Cucumbers and Sour Cream are one of the vegetable highlights of our summer meals. The combination of these elements – cucumbers mixed in sour cream and salt with sometimes other ingredients – are a common dish especially for the countries of Middle and Eastern Europe: Germany, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Ukraine, etc. My family’s is the Slovak/Polish variety, it being the recipe that was passed down from my mother’s side. During my growing up years, it almost always made an appearance on the table at Thanksgiving, which is the way that my mother remembers also having it.
              Most recipes including the ones from the Polish and Slovaks have the optional addition of vinegar, and sometimes dill, lemon juice, onion and garlic. We, however, leave these out, and find it absolutely delicious! (Although personally I can highly recommend a dash of dill weed and just a drop of white vinegar and a sprinkle of white sugar to elevate it all to slightly higher levels!)
               Now, we don’t eat it at Thanksgiving anymore; with the garden in full bloom every summer, we get the holiday experience every week – or every few days, if the harvest is going very well. Four weeks ago, our first cucumbers began to produce, much to our joy: Diamant Pickling Cucumbers. The much-loved Diva variety was next, and these are the kind that are being used in our video. In appearance they are long, dark green and incredibly smooth – almost no prickles! In taste, they are lightly crisp and very watery – perfect for eating – and for making this lovely dish. (The pickling cucumbers we grow are also exceptional for fresh eating and making Cucumbers and Sour Cream as well.)
               So far, we are six weeks into one of the hottest and wettest summers in recent memory, but we can’t say that the Old Farmer’s Almanac didn’t warn us with those dire threats of an extra hot and thunder-filled summer for Ohio! But despite the terrible weather, the tomatoes are finally producing (slowly), the zucchinis are picking up speed, and thankfully, we have our cucumbers. We hope you can try this wonderful and simple recipe and we anticipate anyone who likes both cucumbers and sour cream loving it as much as we do.
               Smacznego or Dobrú chuť since the Slovaks contributed a good deal to this lusciousness!

The design made its way to Europe through the Kashmir shawls, often gifted to important people such as officers of the East India Company. The Company started importing the shawls to Europe, where they caught the fancy of famous people like the Empress Josephine of France, and became a fashion craze. In Scotland, cloth mills went to work trying to replicate the pattern. The mills of Paisley, West of Glasgow, succeeded; and the name of the town has come to represent the design itself in the English language.​

Paisley has continued to be a popular print throughout the ages. As the traditional 'bandana' print, it has represented the rugged ethos of the American cowboy and farmer; in a soft silk handkerchief, it speaks of elegance and sophistication when tucked in a gentleman's suitcoat pocket. Whether worn as a cute blouse with a denim skirt, or as a richly toned formal dress, or as one of Queen Elisabeth's several delicate brooches pinned to her shoulder, the paisley motif has brought beauty and grace to women's wardrobes.

Our paisley collection includes Black & Red, Purple, Kelley Green, Light Gray, and Turquoise. We think it would be lovely as a paisley dress with a white pinafore; a paisley blouse with a solid Dream Cotton skirt in a darker shade; a paisley skirt with a white blouse and contrasting waistband; a paisley jumper or pinafore over a white blouse - and so many, many more! We hope you'll decide to treat your wardrobe with something in this distinctive and lovely design.

Whether in the shorter length for under a jumper, or untucked with a skirt; or in a longer length for blousooning, we're sure this will become a new favorite in your closet!

Living in Northeast Ohio, we can attest that this is true! Take our latest video, for example: nearly all of the video was shot within an hour or so in one evening. Yet you can see the weather go from sunlight to clouds, still to windy, in one video! 

This capriciousness on the part of spring always brings confusion when it comes to what to wear. We've all heard the saying, "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing." But what if the weather changes just as you're putting the good clothing on?!

One of our favorite garments for beating what we call, "Sweater on, sweater off" weather, is a cape or cloak. There are so many benefits to this classic outerwear!

We're thrilled with our newest style, because it features a graceful cut-up at the sides so you can use your arms without needing slit openings or having to part the front. So convenient for shopping, gardening, or flower picking!

