All About Herbs !!

Well, it feels like spring has arrived, although we did have a heavy frost night before last. Are you all excited about working outside as I am ? I just had to buy at least ONE tomatoe plant yesterday. April 17 is Herbal Affair in Sandsprings. I'm looking forward to going !! I had planned to have some things made and have a booth myself, but for some reason I'm too slow !!

Okay;;;; so you want to plant some Herbs this year ! Me too !



Here is some information about Herbs I hope you enjoy !! Keep checking back for more listings!



CALENDULA ( calendula officinalis)



This is really Marigold plant. This is available just about anywhere that sells plants. Just make sure it is the calendula brand, as this is the medicinal marigold. !!!

You can make a tea for colds and flu.



Sooth irritated skin. Steep flowers in water. Dip clean cloth in this tea solutions and place on skin.

Tea is also a good rinse for your mouth if you have sores in mouth.

Calendula Oil can be

Use flower petals in your salad for a very pretty look !

New Purse

I Just Finished a new purse for my daughter in law. The front and back are panels that can be changed to match your out fit. The purse has 2 outside pockets. Inside there is 2 side pockets. Three pockets on front, and one zippered pocket.
I sell these purses for $50.00. This encludes one panel. You can have up to 4 pictures added if you want the scrapbook design. Additional panels can be ordered for 20.00. If you furnish your own fabric that you want panel made of, the charge is 15.00.
This purse is vinyl, but you can choose canvas, duckcloth, denim or any other fabric.
Or if you choose to make your own, The pattern will be available soon for $ 12.00. This encluded purse and panel pattern. Or if you have purchased a purse from me and then would like to design your own panels, the Panel Pattern Only is $ 6.00. These are copyrighted so cannot be shared, you must purchase your own pattern!This is the back view of the same panel. !This is another panel I made to go with this same purse, just a different color scheme !

I have no set design to do the " scrapbook" designs, there are many different ways they can be designed, and embellished ! These are " one of a kind" !

Just email me , or post any questions you may have !

Snow Icecream

Well, I'm way behind on my posting. Since the last was the snow pictures I will put this snow ice cream recipe on here.

SNOW ICE CREAM

2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1tsp. vanilla
1 can eagle brand milk
1/2 can of milnot ( or other canned milk)

Beat all together until well blended, then start adding snow.

Be Careful ! Enjoy ! Just don't get a brain freeze! ! !

WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ! I've been busy spending time with my family and haven't posted in awhile. I had all my children and grandchildren here with me for a week. There was lots of cooking, fun and laughter ! I am so blessed to have such a precious family. My daughter wanted me to post this cake recipe. I made this at Christmas and it was a big success!!

Praline Spice Cake

1 pkg. carrot cake mix
3 lg. eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup veg. oil
3 lg. carrots , grated
2 cups pecans, chopped and divided
1 ( 8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, well drained

Grease 3 , 8 " round cakepans. Line with wax paper, set aside.
Beat first 4 ingredients at low speed 30 seconds, then beat at med. 2 min. Stir in carrots, 1 cup pecans and pineapple. Pour batter into pans.
Bake 20 - 22 min. 350
Cool completely on racks

Icing
2 ( 16 oz.) containers homestyle cream cheese frosting ( duncan hines)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract.
1 cup pecans ( from amount above)
Combine ingredients. Frost cake.
Sprinkle Praline Crumbles over top of cake, and garnish sides with candied pecans.

Candied Pecans
_______________-
24 pecan halves
2/3 cup sugar
Coat a sheet of wax paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place sugar in a heavy skillet. cook over med heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, 5 to 10 min. or until sugar melts and turns light brown. Remove from heat. Work quickly, drop pecan halves a few at a time into sugar , turning to coat. Using fork, remove pecans to greased wax paper. Cool completely.

