Happy July 4th!

Happy 4th of July to you all! 

Happy 4th of July, America's birthday! I hope you have a fun day planned with friends and family. Ours includes a barbecue...chicken,  hot dogs with potato salad and Blueberry Dutch Baby for dessert...my Honey's current favorite dessert...not as American as Apple Pie, but...the recipe follows later in the post.

I love this antique 4th of July hand colored cabinet card I found on Pinterest, with no source given Wonderful!

I wanted a patriotic teacup for today, so decided to share a Sandwich pattern depression glass cup and saucer made by Indiana Glass Company, USA. 

The Sandwich pattern is one of the oldest pressed glass patterns, so I thought it might be appropriate. 

Different variations were made by several different makers and are distinguished by slight nuances of the number of petals, how they are outlined, etc. For more info on the teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

Among the makers, there are very slight pattern variations that can be used to tell one maker from another...among thm being petals on the Daisies, types and placement of leaves, if the Daisies have one petal outline or two...you get it. This is either by Indiana Glass Company or the Duncan Glass Company, and was made in the 1930-1940s.

 Here on the Olympic Peninsula of far northwestern Washington state, the saying is that summer arrives on July 4th, and it's heading that way today. We are supposed to be in the upper 60s beginning a clearing and warming trend...we hope! We are all ready for it! There is even an outdoor concert by our city band in the park bandshell and fireworks at night with various other things going on. I love the summer!  

My ONLY problem today is trying to keep my husband from flying the Union Jack instead of the Stars And Stripes outside. He has been known to do that...once a Brit always a Brit, despite his now being a US citizen! So this is for him...a photo of the Union Jack he always flies...this one at the mountain lake we used to live at...

And he thought this was funny... so I posted it on my Facebook page... Brit humor, indeed!

A friend came for a visit on Thursday and brought a portion of a Red Velvet cake dressed for the holiday. As is often the case, I never thought to take photos then, but did yesterday when we finished the rest in the sunroom for afternoon tea, so it's a mini 4th of July...

I am using my Royal Doulton Rosebud china from the 1930s, and one of my teapots with blue flowers.

And because there always seems to be a Shelley at hand, this is one of my very favorites...I use it for my Facebook avatar. It's a landscape design Shelley made through most of their time but done on different shapes. This is in the New Cambridge shape with gold trim. The design is called by 2 names depending on manufacture...both Glorious Devon and Surrey Scenery. I just love it!

I mentioned our dessert...haven't made the one for the 4th yet...it's best eaten warm from the oves, but this is one I made a week ago. It is called variously clafouti, Dutch Baby or Dutch Pancake, but I grew up in our Brit family calling it Nana's Yorkshire dessert or Yorkshire Pud Sweet because the batter is very similar to a Yorkshire pudding...but baked with butter as the fat instead of meat fat, and a bit of sugar added. So...here is my Nana's recipe...

Blueberry Yorkshire Pudding Dessert

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour...I use either unbleached or our local organic white Wheat
1/2 cup milk...only almond milk in this kitchen
2 large eggs
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup blueberries, either fresh or frozen...any fruit can be substituted
juice from a lemon
powdered sugar
maple syrup if desired...we use organic pure

Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees or 400 if convection with rack in lowest position. 
Beat flour, milk, eggs, salt, sugar and nutmeg, which may be a bit lumpy. Let sit and rest while you prepare pan.

The original calls for a cast iron skillet, but I have never used one...instead using a 9.5 inch Pyrex pie plate I got in 1974 as a wedding present.

Place butter in pan in oven until melted, then remove, pour in the batter and distribute the berries. Return pan to oven and bake until puffy and golden, about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon juice, powdered sugar and eat warm with maple syrup, if desired. Serves 4...although we have been known to finish it in one go...blush...blush!