbook stand holding one of my Susan Branch cookbooks open to a favorite recipe or picture signifying the current season. You are an inspiration!!
My favorite household tip would be “Arm & Hammer” Baking Soda. I use this stuff to clean everything without scratching or dulling surfaces. Wonderful to clean pyrex baking dishes or food stuck on pots and pans. Just sprinkle baking soda on the pan, add hot water, and let soak…overnight if you are not in a hurry…the scrubbing bubbles of the baking soda really does all the work for you.
One of my good friends makes a Jell-o recipe that is one of my favorites. She calls it “Orange Mold”…but I love it so much that I renamed it “Mandarin Orange Cream”…it’s so delish!
1 large container of Cool Whip
8 oz. Breakstone sour cream
3 small boxes orange Jell-o
1 large can Dole crushed pineapple (partially drained)
2 large cans of mandarin oranges (drained)
2 small packages of chopped black walnuts (do not use regular walnuts)
In a large bowl, mix Cool Whip and sour cream. Add the Jell-o powder and stir the mixture well. Add the crushed pineapple and stir the mixture well. Fold in the mandarin oranges and the black walnuts.
Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl or individual glass dessert dishes. Place in the refrigerator to chill for a least 4 hours.
Easy, refreshing, and so-o-o-o-o yummy!
Thank you TJ — love your tablescape!
Hi, Susan…
I just noticed my comment from 1:12 this afternoon is still “awaiting moderation”… did I do something wrong?????
No we have a wonky site today, I don’t know why, I answer, and answers don’t show up, or sometimes the answer does, but not the comment! 🙂 Let’s see if this one goes!
Hello
I too have a life ling love affair with dishes….dishes of every kind…interesting dishes…..old dishes….new dishes that look old……I would love to have the banana dish….count me in the drawing
You’re in!
I love the banana dish!
My tip is borrowed from my younger sister, who borrowed it from Isabella Rossellini. Never leave a room without taking something with you. There’s always at least one item that needs to go back where it belongs. Don’t walk out empty handed!
That’s the old waitress tip, never go empty handed.
I have never seen a crystal banana dish before, and now that I have I want it! I are redoing our kitchen and it would be the cherry to top my sundae;)
Your bananas must feel so special sitting on their own pedestal! Here’s my favorite housekeeping tip: When company calls unexpectedly and says they are five minutes away from your house and you really need to wash your kitchen floor, spray it lightly with the sprayer at the sink and use a towel to wipe up the water. The dirty spots are gone and you can quickly throw the towel in the wash. It only takes a few minutes! And, they never need to know.
I can picture myself with the sprayer out over the floor! I like it!
I love glass also but I had never heard of a banana dish before! It’s beautiful and I would love to add it to my collection of glass. Love your blog.
It is so nice to visit you here…with all the modern shows on tv and modern decor in the stores, I sometimes feel like I am so out of touch with my grandmother’s china, my mother-in-law’s silver set, the silver I got for wedding presents, the old dresser laces my grandmothers made, and the wonderful glass I’ve inherited from all the women in our family who have gone before. I got it all because no one else wanted it. And as I read your posts, I think…it’s ok. I can love it, use it, feel good about it. Thank you Susan. Oh yes, and my favorite housekeeping thing to do in the fall and winter months is set a pot of water on the stove and add some cloves, cinnamon sticks, a cut up apple, and let it stew for the day and fill the house with a fall-y, winter-y aroma.
My favorite tip is get ready shoes and all then off you go to get things in order and start your day cleaning away:)
The household tip that first comes to mind is do a little everyday…that way it doesn’t pile up on you (particularly the laundry….which is my weak spot!). I love all the glassware…I wish I had more cabinet space to collect all sorts of dishes. I LOVE this piece!!
The banana dish is lovely. I love glassware in various forms, too.
I really enjoy visiting your blog. Your train trip to and from California reminded me of the trip my mother and I took from Virginia to Florida and back when I was twelve. It was such an adventure. Thanks for bringing back some fun memories.
My pleasure Elaine! Thanks for coming along!
Hi Susan! What a nifty thing to do! I have never had a banana dish or ever seen one! But here is my tip and it goes with the theme of “Glass”. If you want SPARKLING glass ware, add baking soda to the dish pan with the soap and water. Cuts down on residue and leaves your glasses (and crystals from chandeliers) unbelievably twinkly! Happy Fall, happy life!
