A Labor of Love

My mom is amazingly talented with a crochet hook.  She can whip things up like they were nothing.  All of my life she has had a project of one sort or another nearby; and she never ceases to amaze me with what she can make, and in how short of a time that she can make it.  Last year she decided that she wanted to make all of her daughters crocheted tablecloths.  So last year my sister, Molly, was the lucky recipient.  My mom told me that I would be the next one in line.  She asked me which pattern I liked, and what measurements my table were.  But this last summer she told me she didn't think she would be able to finish it by Christmas, as she suffers terribly from arthritis and rheumatism, and it just really hurt her hands to do much crocheting.  I told her that was fine, as obviously I didn't want her to be in pain while making me a gift.  Just the thought that she wanted to make something for me counted the most.  But on Christmas Eve, I opened a gift from my mom.  And yes, it was the tablecloth.  It is absolutely beautiful, and what makes it so special is that she obviously forged on ahead with the work even though it caused her pain.  A good example of a labor of love, and what a mother will endure for a child.  Thanks mom -- it will always be very special to me.  I love you.

Merry Christmas

Christmas breakfast at our house ..... homemade orange rolls, ham, eggs, orange juice and egg nog.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!

Little Shoppers

Some people manage to get all of their Christmas decorations up a few days after Thanksgiving.  Typically I get mine up as soon as I can; however, the village generally is the last item to get set up, and the past few years, it has been very close to Christmas Eve when the lights of my tiny little community light up to celebrate this joyful time of year.  Two residents of this community though are really more from the future than my Victorian era village, and usually feel very out of place amongst their Victorian dressed friends.  So this year I set them up in their own little place next to vintage looking bottle brush trees.  I think they feel much more at home now :-)

Don't Forget the Candy Canes

I'm sure most of you are very busy right now finishing up your shopping, decorating, baking, etc.  Some of you may not have even begun your holiday preparations; but whatever stage you are in, be sure you don't forget the candy canes.  I think they are such a cheerful little Christmas treat.  They can be hung on a tree, tied onto packages, tucked into stockings, glued together to form a little heart decoration, even tucked into a table centerpiece.  Oh yes, and just eaten straight out of their little hard to open cellophane package.  And once the holidays are over, you can throw any leftovers into your food processor, and you have a delicious peppermint topping for ice cream, cakes, or any dessert really. 

Milly

We have jumped into winter this year with both feet.  November went on record as being the snowiest November we have ever had.  Around Thanksgiving we managed to have a blizzard, sub-zero temperatures, and two snowstorms.  In spite of all of this we have managed to stay cozy warm in our house.  Our dog, Milly, however had alternate plans.  She has a very warm shop that she can go in and out of at will.  It is equipped with all of the food and water she could ever want, as well as a very big cozy, soft bed.  So during our inclement weather, what did she decide would be best?  To leave her warm shop, escape from her enclosed area, and sleep under our deck!  I guess she just thought we really needed some extra protection during the storms.

Little Turkeys

Before Thanksgiving gets too far behind us, I wanted to share a picture of my little turkey place cards that my daughters made for our table.  I thought they were so cute, and really added a nice touch to our holiday dinner.  They got the basic pattern off of the Martha Stewart craft site, and then changed them up a bit to just make them even cuter.

The Day After

The china and the crystal have been washed and put away.  Cloth napkins are washed and drying.  The extra leaf  has  been taken out of the table.  Another Thanksgiving has come and gone.  But the warm, festive feeling still remains in the air.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I spend several days prior to the holiday cooking for our feast; and even though the day always slips by much too quickly, I enjoy it immensely.  My sister, Molly, expressed it perfectly to me last night.  She said, "I love Thanksgiving - always feels just right."  I agree with her.  It does always feel just right.  I have so many memories of happy Thanksgivings, that each year just adds another one to he mix.

With Thanksgiving also comes the beginning of the Christmas season -- my favorite season of the year.  And what a way to herald it in than by having a day for giving thanks.  Because of all things that we can be thankful for, the birth of our Savior is the greatest of all.

