Baking the day away

ARENT these just the CUTEST SWEETEST little danish??  YEPPER THEY ARE !! Susan made them today, they are the mini version of her AWESOME DELICIOUSLY DELICIOUS danish.   Ok these mini pain au chocolat croissants are HEAVENLY!! my absolute favo of all!! especially fresh warm out of the oven.  There is just something decadent about melting chocolate in a buttery soft shell!!  oh yeah!! heavenly!!  HERE are the finished bites from heaven!! 

I love making bundt cakes and try to take at least one to market. This weeks is a lusciously lemon 7up cake!!love them and they last so long and stay perfectly fresh.  Knowin me yall know what is comin next!!>>>>>.. this cake is too pretty to leave NEKKED!! yall know I added my "farmgirl bling" to this baby. and just a touch of some zested fresh lemon to top it off!! smells so yummy if this doesnt sell my name is all over it!! be a nice desert for us tomorrow night!!

Heres' a new recipe I tried today.   Struesel topped crumb cake.   Ok a few things to not on the next try at these I made the dough yesterday let it set in fridge overnight which made it have a super nice texture and was easy peasy to shape, next time however I would  not fill the pans with so much dough, the dough weighed 14 oz and rose well above the top of pan and with the streusel ontop there was NO way the lid was goin on it.   I would maybe make it 10 oz and then cut in 1/2 after baking and maybe add a layer of whipped buttercream?  The streusel topping is just butter, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnuts it was good but the recipe called for you to heat the topping before putting on cake I did it dry after putting thru the processor.  This works great I love the crumbly topping and for the "farmgirl bling" on this I added a brown butter glaze ontop.    This does have a very nice texture and is not overly sweet which is nice.  Zucchini pineapple bread was next on the list to be done, this is a favo all the time.  I am running out of zucchini in the freezer so hopefully my plants will take off and it will warm up enough  to produce some for me!!  hurry sunny weather!!  and at least 70 degrees!! LOL next time I make this bread I will not drain the pineapple as it doesnt seem to be as moist as last year so that was the only thing I can think I would have done differently.  I SOOOOOOOOO need to write tips down in a book with my favo recipes.  I dont think about it until after I have made it!LOL  crazy.

Well it was kind of sunny kind of rainy kind of gloomy outside today so it was a good day for us to bake!!  Susan also made some brioche and oh my goodness!!!!!!!! what a wonderful aroma!! I love brioche and love that smell!!   We made a loaf for us for a snacky poo which had olives, ham, guyire cheese and that was super super yummo!! Will have to make some olive cheese bread next week hubby is already whinin because I havent made it for him lately.  So that is already on the list for next week!! LOVE YA honey and promise to make your bread for ya darlin!!  LOL

So gotta run and get out to pick asparagus for market tomorrow.  Have a wonderful evening!! 

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

raining and cold today

WOW!! It is brrrrrrrrrrrrr cold outside!! and it has been raining here since last night.  Only 50's and tomorrow is gonna be raining and thunderstorms on thurs.  Hopefully not too bad as we are outside at market on thurs!! ALLEGAN MI.   We have been picking asparagus and at the kitchen today I made some honey cinnamon graham crackers.  Oh they are super yummo!!  They will be packaged up for market along with some frozen asparagus cheese ravioli, my southern peach cobblers, some of my grandma Rose's southern style flaky buttermilk biscuits,  chocolate chip cookies, shortbread cookies, lavender shortbread cookies, my espresso cream filled espresso cookies, lemon poppyseed muffins and I also will make some struesel topped crumb buns and lemon poppyseed cakes.  So tomorrow will be a wild wed at the kitchen to get more things done.  

I am listing some graham crackers on etsy tonight. 

The babies are all doing fine, the turkeys are growing like crazy!! gosh they are gonna be big!! and right now they are so sweet, I hold them and of cource talk to them alot so they will be more personable.

The boys are all laying around on the couch here watching me so I better get off puter and give them some extra special attention tonight!!  Been gone alot lately and havent had much dog lovin time!! so tonight is it!!  Hope yall are safe and sound and enjoyin your tues night!! We will be watchin Idol tonight and hoping Crystal is gonna be the next idol!!  LOVE how true and down to earth and sincere that girl is.  She isnt exactly country like I love but I do like her voice and her personality is darlin!!   GO CRYSTAL!!

Talk more soon!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene and "all the kids"

THANKS for stoppin by CSF!!

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Asparagus ravioli pics

My friend and I made some asparagus and cheese stuffed spinach ravioli.  This is what we did to make this delicious dish!!! and it was very very tasty!!

We started out steaming some fresh asparagus then put it in the processor to puree.Made some spinach pasta then ran it thru the pasta machine til nice and thin.

Here is her ravioli maker which worked like a charm and gave the little pockets of filled pasta a very cute rippled edge.

The filling was put into a piping bag to make it easier to put it inside the ravioli which consisted of the pureed asparagus, a touch of salt and fresh ricotta cheese.

The spinach pasta ready for filling.

AND HERE THEY ARE!~ all filled and sealed!! We were thinking the next time we make em this week they will be a bit thicker so instead of putting the pasta thru to the thinnest setting we will cut it back by one and maybe not press the top part on the ravioli maker so hard, it makes a perfect indentation for the filling but a few split open, probably though because the filling is a bit on the wet side too.

Susan cooked them up and then added some butter, salt and pepper and a few chopped up chives.  Oh I am so sorry I forgot to take a pic of them before we ate!! Believe me though they were AWESOME!! and so so yummy!~ that asparagus and cheese was the best!!And on to something new that was delic!!  Homemade cinnamon honey graham crackers!! Oh my goodness now we are all gonna be spoiled by these and sorry Mr Keebler and your little elves!! no more store bought!! nope NEVER!! if you havent tried making them you should surely put this on a list of things to make soon!! LOL I made them a bit thicker than your average everyday graham so I would think these would make a most awesome tastin smore!!! ok gotta run and make a fire outside!! LOL just kiddin, and these would probably make a wonderful crust all finely ground up.  I can see making these regularly!! the texture was perfect and the taste from the fresh honey was incredible. 

Not meaning to put any elves out of work!! they will be a favo at markets I am sure!Just poke em with a fork here and there randomly and bake for only 9-11 min and enjoy!!  Well I hope yall have a Blessed Mothers Day !!  I will be with my mom at the shop, by the way we do deliver around the Fennville and surrounding towns so we can still get something nice made and out today!! Floral Touch Florist 269-543-4815

ENJOY your day and I will be back tomorrow!!

~~HUGS~~

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

ravioli making wed

Here is a lo I made this am for a tag team game on one of my forums.  I love this picture of Jax!! too cute!  I cut the dinosaurs out from another piece of this pp and added dots to the back so they look like they are coming off the page.

So today is ASPARAGUS CHEESE STUFFED ravioli day at the kitchen!! Cant wait they sound way too yummo!! I will let yall know how they turn out and get pics of them too!!  Yesterday was egg bread, cheddar herb bread, walnut streusel babka, espresso cookies, shortbread cookies, lavender shortbread and also some cherry almond muffins.  Tomorrow is the first day of ALLEGAN MARKET!! yeah!! cant wait!! well I can I still have to get everything packed and empty my trailer from last years craft shows so lots to do!!!  Have a great wed yall!! be back soon!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Terrific Tues

Here's my boy Appy.  He is such a sweetie!!

So here are eggs collectected yesterday I just love those auracauna egg colors, light blue/green to a dark olive color and the shades of browns is fun too.

Here are the 2 babies this little frizzle hen hatched out the other day.  They are so stinking cute and sweet!! She is a very good mamma too.  Hopefully more will start hatching, there are 3 dozen eggs under 3 more hens out in the coop. Mamma watches over those babies I pu her with them in a big cage so noone will hurt the wee ones. 

You can just see them under her wings. LOL too cute!!This is one of the bronze turkey babies. Hope we have a pair of them so we can hatch their eggs next year.

More babies!

And my Ms Rosie May!! She is such a stinker!!  She is also know round here as houdini! she can get out and runa much on the farm anytime!!  she also thinks my farm stand when all the produce is out there was her buffet table!! she would take a bite of this and that and leave to sample something else!! we put a stop to that!!! she isnt out of the pasture unless I am right there!! watchin what she gets into,  she got out last spring and ate down ALL of my black raspberry bushes in record speed!! not this time missy!!  That look on her face says MISCHIEF!! ans she is full of that!!

LOL

and here is Beau! he is my little darlin boy!! He is very sweet and gentle and Ms Rosie May is such a brat to him.  She pushes both Appy and Beau out of their food bowls and hogs all the feed.  I attached the buckets to the gate so she cannot get to Appy's anymore and seperated hers and Beaus so it makes it harder for her to get to his.  

Have a blessed day I am on my way out to meet with a potential retail customer!! Wish me luck!! Fingers are crossed!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Baked goods and a card

Here are my prebaked cherry almond muffins.  Cherry and almonds are a wonderful combination! I would like to try dried mi sweet cherries and almonds in a bagel!!  Sounds way too yummy!

I had made a large batch of streusel so added a bit ontop of these otherwise nekked muffins!  Ok that would be my "farmgirl bling" instead of glaze!LOL

They turned out so nice and big!! way over the top of the muffin pan and look way too pretty.

