Late Christmas Shortbreads

Any simple shortbread recipe + Kids = memories
We did ours late this year, due to baking orders for Bailey's field trip fundraiser.
And an attempt to make a little more cash doing something we're good at.

Check out our efforts on facebook

playing catch up

So much goings on hello to those who are still hanging in there.
We've got alot to share so we will start with the most recent and work our way back.
Current projects, several messy bun hats. Kinda winged it after looking at several patterns.

Still adding the bow, for cuteness sake.
More to come today❤

Fig Fritters - 7-29-2016

Whoa hay y'all
Fig Fritters

1 c bisquick
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tap lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sliced fresh figs(blushing not dead ripe)

Combine all ingredients except figs
Add figs and gently fold in

Heat some oil in a skillet
Add about a heaping big soup spoon of batter
Cook until golden.

We drizzled with raw local wildflower honey


We have quite the harvest of figs
From 2 trees. Were making up lots of new ideas
To utilize our harvests.
Watch for more😁

Some of Bailey's Birds

Contact Manna Pro by Phone or E-Mail | Manna Pro

Contact Manna Pro by Phone or E-Mail | Manna Pro


great products

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

It's been quite a while since we've posted to the blog.
We've really had so much going on.
It's even been quite overwhelming at times.
But turning to a higher power and rolling with the Waves,
we've come out relatively unscathed

I do want to wish folks a safe and Happy Easter
Please be responsible during the School Holiday.


I Look forward to sharing some of what's been going on in a
compilation post this evening, Between getting ready for Spring,
at the Garden and with our Chickens, it's a little nuts.
I do feel slightly accomplished in our recycling of materials into structure fixes.
and in the garden we did get a light till on it but it has been
SO WET.
All I can say is I have all my seeds and early plant set on GO.

Breed Savers: Brabanters - Reinventing History

Breed Savers: Brabanters - Reinventing History: The Brabanter is a Dutch breed of chicken originating in the historic region of Brabant, which straddles Belgium and the Netherlands.  ...

This will be our next addition later in the Summer☺

Breed Savers: Sebastopol Geese - The Goose With a Curly "Perm"

Breed Savers: Sebastopol Geese - The Goose With a Curly "Perm": Sebastopol - White Curly Breasted Photo Source:  J, Metzer, Metzer Farms (www.metzerfarms.com) “Sebastopols look like they just got a ...

We're adding these to our flock

Happy New Year

A Personal Greeting for our Family to Yours

Bailey's Birds Fundraiser

Please Consider this fundraiser
Get a cool Long Sleeved tee Designed by Bailey
Help a good person.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Have you missed us
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder
Y'all must be loving me about this time.
I have several recipes from our holiday cooking
we tweaked and tried several new things this year.
I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year's

Veggie Fest - Vegetarian Food Festival

Veggie Fest - Vegetarian Food Festival Visit this page for loads of information.
Attend this event, Eyeopening, Wonderful
EarthSource Services is a Friend of VeggieFest

Canning Granny: Pickled Banana Peppers

Canning Granny: Pickled Banana Peppers: My two daughters absolutely LOVE pickled banana peppers (I'm not a huge fan but I'll eat 'em on a sandwich or something), I&#39...

French Fried Vegetables By Grandma Rose

I have an issue with my batter sliding off my veggies
when I try to batter fry them. I think this recipe has just
the little tweak that keeps it on. Whipped Egg Whites.
It is a basic recipe with a great flavor that will complement
all veggies and dipping sauces.

For those of you that know me I will tweak it and make it my own.
This recipe came from a 1978 cook book given to me at an estate sale
of one of my neighbors last week.
it is called:
Grandma Rose's Book of
Sinfully Delicious
Snacks, Nibbles, Noshes, & other Delights
by Rose Naftalin

ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. dill weed
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup beer
2 Tbsp. water

Directions:
In a bowl combine flour, salt, sugar & dill weed.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Add the yolks & liquids, blend well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into batter.

I fried up Thick slices of Ichiban Eggplant
Green Tomatoes, & a green bell pepper.

The batter worked equally well on all items and was
delicious with Catsup and a Greek cucumber sauce

Shoo Fly Strudel Muffins

Shoo Fly Strudel Muffins
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F



1/2 sick butter (soft)
3/4 c sugar (granulated)
Mix together well, until light and fluffy
2 eggs (large)
Mix in 1 at a time just blending into batter.
Then mix for about 1 min. until light and fluffy again.
1/2 c Sorghum or Molasses
Mix Well
1 1/2 c flour (All Purpose)
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix in until blended & thick
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
Mix util smooth

Fill greased muffin cups 1/2 full

for Streusel topping
mix together 1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar (Granulated)
1/4 c fine chopped pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle this on top of muffins BEFORE placing into oven

Bake for 10 minutes and check 1rst time
add time if needed, add no more time than 18 minutes total.
Makes 12 muffins

2 minute, Frozen Banana, Ninja Ice Cream

I know some are rolling their eyes saying
You Can't Make Ice Cream in 2 Minutes...

Ah... but I say yes you can make something even better for you
and maybe better than any of the homemade churn ice cream we
have ever made.



