Making Pierogis 101

Here are the chunks of pierogi dough.  I rolled a few of the first ones by hand but thought it would be much more consistent in thickness to just roll it thru the pasta maker.  YIPPEE! this worked perfect, FYI if yall are gonna do this I went to the 5th setting, the 4th was a bit too thick and the 6th was way too thin!!  5 is perfect!! LOL my favo number too!!  Peeled taters and steamed them when done I added some butter and salt,  pepper, and a touch of some seasoning plus shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 

I first cut them out using a 3 in biscuit cutter but then went to the next larger one and that was alot better.

AND a handy little tip here!!!I used my small cookie scooper and Perfect amount of filling, then lightly patted the mound dowm a bit.

After folding it in 1/2 I wet my fingertips with water to make the dough stick to seal the ends.  One thing to note you really have to go around that edge a couple of times pinching it tightly for a good seal.  I cooked a few up to try them out.  Just added freshly grated parmesean cheese and some fresh pepper.  GOSH GOOODNESS they are yummy!!

This is the sauerkraut cooked with some sauteed onions, salt, pepper and lawrys seasoning.  The scooper didnt work too good with these but I did just use 2 forks and placed the kraut in the middle.

I did try to make them all uniform but some did look better and bigger but for the most part they will be fine!! That is the proof of MADE FROM SCRATCH!!  LOLThese are gonna be my featured item this week at markets!~

I am kind of wanting to try an asparagus and tater filling??? then maybe some artichoke and cheese (thanks to Maureen's idea~~)  Those maybe next week and they will be called "MO's  Special" LOL

Share more tomorrow with yall!~!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Buns and market day

I made an extra batch of bread dough and decided to play around and make some homemade sandwich or hamburger buns.  I found out you really use the palm of your hand to get a nice finished round edge on them. So after scaling them out at 3 oz each roll the dough around the counter then cup your hand over it pushing in with your thumb to form a perfect circle.  Easy peasy!! and they turn out fantastic!Using a pastry brush to apply a bit of egg warsh to each one then top with seeds.  LOL egg warsh is a perfect glue!!I am so so SO lovin babka!!  What a smell when that bread is baking! heavenly and the dough is so nice to work with and smooth!!   This week I made walnut struesel filled and also a few had some chopped dried apricots also.

This bread rises perfect and looks just delish!!

Sat was my first day back at South Haven Farmers Market and it was better than ever!! seein everyone again and some of my friends stopped by to say hi, which was an added bonus!! Great to see ya Mo, Donna, Gayle, Louise, Elaine and Lynn (miss you guys) Cathy and Deb and    Oh EVERYONE ELSE TOO!   I loved and enjoyed chattin with yall!!  And of cource all my farmer peeps!!!  If it wasnt for all of you my life wouldnt be the same!! and a HUGE GINORMOUS THANK YOU TO ALL THE CUSTOMERS!! we couldnt do a market without yall!!   Oh and whoever was the entertainment yesterday.......... YOU GUYS ROCK!! it was awesome music!!  IF you are near South Haven MI, stop on by on sats for a great time!!  Each week there is someone coming to play music and of cource we have something for everyone, local produce, jams/jellies, great granola, local honey, organic meats, jerkey, beautiful plants, herbs, perenials, handmade goods, soaps, wonderful frozen yogurts, salsas, and of cource AWESOME baked goods!!! LOL

Here are a few pics of market early on as we were all gettin set up.

This guy knows how to grow beautiful perenials!!  GORGEOUS! and he is a great neighbor at market too!!

Well hope yall have a blessed weekend and please take a moment out of your day to thank all the men and women in the military who fight for our freedom and who have graciously given their lives for what we are today....