The Arrival of Winter

Even though the official start of winter is still a month away, it has definitely arrived in north Idaho.  It began snowing yesterday morning; but didn't begin accumulating too much until last night.  This morning we woke up to six inches of fresh powder :-)  

I know everyone doesn't necessarily share my love for the white stuff, but I love winter.  And to have it begin before Thanksgiving makes it even better.

Apple Butter

Apple season has been going on for a while around here; however, I seem to be running a bit late with making all of my apple goodies.  Nonetheless, the time has begun, and I have started this year with apple butter.  I particularly like this recipe because it is all done in the crockpot.  The recipe calls for not peeling the apples first, which I have read gives you a much better flavor in your final product.  All of the ingredients make for a perfect blend.  And the aroma in your kitchen while it is cooking is delightful.  In fact when my kids were younger, they would tell me that "it smelled like Christmas". 

Cider Apple Butter

5 lbs. cooking apples
1 1/2 cups apple cider
about 3 cups of brown sugar
juice and grated peel of 1 each lemon and orange
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. each cloves and nutmeg

Core and quarter apples, but do not peel.  Place in crockpot with apple cider.  Cook on high until very soft, about 1-1/2 hours.  (Note:  It takes about 2-1/2 hrs. in my crockpot).  Press cooked apples through a food mill or sieve.  (I don't have a food mill, so I just very patiently remove all of the apple peel).  Measure.  There should be about 6 cups.  For every 1 cup fruit pulp, allow 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Return to crockpot.  Stir in lemon and orange peel and juice, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.  Cover and cook on high until thick and dark, about 4 hours.  Immediately pour into hot, sterilized glass jars and seal according to proper boiling/water bath canning requirements.  Makes about 8 cups.

Playing with Dishes

As a little girl, I always loved playing with dishes.  I think most little girls do.  However, I don't think I have ever outgrown that particular pastime.  I really like dishes still to this day.  One of my sets that I particuarly enjoy are my "pink" dishes.  They were a gift from my mother-in-law a number of years ago.  She had received them from her mom who had obtained them as part of the furnishings in a house that they had purchased.  My mom has helped a great deal in adding to my set by keeping an eye out for them at antique stores.  They are hard to come by at a reasonable price, but we keep looking for them. 

Recently I pulled them all out of the cupboard where they have been stored, washed them, and found a new spot for them where I can see them on a daily basis, and appreciate them more.  I just couldn't resist taking a picture of them on my table before they found their new home.

Trying to Hold On

We have been blessed with a very nice fall here in northern Idaho.  The leaves have been beautiful, unlike last year when we had a very sudden hard freeze that actually just killed all of the leaves without letting them ever turn into their beautiful autumn shades.  In the past couple of days most of the leaves have now fallen to the ground; but I noticed on one of my maple trees, a couple of remaining green leaves refusing to accept the idea that fall is indeed here, and winter just around the corner.  I've never noticed such a rebellious trend in this maple tree before.  But it kind of parallels people in that sometimes they think they know better than God, and can control an outcome outside of Him.  God has His own plan though, and try as they might, these leaves aren't going to stay green.  They will eventually turn, and fall off of the tree.  But that is all the better for the tree in the long run.  Next year it will be even stronger and taller than it was this year.

Waiting Contentedly

Today is a very rainy, dark day.  One of those days that you really would like to just stay at home, eat warm soup, and maybe watch an old movie.  Instead, I have been running errands, and am now waiting to pick my daughter up from her volleyball practice.  But I really don't mind waiting.  The reason is a cup of hot tea, and pumpkin bread.  Yum!!  I wish you could come and join me :)

