Country Woman February/March 2021

Country Woman readers are terrific letter writers. It’s always lovely to hear from you, whether it’s about things happening in your lives, tips for other readers or ideas for ways in which we can improve the magazine. I just love it when we can act on those suggestions. On page 18, you’ll find the winner of our Best Farmhouse Kitchen contest. Perhaps your most-offered suggestion to our team is for us to find ways to include more kitchens on our pages. Well, I think you’re going to love taking a peek into winner Suzanne Byrd’s kitchen. I know I did. It’s a gorgeous space, full of rustic brick walls, antique cabinets and family keepsakes. Best of all, that contest yielded far more entries than we could highlight in one story, so…

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Tell us about yourself. I am a born and raised Alaskan, with parents who taught me not only how to live off the land, but also to always appreciate learning more. My dad is Yupik Eskimo and my mom is from farm country in New Jersey, and they taught me to not waste, nor take for granted all that I have been blessed with. What are your hobbies? I love hunting, fishing, crochet, knitting, sewing, chasing my kids, studying medicinal plants and learning about new things. You do a lot of foraging. What advice do you have? Invest in some good books and classes on the subject. Talk to an expert and read, read, read, to be sure you are using things correctly. Some safe plants to start with are ones we often…

Mason Jars Mason jars have myriad uses beyond preserving produce for winter. Have you made a project or come up with an alternate use for these ubiquitous glass jars? Share your creation with us, and you might see it in the magazine. Natural Color Have you experimented with dyeing your own fabrics with natural dyes? What tips do you have? Do you have a project to show off? Let us know about it. Quilt Guild Love Do you belong to a quilters guild you’d love to see spotlighted? Tell us about your group: What makes it special? Has it worked collectively on a significant project? How did it get started? Share your stories and pictures, and your guild could be featured.…

Calling All Crafters Just read in your October/November issue that a sewing, knitting, crochet page will be added next issue. That is wonderful! I hope you will include information on where to shop online for patterns and fabric. It can be challenging for country women to get out and shop. JAN DUFFY MARSHALLVILLE, OHIO EDITOR’S NOTE: We think this is a great idea, but we need readers’ help. If you live in a rural area far from the big craft stores, what are some online resources you turn to for patterns and sewing and needlework supplies? Share with us, and you might see your favorite in an upcoming issue! (And turn to page 16 to see our new craft page, Stitched Together.) Pumpkin Payoff I bought the October/November issue because of the pumpkin recipes. I’m…

For years I have planned two weeks of meals at a time. I use the current grocery store ad to see what is on sale and find recipes that use these items. I have a clipboard my son made attached to the fridge, and it holds my menu and recipes. I check what ingredients I already have, and make out my grocery list of what I need. Having a good list keeps me from buying unnecessary items. (Except maybe sponge candy!) It saves money, since I only go once every two weeks and am not there all the time buying extra items. This has worked for me for 39 years and I can’t imagine doing it any other way! REBECCA CROSBY EAST SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA I live in a small town with a…

Fifteen years ago, Terry Grahl was busy with her interior decorating business in Taylor, Michigan, when a volunteer from a local shelter that served women and children called to see if she’d be willing to donate her design skills there. The volunteer hoped she’d agree to add a fresh coat of paint. A mother of four, Terry had experienced homelessness for a time when she was a child, and so she agreed to visit and see what she could do. “What I saw at the shelter shook me,” Terry writes on her website, enchantedmakeovers.org. Cardboard boxes stowed under secondhand prison-issue beds served as dressers, and duct tape held together some of the cribs. Terry knew she had to act. She did far more than add a fresh coat of paint, instead completely transforming…