Christmas in the Cabin 2012 - The Butterfly Tree

Hilary used some of her own decorations, hard to see- but there are some really pretty butterflies and peacock feather ornaments in the center and top of the tree.

 

Last week I asked Hilary to help me and get the tree decorated before Thanksgiving, I don't think I have ever put it up before Thanksgiving, but Shelby will be in MN for Christmas and I wanted her to see it. She was so excited to see it when she walked in the house Thanksgiving day. Hilary is very talented and this is the third year she has helped me. It is not a job that I am good at.

Love how it looks when the lights are off. Put it in the dining area this year. We do not have a lot of square footage to put it up, so we thought we would try something different. (hope there is no fires!)

 

Hoping for a white Christmas this year, Tom had to work Thanksgiving day, but has 3 days off at the same time as me for Christmas! This is the 1-2 inches we had a few weeks ago.

 

Shelby and I did some sewing - the girl has grown so much she did not have any PJs that fit her. Here she is in my sewing loft with her friends and her new PJ pants.  <3 p="p">

 

OK - this has nothing to do with the Christmas tree, just a really good picture of rolls I made for a recent Sunday dinner. Pretty hugh?

Blessings, visits, love, babies....

It was been a busy last month. I did not even realize I did not "blog" after we got back from visiting Brad and family and Dianna and Lee in Colorado. We were gone 9 days, and had a beautiful drive. Visited Uncle Chet and Aunt Janet in Nevada, then took the northern route through Wyoming (won't do that again!) and then dropped down into Denver.
Spent a night in Denver area, then moved down to Colorado Springs (or "the springs") to see Bennett and Geneva (oh yea, also Jayme and Brad).

Steve Wass's memorial in Minden Nevada area. Almost been 10 years, hard to believe.

Best picture of Wyoming, lots of wind mills and wind breaks near the road.

Lee and Dianna, happy couple!

Golden Colorado, nice to have your own personal photographer!Thanks Dee!

Aunt Dee Dee and Geneva, yes I really got to braid her hair!  :)

Dino musium with Brad and family (Geneva ran out of the picture)

Tom bike riding in Golden CO

New baby blessing this past weekend for this cutie new grandbaby - Ashlyn Tyra! I am in LOVE!

Ribbons 2012

Best of show in Whole wheat bread (second time I have gotten this), first on white, 2nd on Sourdough, 2nd on rolls

Tom got Best of show on his White chocolate peppermint fudge (we still have a pan in the house- think i gotta break into it tomorrow)

First on my table runner

First on Cinnamon rolls, new recipe for me, so I was really happy with them.

WHAT,   no  ribbon  on a biscuit???
for the rest check out the fair, will not post Shelby's so see can be surprised.

Ready for the fair

Cooking for the fair is done, dishes done (but not put away) Keepin in real sister!
16 cooked items ready to go from me, 3 for Tom and 2 from Shelby. Gonna need a U haul tomorrow to get it all to the fairgrounds!!!

p.s. can you tell i was good at blocks as a child?

Cooking Day for the Mariposa County Fair 2012

 

 

The time has come once again for the Mariposa County fair, Labor Day weekend every year, have only missed a few in my life. I love to enter things in the fair, for me cooking and quilts has been what I usually enter. This year I did not get much sewing done, have been moving my sewing room to the loft - have electricity now. Thanks to Brandon and Tom!

This year I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew with my baking entries, 3 kinds or bread, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, toffee, nut brittle, jam, fruit leather, and a sunflower! Because I cannot get a day off work this week, I am having to make items and freeze them. Not my first choice, but hopefully everything will turn out OK.

Some baking tips I have learned over the years for fair entries:

buy a new can of baking powder (look for aluminum free)

open a new package of yeast (I use SAF instant yeast from Smart and Final)

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR OVEN - the judge can taste the oven cleaner fumes, (and I am lazy and don't clean it all that often anyway)

bring eggs and butter to room temp for most recipes

have plenty of supplies on hand, in case you have to remake something

Follow direction from the fair book EXACTLY

have entries on time to the fair

pick up foam trays early from the fairgrounds

 

 

bench scraper at the ready, eggs and butter at room temp

Bosch mixer getting a workout today! started at 5 am!

White bread, Bosch mixer recipe. Super easy.

Whole wheat bread at the bottom, white bread in the center, cinnamon rolls. (minus one , OK 1 1/2,  2) they were really good! Recipe for WW bread also Bosch recipe, Cinnamon Roll recipe is from Chef Brad (see BYU channel)



Further updates to follow as the cooking continues! Entries are due on Wednesday afternoon. When I got the form trays from the pantry this morning my old Best of SHOW ribbon fell on me - is that an omen???



 

Summer Harvest

Shelby has been home a week now, got to have her overnight on Friday, she is such a big girl now, going to be 8 in a few weeks. She loves picking veges from our little container garden, picked some of Papa's corn - and spent the rest of the day working on entries for the fair and making corn husk dolls. Look for her entries (and doll) in building B at the Mariposa County Fair coming soon!

Shelby and basil and tomatoes she picked

I have quite a few entries to get ready for also, mostly mine are baking, but I will be entering a sunflower and a candy corn table runner. 

Sunflowers

What's Important to you?

Love this song, check it out.