Praline Crumbles:

1 T. butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter in med. skillet over low heat. Add sugar, reduce heat. Cook until sugar melts. Stir in pecans. Cook until pecans are coated and sugar turns light brown. Pour onto wax paper. Cool, break into crumbles.Put on top of cake.

This cakes takes a lot of work, but is very good and moist !!!

Today I made wild grape jelly. My grandchildren and their PaPa picked the grapes for me, but I just didn't have time to make the jelly right then. I froze the grapes to save for when I had more time. I use the same recipe for Wild Grapes as I do for elderberry, with the exception of reducing the lemon juice to 3 Tablespoons. You could even prob. reduce it to 2 T. Wild Grape Jelly is a tart jelly.....but very good !

I've also made homemade loaf bread today. It turned out just pretty good !

Wheat Potato Bread

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour ( I used some that had been fresh ground on a home mill grinder)

3 cups all purpose flour, approx.( more if needed to handle)

1 egg

1 cup cooked mashed potatoes

2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoon shortening

6 Tablespoon sugar

1 pkg. yeast

1 cup milk

1 cup water

Scald 1 cup milk, pour into large mixing bowl. Pour in 1 cup water. Check temp. when it is lukewarm , not too hot, sprinkle package yeast and let set a little while. Add salt, shortening, sugar, and 1 egg. Beat on low speed with mixture. Add potatoes. Add flour 1 cup at a time with mixer still going. Turn off mixer and if you need to add any more flour to work with dough, stir in with spoon at this time. Turn out on floured surface, knead. Grease large bowl to place dough in. Rub a little oil on top of dough . Cover with dishtowel and leave until double in size. Pour out onto floured surface again. Knead. Divide in two loafs, Place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until about double in size. Cook at 350 until brown as you like. Butter top if desired.

ELDERBERRY JELLY

ELDERBERRY season has now come and gone. We picked these in August. This is the first time we had made elderberry jelly. It was some job ! The berries grow on cluster stems that reminds you of Queen Anne's Lace. The berries are about the size of a BB. So it does take alot of them.I met someone in the groc. store that told me where they were growing wild. My husband picked them for me. You do not want to pick the red berries , as these are toxic. They will be a dark burgandy color, almost purple when ripe.

Notice the pile of stems after stripping the berries off. Some say strip them off with a fork, but I found it worked better just using my fingers. This is a tiresome job, but the jelly is worth it !! Very Good!!! Reminds me of blackberry jelly .

After cooking the berries this is how I strained mine. I used Bridal Netting, which is very fine. I used cotton twine and hung them from my cabinet door to drain in bowl. You can use cheesecloth also

Here is the recipe I used:

ELDERBERRY JELLY

3 cups elderberry juice( that has been strained)

4 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 pkg. fruit pectin

4 1/2 cups sugar

Whisk in pectin and make sure it is fully dissolved. Bring to boil before adding sugar. Boil 1 min.

Measure sugar in a bowl where it can be added all at one time.

Pour sugar and lemon juice in and bring to boil and boil 1 min. stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle into hot sterilized jelly jars. Put on lids tight and turn upside down on cabinet that has been covered with a towel.. The jars will seal like this, or some prefer to do a hot water bath for 10 min.

This makes about 6 - 1/2 pt. jars

Enjoy !

New PURSE DESIGN!!!!!
This is our new purse pattern.(copyright) You have a base purse, Large and Med. The outside of purse is a seperate panel that can be taken off and exchanged for another one. The one shown is a " Scrapbook Design" LinMari purse.

Purse Pattern will be ready to purchase soon. Email me if you would like to be informed when this pattern is ready to ship. These will sell for $10.00 +2.00 shipping and handling.
Purses have a total of 8 pockets. One is a zippered pocket.

Front of Purse

Back of Purse

Back of purse

If you would like to purchase the purse, these sell for $50.00. + shipping and handling. This includes one outside front and back panel. We can custom design a scrapbook design using your photos, or we handpaint, machine embroidery designs also. Keep checking back as we will be adding more designs as we make them.