First of all, I’m so excited for Patricia!!!! Congratulations….now, onto this glass obsession. I have it, too. Yes, I admit it. My German-born mom started this, but at first…..I could not understand it. Glass everywhere…..then she started giving it to me! What am I going to do with it, I thought……
Today, I gave her a call ( I do this a couple of times a week) and she tells me that she’s going to have a garage sale this coming Saturday! What are you selling, I ask nervously……
She tells me an old green chair (which has a needlepoint seat, by the way) and a bunch of stuff she’s tired of dusting.
Any glass?
Why….you want it? (she asks in a German accent)
Yes, mom…..don’t throw all this stuff away…..
I know she’s not going to listen to me; if she didn’t live a thousand miles away, I’d drive over there and just give her the $42.33 she’s going to make at the garage sale and take it all home……
I can’t even think about it……I’ll bet there’s a banana dish in there somewhere, too!
Thankyou for admitting your obsessions…..now I know I’m in good company!
xo
Joann
Horrors. Is she near me? LOL.
I love how you find beauty in the simplest of things. I love old glassware too! Especially if it is from family members. I am not a fan of housekeeping, so my best tip is to marry someone like my husband Tom. He is not afraid to do housework. As a matter of fact, he was a stay at home Dad for 5 years, while I worked full time ( I am a nurse) I always came home to a clean house, dinner in the oven, laundry done AND put away!! Was great!!
What a doll, say Hi to Tom!
I would love to win this pretty little banana holder! It’s so cute!
Donna
I was one of the lucky ones to get a set of the lovely vintage wine glasses when they appeared on Susan’s website. I ordered them because they looked so European compared to the stemware we usually use or think of when drinking wine. They made me think of my sister-in-law who I knew would love them and imagined her sitting with me having a glass of wine. She is now in a battle against cancer and I want to give them to her if only….
I don’t have a home keeping tip, but in the same melancholy vein, I have a chine cabinet with various pieces of glassware and dishes that my dear mom over the years would give me for Christmas, birthdays, anydays as a way of handing history down to me. The lovely thing is that she would make these cute paper tags that she cut with pinking shears. She’d poke a hole in the tag, run a ribbon through it and write on the tag what the item was and its significance (where it came from in the family, favorite memory of using it, etc. and always signed it , “Love, Mom.” Now, when you look in my china cabinet, you see all these pretty things with lovely tags and I can read a love note from her anytime I need one.
Susan, thank you for the opportunity to purchase such lovely, well-loved items and know that they end up in special places not unlike yours.
Oh, so happy Sarah, a set of glasses ended up with YOU! Please give your sister in law my very best!! Love your mom’s forethought!
Not to sound like Violet from Willy Wonka but Mommy, I want it, I want it, I really really realy want it. 😉
My housecleaning tip is to reuse your fabric softner sheets to scrub soap scum off your shower door. It removes built up soap scum the best!
I don’t think I have ever seen a banana bowl. What a neat piece of glass. My MIL was a great collector of glass, so we have lots of glasses and pitchers. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi Ms. Susan,
My parents are the same when it comes to bananas, it’s always in the house. Thanks for sharing your beautiful glass collection with us.
~Shana
My favorite mirror or glass cleaning tip is to use a mixture of water and dish washing detergent. No windex smears for sure. Thanks for such a thoughtful giveaway.
One of my favorite cleaning tips: When you have a stain or yellow mark on your pretty table linens, wash them in your washer and then take then outdoors on a sunny day and lay them flat on your green lawn to dry. Some secret miracle reaction between the sun and green grass pulls the stain magically out! This was a tip given to me by my lovely homemaker mother who always had a warm place for us to land. The banana glass bowl is so pretty and we would find a perfect spot in our home for it. Happy Fall, L
And I always thought it was the fairies! Of course they hide in the grass until you go away…….then they break out the magical scrubbers!
Love glass…I inherited a cut glass bowl from my Mom that we called the banana pudding bowl because she always made banana pudding in it!! It is not expensive, it is chipped but it is a cherished memory. Thanks for sharring your collection!
Hi SB! Thank you~Thank you~Thank you for yet another wonderful giveaway!
I’m still up in the clouds over the wooden recipe box and BAM here comes a crystal banana dish!! You are so sweet to think of us while on your travels! I look forward “catching up” with you everyday through your blog.
