What a week

Sorry I have been so neglectful here lately!!  We have had a few major things happen this past couple of weeks.  Life is so uncertain and can change in a heartbeat.  I wont bore you will all the details of my first dilema but to say it short and sweet the shop I was going to open fell thru.  The owner of the building changed his mind and decided NOT to rent it out!  So had to pack everything up and haul it back and get everyone their things that brought items for their spaces.  What a mess but things happen for a reason and when one door closes another better one opens!! 
We did get some news that has been terribly heavy on our hearts.  My mom's precious boy "Axel" or known as my "boodah"  was diagnosed last sat with lymphoma and basically it is so far gone that even with cancer treatments it wouldnt make a difference.  One good thing is right now he is not in any pain and is so alert.  He just isnt wanting to eat much but a few teaspoons of meat.  We have cooked him chicken, beef roast, ground turkey, rice, barley, turkey breast but he really doesnt want it.  He does have pneumonia but I think since being on meds for 5 days that is resolving.  It just breaks our hearts!! It hasnt even been a year since we lost our beloved Bubba suddenly and that still stings.  I go and check on him at my moms when she is at work and he gets up and wags that tail when he sees ya!!  This guy was given to us at 6 weeks old and had been so abused and beaten we had to have surgeries on his right eye and he still lost it, he was burned and stabbed and left for dead in a parking lot.  A dear friend of mine called and said she needed to find a forever home for this little baby and at that time we had 3 so my mom took one look at him and it was love!! She has taken him to the flower shop everyday since and it is so hard for her to be there without him, he has been laying on the couch most of the time or laying looking out the sliding windows he is 130 pounds of pure love and loyalty.  He is a pit boxer mix.   We have been spoiling him even more since we know the days are limited that we will have him with us.  This is just the worst part of loving our pets so much we know they have such short little lives and make such a HUGE impact on ours that it is so hard to say goodbye.  We will meet again though!!    Gosh at one point while I was a kid we had 14 dogs, and they all were such love bugs with happy happy souls!!  (my parents were just as much softies as me when people would either drop them off on our farm or I would find strays wandering around, well they would find me I think LOL)
Before I cant type anymore I am going to share some things from last weeks markets:

buttercrumb topped peach praline muffins

TOP:::  Use a round biscuit cutter when putting a topping on your muffins to contain the crumbs!!  Works like a charm!

Our "eggcellent" egg bread loaves

Apple cinnamon muffins with a brown sugar crumb top

All baked egg breads

Made another few batches of my honey cinnamon graham crackers

And some blocks I altered with chipboard and scrapbook papes and pearls, and some K&CO flowers and butterflies. 

Spring is right around the corner!!

The birdies have been singing outside like crazy and it was 42 degrees outside today, not much snow left but we are supposed to get 4? inches tonight.  I dunno it is just too nice and warm out to snow and it has been wayyyy too nice for doing chores and outside work while it is so nice out.   Spinach is growing, the herbs are still growing like crazy from last season and things in the greenhouse are popping up!! 

Will be back soon with more goodies!!

Take Care

HUGS

Darlene

  ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

CSA workin wed

Hey everyone!!   WHEW!! What a wild wed it has been!!  This am I took my brother to his job, he volunteers with a job coach at Habitat for Humanity resale store.   He wipes things down and dusts shelves and so on.  His regular lady who he has had for umpteen years had to resign her position and we all miss her but I have taken on some of her things she did with him.   We had fun!!     when I got back it was time to get my butt to the kitchen and get things ready for tomorrow!!  This week's csa menu had the main entrees of :  tomato mushroom quiche with a cornbread crust and fresh thyme,  a pasta casserole with andouille sausage from Young Earth Farm and my homemade tomato sauce, our homemade cheese filled ravioli with a tomato basil sauce and then for bread options they had cheddar pepper bread or italian herb foccacia.

The filling chopped ingredients for quiche

Brought a couple dozen of our chicken eggs for the quiche  it took 22 eggs!!

The cornbread crust with a bit of fresh chopped thyme from Joe's herbs

Baked up and nice n golden

Cheddar pepper bread

nice and brown in the oven almost ready to pull it out!

my tomato basil noodles waiting for sauce

and there is the sauce

I thought it would look finished with a bit of farmgirl "bling"  LOL yepper it isnt just for baked goods!! LOL  some fresh chopped baby spinach and some parm bread crumbs 

I also got some double chocolate gooey butter cakes made, some pumpkin cake rolls filled with cream cheese filling, red velvet cake frosted with cream cheese frosting, red velvet cupcakes, pumpkin spice bread, pistachio bread, pumpkin muffins with cinnamon sugar tops, and the italian herb foccacia.  So WHEW!! I am one tired chic here.  NOW it is time to kick back and watch surviror and eat my wonderful supper my dear sweet hubby made.  We are having breakfast which is fine by me!! LOVE bacon, eggs, hash browns and my fresh cheddar bread!!
Have a wonderful evening!
HUGS
Darlene





~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Cookies, Cookies and More COOKIES!!

Today was all about cookies!!  I did 6 batches of shortbread cookies, one was my newest! lemon poppyseed, a batch of very vanilla 1/2 dipped in melted chocolate with toasted hazelnut pieces on top, a batch of raspberry flavored with toasted almond pieces in them,2 of  just  plain and a batch of mini chocolate chip ones.   Chocolate chip cookies, my peanut butter whoopie pies, cranberry lemon pecan cookies,  some sugar cookies, some bears and flowers made into pops (sorry forgot to take pics of them they were the last to get baked) I will decorate them tomorrow and take pics.   Also I did some bacon dip mix and a herbed veggie dip mix.  My friend and I are having booths at the St. Joseph Lions club craft show this sat in St. Joe MI!!  I also made up some of my pumpkin spice dip and taffty apple dip so have for samples too!! 

And I made up some cookie boxes with some of the asst shortbreads.  Each box still needs to be dressed up with a lable and tag and probably some cute ribbons!

Here is an example of the boxes of astt shortbreads, youl get 3 of the big dipped cookies, 8 lemon poppyseed and 6 rasp almond.  A nice sampler box for a guick gift.

Here's a prebaked chocolate chip cookie!!

The first batch of cookies in the convection oven!

cranberry lemon pecan cookies using locally grown cranberries!

my hubbys absolute favo!! my  plain ol shortbread.  I just have to remember when makin them to OVERBAKE yepper I said overbake on these!! LOL he loves them on the dark side! 

These are quite tasty!! but I do love toasted hazelnuts with chocolate! 

Here was the first batches mixed up.

Some of the cookies like my peanut butter get a smooshin!!  LOL they just dont spread out too much and these are my whoopie pie ones so with just a tiny bit of presssure from my awesome expensive smoosher gadget!!  (a small bowl bottom)

  they are perfect!!

What a glorious day it was first my mom, brother and I went out to our favo place early this am IDA REDS in Saugatuck!! absolutely the best food ever!! and a very cute quaint spot to eat!! WE love goin there and usually I get an omlet since they are filled with such yummyness but today I tried something new!! their french toast!! Oh my goodness it was heavenly! Just the best ever!! great bread toasted just with the edges a bit crispy and the insides melt in your mouth yummo!!  Hold on taste buds!!

then after that I went to the kitchen and played with cookies!!  now I just have to get everything loaded in the trailer and ready to leave tomorrow afternoon to set everything up!! I will try my best to take the cam with and share pics!! 

Hope yall have a wonderfully blessed evening!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Quiche

These are my lemon lavander triangles.  They have our organic lavander buds in them and the sugar I used in making them has been infused for several weeks with fresh lavander sprigs.  Smells so nice!  I could maybe sell them for "stress management" relaxation cookies!! LOL they really do smell good, lavander is one my alltime favo scents.  I made some homemade dryer sheets that were infused with lavander essential oils and love to use them on our bedding.  Heavenly!

Friday was quiche making day in the am.  Susan and I used some awesome ingredients and went at it! 

She did a bit of decoration on the edge of the crusts that looked like roping.

Steamed fresh asparagus 3 pound of it.

Here's a few of the asparagus n cheeses waiting for the egg mixture which was 8 cups of milk, 80 eggs and lots of cheeses.Oh they turned out yummy!!  We did a few with ham and some veggie ones which I cant wait to try some fresh broccoli and maybe tomatoes.  They were quickly frozen and taken to market yesterday.  In by the way my little chest freezer that will be accompaning me to my markets now.  Ravioli, pierogi and the quiche stayed perfect in freezer.    Next week I am plannin on takin some frozen pies too.

