Friday, July 16, 2010

Farmers Market LOVE and Recipes, A Paula Deen Book Review and A Crazy Heart

I feel like the best Momma and wife in the world when I shop at the
Farmers Market!

It's like gathering all the ingredients for a special medicine that will cure all that is ailing them.




My family will love these beets ~ cooked in time for tonight's dinner and the rest pickled ~
if there are any leftovers!

Pickled Beets
4 cups beet juice, 2 cups vinegar, 1 Tbsp sea salt, 4 cups sugar, a few pinches of cloves

Cook beets and slice. Mix liquid and boil. (Use beet juice and add water to make 4 cups)
Place beets in a large glass jar and pour liquid to the top of the jar. 
Store in the fridge.


The Red potatoes were picked yesterday and they will melt in our mouth ~ boiled till tender.


Frank will eat all six (okay 5 ~ I ate one) of these Apple-Cider donuts ~ still warm when they put them in the bag.
Even homemade treats for Teddi !


You get to use your favorite Market bag at the farmers Market ~ I love this one from TJ Maxx!


A fresh baguette ~ that comes in VERY handy when your stuck in a traffic jam on the ride home.



Soap for Frank ~ he will Love these!


As I came in the door with my treasures ~ I noticed one of my Dahlias had bloomed in the front yard!


We have truly entered into the Sweet Spot of summer!




Cilantro from the garden goes perfectly with fresh corn off the cob.

Terri's Black Bean Salad

1 large can of Black Beans (rinse well)
1 red onion ~ chopped fine
2 stalks of celery ~ chopped fine
As much cilantro as you can pull from your garden - I used the fluffy fennel looking pieces on the stems as mine had gone to seed and the leaves were gone.
5 ears of corn ~ cut off the cob and blanched
(to do that I simply boil a few cups of water and pour over corn ~ then let it sit for about 10 minutes)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix together with olive oil and a bit of  vinegar ~ I use rice vinegar.




I found myself sick in bed a few days this week and was able to read Paula Deen's memoir ~

It Ain't All About The Cookin'

She is Full of spunk and reminds me so much of my Aunt Shirley ~who talks just like Paula!
I enjoyed the book and her candor. She is completely honest about how she got where she is.

Here is Paula's Blueberry Muffin recipe. Frank LOVED them!
They aren't super sweet and need a yummy homemade jam to complete them in my opinion.
Paula calls them ~
The Best Damn Blueberry Muffins You'll Ever Eat

2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking flour,1/2 cup sugar, 1 stick butter ( melted)
1 egg (slightly beaten), 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I doubled that)
1/2 cup brown OR white sugar (this will be used during baking for the top)

1.Pre heat oven to 350'. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups.
2.In a bowl, combine flour,baking powder, and thew 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, combine the butter,egg,and milk.
Pour the wet stuff into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.DO NOT over beat ~ it's okay if there are lumps.
Gently fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar and return muffins to oven for 10 or 20 more minutes, until tops are golden brown.Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning muffins out.
I will add to that ~ these taste better then next day!


 

My project this week has been this little heart.
Someones Mom at the church that I attend passed away and I felt inspired to make this for them.



It had loads of lavender inside ~ and love.
This is another one of those projects where I depend on the Lord's leading for colors etc as I don't know the recipient.
God Always lets me feel His love for the person as I am creating.

Please remember God's Greatest work is done NOT at church but by YOU 
in your home,
 in the market place,
 in the way you do what you love,
the flowers that you grow,
the smile you pass on to a waitress.
YOU are a living breathing instrument of the Creator of Our Beautiful World ~
Designed with His Own Hands.

You are Special , Beloved of God.

We don't need to reach some kind of perfection to be used by God.
He uses us all.

In my life ~ SO OFTEN ~ he has used YOU ~ the readers of this blog
to soothe my soul and make me feel A Okay.

I LOVE you guys ..............



5 comments:

Laurie said...

SO MANY great things in this post Terri, The recipes are awesome, the heart is beautiful, and your beautiful words at the end were the icing on the cake. Bless you, Love you too!

Pamela Kellogg said...

Hi Terri Lee! Gorgeous photos! I love Farm Markets too. We don't have one here in McHenry, but I do have a little farm stand just down the road from me! I picked up some Blueberries the other day and made muffins too!

When you have a free moment, could you please email your street address to me? I have something I'd like to send to you!!

Thanks,

Pam

FredaB said...

That crazy heart turned out really nice and I am sure it will help he person in question.

I used to do my own pickled beets but haven't for a few years. With just Harv and I, I buy them from the supermarket. I did like your recipe - it sounds just like the one I ued that was from my Mother.

Also liked the blueberry muffin recipe and am going to try it this week. I have 2 pints of blueberries in the fridcge. Been eating them with peaches on our cereal.

Have to decide what picture to put in my wallhanging and then I will post it to my blog. I can change it at will as it will be so easy to just slip one in and take it out for another.

Thanks again.

Hugs

FredaB

Niesz Vintage Home said...

Gotta love a farmer's market!
That black bean salad looks fantastic! Thanks so much for the recipe. I think I'll make that this week.

The heart is lovely! Such a sweet thing to do for your friend.
Kimberly

Pat Winter Gatherings said...

I want to go to the farmer's market with you!!!! Yum! Love your CQ heart.
Guess what??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
You won the final Summer blog prize. Yes, really!!!! John drew Sweet Pea!!!!
Go check it out.
Hugs,Pat

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