Friday, October 2, 2020
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
It Moose be Christmas
When it comes to desserts, chocolate is always a favorite. The holidays are filled with chocolate from those foil wrapped chocolate ornaments found in stockings to something as elegant as a chocolate mousse.
This week, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs offers her popular chocolate mousse recipe. She credits it to the back of an Eagle brand condensed milk can and took it to holiday parties at her school when she was teaching. She says it was so popular that the one year she didn’t take it, people complained.
Here is the chocolate mousse recipe that everyone was so eager to dive into. The crushed peppermints are optional.
QUICK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 c. cold water
- 1 (4 serving size) package of instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- Crushed peppermint sticks
1. Chill bowl for the whipping cream for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. In another large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix and beat well. Chill for 5 minutes.
3. While the chocolate mixture is chilling, pour the whipping cream into the chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until medium peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon into individual serving bowls, if desired. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint sticks.
Here are some other things that are very popular, and if you are buying handmade for your Christmas gifts this year, you better get them while you can. Handmade sells out fast!
Brown and White Scrubbies, Kitchen Scrubby Set, Spa Exfoliate Set
Shades of brown crochet shawl, Bohemian-chic, triangular wrap, gift for her, woman size
Artisan Gold Dagger Earrings, Czech Crystal Boho Jewelry
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Mudslide Brown Fine Silver Shiny
Autumn Gold Orange Yellow Brown Multi-Wrap One Size Handmade Bracelet
Autumn Memory Bracelet Multi-Color Swarovski Crystals W Czech Glass Crystals
Cows in Utah Pastureland Acrylic Block
ACEO Owl Acrylic Print Old Hoot
Brownish Red Copper And Silver Wire Wrapped Large Teardrop Hoop Shaped Earrings
Petroglyph Cross Necklace Unakite Pipestone Southwest Handmade Jewelry
Wooden Drum Set Jigsaw Puzzle Handmade From Poplar Hardwood
Unique, Golden Chain Tree Exotic Wood Earrings Dangle
Whimsical Owl Women's Purse Charm Keychain Beaded Keyrings for Women
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2020 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2020 Week 2
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie
Sunday, September 27, 2020
The Greek Alphabet and a Fox
Volume 17 Issue 10, October 2020
What's New in October?
For once this hurricane season, we can look out in the Atlantic and see ZERO disturbances! With any luck, this is the wind down of the 2020 season since we peaked in the middle of September. It’s been a busy one with named storms headed in the Greek alphabet and are sitting at beta as our last named storm that meandered around terrorizing Texas.
Every year, I keep a hurricane map on my bulletin board, and this year, it looked like a plate of spaghetti in numerous random colors like red, purple, black and blue. Just happened to be whatever color I thought would stand out over the other scribbled lines. It’s a regular Picasso of ballpoint pen.
While all of the ducking and covering was going on, we had a visitor that we had to discourage future visits for the sake of Little Harry and our many fine feathered friends.
For a few afternoons, a beautiful, red fox would stroll through the front yard staring longingly at the bird feeder or doing some stealthy stalking of the young, dumb squirrels that scrounge around at the foot of the feeder.
In the end, the pretty fox hopped the back fence and went on to work on stealing eggs from the neighbor’s chickens. We know it’s the fox since there are eggshells tossed in our yard by the coop. I know the fox is a bit of a pest, but he/she is just beautiful and hard to be mad at.
What’s New
Pushpins: Worked out a new product line of thumbtacks. This has been on my drawing board for awhile now, so once I started, I couldn’t stop!
Earrings: Halloween post earrings featuring my image beads.
Charms: I added a large assortment of 20mm and 25mm charms for purchase.
You will find all of my beads, canes and finished jewelry on my website. www.bluemorningexpressions.com
Until next month,
Julie
Things to Look Forward To:
New Products:
Posters: I am working on my one word posters and wall hangings. There are also wood blocks to be added. I am also getting all of my Old West photos together, so I can create an entire section dedicated to my love the Old West.
Thimbles: Working on some new images for my little thimbles. More collectibles for you!
Pins: A lot of new button pins have been created for Halloween and are in the shop. I am also trying to get some other holiday buttons made for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trying being the operative word here.
Friday, September 25, 2020
Countdown to Christmas 2020 Week 2
Be sure and tell your friends!
Let's stuff more stockings than ever!
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Too Fruity to be Candy
I am going to kick this off with a recipe from my maternal Grandmother’s side of the family.
Please send me YOUR family recipes for future posts!
Marzipan is an interesting little confection that can usually be found during the holidays; although, it has gained popularity as a cake icing within the last few years. It’s not a cookie, but you bake it; it is not a candy, but it is sugary and sometimes covered in chocolate; and it is not a cake, but it is heavy with flour and butter.
