Monday, November 29, 2010

One More Featured Bakery

The days when cookies must appear on our holiday dessert table are quickly approaching!  I can't believe Thanksgiving is over already.  I have one more bakery I promised I'd share with you.  I just popped over there and was wowed by her Christmas cookies as well as the rest.  You are not going to want to miss this one!  Hurry on over to Lori's Place on Etsy if you need to fill your holiday plates, but hurry.  She will be closing down December 13th to fill her holiday orders.  Lori's Place is a licensed bakery in the state of Florida, so no worries about the environment your cookies will be made in.

For starters, look at this wonderful Christmas Cookie Mix.


Do they look yummy or what?

This one is a great gift idea.  9 of these beautiful snowflakes come packed in a tin ready to give away. I love how they match the tin!


Look at the detail that went into decorating these traditional trees.  Oh, my.... sure beats the colored sugar I toss on mine!


Lori knows cookies are not just for Christmas.   Here's a peek at some of her other creations.  You will have to check out her shop to see them all.  There are just too many to picture here!

Luau Party Tiki Cookies

School Daze

Royal Frogs


This wraps up my featured bakery list, at least for now.  I hope you found some great places to order your holiday cookies!






Monday, November 15, 2010

Featured Bakery - Southern Girl Bakery

I found another great looking bakery on Etsy just in time for the holidays.  Southern Girl Bakery, "Where every day is sweet".   Take a look at some of their holiday cookies.  I have many of the same cutters.  I just wish I had the talent it takes to turn out such beautiful works of art.  I don't know if I could eat them after all the work that goes into them!







I really like the home made, primative look of their cookies.  Best of all, you get to choose what flavor you would like.  Many bakeries do not give you that option.  Here you can choose from vanilla, almond, harvest spice or eggnog for your holiday treats.  Each cookie is frosted with their special creamy Madagascar vanilla royal frosting.

Your cookies are baked to order.  Ordering two weeks in advance is requested.  I think you'd better plan on grabbing your spot now for Christmas cookies.  As cute as they are, her time spots are likely to fill up fast!

If you want to try to bake your own cookies this year, don't forget we have the cutters available.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Featured Bakery - The Sweet Shop Cookie Company

I promised you more great bakeries, and I found one on Art Fire.  Shannon of The Sweet Shop Cookie Company is selling her beautifully decorated sugar cookies there.   Shannon's earliest memories of baking cookies was along side her Mom who she graciously gives the credit to for her talent.  She has found an outlet for her love on Art Fire.   In her words "The Sweet Shop Cookie Company, whimsical, designer sugar cookies made for every occassion. Our cookies are fun, delicious and affordable."   They certainly look wonderful.  Here are a few of them:



Look at the detail in her snowflake cookies!  I'm ashamed to admit I've been telling everyone how easy snowflakes are to decorate.  I just frost them white and toss on some glitter.  Obviously, Shannon puts a lot more effort into hers!

or...

How about cookies for a baby shower?  I have the cutters, but I've never even attempted to come up with some of these wonderful designs!  Shannon lets you pick the shapes and colors to match your party.



Looking for something a little less traditional for your next bash?  How about some of these "Artsy Stars"
The colors are amazing..

BUT WAIT - There's more!
Shannon can also be found here: http://www.thesweetshopcookieco.com/ where there are even more designs to choose from.   Hop on over and check it out.


All photo's used with permission


Friday, November 5, 2010

Here It Comes

It is a good thing I got my last walk around the meadow in when I did (see previous post).  The next morning there was a heavy frost and now look at it!


The snow isn't sticking to the ground - yet.  It will.  This is Buffalo snow area.  Even if if our sports teams stink, we can count on getting recognized for our snow.  For those of you who do not live near a large body of water, you probably have never seen lake effect snow.  Sometimes I can stop at the top of the escarpment and watch Lake Erie sucking up the water.  You can really see it.  Then, it very nicely skips the low lying lake plain and starts dumping it just about the time it reaches my place.  THUD!  

I still have a couple more bakeries to feature.  I'll get back to them soon for those of you who are trying to get into the holiday baking mode.


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Let's Take A Walk Just Before the Snow

Snow is in the forecast for Western New York.  Some places have had a few flurries already.  This is the latest I can remember the first flakes flying.  Yesterday the sun was shining so I thought I'd get in one more walk into the meadow before I can't get out there anymore this year.  Come along with me...


This grove of Sumac trees has been cut back and cut back.  We tried killing them.  We tried burning them.  They just will not give up.  So - I'm going to have to let them grow.  It will make a great "jungle' for my grandsons to play in when they're old enough.


Sumac aren't all bad.  Look at the beautiful reds, oranges and yellows their leaves turn in the Fall!


My Dad planted this pear tree at least 30 years ago.  This year the only pears were on the very top where I have no hope of reaching them, even with my apple picker.  See those tiny dots way up there?   I had to leave them for the critters.



Believe it or not, this is Goldenrod.  It's so pretty and fluffy when it's gone to seed.  Oh how I wish it was a cash crop because I'd be very wealthy.  There MUST be some use for it!


What a wonderful surprise!  Autumn Raspberries still on the vine!  Well, they were on the vine before I took the picture and then gobbled them up.


Another surprise treat.  A late Spring frost killed off most of the apples.  There were two on the tree and I could only reach one.  There is absolutely nothing like a cold, crisp, wild apple.  All those fancy breeds have done is breed the taste right out of them.  They may be bigger and prettier, but they will never taste as good as my wild apples do!




This is a shot of the brush just before the woods start.  When I was a girl this was all open pasture.  Years of neglect and no animals to eat it down have turned it into this.


More Sumac!  It's everywhere.  This lot stands where I would put a barn if I were as rich as I'd like to be.  Can't you see a nice, big, red barn standing there instead of weeds?   All I can do is dream.  


Almost home again.  That's not my place.  My house is much nicer.  I just didn't get it in a picture this time.  The bus used to stop for me out there, many years ago.  In fact, I noticed the bus number on this one was 162.  My bus number was 32.  Oh, it was a long time ago!

I'm back home and ready for a long New York Winter.  I have my jigsaw puzzles ready, lots of projects for Christmas and TONS of beads so I'm as prepared as I can be.  

LET IT SNOW!!!!