http://www.smilebox.com/play/4e444d784e6a51354d7a453d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link&partner=msncd" target="_blank">http://www.smilebox.com/snap/4e444d784e6a51354d7a453d0d0a.jpg

" style="border: medium none ;"/> http://www.smilebox.com?partner=msncd&campaign=blog_snapshot" target="_blank">http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmilebox.gif
" style="border: medium none ;"/> http://www.smilebox.com/anytime-invitations.html?campaign=blog_playback_link&partner=msncd" target="_blank">Invite
generated with Smilebox   So here it is winter market first week!! I just cannot believe how fast the season outside has gone!  WOW!!  Well its been a fun week of painting signs for market and gathering up some fall deocorations to put outside the building where we will have our indoor market and oh my has it been a beautiful warm week here in MI  crazy last sat was only in the 40s and windy and oh so cold outside and this sat its gonna be near 70!!  Thats our weather though we are used to that!  I am thinking this might just be our indian summer and I am loving it!!  Lots of things to do to!  I cut a bunch of wood to make my painted snowmen signs and need to base coat them while its nice and sunny outside so they can dry and I can put another coat on them.  The fun part is the snowmen so cant wait.  And we went and picked up not the 2 that were planned but instead 4 alpacas.  2 boys and 2 girls.  They are such sweeties!!  The white girl is Rosie and then we have a tan one we named Rebecca.  One of the boys is Maveric (named already) and the other is ??? Havent figured that out yet.  Hes jet black and so pretty!  Our Curly is loving the company.  I dont know if I posted or not but we lost our other male Moe last Sat and since they are pack animals they need companions!  Well he has em now!! LOL  I will try and post some pics of them.  I love my tablet for pics since its not easy taking a laptop around to take pics!  especially without dual cameras.  So in the alpaca business!!  Theyre fur is amazingly soft and luxurious!!  Now we have to find someone who wants to buy it!  They will get sheared in the spring.  Oh my this was really funny too.... so we get them home and learn the females want the boys to come play! if you know what I mean and ... NOT now!  There gestation is 11 months and they would be babies next winter so we have to keep them seperated!  OK easier said than done let me tell you!! These girls lay down and dont move!  The boys were trying to jump the fences, they are in seperated pastures, so trying to put Rosie in her pasture was not easy!!  She laid down and that was it!  it took over an hour to move her into pasture, at least  Rebecca followed along and didnt lay down.  The boys were going crazy we had to keep chasing them back to their pasture since they would go right thru the electric fencing!  My word!  GEEZZEEE what a zoo!! we laughed so hard but it was alot of work.  crazy things! 
My Appy is doing great he turned 31 in april and is happy and healthy and my little Rosie May the goat is still with him and happy.  Love my furry kids! 
So if anyone out there reads this and can offer advise with the alpacas bring it on!  we are newbies and learning alot! and I am definitely smitten with them!!   Well I have some baking to get ready for market sat, pumpkin spice tea cakes, bagels, breads, and some cookies on the list to start today.  I hope yall have a wonderful day anda I am learning how to get the pics from my phone onto my laptop so will post pics soon!! 
 ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

SW MI farmers market~!~

All I can say is WOW!~ chickawowwow!   We had a wonderful day at South Haven Farmers Market sat!~!~  Even with 11 bakers booths there we sold out of alot of my offferings!   I offered my cheese filled ravioli and pierogies this week which sold out and all my muffins and coconut macaroon pies were a big hit!!  I am just thrilled and so thankful for being able to do this and also make enough to stay in business and grow!! It was a cold day but everyone who tried the watermelon lime ice loved it!!  More to make this week!~!  I sold alot of cookies, my grandmother Rose's slovenien kolachky recipe went over excellent!!  I did them with some of our homemade apricot preserves.  Several hamburger/sandwich buns were sold and actually I had enough to bring a couple home for hubby and I for sandwiches today!!  yeah!! It isnt often I get to bring things home and we enjoy them ourselves.
NEW THIS WEEK!!!  My PB&J cookie pies were a HUGE HIT!!   I used my fluffy soft n chewy peanut butter pies and filled them with some fresh strawberry infused buttercream filling!~!  To use fruit in my buttercream's I simply puree the fresh fruits then cook a bit to thicken them up and then add small amounts to the filling.   YUMMY!!  I am not a big peanut butter fan but I had to have one of these guys!! and they were great!! 
This week I have a girl coming to kitchen to help, scoop out dough and weigh out some ingredients so I can have a nice big variety this sat for the HARBORFESTIVAL IN SOUTH HAVEN MI!! 
My mom and I did 40 pounds of pickeled asparagus "clucking hot' and mild available and are making strawberry peach preserves and more blueberry jalapeno preserves. 
I will put my camera in my bag early tomorrow to be sure I have it with to share out newest creations this week!! FROZEN ICE CREAM PIES AND LAYERED CAKES using locally made ice cream and my made from scratch goods!!!  and more ice's.
Hope yall have a great and peaceful sunday!! we have to go pick up a load of wood to start stockin up for winter and also need to do some farm chores and trim Ms Rosie May's and Beau's hooves!  Soo much to do!!! 
HUGS
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Magificent Monday!! and a recipe for yall!

OK what a glorious day to be bakin the day away!!  I managed to get quite a bit done today!  Babka and Egg bread were the first things since they take the longest.  Well the babka actually gets made one day then it has to slow rise in the fridge overnight and is alot easier too!!  Egg bread done, and wrapped and flash froze!    Even though it was a bit cooler in the kitchen today the yeast was doin it's job as you can see above!!! yeah!

the babka dough is very very sticky but once you work a bit of flour in and do the skin on it it's quite easy and actually one of my favos to make and eat!!!  I made 4 batches so a few will be filled with a cinnamon walnut streusel and mabye a few will be filled with chocolate or maybe almond paste filling?  Not sure yet. 

I scale these out to 1 pound loaves they rise so nice and look gorgeous in the loaf pans. 

Just before putting them in bags in the fridge you smooth them and seal the bottoms.  Off to rest overnight!

Oh these are the boxes of my decadent choc cake truffles packaged up and ready for markets this week. 

And here are the finished orange creamsicle ones.  I dipped them in a white almond flavored bark and added a touch of orange candy topping. 

I do have to say if yall have ever melted white chocolate down it sure is more touchy than milk or dark choc. 

 Packages ready in a basket for markets!  

What does dark molasses, eggs, flour, brown sugar, eggs and fresh ginger make???  GINGERBREAD !!  I made a few loaves of gingerbread.  I cant decide if I want to make a lemon glaze for them or just give em all the "farmgirl bling"
 of a generous dusting of powdered sugar like below. 

Mix all your wet ingredients together

I used blackstrap molasses and got this beautiful rich dark color and the flavor is intense!!  Susan had some fresh minced ginger and that is amazing!!

Slowly add the sifted flour to wet ingred.  It sure doesnt take long to come together and make a very nice runny batter.  These are gonna be very moist!!

I just did up some small loaves but think I might try a neat flexipan that Susan has that are little triangles. 

And the blinged up gingerbread!! 

I also made some shortbread dough, some kolachky dough and zucchini pineapple bread. 

Now my recipe makes 10 large loaves but this taste of home recipe is very very close to what mine tastes like so thought I would share it with yall!! ENJOY it is very good!!

Ingredients

Zucchini Pineapple bread
3 eggs

2 cups finely shredded zucchini

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chopped nuts optional I use walnuts


Directions

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, zucchini, oil, pineapple and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; stir into egg mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts
Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves.
These make perfect holiday gifts using the smaller mini bread pans I just fill em to 8 1/2 oz.  put em in a clear bag with a ribbon around em and a tag and Voila! foodie gift!!

Hope yall have a wonderful night!~!
And ps hubby didnt get a deer this am!! :( maybe tomorrow! 
HUGS
Darlene


~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

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~~

HAPPY HAPPY 4th OF JULY YALL~~

WOW!! I have NEVER seen our market so busy as it was today!! And usually we have until about 9 am or so until folks start comin but today by 8 am there were tons of customers!! and what a positive atmosphere today!! AND thank you to everyone and all the wonderful comments today.  Not to brag but here are a few comments about our products!! "YOU ROCK", Your baked goods are just as I remember my grandmothers to be", (love that one) "THANKS for being here at market and giving your customers so much variety" and also "I am so glad you are here as  I dont bake and know I can come to this market and your delicious goodies will be here for me"~~ LOL THANK YOU EVERYONE!! I feel truly BLESSED and cant thank yall enough for buyin  from me and trusting me to make you a tasty quality product!!  I just am overwhelmed!~  My mom and brother came down to market to help and believe me I could not have done it without them.  We had line ups in the booth and it was so nice to talk to people and watch as folks even argued over the last package of the tater n cheeses pierogi!!  I will make more this week!! ELIJAH!! where oh where is my "pierogi pro"??   LOL he made several dozen of them on friday~   I will see u tues!!  What an asset he is too!!~  and fun to work with!

So here are a few of the items we offered this week:   these little cookies are actually my nekked glazed lemon tea cakes and are so dang yummy too!! a favo at markets, and with their "farmgirl bling' glaze they just pop off the plate!!

Blueberry banana muffins were a big hit and also my butter crum streusel topped blueberry muffins,  strawberry banana bread, zucchini pineapple bread, blueberry banana bread, lemon glazed muffins,  cherry crisp, my peach praline crisp, glazed pistachio bread,  rustic cheddar herb bread rounds, loaded carrot cakes, babka coffee cakes filled with frut jam and streusel and also a chocolate and streusel filled babka bread were the populars.   I did run out of my peanut peanut butter whoppie pies and cranberry lemon cream filled cookies and also the blueberry lemon muffins early but there still was plenty of goodies available.  There was a big demand for ravioli but we just didnt have enough time to get it done for todays market.  NEXT week!!  right Elijah"?? LOL

Anyway that was a few of the goodies we had and it was really fun not to have to pack up very much at the end of market.    Again thank you to all my wonderful customers/friends that come out to buy from us!!    Well I have to run and get chores done and it is off to bed time for me and the boys we are all beat!! I am gonna try my bestest to stay in bed tomorrow am at least until 6 am!!  sleepin in for sure!

I hope yall have a very blessed 4th of July weekend, with the cookouts, picnics, trips to the beach, or maybe just layin around in a hammock under shade trees, or in a lounge chair on a deck ENJOY! 

and sip on some sweet tea and RELAX!  people dont take time to just relax and breathe anymore!! we are all in fast forward mode and I say ENOUGH YALL!! time for me~

Have fun, be safe and please remember all of our men/women fighting for this beautiful great country of ours!!  AMERICA WE LOVE YA!!

HUGS!!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE 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~~