CR84FN card and some baking

HEY YALL!! Goodness I cannot believe another week is gone!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>just like that, dont blink!!!  So today was the start of a new color challenge at cr84fn!  and this weeks colors are just fabo!! 
Light blue, aqua and cream!!  reminds me of a warm summer day on the beach.  HMMMMMM should do a beach sign with those colors huh. 
Ok so I did a happy birthday card since a friend of mine is havin her bday next week.

I used my big and small flower punches to make the layered daisies.  A green gem stone fit in the centers.

I love the happy birthday stamp as it looks just like it was doodled on the card by hand. 

I machine stitched around the cream color using a small zig zag stitch and light blue thread. 

So lovin the beaded trim!  Hobby Lobby had their ribbons all 1/2 off of rolls so this was the first roll that went in my basket!  Love the pearl teardrop shape too.    And you get alot on the roll!!  which means more projects!! YEAH~!

I made some white bread dough up and instead of makin a boring dull loaf I rolled it out in a rectangle then sprinkled parmesean cheese, and some dried herbs and a bit of spices to make this unique loaf. 

These are another experiment, brown sugar shortbread discs.  I like some big crisp cookies and these fit that perfectly. 

Hubby likes his shortbread to be a bit darker than I take to market so made him some almost burnt ones!!LOL but yet he doesnt like crisp cookies??  go figure huh!!

Orange ginger shortbread cookies, these have a very nice subtle gingery spice flavor full of fresh orange zest and juice. 

And some mini dipped pretzels for easter!  Have to do some up this week for market.  I do have Borgess Market this thurs in Kalamazoo so stop on by for some goodies!!  I am making my cinnamon roll bread loaves, lots of cookies, some foccacia bread and will definetly have lots of pierogies!!  plus more goodies! 

Bruno crashed out next to me on the couch, and his little brother Barney asleep.

And  my Buster almost asleep keepin an eye open to be sure he sees me.  Ususally he must know where mommy is all the time, actually they all do.  LOL my 3 little shadows!!  that is ok then I know where they are too!!  LOL

Hope yall have a sun shine filled sunday!!  It is almost 50 out right now and the sun is shining beautifully, I have more things to put in the greenhouse so better get my butt outside.  Talk to ya this week!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

CR84FN challenge card

I am early this week with my card!! WOO HOO!! Love the colors!! Mona you do a super terrific job on pickin these weekly challenge colors!! and they are colors I wouldnt necessarily make something with so that is really the fun part!!

Green, kraft and brown this week are just awesome together!! and I used up some of the My Minds Eye paper I got last week! and one of my TIM HOLTZ favo stamps!!

Here's some of the elements on the card.

Love these little K&CO daisies, I cut the leaves out of a green polkadotty paper then added the distressing around edges and in center.  Folded them to give them some dimension.

I love using pearl hat pins and this one just fit in on this shabby card.

Started stocking up on our dip mixes.  They are for sale here or on etsy for $2.50 each plus travel expenses.  The dill dip one makes a yummo yummy yummyo dip or topping for baked taters!!  Each one makes 2 cups of dip and I have made them with sourcream and mayo or for a low fat one use low fat plain yogurt to replace the mayo and they taste just fine.

I also have but forgot a pic of my cincinatti chili mix!! this you add 2 pounds of cooked drained ground beef and enjoy it ontop of angel hair pasta.  We like it southern style!!  Smothered and covered!! smothered with sauteed onions and covered with cheese!!  yummy!!

Ok so that is it for today! 

I also want to announce that I was accepted and will be at BORGESS hospital market on thrus APRIL 7th and April 21st!! 

Kalamazoo MI, stop on by!~! it is held 11-2

I have a busy week baking so will be sure to take the cam with and let yall see the newest baked goods!!  I am thinking of making some nut filled babka loaves, nut filled kolachky, lemon lemon cream topped cupcakes and maybe some lemon poppy seed mini cakes.  I bought a bag of fresh delish smellin lemons!!  LOL so need to put them to good use! 

Talk soon!