To Facebook or not to Facebook

I started using Facebook about a year ago.  My sisters and my son convinced me that I should hop on the bandwagon.  After spending a year partaking in all of the fun, I have pondered whether or not it is worth it.  The down side is that you see a side of people that you never knew existed, and quite frankly, that you really wished you wouldn't have seen.  I guess the mere fact that people can sit in front of their computer, instead of facing an actual person, gives them the boldness to use language that they would never have used if they were speaking directly to you.  I've found that at times I am "out of the loop" and discover shocking things about people, or stumble across startling photographs.  But on the flip side, I have seen many positive aspects of the whole Facebook experience.  I "talk" to one of my sisters on almost a daily basis.  She lives a long way from me, and so it is a great way to stay in touch.  Cousins that I used to rarely see now pop up on my screen almost daily.  I can hop on over to their pages, and see at a glance what they are up to, hear about their kids, and every now and then get a good chuckle about some of their antics.  Keeping in touch with old high school friends has also been very enjoyable.  Being able to see pictures of a brand new niece within hours after she was born, and hear that everyone is doing well, is a blessing.  So you see I have many more "plus" items than "negative" items.  But one item to add to the "plus" side is that I was recently connected to a childhood friend that I would never have guessed I would ever have seen again.  She was the perfect friend -- a next door neighbor friend.  Someone who was always there; and there was never a question of whether or not we would spend a day together.  We spent summers riding her horse, wandering the countryside, eating rhubarb and strawberries out of her mother's immense garden, and just being friends.  Here is a picture of us.  Aren't we a rough and tumble looking group.  From left to right is my friend, Pam, me, and my sisters Megan, and Peggy.  We are holding some of our new puppies.

So to answer my own question, I think I will continue on Facebook.  The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Antique Tidbits

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending an antique show with my mom.  Simply attending an antique show is fun in itself; but when I can go with my mom, it is a real treat.  She knows so much about so many things.  I enjoy listening to her stories about how her grandmother used some of the things that we saw, and explaining to me the history about different dishes (her specialty).  We had a delightful day, and I managed to take a few pictures of some of the highlights.  However, when we walked in the door, and I looked at the first cute thing, I was taken back by the prices.  And then I remembered .... I wasn't at a thrift store, or at a Farm Chicks sale, I was at an antique show.  Therefore, I prepared myself for antique show prices. 

These cute salt and pepper shakers I would have loved to have purchased.  But because of the high price (yikes!) I brought home a picture instead:

This picture isn't very clear, but this is the biggest batter bowl that I have ever seen.  It measured 16" from handle to spout.  I think that would be a wonderful size, but I also wondered if I would even be able to lift it when full:

Here is a beautiful comb that someone bold enough could wear in their hair at just the right event:

And to wrap things up, I couldn't help but take a picture of this, even though I think it is just plain creepy.  An alligator purse that has the alligator's head incorporated into it.  I'll pass on carrying this around:

Zucchini Bread

 Zucchini season is coming to a close.  I still have a few left to work with; but for the most part, the zucchini days of 2010 are over.  Throughout the summer I typically make a zucchini stir fry with most of the reasonably sized ones.  I save the big ones however for zucchini bread.  My mother-in-law gave me this unique recipe years ago.  The unique features are that it is made with wheat germ, maple flavoring instead of the typical vanilla, and sesame seeds sprinkled across the top. 

Recently I spent the better part of a Saturday making zucchini bread.  Here are the loaves waiting very patiently to cool before I popped most of them into the freezer to pull out some cold, winter day to have with a cup of hot tea:

If you look closely, in the bottom right hand corner, you will see one particular loaf in a very cute loaf pan.  Here is a closer view:

Isn't that cute!  My sister, Miki, and her daughter (my niece), Annie, gave it me this summer for my birthday.  It is my favorite loaf pan of all of my loaf pans.  Just looking at it makes me want to go bake something.

Well, now I have gotten side tracked by the cute pan, I guess I should move on to the recipe:

Wheat Germ Zucchini Bread

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup finally chopped walnuts
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon maple flavoring
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and walnuts.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until blended.  Add oil, sugars, and maple flavoring.  Continue to beat until mixture is thick and foamy.  Add flour mixture and stir just until blended.  Stir in zucchini.  Divide batter equally between 2 greased and flour dusted 5 x 9 loaf pans.  (Actually I've used all sizes, just be sure to adjust the baking time).  Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over batter.  Bake in 350 deg. oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean  (about 45 min).  Let cool 10 minutes in pans.