I think we might have just found the ultimate in 'good clothing'! Bring on the spring weather; we'll be ready!

There's something about quarantine that makes you need chocolate, isn't there? All right, maybe EVERYTHING makes some of us need chocolate! But I can't think of a better time to indulge than now. As you can see, our cake nearly flew out of the pan - I didn't even get a photo before we'd eaten almost the whole thing! And we all agreed that it was just what we needed.
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This cake has been a favorite for years. I can't remember exactly where we got the original recipe - probably a modification of Wacky Cake from Whole Foods for the Whole Family - but we love it! It's so soft, moist, and absolutely perfect for carrying a load of chocolate chips! Baking soda and vinegar are the leavening, and mini chocolate chips spread deliciously throughout. No one will ever believe that you mixed this up in ONE BOWL in about five minutes. You can even mix it in the pan you're going to bake it in!

All right, enough raving. Let's get baking so you can taste it for yourself!

​1 1/2 cups flour (we used whole wheat)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (large would work, too - or you could chop large smaller)

1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla (real vanilla is best!)
1 tsp vinegar (we use apple cider)
1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix. Pour into a square or round 8-9" pan (double the recipe for a 9 X 13 pan). Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot - but it's amazing room temperature, as well! Leftovers can even be frozen, and defrosts very nicely on a wire rack. Yep, sounds about perfect for quarantine!

Potato or Pratie Cakes

Being of both Polish and Irish descent, there's one food that pretty nearly every member of our family can agree on: Potatoes! Baked, boiled, cheesy, creamed, fried, mashed - we love them every way possible. And when we have leftover mashed potatoes, we're never disappointed, because we can make potato cakes!

This is the simplest recipe ever, and very dependent on the consistency of your potatoes. Whether you call them potato cakes, or the quaint Irish name of Pratie Cakes, these are a classic old-country dish that is fun and easy to make. So, here we go!

* Leftover Mashed Potatoes (ours measured about 2 cups this time)
* 1 egg
* Flour (we used whole wheat in the potato mixture, and unbleached white flour for dusting)
* Salt
* Pepper (if desired)

Add the egg to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add flour until the mixture is thick enough to form a ball, but not dry. Form into patties approximately the size of your palm, and about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Dip in white flour, or hold the cake in your hand and sprinkle a pinch of flour on it, smoothing across the surface on both sides. This should keep your potato cake from sticking to the pan! Heat a generously buttered pan (we're picturing this in a traditional cast iron pan, like this one from Lodge, aren't you?) Place your cakes on the pan and sprinkle with salt (and pepper, if desired). Fry your cakes for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through, or until both sides are nicely browned. Enjoy with fried or scrambled eggs for breakfast or brunch; soup or stew for lunch; or chicken or beef and cooked vegetables for supper. Looking to dress them up? Why not try some shredded cheese or a bit of minced onion or chopped chives in the mixture? Or serve them with buttered onions or cottage cheese!
You'll be hoping for leftover mashed potatoes once you try them!

We often get questions about what to wear beneath our full dresses (like the Two Tier and Libby Dresses) or skirts when presenting a historical character. 
​First, you need to know what time period you are representing. 
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For Medieval and Renaissance, a simple hoopskirt like this one, with a strict a-line, will give the full, upside-down 'V' of the period. 

Don't forget that anytime you measure for the length of a skirt or dress, you need to measure over the hoop, crinoline, or skirt that you will be wearing to make sure it is long enough.
​And anytime you need tips or recommendations, feel free to contact us! If we don't have the answer, we're always glad to learn alongside you.

And these little gals are pioneers - they're the first original doll design at Gathering of Goods! Girls and ladies of all ages and sizes fall in love with these tiny bits of love. They were inspired by the historical 'Pieces Dolls' and the 'Pew Dolls' of early days. They fit just right in little girls' hands, and look so cute standing together, as if they were having a bit of prairie town gossip before heading into the general store for the week's supplies. 

Don't you just want to join them?
Well, they can join  you! Head over to our 'Dolls & Toys' section to order your own set!