Monday

Happy happy monday yall!!   Another start of a whole new week! and I cant believe it is April at that!

I was up early this am and had a burst of creative flow so made another card.   A happy birthday card, which will be for sale too!!  This one is a large green card and features My Minds Eye papers that I recently bought.  Again I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lost and found series of vintagey feelin papers.   I also used a couple more pieces of the pearl flourish I took apart for a card last week.  Love this stuff too!! 
I used one of my Stampin Up stamps and added a pretty sparkly butterfly to the corner.  This card is $4.50 plus travel expenses.   I love the flower cluster, I took apart some silk flowers I had layin in my studio to make this and added some distressed paper leaves.  I am pleased with the shabby feel of this card. 
Email me if interested in purchasin one or any of the others I post as well.

I am off to go to the kitchen and work on some cookie dough for market this week.  Have a wonderful monday!!  the sun is coming out and I think it is really gonnna get pretty nice out this afternoon!!  It was only in the 30s earlier but feels warmer already! WOO HOO!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Braided Egg Bread and more tues

One of my most requested breds at markets is my Braided Egg Bread.  There is quite a bit of time in makin this bread so I thought I would share with yall.  IF you want to try look up challah bread recipes as mine makes 9 1 pound loaves and that is alot plus it is mixed in a huge hobard machine.  So the dough is prepped and then let set to rise 1 hour.  After an hour you punch dough down and put back to rest and rise for 1 1/2 more hours then I weigh out 16 ounce pieces, set aside for 15 min to rest.  From that point the chunks are divided into 3 equal pieces then rolled to logs. The logs are then pressed together at end and braided down then sealed under.Here are the braided loaves which are then brushed with a pastry brush with egg yolk and set aside again to rise another hour.Then they are brushed again with egg yolk and sprinkled with organic sesame and poppy seeds.  And finally put into the oven.  They bake for around 20 min in a 330 convection oven baked until they reach 201 degrees. and as you can see nice and golden brown.  The rich smell and taste from egg bread is incredible!!  We love it made into french toast and dipped in even more egg!! LOL 2 1/2 dozen eggs here now and usin free range eggs gives these loaves even more golden color.  These are some cookies baking.  The light ones will be filled with my choc ganache,  or a white tea infused filled and the chocolate ones will have an espresso filling.  I am thinkin of puttin an assortment of these in bags.   Then I also made my pineapple black bean salsa.  This is a wonderful condiment for grilled fish, pork or chicken.  Some of my customers even like it with just tortilla chips.  I use unsweetened pineapple tidbits, chopped red pepper, green pepper, yellow and orange peppers, sweet red peppers, fresh cilantro, I just love all the color in salsas.  The fresh veggies are so vibrant!

And since we have been busy pickin blueberries I made a couple of batches of my blueberry jalapeno jelly!!  I will be givin samples of this at markets this week.  It is so fun to savor the pepper and fruit jellies as you first taste the strong blueberry then a min later the pepper flavor comes in.  like 2 different jellies!! super duper yummmo on a grilled turkey panini I might add!!  and of cource it is great with cream cheese on crackers, we also have had it on grilled pork and chicken brush it on just before it is done so it carmalizes a bit!!  OH and last year for blueberry festival Susan and I topped it on her homemade cheesecakes!! oh my gosh was that good we are plannin on bringin them to market again!!So as you can tell I made it back from the big CITY yesterday!!  I only got lost a couple of times and passed by the place I needed to be like 12 times!! LOL it was downtown which by the way was really kind of awesome!! but all the one way streets and busy hectic cars flyin by and then I have no clue about those parking ramps I was glad to find a spot along the street just had to put change in the meter and also I did put a quarter in the car infront of mine meter~ it was flashin the time was out and noone around so I played meter fairy and added a quarter for them.   My rak for the day!~  I survived and was so happy to be back home with my boys. dont plan on goin back anytime soon! 

I am off to do chores and sit and watch tv with hubby.  I will be postin a surprise guest on my blog!~ ZACH my new intern at the kitchen who will be startin friday!!  CANT WAIT~!~ Have a blessed evening yall!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Relish, babies, and bread

My friend gave me a new kitchen gadget and I am in love!! LE PRESSE!!  it is so easy and can do so many cuttings!! It is a hand cranked cutting machine that actually is very useful.   It is big and comes with a tower full of cutting dies that also will rice, grate, chop, dice, extract juice, and julienne veggies.   So I wanted to play and brought in some cucumbers from the garden and made my dixie relish.   It has candy sweet onions from VISSER FARMS, in Zeeland MI, our cucumbers and peppers, lots of apple cider vinegar, which by the way is made right here in sw michigan and the Heinz factory in Holland, celery seed, mustard seed and salt.  This is great on burgers, brats or I like to add it jack up a plain ol sandwich.  It also tastes great in tater salad or mac salad.