Enjoy :-)

A Nice Surprise

This morning while in the midst of my usual teaching school, clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc., a woman came to our front door carrying a box.  Look what was printed on top of the box :)  Of course every task I was involved in came to a screaching halt.

I knew this had to be something good!  Inside were 2 dozen beautiful roses .... a mixture of colors!!

They are so pretty, and I was totally taken by surprise.  It isn't my birthday, Mother's Day, etc.; but they were from my son, just because he loves me ....  thanks, Luke -- you made my day :-)

Peach Crisp

I have enjoyed our "peach season" this year.  There is just something about having fresh peaches on hand that just seems so summery.  One way I put them to use is by making a peach crisp.  My go-to recipe is actually a combination of a couple of different recipes.  And of course when eating it still warm from the oven, a scoop of ice cream is a must.

Peach Crisp
4 cups sliced fresh (or frozen) peaches
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
Toss peaches with 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Spoon into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish, or a 9 inch deep dish pie plate, and set aside.  Combine oats, brown sugar and flour.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of peaches.  Bake at 350 deg. for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

What a Little Bluebird is Giving Away

I was just visiting my friend, Koralee's, blog, Bluebird Notes, and saw that she is in the midst of a week long giveaway.  It's not too late to enter.  She has collected items from several lovely ladies that she met at The Creative Connection Event in Minnesota.  all of the little items are so charming.  If you get a chance, pop on over and visit her for a chance to enter.

Determination

Right outside our front door, there are brick steps that lead up to it.  I walk up and down those steps so many times in a day; and of course all of those daily steps add up to many, many more steps when you take an entire summer into account.  This summer, each time I walked up the steps, I kept my eye on a little cosmos that decided to plant itself right in the middle of them.  Early in the summer I heard someone mention pulling it up ... but no one ever did.  I haven't watered it, or fertilized it, just watched it.  And that little flower has been determined to grow without any humanly help.  Finally, it reached its goal .... and it is only about three inches high.  This tiny flower is so sweet, blooming ever so brightly.  And it just makes me smile, knowing that it is only there because of God's hand.

Fall is Underway

September is moving by at a very fast clip -- too fast really.  Fortunately (and I am extremely thankful) we haven't had a frost yet.  That means we can still enjoy the flowers, of which I will be taking time each and every day to enjoy knowing that any morning now I will wake up, and they will be gone.  I am still bringing in produce out of the garden as well; however, I know that I need to start bringing everything in before they get nipped.  And by bringing everything in, that means I will be busy processing it all into some form or another just waiting to be enjoyed throughout the winter.

Farewell to Summer

This morning as I enjoyed a cup of tea, I began pondering over the past season.  I know that technically, summer still has a few weeks to go; however, with school beginning tomorrow, that kind of signals the end of the season. 

When summer began I had all kinds of plans, hopes, and dreams for how it might possibly pan out.  Of course, as is usually the case, it turned out somewhat differently -- not in a bad way -- just in a different way.  I was able to plant my vegetable garden, and lots of flowers even though we had such a rainy May and June.  Countless hours were spent at my daughter's tennis lessons; but that was nice because it gave me the opportunity to sit in the warm sunshine visiting with a friend and getting some crocheting accomplished.  I was blessed to be able to teach two different friends how to crochet a granny square.  I cheered my son through two triathlons.  When my daughter made the transition from tennis to volleyball, that also afforded me time to spend with another friend.  I did lots of walking, and have lost nearly 10 pounds.  Another birthday came and went.  Time was set aside for a five day camping trip with my family which included picking huckleberries.  I created a chocolate cake for the annual chocolate contest at our local fair -- of which I did not place in the top three -- but I can imagine I finished in fourth place (lol).  I've made jam and pickles, and I guess the list could really go on and on.  The Bible talks about how God directs our steps.  I may have had specific ideas at the beginning of summer what I might like to do; but His plan for me this summer was just perfect.

Contentment

This past week has been very busy for my household.  It is fair week, and with a daughter in 4H, that means that we are at the fair every day for some reason or another.  But I do love going to the fair, so am happy for an excuse to visit so often.

