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~~

Dark Tues!

dipped oreo cookies with fall sprinkles and white choc

Pics from market on sat!!

Ok so last night right when we sat down to eat supper BAM!! LIGHTS OUT!!our power was off!!~ see it has been very very windy and yesterday am I just kept praying we would not end up with a tree on our house!! We border woods and have lots of big ol trees around the house and these winds have been terrible.!! My poor scrarecrows are all a mess!! tipped or just blewn right down! poor things!!

here are a few pics from the market on sat. We had beautiful weather and there were alot of customers too!!

Oh by the way you know how i have mentioned a few times how I will rest up and play more and have the winter to regroup!! WELLLLLLLLLLLLL NOT!!**** I signed up to be in an indoor winter market in Kalamazoo MI!! can u believe it!! LOL well sounded good and I have not sold there before and I really think it is a super duper terrific idea! just what we need in the winter time!! so now yall can rest assured I wont be running a muck down these country streets this winter I will be busy baking! hopefully!! LOL So if yall are near Kalamazoo Expo center at the fairgrounds we start Oct 14th and go into april. It will be held on wed from 7 am to 1 pm and so far there are some good sounding booths coming!! organic fresh meats from our friendly meat man Dave, (who by the way has the most delicious brats I have ever tasted!! and super meaty good nitrate free bacon) someone that has winter greens and such, a granola booth, a few others I dont remember and of cource YOURS TRULY!! chicken scratch baked goods!! YEAH!

no rest down time for this chick!LOL

I did manage to get to the kitchen today and this is what I got done, made double batches of choc chip cookies, peanut peanut butter cookies, hazelnut butter cookies (that will have chocolate drizzeled ontop), cheesecake sugar cookies with jam center and drizzeled with white choc, pistachio bread, dipped pretzels and oreos, almond cheesecake bars, zucchini pineapple bread, pumpkin pineapple bread, and some salsa dip mixes whew! that was it!!

Hope you have a wonderful evening I am off to enjoy having lights and water again!! Ha Ha!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Happy week!!

HEY THERE!!
So sorry it has been soooooooo long since I last posted here!! It has been a very hectic crazy busy couple of weeks!! today I went with my brother and mom for his doctor appointment. Poor kid had to have another procedure on his foot, he had an infected ingrown toenail a couple of weeks ago that they surgically removed, it came back and was infecting again so they permanenently removed it today on both sides. I am so proud of him he did so good!! If any of you arent aware he is mentally handicapped and is a joy to be around!!
So JOSEPH I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!!
So we went out to lunch afterward and did a bit of shopping and well before we knew it the day was gone!! so didnt get to the kitchen today at all!! so tomorrow will be a long day gettin ready for the markets this week!!
On the menu for this week is:::::::::::::
Peach praline cobbler, (my recipe) lots of muffins, loaded carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting, peach pies, cookies, pistachio bread, lemon buttermilk pecan bread, some raspberry crumb bars and lots of coffee cakes in different sizes... and maybe some homemade kitkat bars!! those are yummo!!~

It has been so stinkin hot and humid here it is a welcomed change tonight!! cooler and a breeze out!! YEAH!! I was about ready to try to get a window a/c unit for the barn for all the kids!! LOL they would love that!!
Well better get off here and make hubby some supper! I picked a 1/2 bushel of fresh purple beans and 1/2 bushel of dragons tongue so I am thinking BEANS for tonight for sure!! LOL
maybe a nice big chicken ceasear salad with some of our fresh grape tomatoes, some cukes, onions, and nice fresh romaine lettuce!! NOW i just gotta go pick all that!! not really just can raid my farmstand and bring it in! a nice perk to having a farmstand!!
Have a blessed evenin yall!! I am plannin on taking the camera with me to the kitchen so will try to post pics of all the new yummyos!!
~~HUGS~
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Flyin by friday!!

