paintin and bakin day

Hey Yall~~   Geezeeeee for some reason I have been gettin up way before I really need to so with all the extra hours this week I have been paintin in the early mornin and then bakin in the afternoon!   And of cource I did up more snowmen signs.  I so want to make them into xmas cards to send out but really need to get a different program for doin that on our puter.  *(on my xmas wish list) LOL 

This guy is reaching for the best snowflake around!****

I love that dark barn red against the blue backround it really stands out nice!

Still have to finish them but will try to work on them tonight or early tomorrow am since we have market csa drops tomorrow and then Bronson Winter Market on friday and a show on sat!! WHEWW~~ busy week.  As of right now I am definetly plannin on takin a nice long nap with my boys on Sunday!

decided to do non xmas thing.  This along with another one will be on a shutter! 

Another snowman this one I wanted to have him holdin somethin other than a wreath, so a tree in a pot and a bowl of gingers works. 

And this old metal coffee pot has been sittin in my studio for about a year now.  It was time to do something with it.  I am thinkin of stuffin it full of pines and a battery candle light and lots of glitter!! 

Here's the babka that I showed you the other day, these I filled with cinnamon and raisins. 

 FYI when bakin raisin bread I do NOT put any raisins on top of the bread anymore as in the convection oven the heat is intense and it really burnt the little guys that were ontop and they actually flew off of the bread!! LOOK OUR FLYIN RAISINS!! LOL   Susan told me once she made some puff pastry dough for baklava and topped a cheesecake with it and the layers were flyin around the oven like crazy!! 

These babkas are filled with a buttery streusel and a bit ontop

AND>>>>>>>>>> here is my favo of the day!!  I started out makin bread pudding then added orange zest and juice and chopped up fresh cranberries, and some pieces of walnuts!!   I did make a very nice creamy cinnamon sauce and added just a touch of cardamom to it to top it!!   We had to sample one and ours Susan mixed in a bit of brandy into the sauce!! WOW!! what a nice kick!!  It really made a wonderful addition! 

more cinnamon raisin babka.   I did add cinnamon sugar to the tops and misted them for a nice crispy top. 

And I made some more orange coconut macaroons.   they really arent 1/2 as good if they arent dipped in choc!!  and drizzled ontop a bit more.

YUMMY!!

So that is all I have to share at the moment!  I am off to the kitchen to make pierogi and some herbed biscuit loaves and cookies today! 

Hope yall have a wonderful wed!!

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Magificent Monday!! and a recipe for yall!

OK what a glorious day to be bakin the day away!!  I managed to get quite a bit done today!  Babka and Egg bread were the first things since they take the longest.  Well the babka actually gets made one day then it has to slow rise in the fridge overnight and is alot easier too!!  Egg bread done, and wrapped and flash froze!    Even though it was a bit cooler in the kitchen today the yeast was doin it's job as you can see above!!! yeah!

the babka dough is very very sticky but once you work a bit of flour in and do the skin on it it's quite easy and actually one of my favos to make and eat!!!  I made 4 batches so a few will be filled with a cinnamon walnut streusel and mabye a few will be filled with chocolate or maybe almond paste filling?  Not sure yet. 

I scale these out to 1 pound loaves they rise so nice and look gorgeous in the loaf pans. 

Just before putting them in bags in the fridge you smooth them and seal the bottoms.  Off to rest overnight!

Oh these are the boxes of my decadent choc cake truffles packaged up and ready for markets this week. 

And here are the finished orange creamsicle ones.  I dipped them in a white almond flavored bark and added a touch of orange candy topping. 

I do have to say if yall have ever melted white chocolate down it sure is more touchy than milk or dark choc. 

 Packages ready in a basket for markets!  

What does dark molasses, eggs, flour, brown sugar, eggs and fresh ginger make???  GINGERBREAD !!  I made a few loaves of gingerbread.  I cant decide if I want to make a lemon glaze for them or just give em all the "farmgirl bling"
 of a generous dusting of powdered sugar like below. 

Mix all your wet ingredients together

I used blackstrap molasses and got this beautiful rich dark color and the flavor is intense!!  Susan had some fresh minced ginger and that is amazing!!

