Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

Or, it could be Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day....man-o-jiminy-Christmas balls, is it windy!  

The waves have just been crashing in from all this wind and I'm thinkin' that there actually could be surf in Cleveland, USA...  anyway, the waves churning up the lake like they have been should make for great beach glass hunting, but maybe later...it's still way too windy and too moist (it's raining) and I have more coffee to drink to think about heading down there right now.  Pretty sure that covers most of the excuses to be a big old lazy butt.

Perhaps I'll hunker in and make a bracelet or a necklace or both.  I did finish that sun catcher that I was telling you about, but there's been no sun for it to catch so that I can take a picture of it and put it in the shop.  It'll come back....I'm not scared.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Welcome, Autumn

When I think of the Fall it always brings to mind specific scents like cinnamon, cloves, and bonfires and of course the sound of rustling leaves and the taste of apples (pies, cider, apple butter, candy or caramel apples).  

I can't do much about bringing you any cider to sip while you stroll through the leaves on your way to a bonfire, but I can share Beverly Nye's recipe for spicy pumpkin loaf. 

My mom made this quite often in the fall and winter months.  One year, I adapted it to mini loaf pans and gave them as treats for Christmas.

Spicy Pumpkin Loaf

Combine:
3-3/4C flour
2t soda
2t cinnamon
1t salt
1t nutmeg
1/2t ginger
1/2t ground cloves

Cream:
2 sticks butter or margarine

Gradually add:
2C sugar - cream well.

Blend in and beat well:
4 eggs

At low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with 1-1/2C canned or cooked pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Stir in 12oz pkg chocolate chips and 1C chopped nuts.

Turn into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour.  Cool, then drizzle with the delicious spice glaze (below).  Slices better after a day.

Spice glaze

Combine:
1C powdered sugar
1/4t nutmeg
1/4t cinnamon
dash of cloves

Blend in:
3-4T hot water until the consistency of a glaze.

This recipe is taken directly from Bevery Nye's cookbook, but once again I pretty much mix everything together as I go (such a rebel) and this bread also freezes well.


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Something Shiny

I'm always getting distracted by something shiny, but this time I decided to put it to good use ~ a sun catcher made with mirrors (no smoke) and beach glass. 

So far, I'm kinda diggin' it. 

I'll let you know when I actually finish it and put it in the shop....so many shiny things to choose from.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

International Talk Like A Pirate Day



Aaaaarrrr...

In honor of Int'l Talk Like A Pirate Day, we decided to "string up" Jolly Roger in the back yaaaaarrrrd.  Notice that his edges are a wee bit tattaaaaaarrrrrred.

And we did this in the morning.  It's only taken me haaarrrrs to post this...stupid, stupid, stupid technolaaaarrrrgy (of course, it cant' be me!).

Friday, September 18, 2009

Thought For The Day

Got some great comments back on the thought for the day today that I wanted to share.
(why should I be the only one laughing today?)

Here's the thought ~

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

And here are the comments ~

Joani's comment:  yes.........no........yes...........no.......yes......"shut up before I kill you"

Greg's comment:  Depends on which personality you ask.

I'm still chuckling warmly.  Hope you are too!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

It's Buckeye Season

My friend, Teresa gave me the idea for buckeye bottle stoppers and I took it and ran with it.  Oh, look ~ I made a football reference! 

Anyway....there are 3 new bottle stoppers in the Seasonal section (they can also be found in the Gift Ideas for sports fans). 

Today, I added a new plate item embellished with buckeyes (also found in the Seasonal section and Gift Ideas for sports fans and for the gourmet).  How clever would it be to use the buckeye embellished plate to serve up the yummy buckeye treats?

I'll save you the trouble of looking up the recipe ~

BUCKEYES
1-1/2C peanut butter
1 stick butter or margarine
1lb powdered sugar
1t vanilla

Mix together.  Roll in 1" balls and refrigerate until cold and set.

Dip:  12 oz. pkg chocolate chips
          1/4 stick paraffin wax

Melt wax and chips in double boiler.  Insert toothpick in each ball and dip in chocolate mixture.  Place on wax paper to cool.

P.S. you can find paraffin wax in the canning section

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Yummy Treat

With the aroma of freshly baked cookies still in the air, I have to share this with you ~

I used the NestlĂ©’s original toll house cookie recipe, but I substituted white choc chips for the semi-sweet choc chips and used craisins (sweetened, dried cranberries) in place of the nuts.

And let me tell ya, they are most dee-lish!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Just Catching Up

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.  We were battling summer colds and plumbing problems (the house's, not ours).  But, here it is the middle of a new week and things are looking up!

I finally added a Seasonal item to the shop, even though I started with Christmas.  Perhaps I'll get a fall-like item up before winter hits.  One of my grade school teachers told me that I always go around the barn and come in the back door.  Well, you get to see a lot more that way and you lesson the chances of stepping in any "pies".  So, anyway...I'll certainly let you know when I've added something for Autumn.

Today is a history making day for the BRB ~ my first custom order request!!!!  Guess it would get done faster if I actually got busy making it rather than sitting in here rambling on about it... 

Friday, September 4, 2009

Friday's Finds

I HIT THE MOTHER LOAD! 

Just got back from a beach treasure hunt where I collected tons of beach glass, more shells, and a neato-peato rock.  

During my search I encountered Bridget, a 2 year old, purebred boxer.  When I came upon Bridget and her person, she came bounding up to greet me with the tree trunk she just hauled in from the lake and of course had to shake right in front of me...

Her person asked me if I was finding any gold and when I told him no, but I was finding a lot of beach glass he said, "oh, yeah...that colored glass...there used to be a lot of that around here, but you just can't find it any more".  Really??? was all I could manage to say as my bag-o-beach glass was hanging heavy on my hip,  Just goes to show you ~ boys are dumb.  No offence, boys (but you really are).

That's it for now.  I just had to share.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Thursday's Ramblings

Just added new items to the Home and Kitchen and a couple new pictures to the Gallery! 

During the years as I've daydreamed of having my own shop, the one thing that remained constant was the back of the shop.  I always envisioned it being a place where people could sit and relax, have a cup of tea or coffee and a muffin. 

Well...since the shop is on line, you'll have to provide the chair to get comfy in and the coffee or tea.  The closest I can come to providing muffins is to give you my mom's recipe.  It's simple as can be, even more so if you incorporate my little shortcuts:  just mix the egg, milk and oil together and then dump in the dry ingredients on top of each other and mix it all together.  Always works for me.  And I use a 9 x 9 (or could be 8 x 8) pan.  I've always thought that making individual muffins was way too tedious.  The only drawback to making them in a pan is that you don't get the muffin tops (Elaine). 

So here ya go, mom's muffin recipe as written ~

Muffins
2C sifted flour (oh yeah, I don't sift either...just round the cups)
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
2T sugar
1 egg, beaten
1C milk
1/4C melted shortening or oil
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Combine egg, milk, and shortening.  Add to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring only enough to moisten.
Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full.
Bake at 400 deg F (hot oven) about 20 minutes.
Makes about 12 medium-sized muffins.
Oatmeal muffins ~ Use 1C quick-cooking rolled oats in place of 1C of the flour.
Blueberry or cranberry muffins ~ Use 1C uncooked berries.  Reduce milk to 3/4C and increase sugar to 1/4C.  Mix berries with dry ingredients.
If you have a recipe that you'd like to share, feel free.
See you soon,
L.