GEEEEEEEE I just cannot believe how fast this day went right on by~!!!! WHEW!!!!
So market on thurs was a bit slower than usual but that was ok we had absolutlely GORGEOUS GORGEOUS weather!! and we had fun of cource!! EXCEPT FOR>>>>>>>>>>>>>> one of the other famers (i use the term loosely with some of them) had the nerve to come in my booth while i was still settin up in the am because she happened to notice I brought 3 bushel of corn with me to sell!! she and I quote her said " we thought you were a bakery".... well my response was of cource........we are Chicken Scratch Farm and Bake Shoppe.......why cant i be both?? She didnt answer but proceeded to ask just how much I was sellin my corn for so I told her and she went off like some ol cackin hen that just had to spread some gossip around!! She told me that she was gonna report me to the market director for selling too cheap! her words were "below wholesale and that is illegal" WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT NERVE OF HER!! I even though I sure didnt have to explain my method of pricin to HER stated that this is our first pickin and it is smaller ears and also it isnt our usual good corn. It is peaches and cream NOT OUR AMBROSIA (which by the way is some ROCKIN CORN) so we decided to let it go a dollar a dozen cheaper. She kept up so by this time i had it with this big bully and told her I AM NOT changin my price to match everyone elses THAT IS CALLED DICTATORSHIP!! She has a reputation of being a bully and attacks everyone with produce about their prices if they are just a tiny bit lower than her.. Remember Seinfeld? the soup guy!! well here is the "PRODUCE WOMAN" anyway we had words and I basically said I dont have time for this nonsense and that I have to finish my set up. GEEEEEZZZZZEE I just wanted to yell BITE ME!! I have had it with this tyrant.. she made the poor kid that used to be next to me nervous because before he would even get out of his truck she was right there in his face askin what his fruit prices are!!
You know I have heard rumors from a few folks at this market that she has nerve since she buys alot wholesale to sell.. I really think they should do surprise farm inspections on the farm vendors because I can write quite a book about the LIES and UNTRUTHS I hear come out of some peoples mouths whom I know for a fact sell things they dont grow!!
WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA FOR ME!! LOL
Ok done venting now.
Here is the line up for market tomorrow:
blueberry pies, blueberry crumble pie, blueberry butter cakes, a 7 up cake, Grandma Roses's Oatmeal raisin coconut cookies, chocolate chocolate chippers, choc-oat chip nut cookies, chunky peanut peanut butter cookies, 3 kinds of fresh veggie salsas, some of my infamous (he he) "cluckin spicy silly dilly beans" a new spin on my silly dilly beans, these have red pepper flakes, onions and some spices in them along with the dill. A few fresh peach pies, some garlic oregano breadsticks, cinnamon raisin bread, and OH TA DA!! A very new hot from the oven idea!! do you remember my little blueberry blossoms? well I made cherry ones today and also apple walnut!! Will try to remember to take pics of those at market tomorrow cuz they turned out just FABO!! and TOO TOO CUTE!~! and made some cheddar onion bread and more cardamom loaves. I think that is about it! oh and my recipe of cherry almond muffins, mini cherry almond cupcakes, and loaded carrot cake with praline topping. OK now i think that is it!! I have been a bakin fool lately huh!! LOL too many ideas and not enough time........for sure........
SO have a blessed evening and weekend and I will let yall know how market goes tomorrow!!
HAPPY WEEKEND YALL!!!
HUGS
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Farmgirl's BLING

Here's my little HAM! MS ROSIE MAY~!~

an order for tomorrow am of a dozen muffins

Some of my chicken scratch sweet pickle slices oh they are yummy on a sandwich by the way!!

my blueberry blossoms (which are very very popular) and ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh so yummy!!

MY RECIPE!~ tootin my own horn by the way!! LOL PEACH PRALINE MUFFINS.. my absolute favo muffin now!!

ok so I have decided that I have some BLING!! well my baked goods have BLING!!

You see last night I put a glaze on almost everything we made for market.. from muffins to breads to cakes they all had a bit of a flavored glaze ontop thus..........farmgirl "BLING"

kind of catchy huh??

so market was good today the weather held out and actually warmed up by noon but until then it was chilly!! sweatshirt layer weather!! can u believe that for the end of JULY??? only 63 degrees when i went to leave this am!! BRRRRRRRRRRR.. but better than in the 90s i must admit!!

