LTL is 1 year old!

Little Thunder Lizard turned one year old May 30th, and like a bad parent, I missed it because I was too busy fussing over my infant child, Chickhammer. Shame on me.

Keeping up with two blogs at once has been a bit of a challenge, but I think I've started to get the hang of things. It helps that they're on totally unrelated subjects. However, there hasn't been much crafting going on in this place for a while now. I aim to change that, but right now I have a little dilemma- it appears that Singer has discontinued my sewing machine, the L-500.

This seems to explain why the foot I wanted was out of stock. But, there are several accessories (including the exclusive-to-my-machine bobbins) that I need. I can't quilt without that darning foot, and I have two tops that need quilting! I've had bad luck buying feet in the past from non-manufacturers, but compounding the problem is that these accessories seem hard to find now. Hopefully I can come up with the right feet soon!

Balsamic Worcestershire Beef Marinade

This is a quick marinade that you can use on steaks or roasts, or if you're feeling adventurous, you can mix it into ground beef for a meatloaf or hamburgers. Don't let its simpleness fool you, it packs a good punch of flavor.

Balsamic Worcestershire Beef Marinade
makes enough marinade for 2 lbs of meat

What You'll Need:
     1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
     1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
     2 Tbs soy sauce
     1 tsp dry mustard (or 2 tsp wet mustard)
     2 cloves garlic, minced
     1 shallot, minced
     2 tsp pepper

The Process:
     Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meat. Let marinate, refrigerated, for at least two hours. Turn occasionally to ensure even coating. Cook meat as desired.

Because of the soy sauce, I don't add any extra salt, but add a little salt if you feel inclined. Next time I make hamburgers, I am definitely going to use this marinade in it instead of my usual spice combination.

Recipe for those side dish potatoes is coming soon!

Great-Grandmom's Georgia Cornbread

My grandmother grew up in Georgia, as did much of her family before her. When I was growing up, she lived in NJ near us, but her mother still lived in the same house my grandmother grew up in. On the occasions we were able to visit, my great-grandmother would make cornbread for us. Before or since, I have never tasted better.

Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago and her cornbread recipe went with her. My grandmother attests that she made it from memory without too much measuring and a lot of just knowing what's "right." After consulting my mother and grandmother, I think I was able to piece together a recipe very similar to hers.

They agreed on most points- that she used yellow cornmeal, regular flour, and, most importantly, bacon grease. That last part I couldn't forget, she had a vat of it in the kitchen- ready for anything. They, however, disagreed as to her use of buttermilk. After having tried it both with and without, I concluded that buttermilk is definitely the way to go.

Great-Grandmom's Georgia Cornbread
makes 8 generous slices

What You'll Need:
    1 cup yellow cornmeal
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 cup buttermilk
    1/2 cup bacon grease (or melted butter, if you prefer)
    2 eggs
    3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt