ARe u ReaDy FoR HallOWeEn??

Only a couple of days left til HALLOWEEN!!!
I love the fall and also halloween!! usually get dressed up along with my Buster and we hand out candy to all the kiddos at my inlaws home but we wont be doin that this year!! =( oh well it is really sounding like it is gonna be NASTY outside. Darn every year we have beautiful days before and then the day before or that day michigan weather does a BAM!! CHANGO and it gets super awful!! Sooooooo maybe that means the tricksters will be stayin inside too!!

Today was the last market day in ALLEGAN. I just want to tell all my faithful and special customers a huge HUGE THANK YOU for buying from me!! IT WAS A GREAT SEASON!! hard to believe it is over alreay though!! BUT that just means next season will be bigger and better and I will have a ton of new sweet things for yall! It is in the works??? for maybe doin a couple of markets before the holidays for people so will keep ya updated on that too!! Our market manager is checkin into it and having it indoors!! yippee HEAT and no wind!! WOO HOO~~~

The pumpkin rolls were a big ol success they all sold and I even got a few orders for them for the week of thanksgiving!! and I did a red velvet cake roll with my concotion of raspberry cream filling!! OH my goodness they were super duper yummy!!

Tomorrow will be all about gettin ready for the last south haven market on saturday and maybe I will try a few news things. DONT FORGET for all you local folks WE ARE AT THE FLORAL TOUCH FLORIST on M-89 goin west to Fennville with baked goods for ya!!
I will keep a supply of cakes, muffins, cookies, sweet treats, my quick breads and dipped pretzels and candies there now. ALSO we are making up gift food items and gourmet food gifts for the holidays too!! delivery available**
269-543-4815

So have a blessed evening I am off to do chores and unload some hay. SURVIVOR tonight!! yeah!!
HUGS!~
** Darlene **

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Kalamazoo Expo Indoor Market MI

YEAH finally the other night we got our power back on but too late for me to go to my favorite show in saginaw!! I was so bummed out!!! But there was just no way to make up all that time baking. I am glad I stayed home as my hubby's grandfather was back in the hospital and then I just got off the phone with my mother in law my sister just had her baby!! CARISSA a big welcome to the world sweet baby girl!!

I also wanted to post some pics I took but after searchin for several hours I still havent benn able to find my digital camera!! Oh my heavens I hope it appears soon I need it!!!LOL no tellin knowing me lately I could have it just about anywhere!!
SOOOOOOOOOOO no pics today!! SORRY!!
I did attend the Goosefestival in Fennville and it was fun!! we sold lots of cookies, bars and brownies. I did try a few new recipes this week that really turned out just absolutely yummy!! the sour cream pumpkin bars with a browned butter frosting were a huge hit, after the frosting set i added a piece of indian corn to each top and they looked great!! Also the smores topped brownies and butterscotch/chocolate chip brownies sold out. My grandma Rose's recipe for pumpkin spice bread was a big hit and sold out and also the carmel apples with toppings and 2 kinds of chocolate sold well. My chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge and chocolate hazelnut fudge were top sellers.

I am gonna be at the kitchen baking all tues as I start the kalamazoo indoor market on wed this week!! YEAH !!! that will be fun to be at a whole new location with new customers. SO come on over if you live near Kalamazoo, it is at the Expo center on the fairgrounds from 7am to 1pm every wed. I will be offering lots of samples to everyone too!!

Have a blessed afternoon I am off to try to find this danged camera!!
LOL
HUGS!~
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Wet Wed

lemon muffins with fresh red raspberries and raspberry "farm girl bling" LOL

These loaves are so big we cut them in 1/3s for our use.

Here is a loaf of the rustic crusty white bread we did yesterday. OH my goodness this bread is way too good! In fact we are havin triple cheese and bacon grilled sandwiches tonight with it.

Some lemon buttermilk pecan bread loaves!! this is a great recipe that I make into cakes and with a few minor alterations bread too.

Peach Basil crumble pie with sliced toasted almonds!! A really nice taste experience!! we had to try one asap once it came out of oven!! LOL

jam topped cheesecake sugar cookies with white chocolate drizzeled ontop.