As far as a housekeeping tip…..
My 81 year old Gram has a cross-stitched sampler hanging in her kitchen, it says:
My house is clean enough to be HEALTHY and dirty enough to be HAPPY!
and that’s all I have to say about that!! LOL
xoxo donna marie
Very good!
My housecleaning tip involves scrubbing the kitchen floor for company coming. Of course, make sure that you spot clean any big spots or marks before company arrives. But my floor cleaning is done AFTER the big crowd leaves! Mostly if the floor is free of eye-catching spots no one will really notice that it needs scrubbing! But…after several families have walked through your kitchen, it really will need cleaning. So do it afterwards. 🙂 At least this works for us since we have some large gatherings at our home.
I have never seen a banana dish before. It reminds me of glass my grandmother collects and if this dish would enter my house she would be proud beyond words! Speaking of my grandmother, she keeps a spotless house. With three young children I do not come close to matching her housekeeping skills. I’ll enjoy the housecleaning tips from everyone else. =)
I inherited several pieces of glass from my Italian great-grandparents that match your etched glasses. I collect jadeite as well. Don’t have a banana holder and bananas are always in the house. It’d be so useful;-)
Oh Susan! This week is career week at the elementary school where I teach and I have decided although I will be celebrating my 50th birthday in a couple of weeks…. I want to be Susan Branch when I grow up! I share your love of all things glass and I definitely know that little voice you hear when a new found treasure whispers your name! Oh how I would treasure that lovely banana dish!
Thank you for sharing so much through your books and blog! You inspire me to live my dreams!
Oh thank you so much Mischelle! Happy Birthday!
I love glassware! Enjoyed your wonderful photos. My house cleaning tip is to work on one room at a time. That way there is always sense of accomplishment. Thank you for sharing your precious time with all of us. Your blog is so delightful. It always makes my day.
Thanks Karen, thank you for being here!
p.s…..my only exception on the scrubbing floors idea is if you’re expecting crawling babies/toddlers; I’d definitely want the floor clean if I knew friends’ children would be wiping it up with their hands! 🙂
You are so my soul mate!
I too love glass! In fact I am one of those that bought a set of the lovely glasses! I have small glass cream or milk pitchers in my dining room window that sparkle in the sunshine. I also collect early 20th century glass baskets of a particular shape that I call figure 8 as from the side they make an 8! Clear is my favorite but I do have colors. Some are etched, some are plain , and some have stripes cut into them. I love them!
As stated in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, Windex is great for almost everything!!!
My last comment never passed waiting for moderation!
I woke up to 503 comments this morning, it’s probably in there and coming! 🙂 SO happy to know who got one of the sets! I love knowing which homes my things go to!
Hi Susan,
Ever since I was in high school and my mom got one of your amazing calendars for Christmas, I have been awed and inspired by your talent. I get your calendar every year because the artistry, quotes, and color brighten even the gloomiest days. I too collect glass. My favorite is Hobnail, but a few years ago my father gave me a cut glass jam jar that belonged to his grandmother, which has become one of my all time favorite pieces. I’m glad to see that you use your glass. I do too and people always question “How can you use that? It is so fragile.” But I know that the people who owned the pieces before me used them and loved them, and that is what I intend to do as well.
Girl after my own heart! Love hobnail too!
I love glass and have quite a bit, but I don’t recall ever seeing a banana dish. It’s just lovely! My best housekeeping tip – because I have two large indoor dogs – is to ask everyone to give advance warning before they come over. Then I REALLY clean! Terrible, isn’t it?
I think my best tip ever was to take the bleach smell off of your hands after using it to clean or after laundry, is to rinse your hands with vinegar. I usually have some vinegar based window cleaner and simply spritz my hands. I also read that the best way to clean a shower is to use cheap shampoo and a washcloth. It cleans soap scum on shower doors very well and is safe for everyone to use.
I love your blog and I am as foolish about glass as you are. We have a very dark kitchen in our new home and I am thinking of painting all the cabinets white and leaving a few doors off to show off my beloved glassware. I love the pictures of your home and always get ideas!!
You will love it. I had my dad take off the cupboard doors the moment we moved in — not on all the cupboards, just on the dish cupboard. You have to clean in there more often, but to me, it’s worth it.
