Sunday, August 29, 2010

Cakes, cookies, breads n more!

WHEW!!! what another week!!  One more major week to get thru and then I can take it a bit easier!!  LOL I love being busy but lately it has been super crazy busy!   On friday I made some sugar cookies with dried apricots then added my "farmgirl bling" some melted white and dark choc drizzeled ontop.  So cute and yummo too!!   I also bought a new book of some awesome recipes.  I did made one that I am not too sure what went wrong but I didnt care for these at all.  They are orange n cheese filled buns.   I am thinkin maybe they just didnt rise quite enough.  That is one thing I really dont like making ........ cinnamon rolls.  Not a big fan of them nope!!   They are just too heavy and not light n fluffy, at least the ones I have had and made.  Welllllllll these are kind of similar.  Good flavor and my customers liked them but I just didnt care for them.


I did chop up some fresh rosemary and made some rosemary and sea salt savory crisp crackers.  Now these are great! Also made were my cheese filled crumb cakes some filled wtih cheese and blueberries others with just a cheese mixture.These are the orange filled buns.  I did make a nice orange glaze for the tops.
AND THESE are Susan's yummy yummy chocolate cakes with a nice rich chocolate ganache frosting.  They were a bit on the plain side so I added some "bling" white chocolate topped with a bit of chocolate jimmies.  Too cute and they really are the BEST chocolate cake ever!~~
So I am off to make up some of my blueberry jalapeno jelly and some farmhouse red tomato preserves.  we are sold out right now.  
Have a blessed sunday afternoon.
HUGS
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Friday, August 20, 2010

Peaches-n-blueberries

Happy Friday!! Susan and I made some white bread kind of like french bread with a baguette look.  These are goin to go to  dinner that Lakeshore Harvest Country is hosting this weekend. I also made some squash n cheese filled homemade ravioli for them too.  I was honored to beable to contribute to their dinner.
I love love LOVE this bread it is a bit of work but so worth it.  We baked it on stones in the big convection oven and it is nice and crusty and super soft and flavorful in the middle!!
They are gonna serve it sliced and grilled toppped with some homemade local goat cheese and pesto.  Sounds super yummo!!  I love pesto and need to make some soon!!
I did up something new a pecan streusle filled peach bread and boy that was very good too.  Since we are in the heart of blueberries and peaches it was time to whip up some peachy blueberry goodies.  Here are my cobblers and I also made up some muffins with a buttercrumb topping, and peach blueberry pie.
 Peach struesel filled muffins. They baked a bit over the pan but tasted so good it dont matter.  I topped each one with a bit of struesle with toasted pecans.
Well I better get myself finished loading up for market tomorrow.
South Haven Farmers Market tomorrow 8-2 I will have lots of goodies.  Tater-n-cheese pierogi, squash ravioli, lots of cookies and breads oh and muffins.

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Monday, August 16, 2010

Blueberry fest is over!

Oh my goodness we had a wonderful market day sat!!  IT was blueberry festival in South Haven, MI and what a festival!! I am so glad so many people came out and enjoyed everything blueberry!!  The parade was awesome, the music the food all of it was great!!! 
Mary and I made blueberry filled pierogi with a cheese mixture and those went over like crazy!!  WE pretty much sold out of everything we took with.   I love giving sample of my blueberry jalapeno jelly out and watch the reactions of people, it is such a super taste.  You first get the sweet blueberry then it takes a minute but ............. wait a bit more............. the jalapeno peppery taste kicks in!!  it is not hot at all just a bit of a bite so you know it is there.   My mom's peach basil preserves went over great too!! we served crackers with a bit of cream cheese and the preserves ontop.  IT is such a unique taste experience I am gonna make my dear sweet lovin hubby a nice suppper tonight and top the meat with some of her preserves.  I am a huge basil fan and love cookin with it.  This week I am making some of my peach basil crumble pie.  I made it last summer and it was amazin!!  I love that so many of my customers like tryin new things and new flavor combos I come up with.
I still cannot believe I didnt take my camera to the kitchen on friday!!  Susan made the most delicious chocolate cakes, these were made in a dome shaped silicon pan each one just the perfect size for one or maybe two people *I have to say I dont share my chocolate very good with others*LOL they had a vey rich smooth chocolate frosting on them and I topped them with just a dab of white chocolate and then the "farmgirl bling" took me over so it was chocolate jimmies!! They were just too cute and oh so irresitible!  They will be made again soon so I will be sure to show yall pics of them.   Everything was a big hit that we made.  All the muffins, breads, cakes, cookies, pies and my grandma Rose's dill pickles I made sold out!!  Miss ya Grandma!!  Mary came to the kitchen and we played with some recipes and trialed a couple of new things too.   She made awesome garlic herb braided breads, some peach and blueberry filled mini rugelach's, and  some butter crescent rolls that were melt in your mouth perfection. 
This week will be all bout peaches!! I picked some of our red haven peaches and the Lorings are about ripe now but I cannot wait for the RED SKIN peaches!! Those are my absolute favo!! and they are just perfect peach orange color!! they will look beautiful in the jars I plan on canning some slices in.
Well today will be workin in the house this am I was pretty neglectful last week spending majority of my time at the kitchen so things need to be done here then I think I will go to the kitchen and play around!!  YEAH!!   Susan and I want to make some ciabatta bread and maybe some sourdough this week.