Here is my CHICKEN SCRATCH PULL APART PEPPER ONION BREAD. It smells so yummy!!! I took my plain ol white bread dough, pulled it in pieces then dipped each piece in melted butter, then rolled them in asst colored chopped sweet peppers (which we grew) and some chopped sweet red onion. Placed them in these great round pans, baked and VOILA!!

SuPeR DuPeR YuMmY!!!
WE GOT ALOT OF RAIN last night and this am!! There was water covering the road in so many spots too. IT came down by the bucketful!

Here are a couple of bundt cakes for market tomorrow.. both are lemon buttermilk but have either fresh raspberries or fresh blueberries, and both are topped with my "farmgirl bling" of cource!! LOL

Also got done: chicken scratch cowboy cookies, sprinkle topped butter cookies, cranberry sour cream bars, glazed pistachio bread, cheddar jalapeno cornbread, peach praline pies, (a couple pictured below) raspberry filled lemon muffins, chocolate chip cookies and some
little tartlet shells that we will fill on friday maybe with a chocolate mousse or cream cheese filling topped with fresh raspberries.
I think that about raps up things for market tomorrow. Oh by the way did i mention I found and bought a glass display cabinet for at the flower shop so we are on our way to opening the bake shoppe really soon!! I ordered a couple of bakery banners and a big open flag and a lighted bakery sign so cant wait!!

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OUR GRAND OPENING IN FENNVILLE MI!!

So have a blessed evening and will talk more soon!!

!!HUGS~~

Darlene

Peach praline pies, ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Sneezy snezzy sunday

Well the last few days I have been goin thru my puffs like crazy!! With this cool weather change my sinus allergies are in over drive i swear!! I am a sneezin fool these days!!

So last week my friend and I made some ABSOLUTELY AWESOME cinnamon raisin bread. These loaves are for serious bread eaters!! LOL they are a woooping 2 pounders too!! They look just great and taste like nothing I have eaten before!! I also made up another batch of our EGGCELLENT EGG BREAD braided loaves, and my zucchini pineapple bread and did up some dilled bread rounds which were yummy!! Tomorrow if I am NOT sneezin we are making up some multi grain bread loaves and also a farmhouse white sandwich bread. So lots of homemade breads!! which I am swearin we will NEVER buy another loaf of store bought bread!!

This weather has been so stange all of a sudden friday it switched to almost early fall weather!! which is absolutely nutso! the plants are dyin and the tomatoes are pretty much still green, the beans, eggplant and broccoli are flourishing but the squash and watermelon and cukes are lookin pretty putrid!! poor things!! Yall know how much I LOVE the snow but am so NOT lookin forward to it at all!! our summer has just flewn by so stinkin fast.. My hubby keeps sayin "dont blink and it will be over" with everything we have looked forward to this summer and boy he is so right~ Vacation time will be here in just a couple of weeks and wow arent a bit ready for that!! Anyone else feel like life is in fast forward?? what happened to those long dog days of summer?? sure havent been round here LOL oh well at least we are all still well though~

So this week should be pretty productive i have picked enough ripe peaches to make some peach jalapeno jam, some peach pies, and also some more spicy dill beans and want to try some crispy breadsticks and a spiced flatbread so will be at the kitchen alot i guess!! love it but just really miss being away from my boys so much~~

Have a super evening and will chat more soon
~HUGS~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

I be Jammin Monday

I had fun at the kitchen today!!

Well I did it i made BLUEBERRY JALAPENO PRESERVES today, and OH i have to tell yall!! YUM YUM!! we dug right on in after filling all the jars. Of cource there was just enough left for us to try some.... we got out the cream cheese and some sesame covered crackers and oh I thought the hot pepper jelly was tasty!! this was incredible!! i can just see this one being used on pork or poultry (well maybe NOT CHICKEN!!)lol) but it has a very distinctive taste. Tomorrow I am pickin some sweet cherries to make Cherry jalapeno preserves and then another flavor which will be COMING SOON!! LOL so I got 20 jars today and think i will make another couple of batches for august when we celebrate the blueberry festival in south haven, MI which I need to get extra sleep the weeks before cuz i am here to tell yall there aint no time to sleep that week!! I dream of different blueberry deserts and such I can come up with. So far I want to dry some fresh blueberries to get em ready for a blueberry white chocolate biscotti I think we will make. AHHHHHHHH this is the life!! I am so thankful and so exstatic for this life I have been given!!!

I am adding a pic of one of our crazy crazy fun roosters...

This is Charlie and his is one WILD AND CRAZY GUY!! he has his little heirum for sure, usually there are at least 8 of the gals that hang just with him close by the house, we figure he is blind in his right eye as it looks like a cataract on it but it doesnt stop him at all!!

Well have a great night!!

Talk to ya soon!

~HUGS~

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

a DAY to REST!!

These are another MY recipe~~ lavander lemon triangles. These are so yummy and sold out, I started out with a buttery soft crust filled with our organic lavander buds, then whipped up a slight lemon topping added a few more lavander buds and topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. OH SO YUMMY and the smell when you took the top off the plate!! DELICIOUSO!!

Oh my dear friend Ruth (also my partner in crime at markets these days and baking helper) is making these wonderfully herb infused vinegars!! love the colors when you buy a bottle she also gives ya a super little recipe book for all fresh market recipes.

some muffins that sold out

My little sundae in a cupcake cupcakes!! buttercream frosting topped with at drizzle of melted chocolate.

this is just a view of the one side of booth. We get so many compliments from people and also alot of folks take pics and tell me "this is such a great setup for a farmers market" I do try!! I want it to be a reflection of me and my farm and of cource be all about the market!!

I love to mix up the colors of the beans but miss the purple ones. They are not quite ready for pickin as of today.

Purple sweet onions LOVE that color!!

Oh and this was a big hit my spicy cucumber salsa!! we have alot of big ol cukes so found a recipe for salsa and jacked it up a bit with some herbs and spices! it is so yummy but only a tsp for me as we dont do spicy foods!! TUMS will love us too much I am afraid.

I put in fresh maters, cukes, zucchini, and onions plus a bit of apple cider vinegar and then fresh cilantro, and dill, lime juice and some seasonings.

HEY YALL!! Ok so today is gonna be totally about ME! well me and the boys and their wonderful daddy!! my hubby, love of my life, the one I share all my most intimate deepest secrets with, my soul mate and well my other half.. (since i am the better half) ROFL! right!! Anywho we are planning on stayin at home and doin some work in the gardens and maybe cut grass and take the boys for a ride on the golf cart... that is all fun stuff to do so that will be today!! I feel so exhausted but also am exhilarated when i look thru my old recipe books and the ton of cooking magazines i have been collecting over the last few years!! NO i am NOT goin to the kitchen today!! although i would like to can some jellies and more dilly beans oh and some zucchini relish and >>>>>>>>>>..NOPE not gonna do it~~~
I am gonna get ORGANIZED one of these days!! lol, i am sittin here making out a plan of what things to make for market this week. So far definetly need to do pistachio bread (had a couple of requests for that one), some blueberry banana bread, my chunky peanut peanut butter cookies, some chocolate chip nut cookies, more cookies, had requests for my luscious lemon pecan bread again, I am thinkin a cherry maybe banana bread? I am workin on a recipe for some tropical bread loaves, need to do my cinnamon swirl bread again , and maybe some cinnamon streusel topped cinnamon muffins, some mini cinnamon fruited coffee cakes, oh and how about root beer float cakes?? that just sounds so summery. as soon as i can figure out the recipe for that one i will be sure to take a pic of it when done! maybe a bit of a vanilla glaze on top would be perfect!! Oh Just not ENOUGH TIME to make everything!@! I am pickin up a few craft shows for the fall and winter with my baked goods and mixes and jams and jellies so that will be interesting to see how it goes!! I made up some farmhouse dip mixes and need to get them labeled and make a few for samples at market this week. with all the beautiful fresh veggies available i figured I needed to make some cool dips for them. Also did up a recipe for a buttermilk ranch dressing mix and it smells so incredible cant wait to taste it!! Salad is for tonight and also have a big pork loin smeared with dried rosemary and garlic in the crock pot along with some of our super sweet onions and fresh carrots and some taters!! YUM YUM!! makin me hungry now!

Well yall have a super blessed sunday!! and will chat more with ya this week!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

TGIF~~

~~HEY YALL~~~ Well the flour was a flyin today at the kitchen!! LOL had lots of things to make. Started out with another new recipe I came up with for a cherry almond rustic pie!! it smells yummy too!! also I altered my pistachio bread recipe and came up with Butter Struesel topped orange loaves, made some chocolate chip cookies, some lavander lemon triangles, (with our organic lavander buds) and these smell great!! and they look pretty and taste great too!! I will take my dig cam with me to market tomorrow to get some pics. Made up some blueberry orange butter crumb topped muffins, more of my cherry almond muffins, mini cherry almond bundt cakes topped off with a almond flavored glaze, some little blueberry blossoms, some apple with cream cheese blossoms and some garlic rosemary breadsticks. Oh then I found a recipe in one of my old quick cooking books for a banana cream pie well being the altering chick that I am I made Cream cheese banana pudding pie topped off with fresh blueberries! they look fabo!! I made some great smelling Cucumber salsa, since we are pickin cukes and usually have tons left!! this is gonna be good i made an extra container for me to have with chips tomorrow at market. THURS market in Allegan was super!@! a beautiful day too!! we sold lots and it was perfect weather outside.

Well I have to get off this puter my boys are mad and I have to spend some quality time with them tonight! I did pick some of our fresh green beans, and some round italian zucchini, plus some gold zucchinis so if you are near stop on by the farmstand and pick up some fresh produce~

have a blessed evening yall!!

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

Thunderin Tues

HEY YALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!

Wow we are gettin a storm right now, nice and heavy rain and some thunderin comin across the lake now, it is just crazy here one min it is super windy then calm as can be!! THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM I GUESS!~! We need the rain better yet the gardens and farms need the rain. SO YEAH!!!!!! Ok so went and baked today, here is the line up thus far for markets, chunky strawberry jelly, my glazed pistachio bread, banana nut muffins, a couple of each cherry, apple walnut, and peach pies, lemon tea cake cookies, chunky peanut peanut butter cookies, strawberry banana bread, chunky and fruity granola cereal, fresh strawberry pies and some double chocolate cream cheese brownies!! WHICH by the way make the kitchen smell just devine when baking!! and they are truly yummy!!

Tomorrow a dear friend is comin over to help me bake for market and an order I got so we will sure have fun!! I have to run and go out and chick on everyone in the barnyard so hope yall have a blessed evening!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

DONT FORGET IF YALL ARE NEAR SAUGATUCK!! stop on in the Summertime Market off Blue Star Highway!! they have somethin for everyone!!!

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Sunshiney Sunday!!

I had an order go to a new shop opening in Saugatuck SUMMERTIME MARKET!! they are gonna carry all local homemade home grown produce. A great indoor market if yall are in the area stop on by and see them! They are just before Saugatuck off Blue Star Highway before the river if you are heading north and just after if you are heading south! GREAT stuff there for sale TOO!

Some of the packages of biscuit mix I made up for Summertime Market LOVE that red and white gingham ya know!!

Here is my dear neighbor John and a dear friend John at market!! John on the right brought some of his great strawberries and John on the left brings some gorgeous organic plants and organic produce which I love his apricots by the way!! LOL.

chunky peanut peanut butter cookies

My mom's flower shop, this is where I want to incorporate the bakery items, just trying to find display cases yet!!

Chocolate Chip cookies

The start of carrot cake muffins.

Here are some of the pastries and danish!! Cheese danish, chocolate croissants and almond croissants!!

Mini tarts with cream cheese filling

Carrot cake slices, and biscuit mixes

South Haven Farmers Market on sat.

