Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

The other day I baked up a storm, trying to use up some of the plump, juicy blueberries in my freezer. Wish they were fresh, but nope, not in the middle of February!

I thought I would share this muffin recipe, it is really, really good. What I like about it, is that it is more like a biscuit than a muffin. Give them a try if you are looking for something new!


Blueberry Lemon Muffins
2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Rind of one lemon
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon rind in large bowl.

Beat egg in medium sized bowl: add milk and butter.

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients.

Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin pan 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Enjoy!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Happiness can be found in a new journal

OK, I will admit that lucky things do not usually happen to me. But when they do finally happen, I assure you, I embrace those lucky moments, even if they are few and far between.

One of those lucky things happened to me yesterday! I came across a beautiful book that would allow me to make the most amazing journals! Well, I think so anyway. And here is the lucky part, they were on clearance! So I bought 20. The lady at the store thought I was crazy, but I could not believe it!

So I came home and I made a few journals out of those books! They are a sketch book, with beautiful natural pages, no lines. I have had a few customers request them, so this gave me a chance to make a few. I had my friend Dana in mind when I made this one, I don't know why, the paper just reminded me of her and I think she prefers this kind of book instead on lined paper, and she is very natural. I hope she likes it, but Dana if you are reading this at some point and you don't like the paper, no worries!




This is the one my daughter liked, of course because the flower has glitter on it and she loves anything glitter!

I love the spine of these books!





So I loved the quality so much and had all of these ideas of books and journals I would make, that after lunch, I went back and bought all of the rest on the shelf. I think I have enough to make over 50 journals. I just hope I can sell them all! So if you know anyone you would like to gift a journal to, or maybe one for yourself, let me know!

Last Friday, the "Crafty Ladies" met for their scrap booking class. I thought it was fun! We will have a group of six. We have an 11 year old sweetie in our group and a 79 year old sweetie as well, that is our age range, and it makes it very diverse and so great! Unfortunately I didn't get enough pictures, only 2. I will know better for the next class!

Elyse and her daughter Alyssa

Tamara
And the next day I had my weekend sale at the Assiniboia Downs, a fundraiser for MRDA (Manitoba Riding for the Disabled). It was a very interesting sale! It was more like a flea market, with antiques and collectibles there as well! My husband had a great time walking the floor over and over again. Each time, finding a new treasure. We each bought some things. My two finds were a box full of Martha Stewart magazines for $5. For anyone who knows me, they know magazines are an addiction for me and definitely NOT something I needed to buy. My other find was the first work of fiction written by Deepak Chopra, and it was an advanced copy! I got that for $3!

Anyway, I was also allowed to have a bake table, which I did! It was a great sale, we had fun and met allot of superb people!





Most people were not thinking ahead to the following  week and Valentines Day, so I came home with some of my gift packages, but sold almost all my cards. Of course they were hungry too, so I didn't really come home with much baking either!

My most memorable moment would be an elderly man working at a booth across from me, he came and bought one of my jars of salsa, telling me he didn't like the *#@! from the store because of the taste and all the preservatives in it! I assured him mine had no preservative in it and it was good. The next day as I was helping a customer, my husband came up to me and pointed. I looked to find the elderly man eating one of my chocolate caramel pretzels he helped himself to. He wanted to pay me I guess and not my husband. When I walked up to him smiling he said "everyone is walking around eating these things, I just thought I would try one. Do I have to pay for it?" He bought two, and at the end of the day, I gave him two more to take home!

People like him make my long crafting days all worth while!

Take care, have a great weekend! I have an all day scrap booking day planned with some friends on Saturday so I am hoping to get some work done on my albums! Hope you get to do something creative this weekend too!

Tannis

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Getting Ready

I always find getting ready to go into a craft show or trade show, so much work. It doesn't even matter if I am prepared or have so much left to do, it always feels the same. I guess because I want to do well, and I get anxious.

The sale I am in this weekend is a fundraiser for the MRDA Manitoba Riding For The Disabled Association, being held at the Assiniboia Downs. I will also have a bake/treat table set up. Because I have been doing so much baking, no lie, I had to actually put the food from my freezer outside! I just had no more room in my fridge freezers!

Of all of the things I have made for my sale, these are some of my favorite things!




A few of my Favorite journals!
 I really love the way these cards turned out as well....

Of all of the baking I did, the chocolate caramel pretzels had to be my favorite! When I worked at Starbucks these tasty little treats were so good, sweet, yet salty! This is my version of them....


And these are the broken pretzel rods that will no doubt be eaten by us! Let me tell you, the homemade caramel is to die for!




 I am also getting ready for a new scrap booking class that is starting this Friday, "The Crafty Ladies", will be their name, and this is the first 2 page layout we will be working on.....

Happy Wednesday everyone! Thanks for reading!

Tannis