More Baking

Yes I've turned into a baking fiend :)  cooking all week!  Today was pyrogy day,  got 120 frozen and gave away 2 dozen to my Son and Daughter-in-law for shoveling my huge driveway and decks. 

The bulk of the pyrogies were potato with seasoning and cheese, but did a couple dozen or so with sauerkraut and the same of prune.        

 

 

I'm thinking tomorrow could be a paper day :)  I've almost exhausted my flour supply.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, check my Paper Crafting page on facebook to see two books I made for my sales. 

My Canvas and A Bit of This and That

I'm finished the 16" x 20" canvas. It hangs on my bedroom wall which still needs to be painted, but I didn't want to wait. It's a 'flat' canvas and I think I like the thicker ones better, but hey, it's done and I do like it :) If you like, you can check on my sidebar under Canvas Picture, to see the earlier makings of this one.

I picked a couple of roses from my garden. Some slugs are feasting on their leaves I'll have to get something to get rid of them before they ruin my plants. So far nothing else is touched!

A nice little reflection of my patio door and a sunny day :)

I babysat over the weekend.

My poochies didn't think much of that! But, we managed and all was good in the end.

I made some soup, even in this heat! And darn good it was too :) I found it on Pinterest, the recipe is from The Greens Cook Book, called Mexican Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocvado. You can find the recipe here
I didn't have the hominy or chipolte chilies, so I added half a can of stewed Italian tomatoes with herbs (it called for fresh), big spoonful of salsa and a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce. I didn't have green beans so I added some frozen peas. Instead of chicken stock, I used a package of Lipton Chicken Noodle soup and took out half the noodles.
To make it stretch even further, I threw in a large can of Italian Wedding soup. So what's left of the original recipe, lol, the carrots, onion and spices--I love adapting a recipe.

Dish up a bowl and add chopped avocado. I added the lime, squeezed over top, with a spoonful of sour cream. Wonderful flavour!

Also, I made this little mug cover I saw on Pinterest, you can find the pattern here. It's cute, but I can't drink out of the cup with that yarn right there :) however, it could work on a taller mug.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, hope you are all enjoying the beautiful summer weather we've been having :)

Two Pretty Cards and a Pepper

Well, there is nothing in common about these two items, but I just had to show you a pepper that I cut into :)

Isn't that amazing? There are actually two baby peppers growing inside! I have put this in water to see if they continue to grow, but I don't think they will--I cut into the biggest of the two babies when I sliced the pepper.

Anyway, on to the cards I made! All paper is SU!, flowers and flat, sticky pearls are Prima, lacy trims are from my stash--bought from Creative Accents in Williams Lake.

Very easy card to make and the scalloped edges give a really pretty effect. Great card for using up scraps!

***I made a card last Christmas with this design and got the idea from Whif of Joy.


Thanks for stopping by, come again :)

Tuesday Tea

It's actually Tuesday Coffee for me this morning  :)   need that zap to get me going!
I've just finished reading this book written by my friend Susan.  It's about a woman who walked from New York to Siberia, travelling through Canada on up to Alaska....all on foot to reach her home.  I loved the book and it ended all too soon!

Some of the baking I've done the past few days.  Things are all packaged up.....and yes I sampled a couple  :)  My shortbread, almond florentines and raison ginger cookies.

I'm making another batch of shortbread and that will be enough  :) 

Thanks for stopping by and please check out Kimmies site at http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/ to see what everyone's up to today  :)

   

Tea on Tuesday

Actually it's coffee this morning and cinnamon buns made yesterday.  What a sweet breakfast....I should fairly bounce around the house and get lots done on this morning  :)

I've been taking it easy this past week, but will have more projects to share near the end of the week or maybe on the weekend.  I think I'm done with the craft fairs now and can get on with Christmas decorations and baking and making/buying  :)

Fresh from the oven...yesterday!  The little ones are called Monkey bread, I got the recipe off the Epicure site when looking up Poudre Douce.  A lovely spice to be used as you would use cinnamon--even though the recipe calls for cinnamon as well.  You roll little balls of dough in melted butter and again in Poudre Douce, cinnamon and brown sugar mix, layer in a bundt pan--I did 3 layers. Wished I'd put raisons in them too  :) 

And....here's the yummy, buttery bun... 

...and here's my sweet breakfast. 