HEY YALL~~ Hope ya had a super duper week!! I went and baked just about everyday I could this week. Here's the list from market:

zucchini nut bread, butter streusel topped banana bread, lemon poppyseed muffins, banana nut cake muffins, loaded old fashioned carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, carrot cake muffins, my recipe for a super double dark chocolate brownie with cream cheese filling and chocolate chips!! YUMMO chocolate and cream cheese there's nothing better!LOL, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip chunky peanut butter cookies, glazed lemon tea cakes, parmesan and rosemary soft breadstick twists, rosemary and onion buns, apple pie with cream cheese filling and nuts, mini blueberry pies, espresso mocha cake, mini tarts filled with cream cheese and topped with fresh fruit, peach and cherry turnovers, and then the weekly special ones people request. The brownies were gone fast and I actually had 3 people come back and say they want them again next week and they were DELICIOUS!! yeah!! I love them too!! LOL So it was quite a busy week, this week I have a few appointments to go to so will have to make the most of my baking time. I am planning on canning a batch of my strawberry apricot jam and also some rosemary jelly since my plants are full enough to trim now.!!

We had some great rain this week and everything outside is just flourishing. All the fruit trees and bushes are lookin mighty fine I must say and lots of fruit is setting!!

Well I better run and get my farmstand open here and also am running late in doin chores so I am sure my animals are gettin mad!! Especially those chickens! they have scratchin and diggin and bugs to find!! LOL I am filling the new duck pool today since theirs was blown out !! I usually go thru 2 a year that is if hubby stays away from it! last summer he was cuttin the grass nearby and got too close and it split the side out!! then early last winter we got alot of snow overnight and while i was driving back to the coop I well didnt see it and ran it over!! keep in mind this is nothin fancy just a kids 8 foot round little pool but still you cant really find them all year!! i am gonna buy another one and put it in the barn for those "just in cases" OOPPSS!!

So have a blessed sunday and will chat more this week....

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Happy Memorial Day

HEY YALL!! wow what a week!! Ok so this week went where?? LOL it just flew by and I dont remember too much of it!! I am working long hours but lovin it all!! We are in planting season so the taters, corn and maters are in the ground the first of many anwyays..., the markets are in full swing and went great last week!! and get this my canned hot pepper jelly sold out sat!! Just made those 3 batches and people loved it! So early this am I went to the kitchen and made up some strawberry apricot jam, did a few jars of pickeled asparagus and then made up some pumpkin spice pancake mix and apple cinnamon pancake mix, and also some shortcake mix. Seein how strawberry season is almost here!! YEAH! love michigan fresh strawberries.
So this has been a busy busy memorial day for me!! But please no matter what you do today and most days say a big thank you to all the men and women serving this great country we live in, and not just now but all those that already served and are home or resting in peace we wouldnt be here without them making these great sacrifies!!
And THANK YOU to all who have posted and signed the petition for BOSS!! as yall know we are big dog lovers here, well animal lovers in general but our dogs are our furry KIDS and we LOVE EM!! Well hubby is hollarin for me to come outside, we are planting the sugar snap peas and pea pods today!! SO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

TAKE CARE and have a lovely monday!!
!!HUGS~

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

First market sat!!

Here are some of my goodies and some pics of my first market day in South Haven, MI!!
IT was WINDY AND BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR COLD!! but it was fun and nice to see all my customers come out!! I did finish some more things yesterday to take so here is a list of what i had for the week::
Lemon poppyseed, banana nut, loaded carrot cake, zucchini pineapple, my recipe of cinnamon applesauce and lemon muffins. Cherry Turnovers, loated oatmeal cookies, cookie pops, dipped rice krispy pops, cream cheese topped carrot cake muffins, mini loaves of quick breads, some triple dipped pretzels, mini lemon bundt cakes topped with raspberry flavored cream cheese frosting, butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting and some pieces of strawberry rhubarb pie. Oh and a few loaves of glazed pistachio bread.......... i think that was it for this market!! Now next week we are doing 2 markets so my mom and I are making hot pepper jelly and strawberry preserves tomorrow and I would like to start making some pickeled asparagus too. WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!! I quit my job to do this!! LOL and I LOVE IT!! TOO MUCH FUN AND NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! STRESS!!! LOL


The greenhouse folks on the south side of me have absolutely amazing potted big plants!!