OMGoodness, I didn’t know banana dishes like this existed! How delightful they are! I don’t have a housekeeping tip, sorry, this is not my forte. I wish I could have a maid, as I adore a spotless house, but I DO tire of the whole cleaning thing. Especially when I have 2 adult kids still living at home, and they don’t know what “clean up after yourself” means! But I love them anyway! I guess my tip would be, if you want it done good, do it yourself! I’m finicky about things. I want dishes CLEAN, windows and mirrors with no streaks, no wrinkles in the beds, etc. So, I am cleaning all the time!! But I do it for people I love. You are sweet Susan, to find little treasures for all of us to enjoy!
Maybe one hour a week?
I once got a stainless steel toast holder for a wedding gift. I too had no idea what it was, but was glad to get it. A few years later, I decided I didn’t need it, so I got rid of it, perhaps at a garage sale. Now knowing the error of my ways, I regret that – I never met anyone that had a toast holder. How unique it was!! Oh well, I hope whoever got that toast holder cherished it- and uses it to HOLD THEIR TOAST!!!!
I have always looked at those things and wondered how anyone lets toast last long enough that it needs to be in a holder? I suppose if you’re serving a crowd. But it always looks like instead of holding the toast, it’s “airing” the toast, which I don’t want the toast to be aired, I want it hot. So, I think I am not a toast holder person. For what it’s worth. 🙂
1st time I met a toast holder was in a B&B in England. It was silver, shiny & pretty, but yes, the toast was aired! And we had aired toast with sliced tomatoes, eggs, bangers, & Heinz beans! I did need to get a toast holder at the next antique sale we went to later in the day, as I was smitten with everything English!
Me too, loved those tomatoes, and even their aired toast.
When my youngest daughter was little she got frequent nose bleeds. One afternoon we were at my older daughter’s basketball game and the younger one got a bloody nose. The school’s athletic trainer came over to help out and recomended that we use hydrogen peroxide on the stains before throwing the clothes in the wash. Worked like a charm! It saved a lot of clothing from the rag bag!
Smart!
Hi Susan-
I ran across you blog a few weeks ago, and I must admit I am just enchanted! You have made me see things in a new light. Keep up your good work!
Thank you Karen, and welcome to the neighborhood!
Hi Susan: like others that have posted before me, I am a relative new comer. I am so enjoying every post and look forward to reading your writings. I also have been a fan of your books for several years and have been inspired to write my own recipe books complete with art for just my family and friends. My household tip is to enjoy the process. I look forward to cleaning and tidying because I get to touch and appreciate all the wonderful things I have collected, one by one. I also love glass but also porcelains and tea accoutrements. I just found a biscuit jar at the Swap Meet for $8. I told the seller what it was and that it was worth much more but he said he would be happy for me to take it and appreciate it. It is now mine. And like you I like things to be useful. I will keep it for a while, then perhaps fill it with “biscuits” and give it away so someone else can have that giddy joy. Thank you for sharing your life and loves with us. I think it too unlikely to win the banana glass but now that I know what it is I am sure I will be on my own hunt. (My mom used to hunt for pancake dishes when we were kids–no one is immune to a good treasure hunt!) Linda
Not around here anyway!
As the Klick&Klack Brothers say, “Well, now you’ve wasted another hour…..”. But……reading your blog,Susan, and all the comments from friends is spending the kind of time that isn’t wasted at all because it feeds my soul……thank you! Can’t wait to receive my first Willard.
Unlike most of you all, I’m not so crazy about glass but I do have a little juice glass with tulips all around it, like one my Grandma Menz had, and I did take special note of your glass, Susan, with the orange and blue daisies…..so sweet. If by chance your banana basket comes my way it will keep going to my son Darin’s home. Once we were with two of his old roommates….one from college and another from the Navy……they both agreed that the “staff of life” according to Darin is three things: milk, cream of wheat and bananas!! He still loves all three, but eats a lot of pink cupcakes now that his daughter has learned to bake.
A cleaning hint…..use GLEEN cleaning cloths. They are absolutely terrific on windows and mirrors! No cleaning solutions….just water……and no wasted paper towels…….and the best…..no smears or film left, just sparkle. The better to see you, my dear! I was looking at myself in the mirror last week as I tried to pick a blush brush bristle (say that 3 times fast!) off my cheek…..turns out it was a wrinkle!!! Maybe a little film is a good thing!
