Hot pepper jelly

Well I just got back home from the kitchen and am taking a bit of a break before goin outside to plant some things.   My mom went with me this am and we made a couple of batches of our hot pepper jelly, and hot hot pepper jelly!!  I forgot to take my camera with so no pics right now for ya!! SORRY!!  We also made up 12 dozen tater-n-cheese stuffed pierogi for market and orders for this week.   This time I did saute the onions first in butter and added a bit of seasonings and used yukon gold and reg ol baking taters, which is a nice combo.  Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, parmesean and some fresh guyere cheeses are all awesome together!!  I will note we decided to only take the pasta machine up to number 4 as they were just too thin on 5 and way too thick on 3 maybe it depends on the humidity in the air with this particular dough but it was vey thin today.   I also make mixes up for the week for some muffins and carrot cakes and some coffee cakes.  WHEW too I am a bit on the tired side and really would like to go in the 5th wheel with my boys and take a nap!!  Actually NO naps round here this week it is gonna be a busy one as I start my sunday market this week.  Everyother sunday that is but still 3 markets this week.  FSAM fulton street arrist market and I will be bringing some baked goods and a few of my altered signs too.  I cant wait they started today!!  
It is a bit on the chilly side out, I had a tshirt and one of hubbys flannel shirts on too and was comfy.   Thank goodness we didnt get the storms last nigth that were predited it sounded bad!!  The sun is 1/2 out and 1/2 behind some clouds so not too hot at least!  The boys are all on the couch with mommy! LOVE our nice big ol couch for them to be up on here next to me!!  I dont spend enough time cuddling with my boys lately so need to change that !~!~ and soon~~!   I so wish I could take them everrywhere with me~~
Market yestetrday was awesome!! Thanks everyone that came out with the weather being so crummy it was a busy day!!   Hot at 4 in the am then some rain early  then the fog came in quick and brought really cool air and a breeze then sunny and hot and humid in afternooon!!  We sold out of pierogi by 9am and also ravioli were gone just as quick.  I am still making asparagus cheese and froze about 30 pounds plus pureed for ravioli this summer and winter.  Next i am gonna try  spinach and cheese.  I bought some awesome lookin spinach from my friends at VISSER FARM so will start using that up~~  Ok well hubbyo just came in and announced he wants to get to the store soon so I better get my butt ready! NO nap right now, maybe on the way to the store!! LOL
HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY YALL!!
See u tomorrow!~
with pics too! LOL

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~~

Bread day

Cranberry orange muffins complete with a bit of butter crumb topping and of cource I HAD TO DO MY "FARMGIRL" BLING on them!! An orange flavored glaze after they cooled.

The start of the multi grain bread!!

A finished loaf a whooping 2 pounder too!!

So what do you think of these??? I love the look and they taste out of this WORLD GOOD!!

A super recipe my friend makes alot of. So we made the rustic white loaves today but I forgot my cam at home so sorry no pics of them but they were wonderfully rustic "primitive" LOL Well I did get alot of cookie doughs made up including my chunky peanut peanut butter ones, some black currant jelly cheesecake cookies complete with my "bling" of white chocolate drizzled ontop, a batch of some of my cowboy and cowgirl cookies, and some butter cookies to maybe top with milk chocolate and toffee bits?? Not quite sure yet. Then I got the mixes together for a batch of lemon buttermilk bundt cakes, which I will add some blueberries or maybe fresh red raspberries? that sounds way too yummy!! A batch of peach streusel topped bread, 5 peach basil crisps, and a couple of peach praline pies.and................ that was it for today~~ So now I am so ready for bed. My poor hubby is not feeling well at all, he has had a rough couple of days tith the damp cool weather he has been really sore and fellin rather yukky!! so he's asleep on the couch in living room. It sure has started gettin darker earlier outside but tonight is just gorgeous and most delightful outside. I picked some squash, maters and some beans tonight but I am thinkin of just goin out and closin the "girls" in and then clean up and off tobed with my guys!! all 4 of them!! LOL Not every wife can say she goes to bed at night everynight with 4 handsome guys can she??? I CAN!! LOL and love em all!!

Well have a blessed evening and I will chat more with ya soon!!

~HUGS~

Darlene

(and the men in her farm life) LOL

BYE BYE!~

~~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~~

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~~

RAINED OUT weekend!!

This doe was in our front yard only about 20 feet away from me. I am so glad I had my dig cam with me in my pocket. she seen the flash and took off quickly!! but not before i snapped this pic!!