Slowly add the sifted flour to wet ingred.  It sure doesnt take long to come together and make a very nice runny batter.  These are gonna be very moist!!

I just did up some small loaves but think I might try a neat flexipan that Susan has that are little triangles. 

And the blinged up gingerbread!! 

I also made some shortbread dough, some kolachky dough and zucchini pineapple bread. 

Now my recipe makes 10 large loaves but this taste of home recipe is very very close to what mine tastes like so thought I would share it with yall!! ENJOY it is very good!!

Ingredients

Zucchini Pineapple bread
3 eggs

2 cups finely shredded zucchini

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

2 teaspoons  Pure Vanilla Extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chopped nuts optional I use walnuts


Directions

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, zucchini, oil, pineapple and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; stir into egg mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts
Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves.
These make perfect holiday gifts using the smaller mini bread pans I just fill em to 8 1/2 oz.  put em in a clear bag with a ribbon around em and a tag and Voila! foodie gift!!

Hope yall have a wonderful night!~!
And ps hubby didnt get a deer this am!! :( maybe tomorrow! 
HUGS
Darlene


~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Hunting day

NOVEMBER 15 pretty much a holiday here for hubby!!  He gets up extra early, bundled up in his camo clothes, and patiently and as still as possible in his tree stand for that one noice, one movement of an approaching deer. You see today is the first day of gun hunting in MI for deer.   I really enjoy seein the deer cross in back of our house and thru the woods as they travel and even in our corn field eating our sweet corn!! but I do so love LOVE a nice piece of perfectly cooked venison or vension chili, (hubby makes this and it is the BEST ever) or a nice grilled  tenderloin of venison. We do say it is God's pure meat for us!   He only gets one maybe 2 of which we will eat and that is it!  and he doesnt bait them, which I think is so wrong, where is the sport in baitin prey?  Just like fishing, using all the fancy dancy fishfinders we just go to the lake and pic spots and if we catch something great if not oh well it sure was worth the peaceful tranquility of sitting in a boat on the water!!  and catchin some rays of sunshine too!!
Today I am off to the kitchen it will be all about making up my mixes for this week and doin cookie doughs to bake tomorrow and maybe gettin some candies done.  I do have to dip more of the cake balls and decorate them and also decorate some dog bones up xmas style.  I bought some pretty red,green white non parielys for them this weekend and some pretty holiday sprinkles while at Michaels.    It is kind of grey outside and very cool only to be in the 40s today so good day to be inside a nice warm kitchen!   
Buster and I picked up 5 wheelbarrow full of down branches and trees that were layin in the woods to use for kindlin this winter.  I like doin that and try to get a nice big ol pile of em since I pretty much and the one that is responsible for tending the fire during the day and early in the am, usually there are  quite abit of hot coals overnight and it does stay pretty warm but there are those days it burns up and not much left so I like my little branches to help start fires.    This week we are starting Bronson's Winter Market In Kalamazoo, friday  from 10-2 and also Dave (from Young Earth Farm) and I are starting our winter drop markets in Allegan and South Haven thurs.   And I also am in Dowagiac MI Old Fashioned Christmas craft show on sat.  Looks like it will be a pretty nice week and there are some nice lookin booths at the show.

With all that said I am off hair in braids, bandana on, apron ready to get to the kitchen and play!! I have the cam in the truck so I will be comin back to yall with pics!!
Have a wonderful monday!
HUGS
Darlene
~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Choc cake truffles

So I got these dipped and decorated this am!!  They turned out pretty darn good and they taste yummy!!  Super rich and moist and best of all CHOCOLATE!!

I took my order of baked goods this am so will see what happens.  The town was busy and they were putting up the christmas trees and lights!! I love walking at night thru Saugatuck with all the decorations and lights it is so quaint n cozy!!  Great little town!!

Hope yall  have a good afternoon!

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

Bakerella's cake truffles and more

I just love cranberries and orange together so made up a batch of muffins.

And here's the "farmgirl bling" a nice orange glaze for the tops.