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

A whole lot of baking wed

Just a quick happy WED to yall!!    Monday a gal started helping me at the kitchen and what a HUGE HELP she was!! She is coming back today and all I can say is THANK YOU SHIRLEY!! you are GREAT!!  We got alot accomplished and today will be a busy busy day finishing up things for tomorrow.  With the holiday weekend aproaching I wanted to bump up my inventory a bit so got lots planned.
Yesterday I made mixes up and more asparagus cheese stuffed ravioli, some basil noodles, 3 batches of babka dough which is in fridge rising overnight, and lots of cookie dough.  I did learn that putting rhubarb thru the processor does a great job!  I used our cuissinart and stood the stalks upright then used the 4 mm cutting blade and oh that was nice!! no hand chopping no more!! LOL and so much faster.   
I am off to the kithchen to get some things ready and also shape the breads.  Gosh I should whip up a batch of hotdog, brat buns too and maybe some hamb buns since alot of people are grilling again!!

OK HAVE A GREAT WED!!  I will be back to share more pics and things I learn as I go!!

HUGS!!I just had to share these beauties with ya! The iris are open and seem bigger and more vibrant this year.  LOVE that purple.  Maybe will have to some scrappin using irs pics on an altered item?? 

OH and I want to put a huge HUGE thank you out to my most loving, understanding, patient hubby!!!  LOVE YA BABE!! he has settled for muffins and eggs and ham this week for supper a few times I might add.  Just been so dang tired when I get home and after doing chores and closing the farmstand at night I am whipped!! he is such a great guy!!  again LOVE YA BABE AND THANK YOU!!you are the best hubby ever!!

Darlene

TOMORROW THURSDAY IS ALLEGAN MI FARMERS MARKET   see u there!!
IFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

hot Rhubarb day

WHEW!! WHAT A HOT MONDAY~~ and this rest of this week sounds the same!~ 90 degrees outside!! BUT we have had such a gorgeous long spring one certainly cannot complain!

So yesterday at the kitchen was all bout rhubarb recipes!!  Made some simple butter crumb streusel topping shown above to go ontop of some strawberry rhubarb muffins.  Then some rhubarb crisps with just a touch of some strawberries.  Gosh the fruits better hurry up I am quickly using up my stock in the freezers from last season!!  LOL

These are the nekked muffins.

Just a thin layer of the struesel topping lets the beautiful red color come thru so nice.

And had orders for banana nut bread so made a few of them up too. 

So on the list accomplished so far are the above items along with some of my round cheddar rustic herb bread, lemon poppyseed muffins, peanut butter whoopie pies, choc chip cookies, my caramel shortbread delights and a few loaded carrot cakes.  Today will be all about the doughs that need overnight time in the fridge. Babkas, brioche and also some ravioli.

Hope yall have a blessed day and stay cool!! 

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Baking and market

So yesterday was ALLEGAN MI farmers market!! ALL I can say is a huge THANK YOU !! to all my customers and everyone that did come out!!!! IT was a great day!! the best part all the vendors/farmers there were all local to allegan and raise their own produce, plants and treats!!!
I was able to get my hot little working hands on a gorgeous 29 pounds of fresh rhubarb!!! THANKS SUSAN!!  My rhubarb is still goin strong but I am wanting it to reseed so I am not pickin anymore.   So today is gonna be a rhubarb jelly making day!!  and also for market next week some old fashioned farmhouse rhubarb treats!! 

Lemon buttermilk cake with some "farmgirl bling" lemon glaze.

Here is a bit of a tutorial on making ravioli

Roll the sheet of dough thin using the pasta machine run it thru to the last thinnest setting.  Place ontop of ravioli mold, using the indentation form press lightly.

Using a pastry bag and large star tip I piped some of the filling into each mold then topped it with another sheet of dough.   Using a rolling pin roll ontop of mold to press the grooves into dough and cut each square.   Flip upside down to push the ravioli out of mold.

And here they are!!    One thing I did this week was made an extra batch of dough layered between sheets of film, then took out just before making them.  As the dough thawed which only took a couple of minutes it did get a bit sticky, I just brushed it with a tiny tiny bit of flour then placed on top of mold.   Now if you dont have a mold you could certainly roll the sheets place filling then top and use a pizza cutter or pastry wheel to cut each square to any size.  The good thing about using the pasta maker is the sheets come out just a bit bigger than the mold, I just froze all the scraps then took them out as needed for supper.  Egg noodles are yummy with a bit of butter and salt and pepper and makes a great side dish.      Butter crumb topped blueberry muffins.  THESE are the best muffins!!   Customers came back and bought a couple after tasting them. Nekked lemon buttermilk cakes with blueberriesGolden cinnamon bread loaf, one thing I will note is to add more cinnamon sugar inside the bread.  When done baking to 200 degrees I brushed each loaf with melted butter and sprinkeled cinnamon sugar ontop. Inside of one of the lemon buttermilk blueberry cakes.  Tomorrow there is a 70% chance of rain so not sure if I am gonna do market in south haven.  I have an order for some jellies and will probably work on them this weekend.   Plus I need to work on my recipe books as I have someone starting next week to help me bake! YEAH!! maybe I will finally get more time to try and experiment new things!!  Be on the look out for lots of new treats!! savory and sweets!! 