What You'll Need:
Old bananas halved and frozen about 3
about 8 - 10 ox of half & half
about 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup (to taste some may need more)
Ninja Blender
and about 5 folks needing a cool snack.

How to do it:
Put it all in the Ninja Blender
Blend just until it is broken down and has a nice color
do not over blend or you will have ice cream soup.



Scoop out about 1/2 cup for each person and see what they say.
It is softer ice cream not sof-serve you do not need the scoop.
Kids could do this. (I guess you could put it in the freezer for a few minutes
to firm it up)

Two Minute Ice Cream with a Ca + K punch :)
This was an accidental discovery one day when I was out of milk
and my after workout smoothie (which also contained Garden of life
Pure Protein) & instead I had a frosty...LOL
I have also done this with strawberries & cream,
Just freeze your strawberries.



Have a nice day
Desire is the Mother of Invention
& this mother is doing her best to twist some of the
snacks her family loves into something better.

Marshmallow Fondant

I may never frost a cake again



Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients
16 oz mini marshmallows
2 lb powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. Water
Shortening for greasing bowl & hook (Hands)


Directions
1.) Microwave marshmallows & water on high 1 min
2.) Grease dough hook & Bowl with shortening
3.) Put 3/4 of the sugar into mixer & add marshmallow
4.) Mix on low speed the check consistency (It will still be a little sticky at this point. If it is real sticky add some of the remaining sugar & mix a minute or so. #Repeat until fondant is firm & neither dry or sticky)
5.) turn out onto a clean & firm work surface. Knead by hand just a minutes until there are no flecks of dry powdered sugar remaining, Wrap in cling wrap or waxed paper & let fondant set for about 30 minutes.

to add color, add to marshmallows before mixing with sugar
to make it chocolate, add about 1/2 c cocoa powder be sure to sift it first.

This recipe makes 3 lbs. of Fondant


Compare the cost of $9 + per box from the store to just $3.77 homemade.

Adventures in Baking

This week we have had some Baking Adventure.
I wanted to make sure Bailey's cakes were AwesomeSauce.
Also this would be a trial run for my oldest daughter's
birthday in September.

We found an excellent pound cake recipe
It came from a lady's recipe box from
her mother's mother from England.
works great in a layer cake, & in cuppys.



This recipe makes 2 8" - 9" rounds
or 24 cupcakes.

6 oz Butter (soft)
13 oz Sugar (granulated)
Beat together for 5 minutes (Medium speed)
4 eggs (Lg.) room temp add 1 at a time
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Beat on Low speed 3 minutes (scrape bowl 3 times)
9 oz flour (All Purpose, Sifted)
3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Sift flour into bowl & wisk in B.P. & Salt
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Whole Milk
Add flour alternately with milk & Sour Cream (Low Speed)
1/3 flour, milk, 1/3 flour, sour cream, 1/3 flour

Mix on med for 2 minutes
Bake at 350 degrees F until done
Start checking at 15 minutes until, no crumbs come out on toothpick
& top in light golden brown.

For cupcakes we filled 3/4 full and had to remove tops.
(for uniform tops for decorating, we simply laid a bread knife on the pan edge &
sliced thru & across. Common practice when cuppy grow too far out of tin cups.)
We also will only fill 1/2 full next time to see results.



We started checking cakes at 12 minutes &
added time in 5 min intervals till done.
Different ovens cook differently.

We removed from pans & cooled completely before
decorating.

I must add that I mix all my cakes with a paddle attachment in the
Large capacity Ninja Food System Blender, it works great

TIP:
all ingredients should be room temperature
for best results. (Old Tyme Baking Tip from my Nanny)

Finished Cupcakes


Finished Cake


Marshmallow Fondant coming up next.
I will share the decorating products used in this
particular cake.

Have a great day
If you try this recipe please share in the comments
your experience, or maybe a photo at our twitter.com/HerbGir1972
~V

What We're Growing ~ Tomatoes & Peppers

We thought we'd share our 2014 varieties of Tomatoes & Peppers with you
The garden has been ravaged by marauding goats, and is suffering from an overabundance of rain,
Back & for the Weather conditions from hot to cool &
I just can't seem to get rid of the weeds either.

Our tomatoes are doing great with little extra fertilization this year
I added Horse Manure into the soil in the fall only at a quarter coverage of the
entire garden space.
They did receive a side dressing after I cleared out the old chicken coop readying
them for the new chicks. So they got a little composted chicken manure (1 yr old)
as well as all the remanant eggs in the nesting boxes (enough for the entire row)

But anywho here's what we're growing.



