Lange General Store - Lange General Store Blog

Tin Foil and Paper Hearts

2017-02-10T11:48:00-06:00

Hi Folks,

First the Story.

It's officially the month of Love and the General Store has been busy gearing up for Valentine's Day! We have several wonderful gifts suitable for all ages. If you need help with an idea or suggestions for a gift basket - we've got you covered!

My most memorable Valentine’s Day ever actually occurred a couple of days before the big day. It wasn’t dinner, it wasn’t the flowers, and it wasn’t the kiss (sorry, honey!). The location – our farmhouse kitchen table. The big event – making Valentine’s Day boxes for a kindergarten party with my two 6-year old boys.

We went “retro” with the box making: shoe boxes, aluminum foil, red construction paper hearts, and Sweethearts candy. Scissors in hand and an Elmer’s glue bottle at my elbow, the boys and I went to work. After an hour or so and two proud sticky-fingered boys later, the boxes were done. My prize – 2 sweet kisses, one on each cheek from the boys.

The boys are old enough now that I’m officially ‘off the hook’ on the annual Valentine’s Day box-making adventure with them. While I’m glad to move onto another chapter, it’s worth remembering that so many times in life it’s the little things we do that give us the best memories to cherish.

Now on to the Stuff……

Alicia's Quick Tip

If your Sweetheart likes homemade biscuits like my family does, but you don’t have the time to roll and cut out biscuits, try this easy and tasty Cheesy Bacon Biscuits recipe. It’s quick to prepare and oh-so delicious.

Cheesy Bacon Biscuits

Ingredients
1 Wind & Willow Cheesy Bacon Dip Mix
½ cup cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° degrees and grease a baking sheet with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together Dip Mix, flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss butter into the dry ingredients until coated with flour. Mix the butter into flour using a pastry blender or a fork until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk and cheese and stir with a fork until it just comes together into a slightly sticky dough. Using a teaspoon or small ice cream scoop, mound walnut sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 14 biscuits.

Tips:
- Add fresh minced onions to mixture before baking.
- Serve with honey butter or your favorite jam for a sweet savory breakfast biscuit!

Even though it’s still Winter here in the Ozark Mountains, there are plenty of fun things to do. This Saturday The Lonesome Hill Gang is performing live at The Soda Fountain. If you like Blues music you won’t want to miss artist Mike Farris on March 4th at The Soda Fountain. His performance is being filmed there for the Upstage television show. Gallery Zeke right next door to the General Store is featuring the Art Teachers show in February.

See the Calendar for more upcoming activities and music shows.

Come see us,
Alicia

Braxton Quilt

Ravishing in Red! Create a timeless look in your bedroom with the Braxton Quilt, featuring log cabin blocks in navy, apple red, and natural tones. A down home country inspired look perfect for any time of the year!

Old School and New Lessons

2016-09-14T11:07:00-05:00

Hi Folks,

First the Story……

With our boys back in school for a new year and seeing those yellow buses on the road, it brings to mind how much things have changed over the years. My Grandma Berniece received her schooling in a one-room country schoolhouse here in the Ozarks during the Great Depression – a pot-bellied stove in the corner, old wooden desks, a blackboard with chalk, one teacher for all 8 grades, and a school bell outside with a pull rope.   After the 8^th Grade, Grandma wanted more schooling at the high school in town.. It held classes up to the 10^thgrade. However she didn’t get to finish school as the 3 mile walk to school and 3 miles back ended up being just too far. Like all children raised on a farm, she still had chores to do after that long trek home.

I have vivid memories of visiting that farm as a young girl.   No running water, no electricity, big old wood cookstove in the kitchen (hot, hot, hot in the summer!), a weathered 2-story clapboard farmhouse, chickens and turkeys running in the yard, drinking cool water straight from the cistern, corn in the field, eggs in the henhouse, and green trees, hills and fields all around and a big blue sky…..what a beautiful place to raise a family.   This was in the 1970’s and it was like time had stood still. I guess Great-Grandma wanted it that way.

Cut away to today…..astro-turfed high school football fields, smart boards instead of blackboards, Chromebooks instead of pencil and paper, parties, parties, and more parties for “learning” and “being good”, air-conditioned schools and air-conditioned busses.    Are we pampering our kids or what?!   They’re actually missing out on some really good things in life -- the feeling of riding on a bus with the windows down and wind blowing in your hair, the pecking sound of chalk during 4^th grade math contests at the blackboard, the feel and smell of real grass after a football tackle, and getting out of school a little early on a hot day. What fun!

Sometimes new isn’t always better.

Now on to the Stuff…..

