Wrapping for Homemade Gifts

Creature Comforts

I would be tickled pink if I received a jar of anything 
wrapped in this packaging.

Perfect for gift giving time during the holidays.


Petie

Why Oh Why...

On this Monday,

November 14, am I thinking of Christmas?

I have no idea.

But I do like the little wrapped pastry bags filled with a 

card and a package of hot cocoa mix.

Found on 

kathrine marie photography

Christmas tree place cards.

Can you guess where this idea came from?

Martha Stewart

 Who else would have you chopping wood during the holidays for a project.

I think I will just buy the cheap little plastic trees

 at Walmart and call it good.

Really, who has time to chop wood and drill holes?

found on pinterest

Newspaper wrapped gifts with tags.

I love this idea.

The only problem with newspaper, 

is what do you do when you have BIG presents to wrap?

See my dilemma.

And if I want to use those tags,

I better get started making them right NOW.

I am such a procrastinator when it comes to wrapping.

I loathe wrapping presents.

What about you?

Do you enjoy wrapping? Do you like being coordinated with your wrapping?

Petie

Baking with Buttermilk

pie ranch photo

I found this recipe on 

www.alexandracooks.com

I love baking with buttermilk.

pie ranch photo 

and as you can see,

I love eating things that are made with buttermilk.

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

 Serves 6-8

 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup + 1 T. sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Just a side note,

When I was making the cake and saw the 7/8 cup of sugar,

I thought she had made a typing error.

I googled 7/8 of a cup and found this:

measure out 3/4 of cup, put it in something.
measure out 1/4 cup, halve that amount and add it to the 3/4
you will then have approx 7/8 cup

Weird? I have been baking for along time and have never come across 7/8 of a cup.

Tomorrow or whenever I get to it, I will post the recipe for a Buttermilk pie. One from my SIL and one that I have had for years, both from Martha Stewart.

Petie

Are you Going to a Ball?

You all know my love for BHLDN....

I recently sent a link to an email that I received from BHLDN  to my oldest daughter

with the message,

I love these dresses...

and she responded back with,

Why? Are you going to a Ball?

Well, maybe I am...

In my Dreams...

Cinderella

Summers Over

Last Week,

it was something like 93 degrees outside at 7 PM.

Okay,

I'm exaggerating a little, but not by much.

And just when I thought I couldn't take another HOT day,

Old Man Winter makes an appearance.

I couldn't be more thrilled.

This past weekend was windy and rainy.

I think SUMMER is over.

At least I am wishing it's over.

I am so ready for SWEATERS.

Stupid me, I forgot where I got these pics.
Probably, Google...

I hope you had a great SUMMER.

Let's do it again next year.

Petie

My Black Friday...

I love Halloween time.

I wish I had an all white house,

just so I could decorate with black for Halloween.

www.sweetpaul.typepad.com

Last year I painted a pumpkin and

woke up one morning to a mess on my front porch.

Who knew pumpkins needed to breath?

I love the black on this pumpkin.

It looks so ethereal.

I also look forward to Sweet Paul's on line magazine,

check it out here,

www.sweetpaul.typepad.com

A cute pop up book,

check out the video here,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGehXwzI-4c

unknown source, but it might be from sweet paul magazine last year
Black Apples and one shiny red one.

Don't they look tempting?

country living magazine

and I have no idea 

why I have a thing for black crow's at Halloween time,

but I love these little jars.

What a great way to make use of
jars that I would normally throw away.
On a side note,
I pretty much throw everything away.
My sister on the other hand, keeps everything!
She is Mary and I am Martha of the Bible.
I envy her.
I want to be a Mary.
My Grandmother on my Dad's side,
never threw anything away.
She had a small, chain link fence surrounding her back yard,
and she would hang everything that you would
normally throw away,
on this fence.
It drove me crazy.
I would love to have some of those old jars today.

Happy Friday early,
Petie

Artichoke Heaven

I die...

as Rachel Zoe says

and gone to heaven

for my new no bake artichoke recipe

this is to easy not to try...

pie ranch photos

NO FUSS EASY BAKED ARTICHOKES

Preheat oven to 425

1 whole artichoke rinsed and trimmed ( as you can tell I skipped the trimming)

lots of chopped garlic

juice from one half lemon

2 T olive oil 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

3 T broth or water

2 squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil

Spread artichoke petals open

Between the petals, squeeze lemon juice, drizzle olive oil, broth and garlic

Sprinkle top of artichoke with sea salt

Tightly double wrap and seal the artichoke with the foil

Bake for 60 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke

Remove from oven and let cool before unwrapping (good luck with this one, the smell in my house was so intoxicating that we couldn't wait to tear that sucker open. I now have a burnt tongue)

Because I rarely follow a recipe, below are my changes I made:

The recipe called for 2 cloves of garlic, quartered.  I used fresh garlic that I chopped in my food processor and I used a lot of garlic.  Probably, 1 to 2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic.

I mixed the chopped garlic, PIZZA PEPPERS, and lots of olive oil together.  Then drizzled this mixture on top and on the sides of the artichoke. Followed by squeezing the lemon and pouring the chicken broth on top of the artichoke.

I used the large artichokes and they took the full 90 minutes to bake.

Pizza peppers were my addition to this recipe because I think they make everything taste better.

If you try this recipe, I am not responsible for your burnt tongue.

Enjoy!

Petie