Strawberry Anyone?!

Okay, a hit of cognac to chase away the doubt and a big attempt to finally, actually "can" something! The Strawberries were big and beautiful at Hyvee (my favorite grocery store) and I couldn't resist. I've had all of the supplies needed for canning for several years now and most importantly the book by Better Homes and Gardens 'You Can Can'. I just love that name! But of course I first consulted Youtube and searched "canning strawberries". How did I ever survive without Youtube? It really helps me to watch someone doing something to learn.

My first canning experiment created 3 - 1/2 pints which really got me going. I followed the no sugar recipe on Youtube.

That's it, I got the bug and I was so proud! Back to the store for more strawberries. This time I used the pectin, sugar, etc. It produced 8 - 1/2 pints of terrific jam (I HAD to use the 1/2 pint jars cause they are just too cute. Leftovers were used to make a strawberry pie for the guests! With a sprig of mint from my garden!!!

Last weekend the guests enjoyed gourmet Chocolate Chip cookies with a soft frosting - Ghiradelli chocolates only! Oh my word. Recipe from Martha Stewart's book 'Cupcakes'. Not sorry I bought that one! And the guests are in for a real treat this season!

Yes, Jeff, I am baking for the guests.

Farmer Girlfriends - last fiber day I mentioned how "muddy" my beautiful roving turned out to be after spinning.  This is what I was talking about. 

The roving is absolutely breathtaking but when I spun and plied it it looks a little mucky, but somehow better in this photo.  Sherryl had some multi colored roving which spun up very clear and beautiful.  Maybe this had too much brown in it?  Lesson learned:  Not sure...maybe let Sherryl pick my roving from now on!  What fun!

Angel Food Cupcakes

Wow, where does the time fly? I have been busy making things for the Mt Carroll Commons Market. I've got some pretty lacy shawl scarves, other natural fiber scarves, Solid Body Butter and lacy votive holder baskets at the shop. Wish I could download pix but have been having trouble with that - could it be because I still have dial-up?

Anyway, I went out Sunday and picked Wild Asparagus for dinner. If you have never had it wild, you don't know what you're missing - it is tender and sweet and great with Hollandaise sauce! So, of-course, after making the sauce,I had two egg whites left over. I decided to adapt an Angel Food cake recipe and made some delicious cupcakes. The two egg whites make exactly enough batter for six cupcakes.

2 egg whites (large eggs, room temp)
1/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
dash salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon extract (almond, cherry, etc)

Sift flour and half the sugar several times. Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar till soft peaks form. Gradually beat in rest of sugar, till stiff peaks form. Gently fold in extract with whites till combined. Carefully fold flour mix into whites with an under/over motion of spatula or wooden spoon till well blended. Place six cupcake paper cups in muffin/cupcake pan. Pour batter into each of the six cups. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. Cool and serve. Paper peals right off cake after cooled. Yum!!

Yay!  We get to play outside in the dirt!!!! (I mean soil, sorry Professor)

Here are the beginnings of a fruitful summer!  Or should I say a "vegetable" summer.  I've set up my workshop right outside my back door complete with all the tools you could possibly think of to grow a successful garden.  I probably really only need three of the collection I have.  Funny thing, once you put everything in one place you see how many clippers you actually have! 

Got my bird seed, watering can, fertilizer, a place to mix soil., a sun hat...hey, where's the all important sunscreen?  Not to self: Buy Sunscreen.

Garden Loom

Saw a cool magazine "Backyard Crafts" and it featured a Garden Loom.  It was much larger than mine but I decided to use what I had instead of building one.  We've had this framed, I don't know exactly what it was, thing in our restaurant just because it was cute.  It had wire mesh in the middle.  So I got to thinking, let's remove the wire mesh and run the war threads along the back of it for weaving...or is that weft.  I always forget.  So I took the wire off and replaced it with a bunch of tiny nails along the back top and bottom and used yarn I had won at a fiber show to string it.  Went on a walk, picked up a bunch of odds and ends and started weaving!  What fun.  Hope the guests have fun with it as well.