You know I have 3 Isa Brown "girls" that tend to lollygag at night so bad they are drivin me nuts!! the 3 of them every night act like little kids, one will run up the ramp to go in the coop then dart down and go get a drink or see a spot that there just might be a worm or bug and start scratchin then another one has to come back out and see what the first one was doin, then the 3rd one will take off in a different direction to distract me or something!! I SWEAR ... such shannagaans they play!! and everynight too.... plus hubby found a nest of 18 eggs laying near one of his sheds, well so today they were closed in their big pen and boy i bet they are plottin and schemeing against me so I will be "ON GUARD" while doin chores tonight!! LOL they are just too stinkin funny...

As you can see by the above pic my camera hog is "Miss Rosie May" one of our goats and she is just too darn cute too. and believe me she knows what to do with her horns too!! she sometimes chases me in the pasture and I have been known (by hubby only) to have a bruised tush!!

Anyway I better get my labels printed for my order goin out in the am and then off to do chores and shower and bed for me and the boys!! Have a wonderful night!

PS btw I will be outside doin a rain dance if you wondered... as we havent gotten any and sure need some!!

see ya.....

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

TGIF~~

Here are a few pics from yesterday market day. I decided to take a portion of my craft display and add it on the end of the booth. I think it looked great and we sure made good use of the space.

My new display rac (not new but repurposed rack)

Customers made some nice comments about the booth and also liked the baskets on the shelves of the display rack on the end. IT sure did hold alot so will def use this one for markets!! maybe add another on the other end too.

Well at long last we got some nice rain yesterday and some today!! WOO HOO!! YIPPEE!! we surely needed it. The gardens are growing superbly and this rain made everything grow so much overnight!!

YEAH!! Well i did it AGAIN!! Came up with another great recipe!! this one is for cherry jalapeno preserves and it was a super big hit at market yesterday so made another 2 batches this am at the kitchen!! then it was on to baking: tomorrow I am taking with me the following:

Cinnamon raisin bread, cinnamon swirl bread, banana blueberry bread, cheddar onion bread rounds, cheddar pepper onion bread, glazed cinnamon buns, my recipe of a hopefully great desert!!BERRY CHERRY CRISP!~!~ I used some of our sweet cherries mixed with some of our black raspberries and blackberries!! topped off with a crumb oat crisp!! It smells yummy!!

Also made a few blueberry cream cheese pies, mini cherry pies, blueberry and peach blossoms, (my mini version of a pie topped with cource sugar and butter) zucchini pineapple bread, pistachio bread, luscious lemon bread with pecans, some more dip mixes and crisp mixes, chunky granola cereal pkgs, mini peach blueberry cobblers, mini peach cobblers, butter crumb topped blueberry muffins, and chewy chocolate chocolate chip cookies. WHEWWWWW I think that is it~~that is enough plus I had a few muffins from thurs in the freezer so I am taking them with too. I also have 4 kinds of cookies and some double dipped pretzels to take too. The booth should be full which is how i like it!! LOL

I hope yall have a blessed evening I am off to relax in the recliner with my boys!! then off to do chores and close the farmstand and SLEEP! which I am kind of ready for NOW!LOL

Talk to ya soon!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Tues howdy

Hey Yall!!
Hope yall had a great monday!! Mine was quite busy I canned chunky strawberry jelly, hot hot pepper jelly, strawberry topping (which is a favo at market, a thin jelly with some chunks of strawberries great for deserts or ice cream) and also some of our Aunt Lillians shortcake mixes. My mom and brother and I went out for ice cream too in the late afternoon after she closed the shop. We did have quite a bit of a storm last night, raining buckets of water for about 15 min then slowly stopped and the sun came back out and it was chilly. That is our crazy weather, everywhere I hear that we are gonna have below normal temps this summer which is ok then we dont have to have the ac on as much! I dont care for it too cool in the house but my hubby and Buster Brown have a difficult time in hot weather.
I am off to deliver an order of some jellies and granola and mixes today to a store that is opening tomorrow in Saugatuck!! Stop on in they are off of Blue Star Highway just south of the river if you are heading north to Saugatuck on your left hand side. ( i will take my dig cam with me this afternoon and take some pics) Summertime Market it is all local goodies!! I think they will do good it is a great location with plenty of parking and they have dressed up the building perfect for a market!! Then I am off to the kitchen to play and bake and maybe make some more jelly!!

So I hope everyone has a blessed day i will try to post pics tomorrow after baking.
ENJOY!! ~DARLENE!~
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~