It was cold but quite a few customers did come out to buy things.

Love my red and white gingham!!! I even found red checkered pattered scrapbook paper that I am making all my price tags out of!! LOL

Here are my friends all natural TOTALLY ORGANIC body products!! and they smell sooooo yummy!!

So hope yall have a great super duper sat night!~ will try to remember to take the cam with me to take some pics at the kitchen tomorrow!! Now we gotta catch up on some shows we recorded thru the week and didnt see yet!!

GOOD LUCK CHRIS AND ADAM on AMERICAN IDOL!! AND I MISS YA DANNY!!

~~HUGS!~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Muffins and Cookies

Well I spent a few hours at the bakery today!! LOVE IT!! it feels good to be able to do more and baking is my about my favorist thing, well besides farming, painting, making primitives, cutting out my own wood patterns, and spending time at the flower shop with my mom!!! OK well I love to bake!! So I made some of my own recipe of applesauce cinnamon muffins with a little drizzle over top, some of my monster cookies, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanuts, peanut butter and m and m's, and did some on sticks for all the kiddos to enjoy, also made some banana nut muffins, banana bread mini loaves, and some oh I think that was it!! and that was enough I was beat when I got done. I did go to the doc to have my post op follow up but they had an emergency so instead of waiting an hour or so I decided to go back tomorrow am.
What a lovely lovely day out side again and OH the lilacs are opening and all the fruit trees and flowering trees are all open and so BEAUTIFUL!! truly amazing time of year plus most of the leaves on the trees are open and so green!!! YEAH!! Love this time of year!!
Well I will take my cam with me to the kitchen tomorrow to take pics of all the goodies for market which is thurs!! YIKES!!! not enough days left for me!! LOL
SO have a lovely evening and will talk with ya soon!!

~HUGS~
Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Apple crisp mix and lazy cats

So sounday we cleaned out the greenhouse as I had flats of veggies outside since it was so warm. We found 3 mice in the empty trays under the shelfs, no wonder why only a few seeds here and there came up they have been digging them up and stockpiling them under trays. URGGGGG!! OK so in the pic is one of our cats Sammy, do you see anything odd with this pic??? To the backside of her was one of the mice that jumped out of the greenhouse, yepper that dang mouse ran under sammy and sat there. What did our fearless Sammy do you might ask??? SHE laid down and rolled over for us to scratch her belly!! Yes she did!!! And the mouse sat up on its hind legs and almost was touching her nose!! It didnt run off and she didnt move just was oblivious to that dang vermin!!! So as you see we apparently feed our cats way too good!! some mouser she is!!!

This is another of our cats MIMI!! crazy mimi that is!! You can see he caught one of the mice that ran off, the tail is stickin out of his mouth (DONT FRET HE DIDNT KILL IT) dangit!! LOL, he played and chased it around a bit then it took off into a wood pile and GONE!! another one that can come back to eat my seeds!! URGGGGGGGG!! and another well fed cat too!!

Well the sun is finally back out!! and it is t shirt weather out too!! YEAH!! so this am I got some mixes made up for the shop and at market!

Apple crisp mix is made using flour, spices, organic oats and brown sugar, this package will make a full 9x13 pan size and also you could add 1 cup chopped pecans to the mix. EASY PEASY to make and enjoy! especially with vanilla ice cream or some whip cream!! or both!

I made just a plain ol muslin bag turned it right side out and stamped a couple of red flowers on it then attached my label to it and finished it with a bit of red/white gingham. My table covers are all red/white gingham and I love those colors for market!!What do you think???

I did add this to my etsy shop but you could also order thru me here if yall like!! IT is $5.50 plus travel expenses, it does weight 2 pounds with a small box to ship.

So have a wonderful tues!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene