Wet wed!!

There is something so serene and peaceful to listening to a light rain fall!!  That is what woke me up this am at 3.30.  We are suppossed to get rain most of the day which actually is a good thing it was gettin a bit dry out there.   I just love warm summer days with a light rain it feels so refreshing and the smell is heavenly.   

peach blueberry muffins

my red raspberry jalapeno jam  super yummmmmmmmmmo

peach raspberry loaves

cardamom bread

pistachio bread fresh out of oven

peach blueberry pound cakes waiting for glazing

my favo combo peaches and blueberries

peach blueberry pound cakes

Dale and hubby working on a project at tractor show

a peek of the corner of archway hubby is working on  I dont want to show all of it as it will be unvieled at show but I can say it is gonna be awesome and look just perfect for the spot it is goin

This week has been a busy one but after labor day things tend to wind down at markets a bit which means I have some extra time to work in my studio!! CANT WAIT!! been way too long.  I have alot of halloween things I want to make for fall.  Fall ahhhhhhhhhh my absolutely favo time of year, the mornings have been more fall like the past 2 weeks so it is a comin!! 

My list of things made this week and to also finish up today at the kitchen have been: peach blueberry pound cakes, peach raspberry cakes, peach blueberry and peach raspberry muffins, peach pecan muffins, peanut butter cream filled peanut butter cookie pies, banana nut bread, pistachio bread, cardamom bread loaves,  peach and apple pies, and some mini pies, and 2 batches of my red raspberry jalapeno preserves.  

 The savory chicken scratch gourmet items this week are:  stuffed peppers, stuffed shells with homemade tomato sauce, chicken veggie pies, roasted red herbed tater slices, and hopefully I will get done today eggplant casserole.

Plus 3 kinds of pierogie and lots of cookies!  So we have been busy busy but fun busy!  I love trying and making new things and am so very thankful for alll my customers that allow me to prepare things for their families to enjoy!  It really gives me a sense of joy and pride to provide unique menu options and using all local farm fresh produce helps our local farms also. A win win situation here!  Thanks to Fleming Farm's for all the wonderful squash, cuckes, pickles, taters and peppers and Thanks to Visser Farm's produce also it is amazing!

We have been goin to the campground here and there, our 5th wheel has been out there since aug 1st and we are enjoying gettin away with the boys overnight.  I just say "who wants to go camping" and they all do about 500 miles an hour running around the house and to the door and back! they love goin and I so enjoy seeing these guys happy. LOL   IT will be different this year for tractor show since we dont have our Bubba with us, he loved goin camping too and hubby would take him for a ride everynight before bedtime, cruising around checkin on all our tractors,  Buster has been goin the longest, we started taking him when he was not quite a year old in 2001 and he's been there every year with us and enjoys it as much as we do, but this year  we have our new guy Bruno who is lovin goin also. Home away from home.  My three little campers!! LOL

I better get to printing my labels for market stuff and then head over to the kitchen, today is Alesabeth's last day, she's movin out of state, I sure have enjoyed her working with me this summer and will miss her! THANKS for all your hard work!!

Hope yall have a great wed and I will be back soon!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Blueberry fest is over!

Oh my goodness we had a wonderful market day sat!!  IT was blueberry festival in South Haven, MI and what a festival!! I am so glad so many people came out and enjoyed everything blueberry!!  The parade was awesome, the music the food all of it was great!!! 

Mary and I made blueberry filled pierogi with a cheese mixture and those went over like crazy!!  WE pretty much sold out of everything we took with.   I love giving sample of my blueberry jalapeno jelly out and watch the reactions of people, it is such a super taste.  You first get the sweet blueberry then it takes a minute but ............. wait a bit more............. the jalapeno peppery taste kicks in!!  it is not hot at all just a bit of a bite so you know it is there.   My mom's peach basil preserves went over great too!! we served crackers with a bit of cream cheese and the preserves ontop.  IT is such a unique taste experience I am gonna make my dear sweet lovin hubby a nice suppper tonight and top the meat with some of her preserves.  I am a huge basil fan and love cookin with it.  This week I am making some of my peach basil crumble pie.  I made it last summer and it was amazin!!  I love that so many of my customers like tryin new things and new flavor combos I come up with.

I still cannot believe I didnt take my camera to the kitchen on friday!!  Susan made the most delicious chocolate cakes, these were made in a dome shaped silicon pan each one just the perfect size for one or maybe two people *I have to say I dont share my chocolate very good with others*LOL they had a vey rich smooth chocolate frosting on them and I topped them with just a dab of white chocolate and then the "farmgirl bling" took me over so it was chocolate jimmies!! They were just too cute and oh so irresitible!  They will be made again soon so I will be sure to show yall pics of them.   Everything was a big hit that we made.  All the muffins, breads, cakes, cookies, pies and my grandma Rose's dill pickles I made sold out!!  Miss ya Grandma!!  Mary came to the kitchen and we played with some recipes and trialed a couple of new things too.   She made awesome garlic herb braided breads, some peach and blueberry filled mini rugelach's, and  some butter crescent rolls that were melt in your mouth perfection. 

This week will be all bout peaches!! I picked some of our red haven peaches and the Lorings are about ripe now but I cannot wait for the RED SKIN peaches!! Those are my absolute favo!! and they are just perfect peach orange color!! they will look beautiful in the jars I plan on canning some slices in.

Well today will be workin in the house this am I was pretty neglectful last week spending majority of my time at the kitchen so things need to be done here then I think I will go to the kitchen and play around!!  YEAH!!   Susan and I want to make some ciabatta bread and maybe some sourdough this week.

My mom and I are gonnna do some corn for the freezer, which by the way if you dont know how it is very easy peasy to enjoy corn all winter.   We use a big ol bowl then an electric knife (thanks to Grandama Jan's idea there) to take all the kernals off the cob.   I get a big stock pot of water boilin add some sugar  dump in all the corn, we usually do about 5 dozen ears at a time, let it just boil maybe 2-3 min then turn off heat, let it cool and scoop it into freezer ziploc bags.  I lay them flat out on a sheet pan and freeze them.  That's it!! and the sugar helps the corn stay super sweet and yummo!!  try it!!

So I better get my coffee down and git thin's done around here!!

ENJOY your monday yall!!  

  Thanks to my mom and dear friend Mary for making sat a very successful day with alot of laughs and hugs!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

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~~

Market day

~Well hey there!! Market was ok today down some from the previous weeks but still ok for us. The chocolate hazelnut fudge went over really well, as did the pumpkin pie spice dip mix I came up with and the cinnamon raisin bread were all good sellers. It is really funny to us how to judge what to make for the different markets some weeks muffins sell at one market like crazy but the next market none?? who knows?? so I just make whatever strikes me at that moment plus usually I try to be really good and organized (ok not so much on the organization) LOL but make a list out of what HAS to be made and then what I would like to make and i do stick to it pretty dang good. I did have a tragedy yesterday at the kitchen though, for some reason my double batch of cardamom bread was a total flop!! to the point that the chickens werent even happy eating it. It didnt rise at all!! and I made sure I used the right kind of yeast and activated it properly but who knows???? Also I made a big batch of homemade carmels and no go on them either!! they had a grainy texture and were softer than i like. I didnt cut that sheet pan of it up so i think i can melt it a bit and use it on the apples so not a total waste! chickens would have liked that i am sure. of cource it might be interesting to see them with a beak full of sticky chewy carmel?? NOT!!! i would not do that to them.

So my very first issue of Chicken Scratch newsletter will be goin out this week and thus far I have 24 folks signed up for that . It basically is for my customers at the markets who would like to see me off from running a muck for the winter time and at the kitchen working!!LOL I am teaming up with our meat man and we will be delivering our products to the market site on select days 2 times a month from november thru march so maybe I can keep working!! LOL

Other than that not especially much goin on it has been a steady busy week. OH i started working at the "salt of the earth" in Fennville tues am!! and will be back there bright and extra early on sunday!! 4am!! but only til 10 so by the time i get home I will be ready for a little nap with the "boys" as hubby will just be gettin up at that time.
Well I will be off to make supper for my wonderful hubby who deserves only the very best!! LOL right!! it is leftovers for him tonight~~

May the chicken of happiness visit you often and fill your days with sunshiney bright eggs and clucking good times!~
HUGS
Darlene ~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

HAPPY MONDAY YALL!!

The boys each got a rawhide chewy yesterday They love em! Bubba has his daddys ol cap on. Silly boy

My mr boopie woopie boo enjoys a good rawhide

Buster being the big brother to them had his finished first so was just chillin on his bed.

Here's a thrift store find an old bakers rack that hubby just tightened up the screws and replaced a couple and VOILA works great in the farmstand!