Mom helped and here she is, next to our beautiful creation!

Now for the Square Foot Garden.  I can't believe how hard it was to find vermiculite. There are so many confused ideas out there about this great material.  When I was taking horticulture classes I was warned to keep it moistened down because the airborne dust can get into your lungs. That was it.  I searched the internet high and low to make sure it was okay to use and like everything else it is questionable.  I figure it couldn't hurt me any more than airborne peat moss and compost so I went ahead with it.  Don't like the white perlite that everyone was telling me to use instead.

So we will mix one part peat with one part vermiculite and a one part mixture of five to six different composts!  How fun.  Will load pics when we are done!  Oh yes, the other questionable issue was using pressurized treated wood for the frame.  Again, after much research, we went for it.  Mel Bartholomew, creator of SFG, has used treated lumber for, I don't know, 60 years?!!  And he looks great!

 

More Fun Garden Art we've got goin on at the Stillman Inn!

 Enjoy! And Come See!

Lavender Cookies

You can just smell them can't you!

Mom's in town so I had to make her some of my favorite lavendar cookies!  I warned her that these go fast so she better stash some away if she wants more!!!!

I found "Cooking Lavender" on the web.  My farmer girlfriend tells me you can use any lavender.  I'm planning on growing lots of lavender this summer.  Can't tell you how many lavender plants I've had and did absolutely nothing with them.  When we know better...we do better!

Lavender Cookies
5/8 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg (room temp)
1 TBS Lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flower
Optional Frosting: Powdered sugar mixed with a bit of water and Lavender extract, sprinkle with sprinkles or extra lavender!!!
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.  I use my cooking stone!  No burned bottoms that way.  Warm it up in the oven while it is preheating.  Pull out to quickly put formed cookie dough on it to bake
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beath the egg, and blend into the butter and sugar. Mix in the lavender flowers and the flour. Shape a chunk of dough into a ball and slightly flatten it. Set all prepared cookie dough forms to the side.  Once all are done, place on hot cooking stone or cookie sheet.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until goden brown. Remove cookies to cooling racks and drizzle frosting and sprinkle with sugar and/or lavender flowers if desired.

Tada!  Have a great day!

Chocolate & Hot Tea

Well I finally did it!  Ten years ago when we moved into the Stillman Inn I purchased this candy mold because I totally was planning on making our own truffles for the guests.

Needless to say, other things took the ranking of #1 on the list of things to do. 

I ran into this pan again when I was cleaning one day and decided "This Is It. Today Is The Day"! 

I ran into the website http://www.chocoley.com/.  They offer a free, no strings attached, six day course in basic chocolate making.  One of the topics was molded chocolate.  Bingo!  I placed my order for tempered chocolate (no, I'm not interested in tempering chocolate) and creamy vanilla and chocolate cream for the insides.  The class was extremely helpful and the chocolates and creams I ordered had great instructions.  I also viewed a couple of you tube videos on how to make "molded, filled chocolate".  Don't you love you tube? 

I received the chocolate and bravely moved forward, step by step.  I must say there was chocolate everywhere.  I did not listen to the lesson on placing a towel on top of the heating pad I used to protect it.  Later I put a towel on it and guess what, they were right!

These molded truffles turned out fabulous thanks to Chocoley's hints and tips.  I did think I was going to break the countertop when I was looking for a little help to release the candies but things ended up okay, nothing broken!

My Dave introduced me to having chocolate with a cup of hot tea.  I think I'm going to have to buy bigger clothes very soon.  Oh my gosh, it is so good!  Wish the name of the chocolate wasn't "Badaboom Badabing" though.  Should be something more classy and decadent.

You can tell great chocolate, I learned a few years ago, by the creaminess of it, no grit, when you are eating it and smooshing it against the roof of your mouth.  this is great chocolate.  Need to experiment with fillings now...or not, depending on my clothes.

I painted the Bunny some years ago.  It's just always around the house.  I never thought I could paint flowers and what do you know...you just have to try!