Blessings

Today I was blessed with art!

How sweet of my farmer-to-be's mama to think of us so that she sent us these two wonderful pieces of artwork.

I feel so blessed.

 

I believe that this hand-drawn barn is the work of the wife of the man who owns a piece of property that the Farmer-to-be leases to farm. I believe this is the land that I got to cut a while back and took out their fence. Oops.

I love a good farming print; especially one that has a John Deere tractor in it.

I am so tickled tha I just had to share them with you.

An apple of a day

I still had about 20 pounds of apples left to eat, bake with, give away, or to preserve left in a ginormous box in my refrigerator. I was desperately in need of the extra fridge space and to use up those apples before they spoiled.


Since the apple pie filling I canned weeks ago is almost gone I decided to can another batch and with the remaining apples I made a Bavarian Apple Torte with fresh Caramel Cream and Spiced Nuts.

For the Bavarian Apple Torte I used this fabulous recipe given to me by my Aunt Cathy - she is the most wonderful cook.

Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla.
Blend in flour.
Spread dough onto bottom up about 1-1/2" of the sides of 9" spring form pan. (dough will be tacky - it is best to use your hands)

Filling:
1 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until well combined.
Add egg and vanilla. Pour into pastry lined pan.

Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup nuts

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Toss in apples until evenly coated.
Spoon apple mixture over cream cheese layer.
Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes.
Let cool before removing rim of pan.

The Journey of a Circle Journal

 WARNING

CIRCLE JOURNAL SPOILER

I posted pics of my Circle Journal that has not been sent out yet! If you do not want to spoil the surprise of my gloriously fantabulous Circle Journal, do not peek or go any further!!!!

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Are you sure you want to do this?

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 Okaaaay.... Don't say that I didn't warn you...

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This will be the first time I've participated in a Circle Journal.


I was so excited when I signed up that I couldn't sleep for the bazillions of ideas dancing around in my head. I ended up writing down several pages of fabulous ideas.

I set those ideas aside, because I couldn't settle on just one and decided to focus on the journal's appearance instead. I just let the creative mojo take over and this is what I came up with... 

I put the journal together with a Christmas theme bouncing around in my head. I kept envisioning scenes from the movie A Smoky Mountain Christmas. You know, the one with Dolly Parton and Lee Majors...

I spun the idea...

You're stranded in a secluded cabin in the mountains and it's almost Christmas. You only have what the cabin and your surroundings will provide - the food in the cabinets, fridge, and freezer and your rustic and natural great outdoors. There isn't a WalMart within a hundred miles of you, no attic nor a basement with an artificial tree and boxes of Christmas decorations. You have to be creative and do the best with what the cabin and your surroundings provide.

Sounds pretty good, huh. Just one little problem... I'm stuck!

I have the cover of the journal and the outline but no middle. I'm having a hard time executing this idea on to pages in this journal. Sigh....

So, I start thinking again...

Hmmmm.... What if I give the journalers their choice of seasons or holidays as long as they use the same rustic, natural, and only what the cabin and its surroundings will provide guidelines... Hmmmm....

Staci girl, I think you're on to something.

So, this is where I'm at. I still don't have a middle but I think the journal looks damn good in my new cabinet!

I'm loving the look of it in the cabinet. I *heart* my new cabinet. 

Now my head is spinning, wondering if I should change the theme of the journal again... Hmmmm.... How about Heritage Recipes....

Will this madness ever end!?!?!? The journal was due to be sent out in August!!!!

1930's Cabinet

This cabinet was found in an old cotton gin / warehouse that operated until the late 1950's or 60's. (I think)


When we found the cabinet it was covered with dust, cobwebs, dirt, mouse droppings, and mildew. It took us several days of careful cleaning to finally remove the decades of neglect.

We had to remove a couple of large nails that once kept this cabinet fastened to the warehouse wall and floor to keep it from toppling over.

In the cabinet, we discovered business documents from the cotton gin / warehouse dating back to the 1930's.

The cotton gin / warehouse were operated by two brothers for 30 years. Both were born in the 1890's.


We moved the cabinet into the house yesterday.

Don't mind the floors and walls - we are remodeling.
We plan to install the tongue and groove flooring and the wood-slat walls from the warehouse in our house.











I added a few decorations that I had stored away since we've been remodeling. I couldn't wait! I needed to see what it would like like all gussied up!