Approaching Valentine's Day

It is cold, very cold and the snow has finally come to our corner of Wisconsin.  As I look around Etsy and other blogs I see alot of preparation for Valentine's Day. I miss the kids having to write out Valentines and me needing to bake five batches of cupcakes for their classes. Yet, there is alot for me to do, I have added a few new hats to the Etsy shop and some listing for the photographers who take those adorable newborn photo shoots. I am always amazed at the imagination behind those photos.  Photographers purchasing hats from me has opened a whole new market. Now , these are not just cold weather hats for the family but can be used for the photo shoots year round and all over the country. Here are a few of the listings I have put out there.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90843050/newborn-phot-props-diaper-cover-or-cape

newborn phot props Diaper cover or cape and hat sets / custom /Photographers Props / Special Five

Perfect for newborn photo props/ Five newborn Diaper cover or cape and hat newborn sets of your choice. Valentines Day Sale Custom colors. Dress that new baby up and show him or her off. A great selection and you can choose animals and colors .

Photographers Prop Special/ with free shipping

Ten count them TEN baby hats of your choice at a wonderful price! Choose any of the animals from my shop cow, pig, giraffe, sock monkey, mickey mouse, frog, hippo, skunk, ANY of the animals/ in newborn sizes
other sizes available please convo for price

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88514592/photographers-prop-special-with-free

A fun way to build up the business and many of the photographers will share a photo which makes the shop look so nice! 

In searching around I came across a great blog that had a recipe for Calazone Hearts and since pizza in any form is a big hit in our house I thought it would be great fun for the two little guys to try. We do make homemade pizza every couple weeks always on Friday our PIZZA night. here is the link and you may want to check out all the other fun Valentine ideas they have . http://sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/calzone-hearts.html 

Well, I am off to finish two more Valentine puppy hats and get some hats packaged for a post office run.

Valentine Puppy Earflap Hat 

This perky pup is ready for Valentines Day gift giving! 

The Holidays Are Over

              Yes, I must say I did do the happy dance this morning as the kids returned to school.  The two little giuys are back with their Mom for her week and there was silence! It has been a hectic couple of weeks.
         Let me explain. On December 13th my Mother flew in from Florida to stay a week and be at our home for a Holiday gathering. For the first time in 6 years since my Gram passed we were all going to try and get together. This is a big undertaking since I am in Wisconsin, many relatives are in the Chicago area, I have a brother in Indiana , a sister in Ohio a couple in Tulsa etc.   I had done my prep work so the food was  a breeze, shopped early had a to do list and help from those in the house. I even fit in lunch with my good friend Jean from the Teapot Quilt Cottage in Montello.   The big day came, Saturday December 17th, ( for my Mom, there was a light dusting of snow ) my husband drove down to Watertown to pick up my Uncle and kids started to arrive. My daughter Diane and her 5 kids came the night before from Chicago to not need to leave to early or rush. You never know what the weather might bring up here. Not only all those relatives we knew and missed but after more than 35 years to be reunited with my Moms sister, who had been adopted. What a nice Christmas gift.

Mom (Dorothy)  Aunt Charlotte Mom ( Lillian ) Aunt Barb and in the front everyones favorite Uncle Eddie
My Grandfathers 5 children together in one photo.
Now, I have to say I was awful at taking photos and hope someone shares theirs with me. I was busy warming pierogi and making sure everyone was finding everything and lacked the camera on hand.

Her are two of my daughters helping with the food. The nesco behind them contains a favorite party recipe . We call it Italian Beef coming from Chicago. Something not easily found up here.  Pioneer Woman calls it drip beef and here is her link. 

Try it, it is amazing http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/drip-beef-two-ways/

This is Becky who is 5 and has just had her one year anniversary being diabetic. I did not bake cookies and had to make many calls to her Mom, Diane to see just what she could eat. 

This is our baby Isabella, who just turned one and is the quickest little person I know!

Here are my two favorite little men. JJ and Carsen

Elizabeth who is off on her own with boyfriend Dakota and in nursing school in Fond Lac

Mike, always ready to pose

Rosie, a big help to her Mom

Chrissy, one of the in house teens 

Sergio, who we call Jr.

Uncle Eddie admiring Beckys red bird hat

Aunt Barb

cousin Natalie

daughter Diane with Bella

Tommy the quiet funny guy

cousins, husband, boyfriends and kids. It was wonderful to catch up! This was the best gift of the year!

Our 5 generation photo

back row: my daughter Patrice, me, Big Joe my grandson who is holding little Joe and I have Carsen

Everyone had a good time and it just did not seem long enough to chat. Hopefully we can do this again next year and with more notice those relatives who could not make it can find their way here! 