These little oranges may be cute and sweet, but the dickens to peel.  Probably the best-for-me thing in this breakfast  :)   

Join the group and see what's up in our worlds today, start at Kimmies place for a list of the tea drinkers  http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

I've added a couple of new sites to my side bar....challenges, for those who do any  :)

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Love this little saying, it's a stamp from Close To My Heart.   Used my new Copics to colour this little girl.  Thanks Janet, for the image, she is so cute.

Not only cards getting made around here.  I've been craving sourdough bread. 

 So easy to make: cook 2 potatoes, use water from cooking and add more water to make 2 cups,  while still warm, add 1 pkg. yeast, 1 tbsp. sugar and stir.  Mash the potatoes until smooth and add to yeast mix.  Stand in a warm place (I left mine on the counter) for 2-3 days, stir occasionally, cover loosely with plastic wrap.  After 2 days (couldn't wait 3) I mixed in 2 cups flour and let stand over night.  

Then you take 2 cups of starter, add 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 3 tbsp. melted marg, 2-3 cups of flour and knead 10 minutes.  Place in bowl to rise, punch down twice. Bake at 400 for 15 min. and then at 375 for 25 minutes until golden brown.  It's done when you knock on it and it sounds hollow.

To replenish starter:  for each cup of starter used, add: 1 cup of warm water, 1 cup of flour, 1 tbsp. sugar.  Leave at room temp. a few hours, then refrigerate.

This recipe made two round loaves and is so yummy! 

Thanks for looking  :)

Morning Glory Muffins

These have to be the yummiest muffins ever  :)

I halved the recipe and got exactly 12.  I used muffin cups and I used apples from the freezer and chopped almonds (out of walnuts).  These are very moist and freeze well.  Enjoy  :)

Morning Glory Muffins



3 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp cinnamon



1 1/3 cups raisons

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/4 cup coconut

1large or 2 small apples

4 large carrots

6 eggs

12 oz. canola oil

4 tsp vanilla

I mix eggs, oil and vanilla then add the second group (raisons etc.) and lastly the dry ingred.  I don't get fancy and use a bunch of bowls  :)

Preheat oven to 350F

Bake in 24, well greased muffin tins for approximately 25 minutes.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I hope your day is special and bright!

Here's a great recipe for an Irish scone that is one of my favourites   :)

I made a wonderful mistake making these one day.  Not paying proper attention and being in a hurry, I added the marmalade to the recipe.  They turned out so good, I do it all the time now!  

The recipe is in a little Best Recipes--Irish Fun Food and Crafts. You know, one of those things at the grocery check-out that catches your eye  :)

 

Sad Sack

Poor little thing, I'm sure she feels as though she is being punished.  She just got spayed and isn't too happy about anything.  I have to pack her up and down the steps to go outside.  The cone isn't on all day, I take it off a lot.  But she has to wear it all night and when I'm too busy to watch her.  

 Something I found in my junk drawer.  It needed new strings  :)   well, I just whipped out my waxy flax and fixed it right up.  It's now back outside, over my little deck garden, sounding quite pretty in the breeze.  It says:

 'Sun Shine fades, Stars appear, Garden Angels gather here'. 

Isn't that lovely?   I can't wait till the snow is gone to see my yard  :) 

A friend picked up a recipe for a Mango salad and knew that I'd be interested.  The ingredients are: avocado, mango or orange (I used mango), green onion, red pepper, toasted sesame seeds ( I used almonds) placed on a nice bed of lettuce mix. The dressing is: lime juice, maple syrup, olive oil, ground cumin (I used nutmeg), and soy sauce. I also threw in some craisons.

I teamed it up with a nice slice of this egg dish that Sue, from http://abittatteredart.blogspot.com/, calls  Dutch Baby. 
It's usually topped with lemon juice and icing sugar, but today,

I thought it should have a little maple syrup on it too  :)  

It was beautiful and puffed up, but I may have taken it out of the oven too fast  :)

It's like a cross between a soufle and a yorkshire pudding.  That said, next time I'm going to try my extra large muffin pan, for individual servings.  

Who Likes A Heel?

Well, me for one  :)  This is a wonderful multi-grain bread that is so light and flavourful!  A good friend gave me her recipe, so I'll pass it on to all of you:  1 1/3 c. water, 2 tbsp. powdered milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. honey, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 c. white flour, 3/4 c. 9 grain-for cereal and baking,  2 tbsp. flax, 1/4 c. molasses, 2 1/2 tsp. yeast.

