Dark Tues!

dipped oreo cookies with fall sprinkles and white choc

Pics from market on sat!!

Ok so last night right when we sat down to eat supper BAM!! LIGHTS OUT!!our power was off!!~ see it has been very very windy and yesterday am I just kept praying we would not end up with a tree on our house!! We border woods and have lots of big ol trees around the house and these winds have been terrible.!! My poor scrarecrows are all a mess!! tipped or just blewn right down! poor things!!

here are a few pics from the market on sat. We had beautiful weather and there were alot of customers too!!

Oh by the way you know how i have mentioned a few times how I will rest up and play more and have the winter to regroup!! WELLLLLLLLLLLLL NOT!!**** I signed up to be in an indoor winter market in Kalamazoo MI!! can u believe it!! LOL well sounded good and I have not sold there before and I really think it is a super duper terrific idea! just what we need in the winter time!! so now yall can rest assured I wont be running a muck down these country streets this winter I will be busy baking! hopefully!! LOL So if yall are near Kalamazoo Expo center at the fairgrounds we start Oct 14th and go into april. It will be held on wed from 7 am to 1 pm and so far there are some good sounding booths coming!! organic fresh meats from our friendly meat man Dave, (who by the way has the most delicious brats I have ever tasted!! and super meaty good nitrate free bacon) someone that has winter greens and such, a granola booth, a few others I dont remember and of cource YOURS TRULY!! chicken scratch baked goods!! YEAH!

no rest down time for this chick!LOL

I did manage to get to the kitchen today and this is what I got done, made double batches of choc chip cookies, peanut peanut butter cookies, hazelnut butter cookies (that will have chocolate drizzeled ontop), cheesecake sugar cookies with jam center and drizzeled with white choc, pistachio bread, dipped pretzels and oreos, almond cheesecake bars, zucchini pineapple bread, pumpkin pineapple bread, and some salsa dip mixes whew! that was it!!

Hope you have a wonderful evening I am off to enjoy having lights and water again!! Ha Ha!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Market day

~Well hey there!! Market was ok today down some from the previous weeks but still ok for us. The chocolate hazelnut fudge went over really well, as did the pumpkin pie spice dip mix I came up with and the cinnamon raisin bread were all good sellers. It is really funny to us how to judge what to make for the different markets some weeks muffins sell at one market like crazy but the next market none?? who knows?? so I just make whatever strikes me at that moment plus usually I try to be really good and organized (ok not so much on the organization) LOL but make a list out of what HAS to be made and then what I would like to make and i do stick to it pretty dang good. I did have a tragedy yesterday at the kitchen though, for some reason my double batch of cardamom bread was a total flop!! to the point that the chickens werent even happy eating it. It didnt rise at all!! and I made sure I used the right kind of yeast and activated it properly but who knows???? Also I made a big batch of homemade carmels and no go on them either!! they had a grainy texture and were softer than i like. I didnt cut that sheet pan of it up so i think i can melt it a bit and use it on the apples so not a total waste! chickens would have liked that i am sure. of cource it might be interesting to see them with a beak full of sticky chewy carmel?? NOT!!! i would not do that to them.

So my very first issue of Chicken Scratch newsletter will be goin out this week and thus far I have 24 folks signed up for that . It basically is for my customers at the markets who would like to see me off from running a muck for the winter time and at the kitchen working!!LOL I am teaming up with our meat man and we will be delivering our products to the market site on select days 2 times a month from november thru march so maybe I can keep working!! LOL

Other than that not especially much goin on it has been a steady busy week. OH i started working at the "salt of the earth" in Fennville tues am!! and will be back there bright and extra early on sunday!! 4am!! but only til 10 so by the time i get home I will be ready for a little nap with the "boys" as hubby will just be gettin up at that time.
Well I will be off to make supper for my wonderful hubby who deserves only the very best!! LOL right!! it is leftovers for him tonight~~

May the chicken of happiness visit you often and fill your days with sunshiney bright eggs and clucking good times!~
HUGS
Darlene ~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

HAPPY MONDAY YALL!!

The boys each got a rawhide chewy yesterday They love em! Bubba has his daddys ol cap on. Silly boy

My mr boopie woopie boo enjoys a good rawhide

Buster being the big brother to them had his finished first so was just chillin on his bed.

Here's a thrift store find an old bakers rack that hubby just tightened up the screws and replaced a couple and VOILA works great in the farmstand!

So today I was gonna start a new job yes another job! LOL just a fill in job in a local restraunt/bread shop in our little town. It is called Salt Of The Earth and they make abosolutely awesome rustic artisan breads of all kinds!! So I knew the gal that opened and she needed someone to help like when someone calls in or they are shortstaffed! HEY at least it is in a kitchen!HUH !! After october when the market closes I figure this will help me bake year round! And next year I am already lookin at hiring a gal to help me bake a few hours a week to get ready for markets mostly. So anyway I am starting at 5 am tomorrow instead. Now as yall know I am an early riser but now I have to get up by 3.30 to get everything done before I have to leave! that is a bit early isnt it? LOL oh well I can do it!!