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

and I am making my pickeled asparagus and strawberry rhubarb jam since the berries are lookin rather yummy!!  Boy we had massive downpours yesterday evening into the early am today it is flooded everywhere again.  Lots of rain to make everything grow.  Just too bad we cant order some for in july and aug when we will be cryin for a bit of rain!

My mom and brother came and helped me at market yesterday and it was so much fun!! THANKS MOM AND JOEY!! love havin my family meet my super wonderful customers that come out to markets!  And Joey sold lots of his herbs too!!yeah!!!  If I didnt mention before my brother has a little herb bus and has been attending allegan market for a few years now.  This spring there were a few changes with him and we moved his greenhouse over to here and my mom and I helped him plant lots of herbs and some veggie plants too for markets.  So I was able to bring a few to my market for him.  My brother is a special kid, he is mentally handicapped and we do alot with him.  Poor guy fell a few months ago and broke his arm so it has been along spring  for him.  But hopefully his last splint will be comin off this week.  He has done exceptionally well and tolerated it very good!! LOVE YA JOEY!!  He was excited and laughing as the customers came and bought his herbs.  He knew what was goin on. 

Well hubby and I are gonna do a bit of shopping this am and I am hoping to maybe get a few more things planted in the garden today.  Then it is back to the kitchen to work tomorrow!!  I have an order for some strawberry rhubarb muffins and also my babka coffee cakes for this week.

Hope yall have a blessed sunday!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

Happy Baking day~

Well I have a dear friend that is gonna help me bake today, with both markets this week and for some reason I have somewhere to be each day this week but today I figured a bit of help would be much needed!!!  Right now I have about 6 orders to get out so those will be priority on the list of baking which is lemon poppyseed muffins, peanut peanut butter whoppie pies, cheese scones, (made in freezer just have to bake off) cranberry pecan sandwich cookies, espresso sandwich cookies and I really really want to make a new sandwich cookie today too!!! a bit of a hint on a new one >>>> chocolate cream!! 

I did work on a baby book this am that also has to be shipped out asap so that should get finished up tonight.  Oh and did a couple of new layouts of my niece Carissa.  I seen this pic and just HAD to do something with it!~~ LOL  so Rosey Cheeks is the title of this lo. 

  ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

I love doing layered paper flowers and there are plenty on this page.  A paper doily is cut and added underneath the photo, some brown and pink polka dots flourishes, (love those flourishes!!) and a bit of ribbon accents.  The letter were cut from polka dotted paper using my accucut!! finally gettin some time to play with the letter fonts I got awhile ago.  And then just used a couple of different sized punches for the flowers along with some painted chipboard cut outs.

Well that is about it to share today sorry but I really gotta get myself ready to head over to the kitchen since it is already after 7am!!   So with that I wish yall a happy happy sunshine filled first of March!!! 

~HUGS~

Darlene 

Trialing tues....

Hey yall!!   Trialing new recipes,   This am was about testing a new scone recipe.  I added some shredded cheddar and colby cheese to these.  I always have troubles when cutting my scones evenly and I really like the look of the traditional triangular shape.  Round ones just dont do it for me.  SOOOOOOOOOO I tried something new, I patted my dough into a shallow 9 in round coated pan.  Then tipped it out onto a sheet and VOILA!! oh how exciting this was!! LOL perfectly round!! used my pizza cutter wheel and these are great!!
As u can see nice uniform triangles and easy peasy to do!!

Each one got brushed with more heavy cream and topped with a sprinkling of sea salt.  Cant wait for them to come out of oven they smell really great! 

and look great too!!

I am also trialing some cookie recipes I found one is for a similar to the girl scout samoa cookie (btw is one of my altime favo cookie but havin them in the house is dangerous to me!! i will be way too tempted to devour them all) and also a different flavor of my homemade carmels.  Espresso Carmel sounds so dang yummy so that is a must try!!
So as soon as I finish this stuff  I am gonna work in my studio making some mothers day cards.  Oh here is a quick birthday card I made at 4am to go out with a birthday order I got.

I like to include a little card for the recipeint to get with their order.

Ok so have a blessed tuesday and I will be back with more pics tomorrow!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

 ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~