SCAVENGER HUNT!!

I use to love doing scavenger hunts when I was a kid (which was many, many moons ago!). How about you?

Well the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team is having a scavenger hunt!! It is all about 100% handmade. So many things you purchase these days are factory produced and do not have the special handmade touch, so the OFG team would like for you to join us in our About Page scavenger hunt. 

Starting the first of the year Etsy shop owner's will be required to have "About Pages" in their shops. This is to help the customer get to know the artisan that is making the items you will be purchasing. Puts a little individualism to the shop. So....the OFG team is having this scavenger hunt. 

Starting January 2nd through the 16th, several OFG members are participating in this handmade promotion. By visiting their "About Page" in their shops and finding the clue, you will be able to see what that shop is offering. There will be discounts, free shipping and much more. Just depends on what that shop is offering. 

So just click on over to the Old Farmhouse Gathering Blog. There will be a list of all participating shops starting January 1st. You can find me HERE to learn a little bit more about me and see where my items are made. Should be fun..so I hope to see you there! :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terrible frightened. And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.

                                                                                                                   Luke 2:9-12

Wishing all of my faithful blog followers and cyber friends a joyous and wonderful Christmas!

 

 

 CHRISTMAS COOKIE RULES

If you are like me...... I love cookies!! Especially chocolate chip cookies. At Christmas time I like to make (and eat!) Christmas sugar cookies. For all of us that love to eat Christmas cookies there are a few rules that you need to go by. These are the rules that need to be followed:

 

 

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calorie free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consume while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consume during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stress have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!!!!

So.......all of you Christmas cookie lovers.........eat to your hearts content....as long as you go by the rules!!

 Enjoy those cookies!! :)

 

CHRISTMAS QUILTS

I had a little time between Christmas shows and baking so I thought I would "click" around Etsy and see all the Christmas quilts there are. So many beautiful quilts and such talent. Hopefully in the so called "off" season I will have some time to do a little quilting. Quilting is my first love, but with sewing for all the shows and markets I do I don't have as much time to quilt.....maybe this winter. :)

So I thought I would show you what I found in my search. :)

 

Enjoy! :)

 

                                          

Christmas wall quilt - I bel... RedNeedleQuilt... $38	Christmas Tree Skirt Quilt -... QuiltinWaYnE $165
Classic Christmas Quilted T... ForgetMeNotQui... $45	Quilted PEPPERMINT SNOWMAN T... TessieTextile $42.5
HOLIDAY PANEL Quilt Pattern ... Beejoyfulquilt... $7.5	Christmas Poinsettia Vintage... RainStudio $12
Twister Christmas Wreath Wal... KoloaQuiltsand... $50	Textile Fiber Art Quilted Wa... thebutterflyqu... $550
Christmas Quilted Log Cabin ... MooseCarolQuil... $65	Christmas Quilt Top - It'... ShelbyStitcher $12.99
Vintage Snowmen Quilt Fabric... QUILTFABRICBLO... $9.99	Christmas Quilt, Wall Hangi... Quiltwear $36
Quilters Fan Christmas Quilt RatherBeeQuilt... $125	Holiday Patchwork Square, Ch... QuiltedbyChell... $45
Applique Santa and Reindeer ... DeanasQuiltsan... $50	4 Quilted Placemats and Napk... TheHeritageSho... $34.95

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CRAFT SHOWS AND BAKING

Well I am finally done with all the local Christmas shows for the year. What a hectic whirlwind week! I had 3 shows in one week! That is 6 days of shows. Needless to say I am tired and wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy behind schedule. I normally have all my packages mailed before Thanksgiving and did I get that done...........NOT! I just finished mailing all the packages today so I am very happy about that! 

I can now get busy with my baking. I am going to start with my thumbprint cookies. I thought you might like to have that recipe so here it is. I also posted this recipe for my weekly posting on byyourhands blog, but I thought I would post it here for you also. :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour (if using self-rising flour omit salt)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
candied cherries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough by teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls.  

Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply into center of each. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet and add candied cherry in thumbprint hole. 

Top with icing of your choice. I use powered sugar frosting. Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies.

Once I get these done then it is off to the sugar cookies. Got to get those done for the grandkids or grandma will be in big trouble! :) 

 

Hope you enjoy them and happy baking! 

PECAN FREEZING AND STORAGE TIPS

This time of year many of us use nuts for all of our holiday baking and pecans seems to be one of the nuts used a lot. I don't use pecans, but I do use walnuts a lot. Hubby just loves walnuts. I think these tips could be used for any nuts (and no....not the "nuts" that are part of your family!!:) ).

Pecan Freezing and Storage Tips

To maintain the flavor and freshness of pecans:

1.       Transfer shelled pecans to an airtight container or zip lock bag after purchase.

2.      Store in the refrigerator for up to nine months or freeze them for up to two years.

3.      Pecans can be thawed and refrozen repeatedly without losing flavor or texture.

4.      Store unshelled pecans in a cool, dry place for three to six months.

So if you use pecans for your baking it looks like you can store them for quite awhile. Maybe I will try this with walnuts too. :)

Happy Baking!! :)

CHRISTMAS SHOW

Had my first of three Christmas shows last weekend. It went fairly well. Not as good as last year, but with the economy we were pleasantly surprised. This is the biggest show on the peninsula and people even come over from Anchorage to do their shopping because this is all handmade only. It is really nice to see all the talent there is up here.

This is my booth. I do all the summer and Christmas shows with my "market buddy". We have a large area at these shows so we can stuff a lot of products in them and it just gives the customers more room to move around. 

This is my friends side of the booth. She makes the most wonderful soap and they make candle and plant holders out of stones they find on the beach so hence the name SoapStonz. 

I really enjoy doing these shows and visiting with all the people. It is nice to see many repeat customers coming to find us to see what new we have. We are blessed with all the repeat customers we get. :)

Today is Cyber Monday so I thought I would have a 20% discount sale in my Etsy Shop. Just type in CYBER20 at check out. It runs through Tuesday December 3rd. I have lots of Christmas decor. :)


So what are your plans for this week? Christmas shopping? I am sooooooooooo far behind schedule. Normally I have all my packages done and shipped to my dad, but this year I am not even finished!! Toooooooooooooooo much to do and too little time!!! :) Well I better get busy getting stuff done! Have a great week! :)