Gosh we are suppossed to get rain today and the next 3 days after but ya know I am surely NOT complaining at all we have gone the longest stretch this year without rain, almost 17 days!! it did rain a bit this am but now it is just kind of muggy and the air is thick. I am really counting on havin an indian summer and a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG beautiful fall to enjoy those leaves a bit more!!

Hope yall have a great monday and will let ya know how the job works tomorrow!!

HUGS!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Sunny happy sunday

Oh it was a BEAUUUUUUUUUTIFUL fall day here!! And i mean gorgeous outside! Did some fall decorating around the farmstand. LOVE scarecrows so there are 5 along the driveway. tomorrow I am gonna pick some pumpkins and more apples. Right now I have macintosh and ginjer gold in the farmstand along with some maters, taters, onions, peppers and lots of squash. The market is going good yet so have to start making my doughs up for cookies and breads for this week.

So did yall watch the new "SURVIVOR? What a snake in the grass!! that guy that lied and told all these stories to get sympathy of others is a real piece of IRRITATION!! I think a couple of the gals that he tried to smooze over realyzed he is a little sneak!! And they way he talked about women!!! what a jerk!~! He will get his.

Well gotta get my butt off to bed now as tomorrow should be a very productive day!! In october I am participating in the Saginaw Valley State University big craft show!! only bringing my altered books some fall halloween things and lots of food items baked goods!! I am proud to be a part of the Keepsake Collection Shows and this one is the biggest fall show!!!

Have a blessed evening!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

TGIF~~

rasp crumb bars

this would be considered a "fully loaded" apple huh? LOL carmel, milk chocolate, honey roasted peanuts, fall sprinkles, and to top is off white chocolate drizzeled on top!!

these are some of the rice krispy pops

OH NO NEKKED bundt cakes!! LOL

YEAH IT IS FRIDAY!~~ already~ the days just fly by dont they?

Well yesterday was quite productive and today will have to be too!

Made hot pepper jelly mild and hot and also did up some dipped carmel apples,

dipped in homemade carmel and then in chocolate with asst toppings, dipped rice krispy pops, apple cream cheese bars, carmel apple pie, smores bars (i made up this recipe and will let ya know how they taste) some muffins, and a couple of bundt cakes oh and some yummy raspberry filled crumb bars. They looked just too plain so had to add the "farmgirl bling" white chocolate drizzeled ontop!

So today I am hoping on getting some butter cookies done, some frosted pumpkin cookies, some kind of bread, maybe some pumpkin cheesecake bars, maybe some kind of chocolate mocha cake? and hopefully some apple butter.

Have a great friday yall!!~!
*HUGS *

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

WERE BACK!!

Some of my sunflowers in the garden

these are mixed lemon queen and autumn beauty sunflowers in one garden

OH MY MR BOOPIE WOOPIE BOO!! up close and personal!! LOL little angel!!

just got the cart unloaded and camp set up.

sitting in the line up for the annual tractor cruise to town

Our golden jubliee

On our way to the lineup

My hubby's great grandfathers H (aint she a beautie)

Were back home and our VACATION was great!!

What a week!! we had beautiful weather and the tractor show was a huge event this year it was bigger than ever!! We met the nicest couple next to us and then met a couple next to my inlaws that we became friends with.

there are over 150 tractors and doodle bugs that participated in the annual tractor cruise to town. What a fun time we took one of our little hay trailers in back of the H and loaded my inlaws, a couple of friends and a couple we met that camped next to us, went to town then rode along the lakeshore, back to town and then to dairy queen for ice cream!! YUMMY too!!If you go to one tractor show/flea market in sw michigan it should be this one!! The group puts on a terrific show and there is also live old steam engine pulled sawmill demos, a blacksmith making things in a forge, a shingle mill, antique and hot rod tractor pulls, steam engine steamed sweetcorn, bingo, cake walks, hit and miss engines, TONS of all colors and kinds of tractors running around, the flea market where I am sure you are bound to find something you cannot live without!! LOL, camping, rides around the grounds on a tractor pulled people mover and lots more!! Definetly worth the trip~

So tomorrow is back to work at the kitchen for me to get ready for market on thurs~~and I mean work I have nothing ready for this weeks markets but that is ok I will catch up~~

The leaves are starting to change round here and the squash is ready and oh so tasty~ We made some while camping, I took the acorn squash, cut in 1/2 cleaned her out and put in butter (real sweet cream butter only) brown sugar, and a couple of slices of fresh bacon on top. Bake til soft and ENJOY!! we also made some stuffed with a sausage filling that was yummy too.

It is a glorious time of year but always makes me a bit sad as winter even though I love love love the snow~ just lasts so lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg!! but boy once the leaves start with all the color shows we get it is absolutely stunning!! love the smells, the leaves burning, the crisp mornings, apples, cider, pumpkins and of cource scarecrows!! LOVE the FALL!~!

