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Craft Cottage Owner Plans Open House Event

Stephanie Green, owner of newly-opened Craft Cottage of Chautauqua, invites area residents and visitors to stop by for coffee and donuts at a week long Open House from Sunday to Saturday, Sept. 30. Photos by Beverly Kehe-Rowland

Stephanie Green, owner of the newly opened Craft Cottage of Chautauqua, remembers cooking with her parents when she was a child.

“I have cooked for as long as I can remember, even if it was just heating green beans with mom for dinner,” she says. “The only times my dad and I ever cooked together we’d make a mayonnaise cake. Growing up, dinner was always meat, potatoes and a vegetable and seldom dessert. As a kid, I thought I hated steak, because my dad liked it well-done.”

Green, along with some of her 20-plus vendors, has shared a few favorite recipes.

“My mom always made the shrimp cheese ball for Christmas and Thanksgiving and my son demands it now for the holidays.”

The new businessowner had never looked at a recipe for lasagna the first time she made it. She trusted her instincts and put the dish together. Her husband says the recipe makes enough for a crowd. His wife agrees and says when it is just the two of them she divides the recipe between several loaf pans and freezes them. After the pasta dishes are frozen, she removes them from the pan and wraps them individually. On the day she wishes to serve one, she unwraps it and puts it back in a greased loaf pan and bakes it.

What child wouldn’t love this soft sculpture mouse?

Before opening the business on June 1, she had set up at craft shows for 15 years and had booth space at Crossroads Farm and Craft Market for three years.

“When I started I dragged toddlers with me,” she says with a grin. “I started the store to showcase the talent we have in Chautauqua County. It is an outlet for the folks who don’t want to participate in craft shows. I would have never done anything like this for myself.”

Vendors from nearly every corner of Chautauqua County are represented, including Conewango, Cherry Creek and South Dayton, as well as Kennedy, Ashville and Clymer. It is her goal to find interested parties in Dunkirk, Fredonia and Silver Creek.

“I’m always looking for new vendors. The only qualifications are the items must be made in Chautauqua County, be of high quality and unique. I’m also looking for people to teach (craft) classes.”

Available classes currently include wreath-making, one-stroke painting, decorating scarf painting with alcohol ink and quilling classes. Jewelry-making classes will soon be offered.

Beautiful beaded necklaces are pictured.

Craft Cottage of Chautauqua has many unique items, with the Lichtenberg figures being one of the most fascinating items in the shop. The creator connects electrodes to various kinds of wood in a variety of shapes. A unique pattern is burned into the wood, with no two being alike, when 1,000 volts are sent through them. Other interesting items are lamps with vintage food mill bases and soft sculpture animals made of felted wool.

Adorable crocheted children’s caps shaped like a wormy apple, watermelon, pumpkin, alien, carrot and other fruits, vegetables and animal shapes are displayed on a tree. Adult caps made to represent crowns, Christmas bulbs and other silly themes and sets of matching hats and diaper covers crocheted to resemble frogs and lady bugs can be found nearby. Warm knitted socks and fingerless gloves, soft books for toddlers and quilts are other available gift suggestions.

Some interesting repurposed furniture pieces are made from a rustic wood slab attached to a treadle sewing machine base and a child’s roll-top desk made from a bread box attached to a small table. Additional repurposing is in the form of decorative pieces made from wood pallets.

Beeswax candles, honey and bee pollen are displayed near wooden cutting boards and items with sports logos and military insignias. Beautiful beaded jewelry pieces are displayed in a glass showcase. Found near the case are military pendants to be worn by proud mothers sisters, aunts and nanas. A room on the upper floor is dedicated to fall and Christmas wreathes and patriotic items.

Coffee, donuts and a 10 percent discount on most items will offered at an Open House beginning Sunday and running through Saturday, Sept. 30.

One thousand volts of electricity created the patterns in these Lichtenberg figures, which make affordable, unique gifts for a man or a woman.

The shopkeeper is married to Patrick Green, her high school sweetheart. They have two children. Their daughter, Tristen lives in North East, Pa., and has one son. Tayler, their son, is a student at Alfred State College. They claim the son of a close friend as their second grandchild as well, with the babies being born two weeks apart.

Green says reading, glasswork, jewelry-making and craftwork “in general” are hobbies she enjoys doing when she has time.

“I started getting into genealogy when I thought about how many Ladlees were in our family,” she said. “I thought there was a group of 10 on my maternal grandmother’s side, but when I started looking I found eight hundred descendants of Levi Ladlee who was born in 1786. Most were in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some went to California during the Gold Rush.”