Well blueberry festival is over and thank goodness!! My mom and I got soaked and not just once but i had to change 2 times sat!! I got there at 5.15 am on sat am and in like 10 min it started pouring down rain, it let up so I along with a few others set up our booths. We had to use our canopy since we were kicked out from under the pavilion for the pancake breakfast. SOOOOOOOO what a day!! After being all set up it was still rainin a bit but had to park so danged far away and haul everything by the time i got back to the booth my socks, shoes, jeans and jacket were soaked. SO went to change in clean dry clothes, the sun was starting to come out and it looked like it was clearing up outside..........NOT it started getting windy and all of a sudden a complete downpour came down on us!! we were packing things in containers so it wouldnt get too wet, it came down so stinkin hard and fast there literally was a POND in our booth and we were standing there in it!! My poor mom was standing in the back of the booth waiting on a customer when all of a sudden.........splash on her head!! a pocket in the canopy above her head collapsed and down came the water!! poor thing she was drenched!! Yes I am and was laughing and she did too!! at that point there was no sense gettin upset it was just a speed bump ya know. The rain continued so we along with a few others packed up and just sat under the safety of our canopy. OF COURCE now we still had customers and they were buying things but boy it was a long day. By the time we were all packed up it was actually pretyy dang nice outside just a bit hot and humid but at least we got rain!! and lighting and lots of thunder sat!!

So on to new things!! I am making some peach jalapeno preserves, pumpkin spice dip mixes, funnel cake mixes, some peach praline bread, worked on another new recipe for blueberry orange bread, and a spiced cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting, and well that was it for the last 2 days. We are knee deep in beans and corn right now so maybe i will can some more dilly beans for fall. I do want to comment on what alot of customers are saying at the markets and honestly I dont rightly blame them at all!~ They are complaining about prices at the local markets and why is it so much more to buy at the market directly from the farmer than at grocery stores that are also stating they are carrying "locally grown produce"/? I seen corn for $5.50 a dozen?? and beans for $3.00 a pound!!??? WHAT!!>> we set our prices at home and for the things i take to market judging by what we would pay and what is fair. LISTEN NOW i am out to make a living too and keep our farm producing and growing but come on!! What are peopl thinking charging this much for produce!!?? Doesnt it seem nuts to you too??? I have noticed alot of folks dont come to market each week like some used to and then there are some now that dont even come but i see them in local grocery stores buying fresh produce. I am very thankful that the big chain stores around us are making a big deal by buying local! But what is this trend doing to the farmers markets and what are the high prices gonna do but scare customers away!! OK I am done ranting now!! LOL it really blows my mind!!

Here is a pic of my black eyed susan vine. I planted a bunch of these guys in a big ol terra cotta pot, stuck a big tomato cage on top and let them go! they are so cool and it is now growing well over 7 feet tall!!

So I am off to print up some labels for this weeks goodies and work outside a bit in the veggie garden. Hope yall have a super duper night!!

!!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~~

Sunny sunday

OH WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY TODAY HAS BEEN~~ it is only in the high 70s and sunny and BEAUTIFUL!! what a weekend we have had!! Market was the best of the season yesterday and the weather was just right not too hot, no wind and no rain!! Even though we sure do need a nice rain shower for the garden.

"THE EARTH IS GIVEN AS A COMMON STOCK FOR MAN TO LABOR AND LIVE ON. THE SMALL LANDOWNERS ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS PART OF A STATE. Great statement by Thomas Jefferson.

The flowers and trees are in their full beauty of the summer and it is just so wonderous!! it is light out til about 9.30 pm and well just plain ol GREAT!! LOVE SUMMERTIME!~!

Well the girls are all doin better now that the first big heat of the summer is over, they got really warm, we all did last week. One thing to remember if yall have "girls" chickens dont forget that they get heat stressed quickly and very easily too. I read somewhere awhile ago to make up some of water with the commercial electrolytes in it put in ice cube trays and freeze, then pop a few out and tuck them in their waterers. Be sure to leave out plenty of cool water for them to drink and they will eat early in the am when it's hot. I will also put a soaker hose on and a fan in their coop to help them relax and not get overheated, plus since they are free range i have all sorts of pots and buckets and trays out around their stomping ground for them to drink from.

Well hope yall have a blessed day and I will be back soon with some new pics and garden pics too. It is gonna be a wild week I think so I may not be on here as much as I would like but I am still thinkin about what to put on my blog next!! LOL we do have onions, radishes, carrots, taters, celery, spinach and cilantro for sale now too!! and the maters and squash are about ready too!!

Oh by the way if i hadnt already told yall the pic of the rooster on the left side is my RED FRED!! I love that the gal that made this for me incorporated his pic!! he is one cool dude I tell ya!!

Happy gardening and baking from me!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Fall pics

Well happy happy fall sunday!!! WOW it is cold here~BRRRRRRRR 42 degrees right now but hopefully will get up in the 60s today. I wanted to share some pics i took of our farmstand and all the beautiful fall colors around. Gosh fall is just a great time of the year. We love it so much we got married in late oct outside at the farm back in 2000. 8 yrs already!! Where does it go?

Market Day~~

Well it was our first day for our local farmers market!!! WHAT a great day it was a bit chilly and windy but overall the sun was out and the people came! We had our asparagus, apple cider donuts, pies, plants, some of my hp signs and of cource some chicken eggs!! ENJOY here are some pics i took!!