Have a great TGIF!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

What to do with an old chair

Well an old wooden chair is most valuable!!  Hubby and I went to an auction last weekend and my only purchases were some old wooden chairs.    They were perfect candidates for a new makeover.   I love the spindles on old chairs and use them in alot of my primitive pieces but I just couldnt take these guys apart, they actually were all in very good condition so for $3.00 for all 4 chairs I got a real bargain!!   and last night at an auction I purchase an ol  little rusty tricycle.  I have plans for this little cutie but not sure if I will be able to get it done today.  We have 20 pounds of taters to plant and more sweet corn and a patch for some of the first sunflowers to get in. 

This was the first chair, I actually left it alone, didnt repaint any of it and it already was chipped and peeling so that was perfect.  The second one looked like someone started stripping it down as it showed several layers from white to blue to grey, so all I did was a light sanding and then painted a very thin coat of flat black ontop so it would show some of the colors below. 

Each one has grapevine and some ivy wrapped around it.  The ivy is planted in the pot and will perk back up it usually takes just a few days for it to regain its momentum and start growing.  I have another white one done up but took it up to mom and dads for by their porch.  The colues so far has incredible colr!! and we did grow quite a few varieties from plugs I bought this early early spring. 

I did up some of my brothers herbs and veggie plants out for sale by the farmstand.  We started some oregano, sweet basil, lemn basil, lemon thyme, thyme, lavender, dill, marjoram, sage, rosemary, and some organic cat grass for him to take to market.  Also a couple of kinds of heirloom tmoato plants and sugar ann sweet snap peas.  Everything is growing very good right now!! YEAH!!

My little tric! 

And of cource I love to have little vessels full of fresh cut flowers in the farmstand so right now it is lily of the valley.  We have a bunch of this growing around, the stems and flowers seem to be extra full this year and the flowers so fragrant!! oh what a sweet smell!

Well that is about it for things to share with yall this beautiful sunny sunday morning!!   Oh I just love these chairs! LOL

Tomorrow will be all about back to work at the kitchen.  I have a long list of things this week to get done as I have 2 markets and an order for my pickeled asparagus and strawberry apricot jam so not too much play time for me.  Today will be fun though workin outside with hubby and plantin!  Oh and putin up the door to close the farmstand up.  We are OPEN just am needin to put a door on the front.  Dont know if I mentioned it but the "girls" are grounded right now for bein quite naughty last week!!  There is a very lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg list of baked goods that they found and decided to snack on in the farmstand!!   Like numerous pkgs of cookies, 3 pies, several loaves of breads, a few muffins,  a bundt cake, and lots of granolas!!  Yepper they got up on the shelves and tore the place up and not just one day but serveral days I came home to find the pkgs all over the floor and ripped and shredded up.   SO grounded!! they have been in their pen for 4 days now and are really really angry! you can see it in their little faces too!! ANGRY CHICKS!!  So this afternoon we hope to have the wall done and they will be out free again!!!  My mom gave me an old screen door that they bought for the farmhouse several years ago and decided to get a different one, this one has been in the rafters in the garage still in the packaging and it is white and the same height as we need out there so perfect!!  I will post pics when we are done.

I hope yall have a beautiful day and have this gorgeous sunshine where yall are at too!!  ENJOY!! be back tomorrow!! 

NEW recipe this week to for: olive asiago cheese bread!! oh sounds good cant wait to try it out!! 

HUGS

Darlene

OH MY PS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I forgot to mention we came home the other night to these guys too!!

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~