Ok, I added the flax, but there is flax in the 9 grain and I used fancy molasses.  I end up using at least another 1/2 cup of flour when kneading--take your choice.  I usually take the 1/3 cup of water, warm it, add 1 tbsp. of the honey and add in my yeast to set.  By the time the dry ingredients are all mixed, the yeast is ready, then just mix in all the moist ingredients and throw it together.  I usually punch down twice and put into pans.    





Well, we got another dump of snow last night!  One good thing is the exercise I'm getting lately, but the baking is maybe going to start counter-acting the benefits of shovelling  :) 

The poor dogs couldn't even get out their door this morning until I shovelled and it was pretty hard to find the 3 steps that lead to the lower deck that was clear last night.  I think some of it drifted to make it so deep--a little  :)

I thought we were going to get a break when it cleared up a couple of days ago.  We have three kinds of light: the lamp post, the almost-full moon and the sun shining on the hillside, just as it went down.   

The key holder is finished, I hung it close to my back door.  It's great for hanging the dog leashes.  I don't usually hang my car keys there, but I think it may be a good place for the shed key.   

Break is over, it's time to make lunch and I see the snow has stopped and a wee bit of blue sky is appearing.  It may be a lot nicer finishing my shovelling this afternoon!

I hope Everyone is having a great day   :)

Tea and Poppy Seed Puff Pastry

First time for making this pastry and it is absolutely delicious!  Goes very nicely with my Earl Grey tea  :)

The poppy seed mix is from a can, called Krakus, product of Poland. Ingredients are: poppy seeds, sugar, honey, candied orange peel and golden raisons.  The puff pastry is Tenderflake.  Couldn't be easier to put together!  Brush with a beaten egg---holds it together and bakes it to a beautiful golden brown. 

The paper craft pile is smaller, but just spread out.   

Someone gave me the wooden key holder, so I've painted it white, modge podged and added paper--still needs more done to it. 

Paper projects are laid out and ready to sponge, stamp and generally add stuff to make look pretty  :) 

 

That's what's in store for this week as far as projects go.  Wrapped up in the white bag is the acrylic album but, the other projects have to get done first!

If you would like to see what other tea drinkers are up to, check out Kimmies site, http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/ 



Cooking and Crafting, still Snowing

Well, as in many parts of the country, it is still snowing here. But, I can keep busy!

Yesterday was much the same so I did more crafting and cooking :)

I love crepes!

For dinner, I stacked them with a lasagne-type meat sauce--Crepes Italiano!

I only made a small stack--saving some for breakfast :)

I used scraps to punch out smaller flowers.

Eliminating one mess! The stack of stuff on the top right corner is my 'to deal with pile'!

One is an arylic book I was starting a while back :)

Just put up shelves. This wall will stay the same. Getting it together---one wall at a time :)

We'll see what developes over the weekend--I'll share with you on Monday :)

Have a great weekend Everyone :)

Getting Things Done on a Snowy Day

Well another foot of snow today :) what can I say, good day for the craft room, baking, laundry or just lazing around. So I did a little of everything.

I made homemade egg noodles but no machine makes rolling a workout. Mix together 3 eggs, 2 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt. Roll them out, mine should have been thinner but my arms wouldn't do it :) Cut strips and let dry for 2 hours. This is enough for 4 or 5 servings--depending how hungry you are. Store the thoroughly dried noodles in an airtight container.

So for dinner, I sauted onions, mushrooms, peppers, celery, prawns and when that was almost done, tossed in some fresh spinach and nutmeg. While the noodles were cooking, I made a white sauce to which I added a little parmesan cheese. Mixed it all together and voila! Dinner.

I made a mosaic card, thanks Sue for reminding me of this technique. Check out Sue's mosaic tag at http://abittatteredart.blogspot.com/ I have never tried it and good heavens, I can finally put to use some of the rubber I have saved! My piece of acrylic isn't very big so I had to stamp a couple of times.

Directions can be found on SplitCoast Stampers.

The inside.

I love how it turned out. My ruffled flowers are actually pinker, not sure how they got the orange look.

Good gosh, if we get more snow, who knows what can happen around the house :)

Have a great day Everyone.