http://parkseed.com/parks-whopper-cr-improved-tomato-seeds/p/05380-PK-P1/
Park's Whopper Tomato 65 days from setting out transplants. Indeterminate. The original Whopper was an American classic, and its successor is simply the home gardener's dream tomato: greater disease resistance, higher yields, a longer season, and better taste! These big, juicy, crack-resistant tomatoes, 4 inches or more across, ripen uniformly (even when the weather is overcast!) and finish 5 days sooner than the old Whopper. Then they keep right on coming in huge quantities until frost -- none of your smaller, greener end-of-season fruits here! And because they're meatier, you get even more succulent tomato flavor in every slice! Resistant to Verticillium Wilt, Root Knot Nematodes, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and 2 strains of Fusarium Wilt.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/ROMA-VF/productinfo/5168/
Roma VF #5168 One of the most popular varieties for paste, sauces and canning. Compact vines yield large harvests of 3 inch long, bright red fruit that may be pear-shaped or plum-shaped. Thick walled and solid with few seeds; slightly later than Roma with heavier foliage. Determinate. 78 days.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/BLACK-KRIM/productinfo/4864/
Black Krim #4864 (30 seeds) Dark brown-red tomatoes are large, 10 to 12 ozs., and very richly flavored with just a hint of saltiness. Color is darker in hot weather, and fruit seems to set well even in the heat. Prone to cracking, but a very heavy producer. Heirloom from the Black Sea of Russia. Indeterminate. 75-90 days.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/JUBILEE/productinfo/5312/
Jubilee #5312 (30 seeds) Plentiful harvests of bright golden-orange, large round fruit. Delicious taste and solid, smooth substance. Adds bright color to salads. This tomato's good looks and good taste make it a favorite with market gardeners. Indeterminate. 80 days.

I only have a couple Suddeth's Strain Beefsteaks for the late tomatoes
http://store.tomatofest.com/Brandywine_Sudduth_s_Strain_p/tf-0080.htm
Days: 85
Size: Indeterminate
Color: Pink
Season: Late-Season
Type: Heirloom


As for Peppers the goats pruned them by half but we're still harvesting Sweet Bananas
I plan to give them a boost with a light Epsom salt spray, starting a regimen every other week.
(Mixture 1 tsp to 32 oz of h2o) This gives them a little extra magnesium for higher
fruit production.

I only planted two varieties of peppers in 2014



http://www.tomatogrowers.com/SWEET-BANANA/productinfo/9316/
Sweet Banana #9316 (30 seeds) Profuse harvests of 5-1/2 to 6 inch long, tapered peppers that are wonderful fried or cut up into salads. Light green at first, they turn yellow and orange, and finally ripen to red. Compact plants. 72 days.


http://www.tomatogrowers.com/RED-BEAUTY-HYBRID/productinfo/9197/
Red Beauty Hybrid / Baron #9197 (30 seeds) A red bell pepper widely adapted to reliably turn red in almost any area of the country. Very thick-walled, heavy fruits are blocky, and about 4 inches long. Heavy yields of bright red sweet peppers. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. 68 days until mature green; red about 2 weeks later




Our Garden This Week
Needs Weeding
~V
Keep It Green

We're Growing Our Own

I thought I'd share a few ideas or how we planted our food garden this year.

This year we have two rows of beans planted different ways to see what works best.
Our Tri Color String Beans are planted in a double row, they were older seeds
so we had to go back after about a week & 1/2 and replanted in between with some
purple queen bush beans. We planted colored beans to make picking easier,
especially for the younger gardeners.

We also planted a row of Blue Lake Bush beans, in a single row.
Both are doing well

We planted Bush Pickler Cucumbers, at the front edge with Marigolds in between plants.
We already see the tiny cukes forming.

We planted Tomato transplants of Roma & Park's Whopper. The weather was so strange
that we lost a couple roma's and had to replace. We replaces with Black Krim
& Jubilee, tomatoes. All have caught up with one another and all are flowering
We should be picking before July 4th if we don't have another cool snap to stall growth.
We also will be tilling in some old eggs and nesting materials into the soil side
dressing the tomatoes with a dose of Calcium. We have used no additional fertilizers
on anything this year except Worm Castings.

We're looking up info on Black Krim & Jubilee to post this week, Just a little Tomato
FYI>

For peppers I backed down to only 2 varieties Sweet Bananas & Sweet Red Bells.
Due to unforeseen weather twists in the past I've had quite a loss & been
disappointed in the past. So I planted what I know everyone can eat or pickle.

I've planted the Ichiban Eggplants, because I love Eggplant and sneak it into
all sorts of dishes in the summer, and have even blended into my smoothies.
They are a beautiful plant with beautiful flowers, and with other varities
more beautiful colors even hot or fuschia pinky and white.

Detroit Red Beets, & Thumbellina Carrots as well as some Zucchini have just been
seeded in this past Thursday. As well as a variety of Sunflowers
Music Box, Valentine, Mixed Black Oil, & Alien Sunflowers. (I already see some of these
popping up out of the ground.

Here is a photo of my garden before I get to till this afternoon, if there is no more rain
and the winds keeps up to dry the garden out just a bit more.

So I've gotta get to making a quickie lunch so I can be ready to work this afternoon.

Oh wait we're going to pick up some local eggs from a neighbor too...
I'll take pics of the chickens and coop, I'd like to help him sell his eggs too
He also sold Daylilies at one point as well, Better carry my cash in case he's got a couple
earlies blooming...:)

Have a Nice Day
Here's My Garden



I'll definitely have to come back with an after picture when I get things cleaned up.

The weeds embarrass me...LOL