So today I was gonna start a new job yes another job! LOL just a fill in job in a local restraunt/bread shop in our little town. It is called Salt Of The Earth and they make abosolutely awesome rustic artisan breads of all kinds!! So I knew the gal that opened and she needed someone to help like when someone calls in or they are shortstaffed! HEY at least it is in a kitchen!HUH !! After october when the market closes I figure this will help me bake year round! And next year I am already lookin at hiring a gal to help me bake a few hours a week to get ready for markets mostly. So anyway I am starting at 5 am tomorrow instead. Now as yall know I am an early riser but now I have to get up by 3.30 to get everything done before I have to leave! that is a bit early isnt it? LOL oh well I can do it!!

Gosh we are suppossed to get rain today and the next 3 days after but ya know I am surely NOT complaining at all we have gone the longest stretch this year without rain, almost 17 days!! it did rain a bit this am but now it is just kind of muggy and the air is thick. I am really counting on havin an indian summer and a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG beautiful fall to enjoy those leaves a bit more!!

Hope yall have a great monday and will let ya know how the job works tomorrow!!

HUGS!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

TGIF~~

rasp crumb bars

this would be considered a "fully loaded" apple huh? LOL carmel, milk chocolate, honey roasted peanuts, fall sprinkles, and to top is off white chocolate drizzeled on top!!

these are some of the rice krispy pops

OH NO NEKKED bundt cakes!! LOL

YEAH IT IS FRIDAY!~~ already~ the days just fly by dont they?

Well yesterday was quite productive and today will have to be too!

Made hot pepper jelly mild and hot and also did up some dipped carmel apples,

dipped in homemade carmel and then in chocolate with asst toppings, dipped rice krispy pops, apple cream cheese bars, carmel apple pie, smores bars (i made up this recipe and will let ya know how they taste) some muffins, and a couple of bundt cakes oh and some yummy raspberry filled crumb bars. They looked just too plain so had to add the "farmgirl bling" white chocolate drizzeled ontop!

So today I am hoping on getting some butter cookies done, some frosted pumpkin cookies, some kind of bread, maybe some pumpkin cheesecake bars, maybe some kind of chocolate mocha cake? and hopefully some apple butter.

Have a great friday yall!!~!
*HUGS *

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

WERE BACK!!

Some of my sunflowers in the garden

these are mixed lemon queen and autumn beauty sunflowers in one garden

OH MY MR BOOPIE WOOPIE BOO!! up close and personal!! LOL little angel!!

just got the cart unloaded and camp set up.

sitting in the line up for the annual tractor cruise to town

Our golden jubliee

On our way to the lineup

My hubby's great grandfathers H (aint she a beautie)

Were back home and our VACATION was great!!

What a week!! we had beautiful weather and the tractor show was a huge event this year it was bigger than ever!! We met the nicest couple next to us and then met a couple next to my inlaws that we became friends with.

there are over 150 tractors and doodle bugs that participated in the annual tractor cruise to town. What a fun time we took one of our little hay trailers in back of the H and loaded my inlaws, a couple of friends and a couple we met that camped next to us, went to town then rode along the lakeshore, back to town and then to dairy queen for ice cream!! YUMMY too!!If you go to one tractor show/flea market in sw michigan it should be this one!! The group puts on a terrific show and there is also live old steam engine pulled sawmill demos, a blacksmith making things in a forge, a shingle mill, antique and hot rod tractor pulls, steam engine steamed sweetcorn, bingo, cake walks, hit and miss engines, TONS of all colors and kinds of tractors running around, the flea market where I am sure you are bound to find something you cannot live without!! LOL, camping, rides around the grounds on a tractor pulled people mover and lots more!! Definetly worth the trip~

So tomorrow is back to work at the kitchen for me to get ready for market on thurs~~and I mean work I have nothing ready for this weeks markets but that is ok I will catch up~~

The leaves are starting to change round here and the squash is ready and oh so tasty~ We made some while camping, I took the acorn squash, cut in 1/2 cleaned her out and put in butter (real sweet cream butter only) brown sugar, and a couple of slices of fresh bacon on top. Bake til soft and ENJOY!! we also made some stuffed with a sausage filling that was yummy too.

It is a glorious time of year but always makes me a bit sad as winter even though I love love love the snow~ just lasts so lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg!! but boy once the leaves start with all the color shows we get it is absolutely stunning!! love the smells, the leaves burning, the crisp mornings, apples, cider, pumpkins and of cource scarecrows!! LOVE the FALL!~!

Well have a blessed evening and will chat more soon!!

Oh I will post some pics when it is unloaded but we are the proud new owners of another little tractor~~~a waukesha. Have to do some reasearch on her as we dont know much about this little cutie.

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~