Just the right amount to even the tart cranberries out.  I do put my cranberries thru a quick trip in the food processor as I dont like too big of chunks in the muffins or in cakes so this gives em a nice rough chop. 

Some of my pumpkin bread puddings. 

I made a quick cinnamon, brown sugar and butter struesel topping for them.    And since finding BAKERELLA  last year I love making her cake pops!! I havent had much luck with them staying on the sticks so instead decided to do some cake truffles instead.  That way they will travel to shows and market much better packaged in the little candy cups and in boxes.  so here are 4 pans ready for the oven.

 

After baking and cooling off I chopped up the cakes and put them in the freezer before shaping. 

Here's the cake after adding a homemade cream cheese frosting.  Yepper she suggested using your hands to do this and it makes all the difference to get that frosting competely mixed in. Wearing gloves makes it easy peasy too, I didnt care for rolling them out by hand so I relied on my trusty cookie scoop.  This is the middle size scoop and makes the perfect bite size rounds.   

2 batches made today, an  orange creamsicle, orange cake with vanilla pudding and the other is dark chocolate cake with choc pudding.  both have cream cheese frosting in them and they will be dipped in chocolate.  I am thinking of dipping the orange cake in white chocolate with maybe some orange drizzeled ontop and then the chocolate will be dipped in choc with white choc drizzeled ontop.  They are in the freezer at the kitchen waiting to be dipped.  IT is best to let them freeze up before dippin. 
Chocolate chip and peanut butter sandwich cookies were made and also some of my orange marmalade filled kolachy cookies.  I am taking some things to a store today and see how that goes!!  hopefully they will have luck with everything. 
And here's the pan of kolachy before bakin, they are not exempt for my "farmgirl bling" either they get a very generous dose of powdered sugar after cooling.  These are my grandma Rose's recipe that my mom and I make every year to put on our christmas cookie trays.  Speakin of we need to start gettin things in order for them xmas is right around the corner and we deliver trays of asst cookies and some candies to friends and businesses that deal with us.  And of cource the mailman gets a surprise in the mailbox, the trash guy, neighbors and family!!  Typically we make up about 15 kinds of cookies, some toffee and some barks and this year we will add maybe some mini muffins or a little loaf of a sweet bread too. 
I always look forward to holiday baking and experimenting with making up the trays and tins full.  I am gonna make some up for the shows in the next few weeks too.  While at Michaels and Hobby Lobby friday I found some great printed up holiday goodie boxes and bags so bought way too much but love that kind of stuff!! and it makes such nice gifts.  I would so rather have a gift that was handmade than something store bought.  We look forward to my mother and father in laws candy they give us each year so much!!  Yes I even like to recieve food gifts from others!  LOL  Lots to get done today, I have 4 more snowmen signs to finish up and then work on a sign that a friend ordered, go and dip the truffles,  make up some cookie doughs for next week markets and deliver an order and then maybe relax!!  LOL.  It is startin to cool off too and we are expecting rain sometime today too so good day to work inside!! 
Have a great weekend!!
Talk to yall again soon!!
HUGS
Darlene

  ~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

It's Friday!!