So, with all that behind us and some quiet I did get a little work done and added a few new items to the Etsy shop, here is a preview

they can all be found at 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GrammasGifts?ref=si_shop

Good Friends

Well the weather here is chilly and the upcoming days are supposed to be wet and cold so I was happy to spend the day at home with my good friend Jean who own The Teapot Quilt Cottage and Garden Center. We caught up on small talk and things going on in the town. Had tea and chatted while I helped her set up an Etsy shop. Jean has so many beautiful quuilted items and recycled wool and denim things, I can't wait to watch her fill the shop. I will share the link with you when she gets some items listed.

Of course, I have no idea where she finds the time. Jean and her husband have a farm where they grow the produce sold at the garden center, their stand and local farmers markets. Besides running the Teapot Quilt Cottage 7 days a week. The shop is amazing with treasures in every corner. From cookbooks and jellies, fabric and yarn to rag quilts and wool mittens. Amazing

These photos are from last year, they now have replaced the tent with a white gazebo , but there are loads of pumpkins and fall items as well as a shop full of things to see. If you are passing through Montello droop in and see for yourself.

I added another fun hat to the Etsy shop yesterday......and yes I facebooked it and the model was thrilled! NOT

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

GINGERSNAPPY CRUST
1	box gingersnaps (about 16 oz.)
1	stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1/4	cup sugar
1/2	cup pecans, chopped fine
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper (trust me)
FILLING
3 pkg	(8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature (may use low-fat, but do not use fat free)
1 1/4	cups pumpkin puree-- 15oz. can (not pumpkin pie filling)
5 lg	eggs
1	cup sugar
1/2	cup heavy cream
2 tsp	ground cinnamon
1 tsp	ground ginger
1/2 tsp	ground cloves
1/2 tsp	freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp	allspice
1/2 tsp	salt
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2	cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2	cup sugar
1/2	stick (1/4 cup) butter
1/3	cup water
1/4	cup heavy cream (can use milk)
1/2 tsp	pure vanilla extract
1/2 to 3/4 tsp	salt (trust me)
	crumbled gingersnaps for garnish
	toasted pecan halves for garnish

Apple Pie Weather

I should be done by early this afternoon with the hats on todays schedule from my long list of hat orders. The Etsy shop has been very busy over the past month with hats going all over the place. Two hats were even sent to Ireland. That was my first overseas sale but received another order for a fox hat to be sent to Australia last night. Grammas Gifts are going all over this year. A new and exciting adventure!

This is my new little panda, besides the flock of turkeys I have to do I am working on a couple giraffe designs for another customer. This is the fun part.... designing new hats from customer suggestions!  The I must get ready for the next show coming up. I have two shows set on on November 9th at the hospital in Oshkosh and one Thanksgiving weekend in Randolph.  

This is a customers photo with her little one in my frog hat. They just make the hats look so good  Thank you all

http://www.etsy.com/shop/grammasgifts

  Years ago, now I am making myself sound old. I had a coworker at Michaels Arts and Crafts that made the best Apple Pie. She said , and we thought she was joking that she precooked the apples. Well, I found a recipe where you do just that and this afternoon when the boys come in from playing we are going to give it a try. The house will smell wonderful and what a kick they get out of helping to bake.


http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/applepie.htm

A classic dessert or tea time treat has to be a traditional apple pie. This traditional apple pie recipe is quick and easy and ensures a perfect result every time. Use cooking or Bramley apples for the best filling, eating apples don't soften the same way.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• Pastry
• 7 oz/200g all purpose/plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 stick/ 110g butter, cubed or an equal mix of butter and lard
• 2-3 tbsp cold water
• Filling
• 1 ½ lbs/700g cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup/ 100g sugar
• 4 - 6 tbsp cold water
• 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ stick/25g butter
• Milk to glaze

Preparation:

Method

• Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean bowl.
• Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.
• Add the water to the mixture and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together, add more cold water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.
• Wrap the dough in Saran wrap/Clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.

The dough can also be made in a food processor by mixing the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of the processor on a pulse setting. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add the water, slowly, through the funnel until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in Saran wrap/ Clingfilm and chill as above.

Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.

• Meanwhile simmer the apples with the lemon juice and water in a large pan until soft. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the cooked apples. Remove from the heat and add the butter and leave to cool.
• Roll out half the pastry and line a 7 inch/13cm pie dish. Put the cooled, cooked apple mixture to the pastry case.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie. Damp the edges of the pastry in the dish with a little cold water, cover with the lid and press the edges firmly together and crimp the edges to decorate.
• Brush the top of the pie with milk and bake at the top of a hot oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold with cream, ice cream or custard sauce.