HUGS!!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

**BIG NEWS***

I just got an email from scrapbooking.com telling me I am going to be a featured blog of the week there!! WOO HOO!!~
YEE HAWW!!!  This is exciting for sure!!! 
So  I am gonna work on some special projects for next week and some more tutorials!!! March 14th it starts and I just love these badges and buttons for them!!  LOVE IT!!
Nothing says welcome spring like birdies!!  Well we do have snow and ice and rain predicted for the weekend but I can hear the birds singing so beautiful out in the early am it means spring is comin................. !!YEAH!!
And I have a small request for all of you great people.   A dear dear friend of mine's granddog had some surgery this am, could you please say a little prayer and some well wishes that everything will be ok for JUNE a very special furry friend!!  Ru and I have shared some very similar events the last month, her daughters precious fur baby passed away the week before our little Bubba and then they found a lump on June's back and with alot of prayers and happy thoughts we are hoping that it is not the c word............. and that the doctors got it all!!    Buster so far is doing better we got his lab results back and the vet says everything looks good and to keep his treatment (addisons disease) the same and we are watching the lump on his thigh very closely!! He is probably gettin sick of mommy checkin in but I just so worried and prayin that it doesnt grow!  Labs are prone to fatty tumors I have been told and hopefully that is all this is!
So you see June and Buster do have spiritual souls mourning the loss of their buddy/bff's.
JUNE we are praying for ya pretty girl!!!
and RU you have been in our hearts and prayers!! 
I have markets this week ALLEGAN 11-1  tomorrow and Friday BRONSON WINTER MARKET Kalamazoo~~ 10-2.  Dave the meat man from
Young Earth Farm and I will see yall there!!!  and keep an eye out for my special project for next week~~
I am honored to have been chosen!! TY! scrapbookin.com!!
THANKS YALL!! have a blessed evening we are off to watch survivor!! 
HUGS
Darlene and "the boys"
and PS!!  If anyone out here is in SW michigan and has a female boston terrier/not papered, we are looking for a date for BARNEY!!!  we want a puppy from him!! give me a hollar!! or if have a female boston for sale too!!


~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

CR84FN challenge card

Over at CR84FN the colors this week are just great!! teal, green and yellow!!   Such wonderful spring colors and since it was in the 50s here today that was perfect inspiration for me to be a bit creative!!  

My card for the challenge is Sing your song!!  A great bird stamp was used which I love since it has words around it, dream, believe and joy!  LOVE IT!! 

So yellow is the gingham paper and the ribbon, for green I used a great piece of textured BAZILL cardstock for the backround and green gems on the bottom, teal is the floral printed MY MINDS EYE paper!! LOVE LOVE LOVE MME papers!!

Had to also add a bit more green which is the back largest flower, then I dry brush painted the vintage sheet music flower layers and added an old recycled button for the center.

FUN COLORS for sure!! 

And since Bronson market is tomorrow I had to make some cookies!! these are just wonderful!!  I used a basic butter spritz cookie recipe then added fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest to the batter in place of vanilla.  OH my orangeygoodness!! these are soft and with their little bums dipped in chocolate they are yummo!!  Had to do a bit of my "farmgirl bling" yall know that !! LOL, added some melted choc drizzeled ontop. 

AND 2 batches of my sinfully decadent loaded chocolate walnut brownies!~ Complete with cream cheese  filling!~! 

These are super duper super moist with chocolate pudding in the mix and melted milk and dark chocolate too!!

 And got a batch of my grandma Rose's slovenian stuffed kolachky!!  She used to make these with all kinds of fillings, I remember her making her own mixed nut filling by chopping the nuts very finely, usually pecans, walnuts and also some almonds then cooked them in honey and sorghum until it thickened enough for the filling~~~  YUMMY yummy for your tummy I tell ya!!   So it was a nice reminscenting feeling while making these.  I filled them with some of our homemade apricot preserves. 

Instead of using the diamond shaped cutter she always always used I used a flower cutter and just folded them in 1/2. 

And the bling here is the generous dusting of powdered sugar!!  Oh love powdered sugar on top!! so pretty!! and dainty looking!! 

So that was my day!!  Now I have to print labels and package them up!!  I also took some of my baguette bread loaves I had left from last week and chopped them up then brushed each with evoo and topped with italian seasonings and baked them til they were nice and brown and cripsy!! makes excellent bread crumbs for cooking or I am gonna bag em up for croutons!  Also cut up a few of my french breads and added them chopped and baked til crisp.