Wow its almost the weekend already!! GEE where do the days go?  I worked at the kitchen yesterday afternoon and boy did I miss it.  Mon-wed all I did is paint and get ready for a show next weekend and those days were busy ones but absolutely good ones cuz i could be home with my precious boys!! 
I made cranberry orange muffins yesterday and got a few mixes ready for today to bake.  My kolachky, some cut out sugar cookies and some sandwich cookies will be baked today to take to a shop in Saugatuck.  SPICE MERCHANTS will be trialing some things in there to see how it goes!! YEAH!!  They are an awesome tea and spice shop and it just smells so divine in there.  They are along butler street so if yall are near there stop on in!!    So most of my day will be spent baking and playin in flour of cource and that is fine by me! the only thing that would make it better would be to have my "boys" there but that is not possible.  At least though they are only 7 min away from me and yepper I do call home a few times to let them know I love em and miss em!!   Dave my market buddy always pics on me at market when I call home, he says boy "maybe I should call the cows at home and see what they are doin?" LOL oh well I know my boys hear me when I call and leave em a message on the machine!!  Usually it always ends with "and remember mommy loves you more than daddy!!" and there have been times my sweet hubby calls home too and leaves them a message and says "mommy's lying daddy loves you more"!!  Oh we love these guys!! 
Another nice day in mi today, cant believe this it has been in the upper 60s and into 70 this week!! all week too!! just gorgeous!! but they are talkin snow next week so more like our november should be round here.  That's ok I love the snow just really been spoiled this fall. 
The girls are doin pretty good they are however very mad at me!! and I do mean very mad!!  They are closed in their coop and pen for a few days as something in mid daylight killed one of my hens tues, no tracks and it wasnt typical of a hawk, coon, weasel, or coyote  so not quite sure what it could have been but there were feathers strewn about like it shaked her alot.  My poor little black hen it looked like one of our younger ones and you know I was home all day workin in my studio, I heard the guineas having fits talkin outside but each time I went to check I didnt see anything around.  So they are being grounded "safe grounding" for a few days.  We have 20 little ones that I have been waiting to intro them into the flock but will wait a bit longer since this attack.  My girls are free rangers and usually make their rounds around the property and pasture and then back home round dusk so now being closed in their pen they are MAD!! and acutally it is a nice size totoally enclosed pen 70 feet long x 16 feet wide and then their front pen to go into the coop so they do have alot of room yet but still it is not the same.  When I walked back to the house yesterday mornin they were standing lookin at the gate and just squakin away!! probably wonderin what I was doin and not opening the door for them.  Well better safe than sorry I dont want whatever was here to get used to lunch on me each day!! 
You know yesterday afternoon I took my brother to Holland to do some quick shoppin, our usualy spots hobby lobby, michaels, gfs, meijers and family fare and just happen to come incontact with some very friendly nice folks.  Usually everyone is just hurrin here and there and busy with things on their minds but for some strange reason I had a few people say comments to us.  One was while walking into meijers grocery store a lady was in back of us and when I pulled a cart out she hit it with one she was pullin out and they kind of got tangled up a bit , she said Oh I am so sorry and we laughed I told her no problem and she said have a nice day to us.  Then in the checkout a guy and I were goin to the same one and I stopped since I had more and told him to go ahead of us he looked so surprised and said are you sure?  like it was a huge deal and said thanks alot I will remember this!!?  then while walking out of the last store I was pushing the cart back to the storefront and a gal said Oh I will take that cart then you dont have to walk all the way back and I need one and also said thanks and have a great night!!  SO NICE to hear just the little comments and be nice to each other!  IT really made me feel good inside.   It just goes to show a smile,  a thoughtful greeting, or even just a word to someone makes an impact. 
Have a wonderful friday I will be back tomorrow with pics from today!!
HUGS
Darlene


~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~

More painting for shows

Happy Tues yall!!
I did up a few more signs today.  Lovin the blues this year but I also have 4 more in a blueish green color and hope to have them done tomorrow.
This is a fun let it snow snowman who is holding onto a grapevine wreath with saltbox house complete with a mini snowman. 
I so love doing the garlands around the top portion and down sides, it makes a huge difference on each sign. 

Another blue one with "there must have been some magic in that hat" versed sign.  I think that says it all!!

And another saltbox house one!! JUST love the barn red house and the light powdery blue backround.    So I am in paiting heaven here!!  I got a few skates just about done and will post them tomorrow.  Been months  since I painted it feels so amazing!! and fun!!  And these are my designs no patterns used on any of them just out of my head and onto the wood!!  LOL  That way they are just one of a kinds! I do have an idea for the green shutters I got along the road and am hoping to work on it tonight.  cant wait to see how it turns out!! You know when you get an idea you cant wait to create it!!

So I am off to paint more!! Have a blessed evening yall!!

PS!! I will have a booth at DOWAGIAC's old fasioned Christmas festival next sat the 20th!! 9-3 come on over and mention you seen it on my blog for a gifty!!

C U 2morrow~~

HUGS

Darlene

~~LIVE LIFE JOYFULLY~~and SIMPLY~~