The marzipan of my youth wasn’t something that showed up every year like the more traditional sugar or Springerle cookies, but marzipan had its place on the dessert table.I come from a family of professional bakers on both sides, so it only serves to reason that we had a sufficient selection of treats. If you are interested in more of the tradition of marzipan, then here is the wiki link to this delightful sweet.
Marzipan is claimed by a number of cultures as having originated with them. The Swedish cover their princess cake in it; it is in the fruitcakes in the United Kingdom, and it is a traditional treat in Spain.
As someone who loves to mold and play in polymer, I think I will revisit the marzipan of my youth and take my modeling techniques back a few generations to devise little treats outside of the more traditional fruit examples you see offered. Or, I will try and make some jewelry out of almond flavored dough!
Maybe, I will just revise the tradition this year and make marzipan fruit like my Grandmother did all those years ago.
Sticking with tradition, here is the recipe that my Grandmother passed on to me over 45 years ago. She had collected it from my Grandfather’s side of the family.
Marzipan Cookies – The Nash Family Recipe
Note: Mix the following for EACH color dough for your tiny fruit pieces.
- 1 stick of butter (1/4 pound / 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/8 tsp of almond flavoring
- 1 1/4 cup sifted flour
Food coloring:
- Blue – grapes, plums
- Red – strawberries, applies, cherries
- Orange – oranges, carrots, apricots
- Green – apples, green beans, peas in a pod
- Yellow – apples, bananas, pears, peaches
Mix and Bake
- Shape your dough into designs by hand.
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 300 degrees – adjust time to size of cookie
DO NOT brown or you will lose the effect of the shape and color.
That’s it.
If you were waiting around for a big TADA, well, there is no TADA. Only fresh little fruits that you can pop into your mouth and savor the sweet and subtle taste of nuts and sugar.
Speaking of TADAs, here are some things that will definitely cause a TADA when they are opened on Christmas morning!
Orange Fan Earrings, Bohemian Brass Orange Leaf Earrings
Crochet handmade hat, yellow cotton yarn, crochet beannie with bill, The sun hat
Seed Bead Jewelry, Peacock Potato Pearls, Bracelet for Women
Oliver The Otter Carves a Pumpkin Art Print
Red Crystal Silver Cone Earrings, Strawberry Earrings, Sterling Silver Ear Wires, Short Dangle
Cerulean Blue Faceted Agate Bali Copper OOAK 21 inch Necklace
Orange and Grey Fingerless Gloves, Free Shipping, USA
John Deere 317 Garden Tractor and 49 Snowblower Handmade Birch Wood
Butterfly Amber Necklace Earrings Set
Sherpa Necklace, Red Glass Vintage Nepal Ethnic Handmade Jewelry Gift
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Ink Blue Etched Matte Frosted 058e
Yellow Rose Handmade Collectible Thimbles
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2020 Week 1
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie
PS – ARTISTS! I need your Christmas recipes to continue the midweek posts. Three per person please and thanks!!
Friday, September 18, 2020
Countdown to Christmas 2020 Week 1
Once again, we gather together to
share and promote one another for the holiday season.
Where have the years gone?
Let the stocking stuffing begin!
Monday, August 31, 2020
Volume 17 Issue 9, September 2020
What's New in September?
The tropics are heating up, and there are two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. We are thinking of our friends in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana. The month of September is usually our turn as the steering winds shift and start to guide storms along the Florida coastline and upwards to the Carolinas. As with every year, we start our vigilant watch over the waves coming off of Africa.
That doesn't mean that we stop creating here. Oh, no. We are just starting to see some of our prettiest flowers like the milkweed and orchids. I just brought home six more milkweed plants since there were two very hungry caterpillars decimating my single plant. I did plant two pods of seeds, and now there are a dozen or better new little milkweed plants flourishing in a flower box. Ready for next year’s plant hungry caterpillars.
While the heat has been high and the humidity has been waxing and waning, we have been blessed with a couple of moments where you could almost—I mean almost—imagine a cool spot in the yard.
I am already thinking of Halloween and doing some brand new designs for Halloween. I guess, I am trying to push fall along while I long for cooler temperatures. It hasn't worked in the past, and it probably won’t work now!
This little Monarch didn’t stay this size very long. He got fat fast!
What’s New
Beads: New earring sets featuring numerous floral and other designs. 15mm Halloween set for creating post earrings.
Earrings: Brand new earrings featuring my kaleidoscope canes.
Thimbles: Added a number of new thimble designs to the shop. More collectibles for you!
You will find all of my beads, canes and finished jewelry on my website. www.bluemorningexpressions.com
Until next month,
Julie
Things to Look Forward To:
New Products:
Posters: I am working on my one word posters and wall hangings. There are also wood blocks to be added.
Buttons: I am working on wearable buttons from polymer clay. Still in the experiment stage, but soon.
Pins: Designing Christmas and holiday pin buttons for party favors.
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