I also decided to do some cherry almond mini cakes for market too.

These guys are my old fashioned pound cake but I added cinnamon streusel to the inside of them for a little surprise.

The strawberry crisp was a huge hit! This white and pink tree is blooming just outside at the kitchen!! ISNT it gorgeous! all the bloomin trees seem extra full this spring! Probably because we actually have had a perfect spring, warm days, cool nights and some rain so makes trees full!! April showers definetly bring may flowers!!   Feeling the deep desire to create something I whipped up another special mothers day card!!  this is for a dear friend of the family out in arizona.  She loves flowers so I added vines of sweet peas on this card.  Then using my super PAPER TREY INK mothers day stamp set I stamped mother on it.  Love the frame is is painted light pink then I went over it with antiquing medium, and dry brushed black to outline it.  Added a bit of Martha Stewart's pink glitter and it is done! 

My Mr Boopie Woopie Boo is always sleeping on Busters back!!  They will lay on the couch for hours like this!!  Buster is so gentle and kind he doesnt mind his little brother climbing all over him.  When we first brought MBWB home he would curl up ontop of Buster and sleep, he must feel safe with his big brother near by.  Buster is usually acting like the mommy here, one of our cats Chevy Girl would sleep curled up by his belly when she was just a tiny baby and he watched over her too.  And last spring when babies were hatching I took him out to the coop to see them, he laid on the floor and the little chicks were climbing over him.  He just sniffed them and watched them closely!! Such a doll baby I have!!  OH which brings me to some news! While doing chores yesterday am I checked under one of our 5 hens that are laying on eggs and guess what!!!!! 2 babies!! oh they are just so stinkin cute! I will have to take some pics of the newest farm members.  We have about 2 dozen eggs out there that hens are on so they should  start hatching any day now!!  Did u know it takes right around 21 days for a chicken egg and rigth around 27 days for a duck or guinnea egg to hatch.  Just a bit of chick trivia this am!! LOL

Oh and here are my nekked strawberry banana bread loaves!! these are  (pattin myself on the back) my recipe!!  and they are a great seller at market. And yall know I add my "farmgirl bling" to them.  Just a powdered sugar glaze with a touch of banana extract for a more flavor.   I just forgot to take the after pics.  So the regular weekly markets start up for me this week!! I am happy but will miss the every other week market.  Kind of was nice to know the off weeks I would spend alot more time at home and also in my studio with my 3 boys close by!!  LOVE my boys!!  I will leave yall for today and say hope you are safe and happy!! It is rainin here so I will probably work in the greenhouse a bit. lots of transplanting to do and more seeds to get in the trays.   AWWWWWW love spring and gettin dirty!! LOL

Have a blessed sunday be back tomorrow!!

!~~HUGS~~~!

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Saturday storms

HEY EVERYONE!~! sorry I havent been here much this week!!  It was a rough week, my mom had some surgery on monday then tue one of their cats was sick and ended up having kitty leukemia which was unknown to us.   Domino was dropped off or ran away from his home in december.  He sat on thier front porch in a snowstorm so we let him in the house, he was a  gorgeous boy, black and white and very well fed and healty looking.  So each day he would come in eat and then want back outside.  He was the most affectionate loving cat we have had.  They asked a few neighbors and noone knew anything about him so they decided to keep him.  He went out and didnt come home for 3 days, my mom found him in the basement soaking wet and his head hanging down, she carried him in dryed him and laid him on the couch in a warm blanket.  He didnt want to eat but did drink up some chicken broth, he looked as though he dropped 80%  of his body weight.  We called and made an appointment with the vet asap, took him in, they wanted to keep him overnight on ivs and antibiotics. 
They called a little later and said the test for kitty leukemia came back positive and he had a very high temp, they said they believe he has had it for about a year or so and there was very little chance he would feel better and regain any strength.  Our only option was to put him to sleep.   We rushed back there to say our goodbyes and be with him his last minutes here.  This has been so hard on our family he brought so much love and joy to our home and has so touched our hearts.!!  I do believe though that he came to us to live his final few months in a loving home and he sure did!!  Everything happens for a reason and Domino sure knew he was at home with us!!

  I am posting all of this in hopes someone will read this and have their cats tested and vaccinated!! IF poor Domino would have been vaccinated he would be ok!!  The test isnt much at all only around $40.00.  PLEASE PLEASE I URGE YOU TO HAVE YOUR KITTIES VACCINATED!!  They dont deserve to suffer and go thru all the pain this relentless disease causes!!
WE miss you Domino!!
I will chat with yall soon we have to go pick up some plants and things for Mothers Day at the shop!!
HUGS!
Darlene

LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~