Yesterday while wandering through the swine barn, I came across this contented pair.  They obviously enjoy each other's company, and seem to have no concerns whatsoever about being on display while thousands of visitors wander by.  They make me laugh.

A Huckleberry Adventure

Out here in our "neck of the woods" we have huckleberries.  And it is my understanding that they only grow in the northwest regions of the United States, as well as across the border in Canada.  I have heard some people liken them to a blueberry .... well, they taste absolutely nothing like a blueberry.  They have their very own distinct flavor that just can't be beat.  Being small in size, it takes a lot more huckleberries to fill a gallon bag than it would if we were filling it with blueberries.

On a recent camping trip, the camp host of our campground, told us that she had heard there were huckleberries up a certain road.  As soon as my husband heard that, he knew that I would want to be up on that mountain picking huckleberries.  I have grown up with huckleberries being a part of my life, and whenever I have the opportunity to pick some, that is where I will be.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with huckleberries, here is what these little beauties look like on the bush:

They grow on bushes, and not tall bushes that you can easily stand in front of picking from.  But the bushes are just the right height that you have to bend over to get the berries, causing your back to complain from time to time.  But then there is also the option of getting them on the steep mountain side where one has to precariously balance with one foot on the uphill side, and the other on the downhill side being very careful not to tumble down the hill.

The other thing about huckleberries is that they aren't typically conveniently located on the main highway where you can just pull your car off to the side of the road, and leisurely go picking.  You have to usually drive up a steep mountain one lane dirt road.  And because you are climbing up the mountain, off to one side of the car will always be a steep drop off with no guard rail.  At times like this, you always hope you don't meet anyone coming down the hill because turn-outs are few, and there is hardly enough room for one car, let alone two cars.  You pretty much have to drive until you feel like you are on top of the world:

When you have reached this point, you know that there must be huckleberries nearby.  Once a good patch is found, everyone bails out of the car, and the picking begins.  In year's past I have passed out buckets to members of my family in hopes of coming home with gallons and gallons.  This year I gave everyone a plastic cup.  That helped them to pick at ease not thinking that I really expected them to each somehow fill a gallon bucket in one afternoon.  Realistically, you just can't come home from one afternoon of picking with gallons and gallons.  It is hard work, the berries are small, and then there is the eating factor.  One can simply not keep themselves from picking a handful of berries, and just eating them on the spot.

                                         

The other thing about huckleberries to keep in mind while picking them is that where there are huckleberries there are bears.  Huckleberries are a favorite snack for bears, and so we try to keep up the conversation and laughing to just politely let the bears know that we are in their neck of the woods.  One of the patches we were picking from actually had a game trail right through the middle of it.  So I knew it was a favorite spot for our furry friends.  We saw traces of bears, and even saw bear fur stuck to some of the bushes.

All of the adventure was well worth it, as we came home with nearly one gallon of berries.  I washed them, and popped them in the freezer, and we will now ration them throughout the upcoming year.  And ration them I do as they sell for $50.00 a gallon for someone that wants to avoid all of the adventure and just buy them from someone locally.

At Long Last

Last night when I was cooking dinner, I asked one of my daughters to run out to the garden to see if I had any yellow squash ready to be picked.  I have been keeping my eye on a couple just waiting until they were big enough.  She returned in a few minutes, with not only two beautiful yellow squash, but this little beauty -- my very first tomato of the season :-) 

Because of our rainy spring this year, I had to plant my garden so late.  I have been watching all of my green tomatoes wondering if there was any chance I would have much of a harvest this year.  This little gem has apparently been hiding from me.  You can imagine the rejoicing in our house over this one special treat.

A Sandwich Fit for a Picnic

I make a sandwich that lends itself extremely well for an on-the-go activity.  It can be made ahead of time and wrapped up tightly to prevent drying out; and since it can be put together very quickly, I took all of the ingredients with us on a recent camping trip.  In no time at all, we were sitting around the picnic table feasting on this delicious sandwich.