As always, DonnaRay
LOL, yes! Thanks DonnaRay!
Susan…you are the bestest “girlfriend”. I can’t believe you bought the banana bowl for us….yippppeeeee! Well, lets see, I have so many housekeeping tips…I have one that I keep a secret and when some of my girlfriends come over to the house and use my ladies room they will ask…how do you keep your glass shower doors looking like new…well….here’s the secret….don’t be going and telling everyone now girls (and Jake)…I’m just sharing this with you all cause ….ok…..I want that banana bowl and Susie said we have to tell a housekeeping tip so…oh alright…I’ll tell ya….!!!!! I can’t believe I’m doing this….I take a dryer sheet…like Bounce and if you wet it and rub it all over your shower doors then rinse well….they’ll shine! Yep, works everytime. You can also rub it on the bumper of your car and then the bugs will not stick to it. (Just a little extra tip I thought I would share.) I hope you all enjoy how pretty your shower doors are going to look after you try this! Well, there…..I did it. I’m excited for whom ever wins ….we all know that half the fun is getting all charged up about it and the anticipation is enough to drive us nuts…we all feed off of it. LOL ! Good Luck “Grilfriend” and Jake! I’m sure the banana bowl will look beautiful in the house it chooses to live in. FOSB 4~Ever!
Thank you Doreen, great tip, never heard of that one before!
Thank you for being such a great inspiration! I can’t tell you how much I love everything Susan Branch. I’ve never heard of a banana dish, but I also have bananas on the table at all times. My favorite banana recipe is this:
“Healthy” Banana Shake
1 cup milk
1 frozen banana
1 Tablespoon cocoa
stevia to taste
Blend in blender and enjoy!
Yum, thanks Rosanna!
Hello =-) Oh! I drink my wine from a thin, delicate glass just like those. The set I have was my grandmother’s. Nobody wanted them, they were too short for water glasses and too fragile for family use. So I took them and I love having a nice glass of red wine in them. The floral etching shows up so nicely with red =-) I love your banana dish and would LOVE to win the one you are offering. What a wonderfully generous giveaway! And, may I say, my heart flip-flopped when I read that Christmas is exactly 2 months away! Must.get.cracking!!
I forgot to ask: How do I change the email address that my Willard gets delivered to? It said to contact you through the comments on your blog…so here I am =-) I so enjoy the Willards, and all your blog posts, too. I wouldn’t want to miss any of either one, and I would like to have Willard sent to my most current email address so I won’t! Thanks, Susan, for brightening all our days.
Kellee will do it for you!
Where do I find Kellee? (I’m kinda new here…) The address I need it sent to is the one that appears here in the comment form, if that helps…Thanks!
That’s perfect!
First I need to set the table for Thanksgiving!! 🙂
Favorite jello recipe..
When one flavor is almost gelled, get out your electric mixer and whip til it’s foamy. Pour into deep mold. Set. Then whip another color and add to the mold. I usually layer three colors/flavord. Decorate with fruit around base and top . Makes your tongue tickle. 😉
My mom did this one!
When I visit my girlfriends’ homes I just love bright, cheery spaces where garden-cut flowers in recycled glass “vases”, fresh baking for teatime and a warm welcome await me. More than a perfectly kept house, this kind of homey welcome is what I like to share with others too! My best housekeeping tip is to create a welcoming environment where friends or strangers find warmth and friendship. I want them to feel like I have been waiting especially them!
Sounds wonderful!
My favorite housekeeping tip:
Never criticize the way your husband completes a household chore! 😉
I once had a pretty blue banana dish. Can’t remember what happened to it. This one is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I guess at this stage of the game, my best hint is: get hubby to pitch in!
Good hint!
I’ve never seen a glass banana dish before…our bananas reside in a red metal colander, given to me when I admired it in a friend’s kitchen on a trip back home to NY. I’m fortunate to have a lot of antique glass…my dad was an only child, my mom had only one brother and he wasn’t really interested in household stuff, and my mom had an aunt who had no children…so we ended up with it all! Every time I use a piece, I think about all the meals and memories that it contains. Water glasses, parfait glasses, and even the amber decorated ones that were always used for Thanksgiving…all are precious. Thank you for your generosity. 🙂
Thank you Elizabeth! It’s wonderful that you treasure those things!