It was nice to concentrate on other things and focus on something other than gloom and sadness.  My heart aches for our Bubba dog and my husband is hurting quite a bit but we take things one day at a time and am hoping to find that special little girlie girl for my Mr Boopie Woopie Boo to have a date with!!  LOL he's ready!! Maybe we need to just go and get a girl and raise pups here!! Now I know what yall are thinking........... is she crazy???? she wouldnt want to sell any of them!!  LOL I love that breed and would have so much fun with 8 or so puppies runnin around our home!!  The more the merrier we say!! 

So I really hope yall have a blessed evening!!!

Talk soon!!

BRONSON WINTER MARKET IN KALAMAZOO TOMORROW!!

GLENN WINTER MARKET SATURDAY

HUGS

 Darlene

LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

recipe to share

Ok here is the mocha wands recipe!!
I found it in the newest better homes and gardens cookie book.
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 tsp instant espresso powder  ( I used 5)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups flour
also you need 8 oz chocholate chips for melting
1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts ( I used toasted hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 375.  In mixing bowl beat butter on med to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.  Beat until well combined.  Beat in egg and vanilla, scrape bowl as needed.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can and stir in any left.
Place unchilled dough into pastry bag or cookie press fitted with a star tip.  (I used a med size tip as I didnt have a large star at home) onto ungreased cookie sheets about 1 in apart. Strips are approx 3 plus inches long.  Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown.  ( I did leave mine in a bit longer to be nice strong crisp cookie)  Cool completely.
Dip ends in melted chocholate and quickly either roll in nuts or sprinkle them on.  Place on sheets of wax paper to set.  Store inbetweeen layers of wax paper in air tight container.  can freeze these in ziploc bags too for up to 3 months.
makes approx 72 cookie wands.
EASY PEASY AND SUPER GOOD!!


We had the last of our holiday art/craft sales last night, I am glad they are over but will miss them.   Now I just have to finish up all the cookie makin and do up the trays to deliver them next week.  I am gettin ready to go to BRONSON HOSPITAL for winter market this am and then I actually have a 3 week break! YEAH!! YIPPEE YEE HAW!! LOL,  With the exception of orders that will be a nice little break.      I will post some pics this weekend from the sale and also from a fully loaded decorated house my friend showed me last night nearby!! This is just gorgeous!!  I am hoping the pics turned out as I was low on battery power in my dig cam if not  plan on taking hubby over there to see them this weekend so I can take more!!  They have absolutley every inflatable holiday figure and displayed so nicely.  The lights and the movements and the colors and oh it is just spectacular!! They get my vote for the nicest holiday display!! I may have to take them some cookies for being the best  winter wonderland display I have seen!! 
So I am off to get ready for market.  Hope yall have a great day and wonderful weekend!!
HUGS
Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Everyday People's Cafe tonight

TONIGHT!! **** HOLIDAY ARTIST MARKET***** 5-9pm tonight!
I am making some toffee, pecan brittle, cookie boxes and my ornaments to name a few things that will be offered at the sale tonight!!
At least today is gonna be a bit better oustide, only snow flurries but tomorrow there is a 70% chance of a few inches and then again sunday!! YEAH!! 
KALAMAZOO NATURE CENTER in Kalamazoo is holding it's all locally made artist show on sat and I will be selling there too.  Lots of food gifts and also my dip mixes and treats to make your own holiday food gifts up.
So lots to get done in the next 2 days. 
Yesterday I didnt get a bunch of things done but made some white chocolate caramel cashew bars, some chocolate caramel minty bars, shortbread, my Grandma Rose's oatmeal raisin cookies,  brown sugar shortbreads that will be dipped in chocolate and some shortbreads dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted hazelnuts.

these are the little brown sugar shortbread flowers.

nice n golden brown and crispy

I just had to take some pics on the way home from the kitchen. 

This is about as good as I got to show how big the flakes were that were coming down! JUST GORGEOUS!!

This is the main road

So pretty

This is just before our driveway you can just see one of our farm signs on the right.

So I better get goin to do chores and then to the kitchen.  Pistachio bread will be made for tonight too.  We all make some hordourves for customers and snacks stop on by if yall are near the area from 5-9 tonight!!  Have a glass of local wine and some treats and shop in a fun, festive atmosphere and best of all all locally made gifts!!

Have a wonderful thurs!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~