Picnic Sandwich

1 loaf French bread
Mustard (or really anything that you prefer on a sandwich)
1/2 lb. hard salami, sliced
4 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
2 tomatoes, sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb. thinly sliced ham
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced
4 or 5 crisp lettuce leaves

Cut bread in half horizontally.  Spread the bottom and top layer with mustard (or whatever you like the most).  Layer the salami, cheese, and tomatoes on the bread, seasoning tomatoes with salt and pepper.  Layer ham, cucumber, onion slices, and lettuce on top of the tomatoes.  Place top on sandwich.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap for storage.  When ready to eat, cut into 6 sections.

An Every Day Teapot

When my grandmother was first married, the only teapot that she had was a beautiful china one with gold trim.  My very practical great grandmother (her mother-in-law) did not think it was a good idea for her to use such a beautiful teapot every day.  So she bought her a more practical one, and told her to put the other away for special occasions.  My grandmother decided that she really didn't think anyone else should be able to tell her which teapot she could use on a daily basis (a bit of a stubborn streak I'm thinking), and put the new one away, and continued using her beautiful teapot.  After my mom was married, my grandma gave her the unused, more practical teapot since she didn't have one.  I grew up with that being my mom's only teapot, and she used it all of the time.  My sister, Kass, is now in possession of it, and it is so nice to visit her, and be poured a cup of tea from such a beautiful (but practical) teapot.

Recently, I was attending a sale just kind of looking around at all of the fun items.  My eyes were just wandering when all of a sudden they came to a complete stop.  There was a teapot identical to my mom's teapot .... except without the lid.  I just had to buy it, especially since the price was only $6.00.  Now I have my very own "practical" teapot, except without the lid I have come up with another use for it:

And just in case you were wondering, my grandma's "fancy" teapot sits in a place of honor in my mom's china cabinet, and you never would have known it had been used on a daily basis for so many years.

That's My Boy!!

This past weekend, my son competed in his first triathlon.  He has been training for the event, but wasn't sure how he would fare.  I couldn't have been more proud of him.  He did amazing!!  Here he is swimming in the river:

Next came the bike portion:

Followed up by the run.  Here he is crossing the finish line:

He did awesome!!  In his age bracket he finished in 6th place.  Overall, he was in the top 25%.  I was very pleased with how he did.  Afterwards of course a celebration was in order ..... here is how he celebrated:

Triathlon number 2 will be coming this weekend.  I think he is hooked.

Being Neighborly

Having neighbors is a part of life for most of us.  Some have bad neighbors, some have good.  I have been blessed by having the best neighbors for so many years.  They were recently gone for a few days, and upon their return brought us the most delightful treats:

A box full of very large apricots:

Another box with a lid on it (hmmmmm what could be in this one?) ....

Ahhhhh, fresh peaches (yum) :-)

And then to top it all off, after checking their garden, they met me at the fence with a bounty of fresh zucchini

I am so excited.  This means I get to make peach pies, apricot jam, zucchini bread .......  not to mention the ability to grab a fresh apricot or peach any time of day for a delicious snack, and all because I have such nice neighbors ..... thank you Jerry and Addie!!

Busy with Berries

This time of year is just perfect in every way.  The garden is growing, the sun is shining, the days are long, and it's time to begin making jam.  I find such a feeling of accomplishment each summer as I put away jam for the upcoming year.  I always begin with strawberries.  And don't these strawberries look like they will be the perfect candidates for my first batch?

They were perfect indeed!!

Tinkered Berry Muffins

When I find time for visiting various blogs, I never miss hopping over to Bluebird Notes.  Koralee has one of the cheeriest blogs around I think.  While meandering through her list of "inspiring friends" along her sidebar, I happened upon Cottage, where I found the recipe for these delicious muffins.  They went together so quick, and were so easy.  At first I wasn't sure about a muffin recipe using Bisquick since sometimes they seem to have a tendency to be "heavy".  These Tinkered Berry Muffins weren't heavy at all, and the combination of bananas, blueberries, and oats was very good.  And just as a side note .... I read once that when you take muffins out of the oven, if you tip them on their side while they cool, it will prevent the bottoms of them from becoming soggy.