voila

.....my attempt at a craft fair banner

Ciabatta (no knead recipe)

No-Knead Bread From Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water (room temperature)
Place the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and mix a few seconds until thoroughly combined.  Add water and stir a few seconds, pulling the ingredients together until you form a dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature 15-19 hours.
After dough has risen, and before moving on to the next step, place a heavy, oven-proof, lidded pot into the oven and pre-heat your oven to 500 F.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and fold the dough in thirds, bringing the opposite sides together at the center.  Turn 90 degrees and repeat the folding for the other two sides.
Place dough seam side down onto some wheat bran, then invert (seam side up) into the pre-heated pot (diameter of pot should be at least as wide as the diameter of your dough).  Cover immediately with hot lid and back 30 minutes, covered.  Remove lid and bake an additional 10-20 minutes until bread is golden brown under the wheat bran.
 Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing and enjoying.

http://www.apricosa.com/2012/05/no-knead-homemade-ciabatta-bread.html 

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars
original recipe: http://bakeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-bars.html
Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg *
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 and 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 can (15oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Instructions:

Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & soda) and set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients, gradually. Mix well.

Spread batter in a greased 15x10x1 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:

• 1 8oz. package of cream cheese *
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp milk

Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.  Mix on high speed until smooth creamy.

* i added nutmeg to the recipe because i think pumpkin + nutmeg belong together

* the original frosting recipe only calls for 3 oz of cream cheese.  i like a good frosting to bar ratio, so i made a large batch of frosting + included it in this recipe

http://www.piarecipes.com/2012/11/pumpkin-bars.html 

another first

today was the first day I painted, NOT using Crayola Washable Paints :D  You see, I am NOT an artist...in fact, I absolutely detested art classes, seriously!  (or maybe it was my art teacher?  I can't remember..I don't think she was all that bad, but I don't recall her really inspiring me...or maybe it was just me, it probably was:)  anyway, I digress....as I've been saying, I have my very first craft fair coming...not only am I preparing bracelets and the table display, but I figured I should have some sort of banner.  I've literally had a blank canvas sitting here for months...but alas, the time is now:


as you can see, I have LOTS of non artisty cheating methods lined up: 3 D inspirational word stickers; oil pencils, fun stencils, craft paper, and mod podge....hopefully, out of all this stuff, I can come up with something, anything?
  
point of no return
 
so just how long do i have to sit here and wait for this stuff to dry?

stay tuned!

sunshine on a stem

getting ready to do my first craft fair!!!!

i've decided to approach this as the display and presentation are equally as important as my product.  So, i picked a theme, and will soon be creating a practice display table at home.  Living on the coast and all, and in a major tourist destination, I decided i'm going with the beachy/coastal theme....a very soothing escape.  The girls and i will head out later on the hunt for more treasures....hoping to find some cool pale teal fabric to drape over the craft table.  Here are a couple of treasures i already had onhand, from one of our trips to Crazy Beach Boutique:


i'm also workin on some displays so my bracelets can be presented at different levels.  i already have these cute primitive crates, so i decided i'm going to flip them over and place some bracelets on top.  since the bottom was rather dull, i tried my hand at mod podging them: 


created a welcome sign on my new little chalk board:

look closely at the word beautiful...see the smudge?  that's because i spelled it wrong...
i forgot the "u"..... wouldn't that have been kind of sad :D
 
furry photo bomb; of course
 
UPDATE! 
Today's beachy treasure hunt finds from Crazy Beach Boutique resale shop: make a wish sign, sail boat shadow box, and blue and cream fabric (only $1!!)
 

two weeks later....

still going strong!



and they are raining potpourri!

Black Bean Hummus

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/black-bean-hummus-giveaway/

Ingredients

• 3 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 garlic cloves (I used 2)
• 8 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 tsp Hartz Garlic & Herb Spice Blend
• 3 lemons, juiced (I used 2)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 C plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp ground corinader
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini Paste

Instructions

• Combine everything in a food processor
• Puree until smooth
• Refrigerate until ready to serve
• Serve with pita chips, chips or fresh veggies    

love, love, love, love

did I mention I LOVE these!!!

more cool island cowgirl necklaces (i know, i know, need an intervention ;)

I think this one's my favorite out of this batch....

http://www.islandcowgirl.com/

piper found a potential playmate!!!!

it's been raining quite a bit lately

the Lowcountry is under water, and my former pond became a pond again:)

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

2	whole large Cloves Of Garlic Minced
2	Tbl Olive Oil
2	10¾ oz Cans of Condensed Tomato Soup
¼	cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped or 2 Tbl Of Sun Dried Tomato Paste
2	cups Half-and-half
2	cups Chicken Stock
1	tsp Onion Powder
1	Tbl Italian Seasoning
½	tsp Salt
½	tsp Pepper
1	whole 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini
½	cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

Directions

Saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown.
Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt.
When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock and spices.
Bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup. Cook according to the package directions.
After tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/171098794/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup/ 

spring is in the air !!!!

or hopefully it will be soon for everybody!

 
Piper's checking out the bunny; you know, for future reference and all!
  

notice my cool new chalkboard :D




Hippitoy Hoppity, Easter's on its way!

creative story telling, following yoga

Love Me Some Island Cowgirl

Yes, I know....can we say "obsessed?"  It is such whimsical feel-good jewelry...at the same-time, understated enough not to be overwhelming, or dare I say, "gaudy."  I'm REALLY digging these pieces:









http://www.islandcowgirl.com/

Perhaps I should be looking into wholesale pricing ;)