And we got our last load of babies in, we have had no luck hatchin out our guninnea eggs so I ordered 15 of them from our feed store and also got in some more Isa Brown hens and some plymouth white rock hens.  Miss Margaret and Miss Annamae did hatch out 3 more little babies and boy I can sure tell which rooster is doin the deed as these two ladies are white and brown and the babies are solid black. last time they hatched some eggs they came out white with black spots so it is always fun to see the surprises!! and my girls are such good mammas to these babies.  And we also got another pair of bronze turkeys.  My little guy "frankie" the bronze turk that we got in may is growing and doin great.  The 2 new ones are suppossed to be a pair but we will see how that goes you never know.Here are some lemon buttermilk cakes I made for markets last week some had fresh Mi blueberries some with our red raspberries and then a few with both berries mixed.  And my fabulous  BERRY BERRY BANANA BREAD which is always a big hit.  IT has both blueberries and strawberries cut into my banana bread.   This week I am thinkin of tryin a new banana bread maybe chocolate chip or chunky monkey with peanut butter and chocolate chips?? 

I am taking my mom out to breakfast this am to Saugatuck so we can eat on the deck at IDA REDS.  THEY have the BESTEST BREAKFASTS!! I love that place and the atmoshpere in town is charmin, by the deck outside there is a little waterfall and flowers and it is just awesome!!so is my mommy though!! SHE IS THE BEST EVER!!  I had Elijah make some spinach cheese ravioli last week and they were amazing!! HE did a wonderful job on them and they look perfect!!  This week is a new ravioli!!  I sauteed some red onions, yellow squash, zucchini and some patty pan squash in butter with a touch of fresh chopped garlic and some pepper and mixed it with some ricotta cheese and guyerre cheese and some fresh parmesean so cant wait to try that!! I thought it would be fun since we are picking alot of squash now and sauteed it tastes amazing!!These are my white chocolate thumbprints with red raspberry preserves ontop, and some of my rustic round cinnamon raisin bread.Before bakin they look have such a nice light tan color from all the cinnamon in them and after they are nice and golden and I add just a touch of melted butter mixed with some cinnamon sugar for the tops.

Ok well it is time for me to get ready to get my mom  so I will chat more with ya later.  Hope your july is going smoothly and it isnt too awful warm for ya!! I know they are talkin in the 90s this week here!! too hot for me but it doesnt last too long so I can handle it!!

The produce is just abundant right now so if yall are nearby stop on by for some fresh yellow squash,patty pan squash, 8 ball round italian zucchini, green and yellow zucchini, cucumbers, onions, beets, and soon I will have fresh beans out in the farmstand for ya!!  we are located just off Lakeshore Drive and 120th ave.  Someone is usually around and will help if you have any questions.  Peaches and Nectarines soon too!! 

we are 2 miles south of Glenn, and just 10 min south of Saugatuck.  OPEN 7 days a week!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Hot pepper jelly

Well I just got back home from the kitchen and am taking a bit of a break before goin outside to plant some things.   My mom went with me this am and we made a couple of batches of our hot pepper jelly, and hot hot pepper jelly!!  I forgot to take my camera with so no pics right now for ya!! SORRY!!  We also made up 12 dozen tater-n-cheese stuffed pierogi for market and orders for this week.   This time I did saute the onions first in butter and added a bit of seasonings and used yukon gold and reg ol baking taters, which is a nice combo.  Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, parmesean and some fresh guyere cheeses are all awesome together!!  I will note we decided to only take the pasta machine up to number 4 as they were just too thin on 5 and way too thick on 3 maybe it depends on the humidity in the air with this particular dough but it was vey thin today.   I also make mixes up for the week for some muffins and carrot cakes and some coffee cakes.  WHEW too I am a bit on the tired side and really would like to go in the 5th wheel with my boys and take a nap!!  Actually NO naps round here this week it is gonna be a busy one as I start my sunday market this week.  Everyother sunday that is but still 3 markets this week.  FSAM fulton street arrist market and I will be bringing some baked goods and a few of my altered signs too.  I cant wait they started today!!  
It is a bit on the chilly side out, I had a tshirt and one of hubbys flannel shirts on too and was comfy.   Thank goodness we didnt get the storms last nigth that were predited it sounded bad!!  The sun is 1/2 out and 1/2 behind some clouds so not too hot at least!  The boys are all on the couch with mommy! LOVE our nice big ol couch for them to be up on here next to me!!  I dont spend enough time cuddling with my boys lately so need to change that !~!~ and soon~~!   I so wish I could take them everrywhere with me~~
Market yestetrday was awesome!! Thanks everyone that came out with the weather being so crummy it was a busy day!!   Hot at 4 in the am then some rain early  then the fog came in quick and brought really cool air and a breeze then sunny and hot and humid in afternooon!!  We sold out of pierogi by 9am and also ravioli were gone just as quick.  I am still making asparagus cheese and froze about 30 pounds plus pureed for ravioli this summer and winter.  Next i am gonna try  spinach and cheese.  I bought some awesome lookin spinach from my friends at VISSER FARM so will start using that up~~  Ok well hubbyo just came in and announced he wants to get to the store soon so I better get my butt ready! NO nap right now, maybe on the way to the store!! LOL
HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY YALL!!
See u tomorrow!~
with pics too! LOL

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