Alicia's Quick Tip

We get a lot of questions from customers about how to brew loose-leaf tea. (Cinnamon Orange Spice is one of our Favorite Flavors!) Here's one easy way to make iced tea - use a Coffee Maker! To brew, simply put a coffee filter in the brew basket and add your tea. Add about 1 teaspoon per one cup of water (depending on your desired strength). Turn on your coffee pot and VOILA! After brewing, pour tea in a pitcher and add water, ice, and sugar.

Abilene Star Quilt

It's time to change out that bedroom to FALL colors. The Abilene Star Collection features warm, Autumn rustic colors with plaids and stars laid out in a five patch star pattern to create a down home country inspired look for your home.

Steelville Happenings

Fall is a beautiful time to visit the Ozarks with warm days and low humidity. It’s music season here in Steelville with the kickoff of POCO this weekend at Wildwood Springs Lodge, Dawn Day at the Meramec Music Theatre, and music at the local wineries. We have art exhibits at Gallery Zeke and plenty of outdoor activities in the area – fishing, camping, floating, hiking and biking.

See the Calendar for a full list of activities and music shows. The Fall season is just packed with things to do.

Come See Us,
Alicia

Connections in the Country

2016-08-08T10:15:00-05:00

Hi Folks,

First, The Story………

Since it’s Summertime, we get an abundance of tourists and travelers in the General Store. It’s a real pleasure to learn where everyone’s from and many times they share with us what they’ve been doing. A few musings of the summer about connections and what some have shared…….

Two long-time friends, one living on the West Coast in California and one from the East Coast, hadn’t seen each other for years. These two women decided to reunite in the middle of the USA and selected the Ozark Mountains of Steelville as their girls weekend getaway destination. They enjoyed the local wines, relaxed and in their words, “We’ve had a great time.”

A recently retired police officer who policed the tough neighborhood of the south-side of Chicago just moved to our area of the Ozarks….for clean country air, lower taxes, lower cost living, and good friends.

A woman who hadn’t been to Steelville in many years but remembered as a little girl her grandpa taking her to the local Western Auto and buying her a toy. Her memory was foggy on the location of the store on Main Street, but one of our local residents who was sitting around the checkers table was delighted to talk with her. It turns out he knew her grandfather well.

Three young adults from inner-city Chicago took an impromptu quick weekend road trip south to see the big hills of Missouri and ended up in Steelville. They were amazed at the beautiful country night sky. This was their first trip out of the Big City and they had never before seen the stars at night. It's something we country folk take for granted.....

A young 11-year old girl came in the store this past week by herself while I was on the store floor working on inventory. Within two minutes of speaking with her she told me her mother had just recently died – a drug-related incident. I completely stopped what I was doing and gave her my full attention. It didn’t matter about my long To Do List, what mattered most was talking with a girl who clearly wanted and needed to talk. We spoke for 30 minutes about her mother, her family, school, clothes, boys, and girls sports. I hoped I helped her a little bit. She sure helped me that day. She asked me how old I am and when I told her, she said, “Wow. You sure don’t look that old. I thought you were 30.” I’m way older than that!

Now on to the Stuff…..

Anniversary Sale!

20% OFF your Entire Purchase - IN STORE ONLY
Valid Friday, August 12th - Sunday, August 14th

*Mention this Blog Posting at Checkout to receive the discount

Alicia's Quick Tip

Sometimes we get tired of the same old side dishes for dinner...Here's an idea - Roasted Red Pepper Corn on the Cob! Combine our Wind & Willow Roasted Red Pepper Dip Mix with oil. Place corn on grill over medium heat. Brush with mixture while corn is cooking, occasionally turning to cook all sides. Grill until corn is tender and begins to slightly char.

Josephine Black Quilt

A beautiful floral print in large scale appears hand drawn on Josephine Black Quilt. Perfect for your vintage country cottage or home decor, it features on-point double rail road quilting with scalloped edge and binding, reversing to a vintage ticking stripe matching the back of the bedding accessories.

Steelville Happenings

As usual there are plenty of options for fun in Steelville. Pure Prairie League’s Craig Fuller will be at The Soda Fountain with an acoustic show. The Jim Brady Trio is at the Meramec Music Theatre and the first-ever Midwest Rock Fest is at Huzzah Valley Resort on Labor Day weekend. See the Calendar for more activities and music shows. The upcoming Fall season is just packed with things to do.

Come See Us,
Alicia

Pop Fly and Baseball

2016-07-01T14:10:00-05:00

Hi Folks,

One warm evening this past week before the lightening bugs came out for the night, I looked out the window from our farmhouse while finishing up paperwork at my desk. My boys were taking baseball batting practice in the yard. Todd was pitching and our daughter, Fallon who was visiting had joined in too.