What a beautiful blog! The set table is lovely, all ready for dear friends! Gorgeous glassware so sparkly & a reminder for me to make mine sparkly. I lovingly (most of it we inherited from my mother-in-law) wash it this time of year whether it needs it or not! Christmas lights reflect so prettily on the clean glass, not so much on the dusty glass – guess that’s my housekeeping tip for the day! Thank you for your sweet generosity, someone will be treasuring that banana boat soon! Hugs!
Somethings up with the Blog…it’s going wackydoodles!!!! Must be the ghosts of Halloween causing havic!!!!! Hope Jake finds himself here so he doesn’t miss out on the giveaway!!!!
Yes it is doing wackydoodles all right. I just read some of the comments and found one I don’t think I ever saw before, just goin’ with the flow around here!
That’s all you can do Susan…you have no control over it! 😉
No, and for the most part, I’m so grateful to have it at all, if it wants to get a little bit crazy, I can put up with it!
A banana dish! Not sure I have every seen one before.. Now I’m on a the look out!
My best house cleaning tip is to have company over on a regular basis, then you have to clean, at least a little. We have a friend who lost his wife a year and a half ago. We have him for supper once a week. Good motivation, however, sometimes I am still cleaning off the dining room table when he come to the door.. There must be a saying about procrastination. lol
I look every day to see if you have posted another blog. It speaks to my heart.
Bless you.
..
Ellen DeGeneres says that Procrastination isn’t the problem, it’s the solution! 🙂
I keep bananas in my home just as you do. The banana dish would look beautiful in my dining room. Everywhere you look in my home you see a little of Susan Branch from your cook books that line my kitchen book shelf to the little vases I collect to the vintage dish cloths to quilts to wooden spoons!!!! I feel like you are my soul sister. Good household tip for taking stains out like wine or blueberry is rubbing alcohol it works on my dresser scarfs and tablecloths.
Thank you so much Jeanie!
I love glass, my best friend just gave me her Princess House glass collection. I’m celebrating by asking her and her husband over with my sweetie for Thanksgiving Dinner. My mother asked me what I wanted when she died. I told her I wanted my stepdad’s mom’s pink depression glass luncheon set. It comes with a cake stand, luncheon plates, cups and saucers, and cute little nut cups that look like martini glasses. The best housekeeping advice I can give is get good tools. It can save you lots of time and effort (see Don Aslet’s stuff)
Oh that pink set! Sounds gorgeous!
I just went over and had a lovely visit with Willard, and want to say thank you! I enjoyed it all, pretty, & witty, & helpful, & clever…you go girl! xo P.S. You really light up our lives (guess I should have said that on the shiny glass blog)!
Thank you Joan, love hearing from you!
Wow! I am utterly amazed at the amt of FOSB who have been blessed with glass pcs they inherited! 😮 I missed the “glass banana boat” on that opportunity! I truly enjoy washing my glassware (in hot soapy water) and sometimes I even tell them how beautiful they are! Ha! Cleaning Tip: yrs ago I bought a wide, soft bristle paint brush for dusting lampshades, picture frames and various other odds and ends that can be a challenge if I were to use a cloth or feather duster. Then use the hose of the vacuum to clean the brush. Have enjoyed all the tips GFs!
Good one Marita!
Wow! A banana dish? Occasionally, I see these on my hunts for treasures, but didn’t know what purpose they were for. We use vintage glassware for everyday use too. I love to collect glass pieces, and have two small antique china cabinets with vintage china, crystal, and glassware. My daughter inherited my obsession, and loves to collect glassware also, especially green glass. My interest started because my beloved Grandmother was a collector. Some of my fondest memories as a small child was tagging along with her as she shopped in ‘second-hand stores’ for her treasures. I was fascinated by colors and patterns on china, sparkling glass, and jewelery. I loved that my Grandmothers everyday dishware had a variety of patterns and colors, and nothing matched.
My favorite cleaning tip concerns the shower stall. I keep a squeegee in the stall, and after my shower I wipe the walls down with the squeegee while the enclosure is still wet. It cuts my weekly cleaning time down to a minimum as there is hardly any water spotting or film to deal with.
I love your site, and just recently discovered it. Your books are favorites, and now your blog is too. Thanks for your inspiration, and such a lovely giveaway!
Thank you so much Cheryl!