My mom and I are gonnna do some corn for the freezer, which by the way if you dont know how it is very easy peasy to enjoy corn all winter.   We use a big ol bowl then an electric knife (thanks to Grandama Jan's idea there) to take all the kernals off the cob.   I get a big stock pot of water boilin add some sugar  dump in all the corn, we usually do about 5 dozen ears at a time, let it just boil maybe 2-3 min then turn off heat, let it cool and scoop it into freezer ziploc bags.  I lay them flat out on a sheet pan and freeze them.  That's it!! and the sugar helps the corn stay super sweet and yummo!!  try it!!
So I better get my coffee down and git thin's done around here!!
ENJOY your monday yall!!  
  Thanks to my mom and dear friend Mary for making sat a very successful day with alot of laughs and hugs!!

HUGS
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

blueberry cheese filled pierogi and more

So yesterday my dear friend Mary and I worked like crazy making things for markets this week especially for blueberry festival sat!  One of our concoctions was a blueberry and cheese filled pierogi topped with just a bit of sugar. 
I strained some cottage cheese out do be dry and added a mini scoop of that then topped with some fresh blueberries, after boiling them for 2 min they were topped with sugar for a super great treat!  The flavor was awesome and I was quite impressed with this combo!!  They are kind of like my moms cheese and fruit filled crepes but with thicker dough.  I will def be bringin these guys to market!~
Egg whites being beat for a new recipe I got for coconut macaroons!! OH MY WORD these are the best!! They took on such a super nice color with toastin the coconut.   Then if they werent decadent enough I melted some quality chocolate down and dipped their little bottoms in it and drizzeled just a touch ontop of them.So cute, they needed to be dressed up a bit with a tiny paper cup and then I packaged them by 2 in a bag with a tag.

I can see makin these alot, and maybe even tryin some new flavors I can just see them made with some almonds or hazelnuts too. Plenty o pkgs for sat.This was a perfect looking blueberry cream cheese filled crumb cake.  They turn out so pretty I just want to dig right in with a spoon!!  LOL these are for sale if one just doesnt suit me enough it will be for desert for us!!   LOL
I am thinkin of makin them with some fresh peaches today, who doesnt love cream cheese filling?  certainly not me!!  I am also plannin on makin some of my grandmothers southern peach cobbler today and crisp and maybe even some peach blueberry muffins and peach bluebery cake!!  Which reminds me enough time on puter I gotta get my apron on and get my happy bakin butt to the kitchen like NOW!!  LOL
Have a blessed tues yall and happy bakin and eatin!!

HUGS!!
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Monday, August 9, 2010

Storming out today

Just a quick stop here today, we are gettin quite a thunderstorm out there today.  As long as the power doesnt go out I am good to go!!   WOW I cant believe it is august and BLUEBERRY festival time already!!  So with the crazyness of the festival this weekend we are making some new treats.  
Today my dear friend Mary is coming to the kitchen to bake with me!! YEAH!!  Mary is quite a gal and a good friend, we worked together at the hospital and always had a great time, she quit her job a couple of years ago and is busier now than ever.  boy do I know that feeling but it is a very GOOD busy job now! LOL
So here is a new one:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BLUEBERRY CHEESE FILLED PIEROGI topped with a bit of turbinado sugar.  What do yall think?  We are tryin that at the kitchen today so I will let ya know what happens either way! 
My mom and I have been playin with flavor combos and she came up with a wonderful sweet savory peach basil preserves which is awesome on beef brisket I might add!! We went to hog wild a bbq place nearby and brought home the brisket which is our favo thing in the world from there!!  HOG WILD in Holland stop on by there for some great bbq!!  I topped the brisked with mom's preserves instead of bbq sauce and it was YUMMO!!  Then she also made some peachy blueberry jam which is great on your french toast or shortcakes too!!  I think it would be awesome on some homemade cornbread too.  I may make some corn cakes for market this week. 
Mary and I have alot of ideas and let me tell ya the flour will be flyin today!~  I will be sure to the the camera with and give yall the yummy details tonight!!


Our heirloom fairy tale eggplantSome wood chicks I painted up for the driveway. They are all on sticks in the ground so far I only have 4 of them but cut more out to paint. Some produce at our farmstand.Yellow zucchini which is very tasty!
I made some of my grandmas sweet pickeled pepper rings.  We had quite a few banana peppers ready so thought they would be great this way.
Hope yall have a blessed day and talk to ya soon!~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~