Well have a blessed evening and will chat more soon!!

Oh I will post some pics when it is unloaded but we are the proud new owners of another little tractor~~~a waukesha. Have to do some reasearch on her as we dont know much about this little cutie.

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

It;s almost time!!

Red onion cheddar pepper bread rounds

Buttercrumb topped lemon cream bread (before baking)

a corsage for the wedding we did last week at the flower shop, more pics on the Floral Touch Florist blog

Some cheesecake sugar cookies topped with black currant jelly and drizzled with white chocolate.. SUPER YUMMY!! these guys all sold quickly

Before baking and before adding my "farmgirl bling" LOL

Its almost VACATION TIME!! YEAH YEE HAW!! WOO HOO!! YIPPEE!~!!

can you tell I cant wait!! well actually I can since it goes by so dang quick!! hubby always says "dont blink and its over!"

Ok so this weekend was the best market all season for us!! I had alot of new goodies and alot of new customers! I decided to start an email list for the local folks that I will deliver to thru the winter months so got quite a few sign ups for that!! A guy at the allegan market on thurs said he comes to town 2 times a month to deliver fresh meats and meets customers in the parking lot where we have market now so maybe he and I can do this together for everyone!! IF you are near the Allegan area and would like to be on the list please leave me a comment and I will add ya!! I plan on sending an email or taking special requests. Last year I did get alot of orders for thanksgiving pies, including my pumpkin praline cheesecake, apple cream cheese pie with walnuts, cinnamon apple cheesecake and also some peach praline pies oh and of cource pumpkin pies!!

Oh yeah I have a funny story to share with yall from tues. My mom and I took 2 of our cats in to be fixed. Hers is Elmo a male and my Emmy Lou a female, we went dropped them both off, keep in mind they are both light grey and long haired cats Elmo is a bit bigger than mine and has a distinctive characteristic which you will find out later. So we brought them both home, Emmy Lou stayed in the carrier that night in our enclosed porch so noone else will bother her, Elmo ran under the couch in my parents living room. so for 2 days I didnt see too much of my little girl and my mom said she put food out and Elmo didnt come out just sat under the couch. We knew this is pretty common for cats especially since they had surgery and were sore i am sure. So the other night hubby says what did they do to Emmy Lou? her bottom canine tooth was stickin outward, not thinkin of anything I told him maybe it was something that will fix itself from surgery? She ate and was actin a bit more like herself plus i picked her up and cuddled her not wanting to move her around too much, my mom said Elmo still hasnt come out for them to see he must have just come out to eat when they left for work. Yesterday morning while I was feeding everyone getting ready to leave for market I noticed the snaggle tooth on both sides of Emmy's mouth and thought that is strange, then figured I would pick her up to check her incision out and make sure it looked ok. WELLLLLLLLLLLLL COME TO FIND OUT>>>>>>>seenin a white spot below her neck (still didnt click with me) (i know I am blonde cant u tell>??) LOL didnt find an incision, rubbing her belly I didnt feel anything either and thought hmmmmmm that is strange they should have shaved her little belly? went about my morning chores and FINALLY!! thought!~! THAT IS NOT my cat!! This is ELMO!! I could not believe how long it took~~4 days and noticed it was him and not my Emmy!! CRAZY~~he usually fights with my mom's outside cats and is nasty well here he was eating out of the same bowl as Chevy girl and the other cats and not a peep out of him!! I called my mom that am and told her the story!! she wondered too why her cat was hiding under the couch when he is such a tyrant in the house!! We have to let the vet know next time we go huh!!

LOL

Well I better get packing the 5th wheel, i hear hubby loading one of the tractors!! and our house sitter, farm sitter should be here soon!!

We will be staying out at the South Haven Flywheelers for the annual tractor and engine show!! this is a great tractor show!! There's a huge flea market, good food available, tractor parades fri, sat and sun and also demos of an antique sawmill, blacksmith, and tractor pulls goin on all weekend!! come on down!!! you will enjoy it and dont forget to get some steam engine steamed corn on the cob!! IT IS THE BEST EVER~~

South Haven Michigan

take bluestar hwy to phoenix street head east follow the tractors or signs!! It is HUGE!!

Have a blessed week yall!!

HUGS!~!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Wild Wed~

Today is gonna be a wild wed at the kitchen for sure!
Here is what HAS to get accomplished today: cardamom bread loaves, blueberry orange bread, zucchini bread, peach praline muffins, blueberry butter crumb topped muffins, molasses round breads, choc chip cookies, peanut butter chip chocolate chip cookies, bread -n-butter pickles, apple blossoms, blueberry pies and cheesecakes. Some of this stuff i did measure out all the dry ingredients for yesterday and the muffins i did make the batch and put them in buckets in fridge for today so all in all it should go pretty smoothly, I HOPE!! LOL
SOOOOOOOOOOOo I better get my butt off to work now~~
Just wanted to say hey and hope yall have a super duper lovely day!!
~HUGS~
Darlene ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~