The Garden Thread - November, 2025

November 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[FamiliarFace]

Hoosier cabinets are plentiful in my area! You want to know the funny thing about the one you’ve shown? In my dining room, I have the bottom half of that Hoosier in there and use it for storage beneath and a buffet on top. Ours has a wooden top, of enameled, so I never knew it had a former life as a Hoosier cabinet until now!

We found it 30 years ago at our church’s Trash and Treasure tent when we had a festival there (someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure). Well, they had that cabinet marked for $20, and we were dirt poor. We needed something for the kids to put board games and toys in, so that was in our family room for the longest time. When we moved to Indiana, it found a home in the dining room. I have never been able to part with that piece. It is so versatile, and holds a LOT of stuff (larger serving pieces mostly). Very functional.

[MomwithHope]

Nice table story! I have seen many an enamel table at many a garage sale, most in terrible shape, many with drawers missing. So about 3 years ago I saw one on our town's facebook sale page. 20 bucks. Dragged hubby over there and bought it on the spot. It sat in the barn for 2 years. I was going to refinish it and gift to someone. Finally got around to it. Repainted, made new drawer bottoms out of some nice coated greyish masonite I had on hand. Bought new drawer handles, cute pipe design, and bought casters. The table legs already had holes drilled for castors. The top was in excellent except for one chip on the edge but I bought a enamel repair kit, about 8 bucks. It's like epoxy, mix apply, it has a scraping tool to level and two different sanding discs. Worked great you can hardly tell.

[FamiliarFace]

I love fixing things up and making them new again. Years ago, at my favorite consignment furniture shop, I found an actual antique mahogany ornately carved full sized headboard and footboard with the sides. It needed a LOT OF ATTENTION. It was beautiful but was very dry and had cobwebs all over and under it. It needed a thorough cleaning and revitalizing and that just what I gave it.

Once it was ready to come inside the house, hubby had to revamp the rails. There were no screw holes, it was pegs that fit into carved holes. It needed to be braced because the rails were just loosey goosey. After we got it stabilized it was ready for a board with a mattress on top. It couldn’t accommodate a box spring. It’s in one of our guest rooms and is a lovely bed for a single adult or the grandkids.

If we ever have to move it, it will take more work than a modern bed to take apart. I hope that’s not necessary for a long time!

[Liz]

Pumpkin Brownies Stuffed with Oreos
Awesome! Moist, fudgy, chocolatey, You must try this. Serves 12

Ing 15 oz pkg brownie mix, 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin, 16 Pumpkin Spice Oreos

How to Grease 8x8" baking pan bottom. Combine brownie mix, pumpkin; batter will be very thick. Spread about half in pan. Place Oreos on top, touching not overlapping. Press down gently.Add rest of batter. Bake 350 deg 25 min.

Vary Use Golden Oreos, or fall flavors; Maple Creme, or
Halloween w/ orange cream. Can add chocolate or white chips.