I shut the computer down for the night and took a cup of our Hazelnut Crème coffee outside with me to sit in the rocking chair, relax and watch my family for a little while. It wasn’t long before one of the boys said, “Mom, do you want to hit a few balls too?” Since it was one of those long work days, my answer was “No, I’m too tired.” But then as I sat there drinking my coffee, I remembered one of my fondest memories of my Dad from when me was a young girl --- Pop hitting fly balls to my brothers and I in the backyard. We loved it and Pop must have too since he had a smile on his face the entire time.

So I got up out of the rocking chair and said, “Hand me that bat, I’ll take a few swings.” Oh my goodness, what fun I had. My kids laughed, I laughed and the entire time I’m thinking that hopefully I’m making memories for my children too. And guess what, this girl still has it after all these years. I can still hit that ball!

Alicia's Quick Tip

It’s canning season here in the Ozarks and we’re making pickles in 10 Minutes! Farm Stand Dill-icious Pickle Mix makes it easy. Just boil water, add vinegar and cucumbers, and your pickles are ready in 10 minutes. They’re tasty, dill-icious and easy!

Teton Star Quilt

The Teton Star Quilt will add beauty to your country decor with hand quilted patchwork of navy and khaki plaid and check fabrics in a stars and bars vintage design. Traditional five-point stars alternate with three-fabric strips and is adorned with a navy and khaki plaid border.

If you’re looking for something to do in July, check out the Calendar of events for what's going on here in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. Lots of music happening - Supe Granda of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Tim Shelton, The Collingsworth Family, Phil Vassar, OutShyne…….and more. Float, hike, enjoy the music, take a sip at the wineries, or visit our historic sites. And don’t forget, play ball with your kids!

Come See Us,
Alicia

Turtles on the Highway

2016-06-02T11:49:00-05:00

Turtles crossing the highway….a frequent sight at this time of the year here in the Ozarks. Every time I see one it takes me back to memories when I was a kid of the annual VFW picnic in June. First my brothers and I would search the back roads a couple of days before the picnic, each find what looked to be the fastest turtle alive, take them home to their own special cardboard boxes filled with grass, feed them with lettuce to give them plenty of energy, and hope they didn't escape in the backyard in the middle of the night. Then……off to the picnic with our turtles.

Memories of the picnic…..WWII Veterans in their VWF hats including my Grandpa Bill, riding my crepe paper decorated bicycle in the parade, iced-down Sun Drop soda pop in bottles pulled from a big galvanized cattle stock tank, bingo, fish sandwiches, old-time car rides, the 3-legged race with burlap sacks, and of course the TURTLE race! Turtles with our initials painted on their shells were corralled together underneath a galvanized wash tub. Sam, the Veteran who oversaw the race, would remove that tub and the turtles were off to the races! First turtle that made it to the outside of the roped circle won. Mine never did win, but really I won anyway. What wonderful memories I have.

ALICIA'S QUICK TIP

Give your kitchen or family room a Patriotic makeover with the Ashton & Willow Independence placemats, table runner, and pillows.

Patriotic Patch Quilt

The Patriotic Patch Quilt lends a relaxing and rustic sophistication to your bedroom. The quilt features an ensemble of Americana prints with plaids, stripes, and checks in a brick patchwork layout. Cream and tan square patches are surrounded by hand-stitched plaids in shades of navy, country red, and brown.

There are plenty of things to do here in the Ozarks in June. After you’ve hiked, biked, floated, camped or finished your sightseeing for the day, stop downtown across from our general store and visit the Soda Fountain for the John Ford Coley show on June 23rd. Peaceful Bend Winery and the Red Moose Vineyard have live music on the weekends. Check out the Calendar for more events.

Come See Us,
Alicia

June 2, 2016

Spring Time!

2016-06-02T11:15:00-05:00

With the Dogwoods and Redbuds blooming here in Steelville, Spring always gets me in the mood to do something new. With that in mind and all the requests we’ve received from so many of you, we’ve just launched our new Lange General Store website!

One easy way to brighten your home for Spring is to change out that winter quilt and FRESHEN up the Bedroom for Spring. See the just released Brighton Quilt Collection and see the other new quilts on our website. We ship across the US or if you prefer, you can pick up your order in our Steelville store.

Alicia's Quick Tip

Now that the last frost of the season has occurred here in the Ozarks, we finally get to “play” in the garden. I’ve cleared out my flower beds at the Farm and am ready to start planting! At the General Store, Hanging Flower Baskets have arrived!

For a quick and easy way to brighten up your patio, take the flowers (including the potting mix) from one of our hanging baskets and plant the whole arrangement directly into your patio planter. It's so simple to do plus you get instant full-size beauty! Then put one of our new Garden Flags in your patio or front door landscaping.

Try our New Gourmet Coffee Flavor:

Happy Spring to all of you and we so appreciate your patronage!
Come See Us,
Alicia

April 20, 2016