LOVE your glass and collecting parameters – which is anything goes!!! A gal after my own heart! I may have seen a banana dish but thought it was a clever way to have folded napkins available. Now I have two clever ways to use it!!! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome Cindy!
Household tip? If you don’t want to dust, close the blinds!
I just love the banana dish it reminds me of my Mom and all of the beautiful glass pieces she had. I have a beautiful amber 2 piece cake plate that belonged to my Great Grandma when she was a young woman. I love to bring it out every fall and showcase your wonderful Sugar Cookie recipe from your Christmas book. One of my best tips for housecleaning is if there is a smell in a room that you can’t get rid of put a small bowl of white vinegar in the room and the smell will disappear. Also I once bought a basket that had the smell of smoke and with charcoal I was able to get the smell out of it from the lids as well as the complete body of this beautiful
basket from the Longaberger line. I am sorry I ran out of room LOL. Have to check my email to see if Willard is there. Have a great evening Susan and Joe. Sandy Perry
Thank you Sandy . . . good!
My favorite household tip…hmmmm….I’ve got a million of them….but…..I’ve found that using Turtle Wax Ice car washing liquid does a great job on all your outdoor aluminum powder coated furniture. I’ve also used it on my windows and window frames, storm doors and steel garage door. Everything sparkles. Hope someone else likes it as much as I do. I love the banana dish Susan. Would look great in my china cabinet. Thanks for a great giveaway. :0)”
You are good! I have never washed the garage door, now I’m afraid to look at it! Thanks Evelyn!
It looks like the Fostoria dishes my mother passed down to my sister & I. We have all sorts but no banana dish. I would love to be the lucky winner!! Thanks – just love your website.
Hi Susan,
Here’s a tip my sweet little Mother told me when I was newly-married; she said if you make your bed up every morning, it will make the whole room look nice and tidy!
Thanks for this give-away!
Mom knows best!
Hello Susan, Susan here!! 🙂
I also have a thing for cleaning glass. I have to have my windows clean. In my car too. First thing I do when I start my car is clean the windsheild. My daughter works in the pharmacy at Walgreens and she just smiles and say “Mom, you know they make a pill for that”! I have a end table that has a glass snack jar, a candy jar, a small glass vase and a class coaster. Gotta have them clean too! It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in this obsession!
Sending love from the midwest!!!! Want to live by the ocean, so send me good thoughts while your there!
LOL, your daughter! Thank you Susan!
Hi Susan- So, no jello recipes from me but I do love it especially orange with mandarin oranges, tapioca pudding and whipped cream- yum. I have more of a jello query- do you remember when ladies kind of put a salad in lime jello- celery, carrots and ham. When I was a little girl at family reunions that was always on the table- soooooooooo scary- never tried it never will. Jello is desert not a veggie.
Thanks for all of the sweet presents you are sending our way.
You’re welcome Vivian . . . yes I do remember celery and carrots in it, and felt just like you!
When I was a child, my grandmother always brought that gelatin with the shredded cabbage and carrots in it for Thanksgiving dinner. We actually ate it with a dollop of mayonnaise! It was one of my favorite things but I don’t make it because I can’t find anyone else who would eat it….hahaha
hahaha! Thank you Debbie!
I’m like the seagull “mine, mine, mine”
Love that movie!
Your banana dish is so pretty. Is the recipe for your Mother’s Coconut Circus Cake in any of your books? I don’t remember ever seeing it.
No yet! 🙂 coming soon!
Hi Susan,
This is my favorite time of year and your ideas are wonderful! Love the banana holder! How sweet of you to offer it to one of us! I use Glass Magic in my dishwasher to keep glass sparkling. I’m also a fan of hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle for blood stains and baking soda in my wash to lift odors.
Thank you Ann!
I like pretty glasses. I like collecting them. The hunt is part of the fun. In our little town, Salvation Army is a good place to find them. And then the sparkle on the table, in the cabinet. But the banana dish is a new one to me. Now that would really sparkle!
Thank you Linda! That’s what I thought!
MY FAVORITE HOUSEKEEPING TIP IS….DRUM ROLL!