Green admits she has had some experiences most people haven’t had. One of those experiences was the three summers she spent traveling throughout New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio while working with a carnival. “I was an only child and rather sheltered, but not in a bad way. I did it to travel, for the excitement and just to live,” she says.

She had experience running the kiddie rides at Midway Park. On the carnival circuit she ran rides, worked at ticket sales and ran some of the games. The same travel schedule was followed each summer.

Mary Barker submitted the Rice Pudding recipe.

“It’s like a big family. People fight and squabble. I still see one of the gentlemen on rare occasions and refer to him as Uncle Terry,” Green says.

Craft Cottage of Chautauqua is located at 2777 West Lake Road, Ashville in the former Candle-Escents Building. The phone number is 763-8726. They are open seven days-Monday-Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-4.

Rice Pudding

Mary Barker – Bizzie’s Orphaned China

1/3 c rice (long grain white)

Game Day Quicky is a three ingredient dip submitted by Stephanie Green.

1 1/2 c milk

1/2 c sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp butter

Cook in double boiler until rice is tender, about 20min-1hr (depending on the type of rice used).

4 eggs

3 c milk, warmed

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 drops almond extract

1/4 c dried cranberries

Beat eggs. Add warm milk. Mix in remaining ingredients. Add cooked rice mixture. Add cranberries.

Grease a 6×10 glass baking dish. Pour mixture in dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Set dish in a pan of water. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hr, until inserted knife comes out clean.

Light, Crunchy Carmel Corn

Sandy Caufield — Forbes Farms

This recipe does not give a heavy coat to the popcorn so the end result is light, crisp and doesn’t stick your teeth together.

1 c butter

2 c firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c light corn syrup

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp Vanilla

12 qts popped popcorn

Pop corn and divide between two large baking pans. May use the top and bottom of a turkey roaster. Melt butter in a heavy pot. Stir in the sugar, syrup and salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Mixture will foam and become creamy.

Two people should help with the next step. Pour half of the mixture over each half of the popcorn and stir immediately until coated. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minuets and rotating pans from the top to bottom shelf. Remove from oven and pour out onto parchment paper. Do not leave in pan to cool. Break apart. Store in airtight container. Keeps for about a week.

Game Day Quickie

Stephanie Green — Gypsy’s Trinkets Jewelry

12 oz can hot dog chili

9 oz can cheddar cheese dip

Tabasco sauce to taste

Hot peppers of your choice to garnish

Pour chili into a microwavable bowl. Smooth out and put a hole in the center to hold the cheese. Spoon cheese dip into center of the chili. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until desired warmth. Garnish with hot peppers and Tabasco. Serve with corn chips.

Super Simple Veggie Soup

Stephanie Green — Craft Cottage of Chautauqua

Add to a pot:

8 c broth/stock/soup base

1 c barley

1 lb frozen mixed vegetables or 2 cans of mixed vegetables (no need to drain)

12 oz Original V8 juice

If you would like vegetable beef/pork soup, add any leftover beef/pork you may have. You can also add alphabet pasta during the last few minutes of cooking. Bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover. Simmer until barley is tender.

Shrimp Cheese Ball

14oz can of shrimp, rinsed

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 T dehydrated onion (fresh onion will make it watery)

1/4 tsp garlic salt

3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Mash shrimp in a bowl with onion and garlic salt. Add cream cheese and Tabasco. Mix well. May be served spread on crackers or formed into a ball.

To form ball. Place mixture on plastic wrap and form into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh parsley or roll in slivered almonds.

Lazy Lasagna

24 oz cottage cheese

2 lb Ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c Italian cheese blend

2 T dehydrated onion or one small fresh, finely diced

1/2 tsp garlic powder or one clove fresh, finely minced

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 lb ground beef

3-4 c spaghetti or marinara sauce

1-2 boxes of lasagna noodles

In large bowl, mix cheeses (reserving 1/2 c mozzarella for top of lasagna), spices & eggs. Mix well. Refrigerate.

Brown ground beef. Drain well. Let cool. When ground beef is cool add to the cheese mixture and add eggs. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9″x13” pan, layer 1 cup sauce, lasagna noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, sauce. Continue until pan is full. Leftover cheese mixture may be frozen for stuffed shells.

Cover lasagna with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 15 min or until the top is browned. Let cool for 20 min and serve.

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