WHEN I MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH I MAKE DOUBLE BATCHES AND PACK THEM IN EMPTY 1 LB. BUTTER CARTONS. I PUT A RUBBER BAND AROUND IT FOR GOOD MEASURE AND PUT THE BOXES IN THE FREEZER. THAT WAY WHEN I HAVE UNEXPECTED GUESTS OR GRANDCHILDREN OVER I CAN HAVE FRESH BAKED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES IN A FLASH….JUST SLICE AND BAKE WHATEVER YOU NEED.
OH! JOY! JUDY TRACY:>)
Excellent Judy, I would want to come to your house!
Oh dear! I think you might have started a new obsession. I have a milkglass banana dish, but we call it the taco dish. I was inspired by Heather Bullard and we use it to put flatware wrapped in napkins and tied with pretty ribbons for buffets. And thank you for the giveaway! You sure are a generous soul – have I said that before about you – I’m sure I must have – but if I didn’t I sure mean it. Thank you for generously sharing your recipes, your art, and yourself.
So nice Janelle, thank you very much! Someone else mentioned the taco idea, I LOVE tacos and would love to see mine filled with them too!
Susan, your photos and comments warm my days. I used to visit your shop in Arroyo Grande and miss it on our trips up the coast. Thank you for all your lovely ideas!
I love the banana dish! I always keep fresh fruit on my kitchen counter and fresh flowers on the table, and I love it when someone comes in and picks up a piece of fruit to eat, even without asking! Here is one of my favorite jello recipes, even though you probably have it already. Anyone who doesn’t have it definitely needs it.
Lime Mold
1 box lime jello
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice, heated (drained from 1 can crushed pineapple.. add water to make this amount)
Mix this together in 9×13 dish (I use a glass salad bowl) add 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows.
Mix together 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 2 Tbs mayonnaise
Add to jello mixture and stir. Chill till slightly congealed.
Add drained crushed pineapple and stir. Chill to slightly congeal.
Add 1 cup whipped whipping cream (not sweetened)
Chill till firm.
Here is my housekeeping tip. To polish silver, line a large, non reactive bowl (heatproof plastic or glass) with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Place the silver item(s) in the container. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda, then pour in enough boiling water to cover the item(s). The tarnish will collect on the foil. Remove the silver, rinse it thoroughly, and polish with a soft cloth.
Once a friend gave me an old silverplate tea set that was completely black. I was amazed to watch the tarnish disappear and the tea set it now gorgeous and on my dining room side board.
I always enjoy your posts. Thanks!
Excellent tip — I tried it too and it works (click here for photos of the event! 🙂 With all these great Jello recipes, we need a Jello cookbook!
Oops! Forgot to tell you that I use a small box of jello and small can of pineapple. That’s why I use the salad bowl instead of 9×13 dish.
Hi, Susan. Great tips, huh? I don’t have a tip, but I do like the one about the hydrogen peroxide and plan to try that. However, I do love glass dishes and I do always have bananas in my house. I don’t expect to win, but this gives me a good chance to say how much I enjoy you, your recipes, your artwork, etc. Everything is so sweet and homey and I love it all. Thanks for all you do.
Oh Linda, so nice, thank you!
Would love to own a banana dish.I don’t have a housekeeping tip right now,but would like to ask you and/or your fans for your favorite old fashioned bread stuffing recipe.With Thanksgiving upon us I’m trying to get organized,I’ve always made my mother in laws cornbread dressing , which we all love and being the tradionalist that my family is we will have it this year also.My mother died when I was 11, and I remember her bread stuffing and giblet gravy well, but neither I or my siblings have her recipes. Would love to have my mom’s bread stuffing this year.
I have my Grandma’s stuffing in my Autumn Book; it’s very old-fashioned because it was her mom’s too…plain and simple, buttery and sagey, and no bread mix. Real bread. If that sounds kind of like your mom’s, check it out. But I’m sure the girlfriends that read this might help you with other recipes! Thanks Jan!
Susan,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win the beautiful and unique banana dish. I’ve never seen one like it! Like most of the other people who posted here, I am a glass fanatic. I have been lucky enough to receive family pieces, some to use for every day and some to use for special occasions. As I’ve gotten older, I have decided that every day is a special occasion and I try to use my family heirlooms as often as possible! Since I don’t eat bananas often, I will have to think of something else to put in it if I’m lucky enough to win! Thank you again for the opportunity to win. Oh, and my housekeeping tip? Hire someone so you can spend time creating or antiquing! -Sherry
Thank you Sherry!