Economy

I was going to garden today but strawberries were on sale at ACME. I couldn't pass up the deal so I bought four pounds of very pretty and fresh berries. As you know, strawberries are no bargain if they spoil before use. So there I was with four pounds of strawberries that needed immediate attention. The garden would have to wait.

Now I do have a large strawberry patch that has begun to flower but won't see fruit till June. So I have some fav. strawberry recipes. I made a Strawberry Cake to serve for breakfast the next morning. I also made my Gramma Kellogg's recipe for a frozen desert called Strawberry Delight and I froze a couple of pounds of strawberries for future use. Finally I saved a few for just eats. In order to freeze strawberries you simply hull them and place them in a freezer container cover with water and then into your freezer. Thaw for later use. My two favorite strawberry recipes follow:

Strawberry Cake

6 T. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. plus 1 T. sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 lb strawberries hulled & halved

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 10" pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a med. bowl. Put butter & 1 c. sugar in bowl & mix at med. speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes) Reduce speed to med. lo; gradually mix in flour mixture.
Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 T. sugar over berries.

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Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on wire rack. Cut in wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered for up to two days.

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Strawberry Delight

1 c. flour

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c. nuts

1/2 c butter

2 egg whites

2/3 c. white sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 c. whipping cream

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Mix first four ingredients in shallow pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix with fork while baking. Sprinkle 2/3 of crumbs on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Save the rest for the top. Put whites, berries, lemon and sugar in bowl. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes. Whip the cream and fold in. Spoon over the crumbs. Freeze for 6 hours.

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Left over egg yolks may be added to a custard recipe:

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Egg Custard

2 1/2 c. milk

4 eggs plus any leftover egg yolks

1/2 c. sugar or agave nectar

pinch salt

1/2 t. vanilla

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Scald milk, sugar and salt. Remove from heat just before it boils over med. heat. Separate eggs beating whites slightly. Add yolks and beat slightly. Add milk mixture to eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour into pie plate or individual ramekins. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Cake

It being David's birthday April 12, I made a couple of cakes. First, Southern Living's Best Ever Carrot Cake ... and it is and a Lemon Cake that we used to make when we worked in the DuPont kitchen. David loves all things lemon. The recipe follows:

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Lemon Cake

2 1/4 c. cake flour (not self rising)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

3 T. plus 1 t. lemon juice

1 c. plus 1 T. plain nonfat yogurt

1 1/2 T plus 1/2 t. grated lemon peel

5 T. plus 1 t. (1/3 c.) stick of butter softened

1 1/3 c granulated sugar

3 large eggs plus 3 large egg whites

confectioners sugar (for glaze)

Garnish: small edible flowers like pansies.

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12 c. bundt cake pan w/ nonstick spray

2) Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix 3 T. lemon juice w/ 1 c. yogurt.

3) Beat 1 1/2 T. lemon peel and the butter in a large bowl w/ mixer on med. speed until creamy. Beat in granulated sugar (mixture will look like damp sand.) then eggs and egg whites until incorporated. On low speed, beat in yogurt mixture, then flour mixture just until blended. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

4) Bake 45 minutes or until a pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean (over baking will dry the cake). Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Invert cake on rack and remove pan. Let cake cool completely.

5) Whisk confectioners sugar and remaining lemon juice. 1/2 t. lemon peel and 1 T yogurt in a small bowl until smooth. Place rack with cake on wax paper. Spoon and spread glaze on cake, letting excess run down sides. Let stand until glaze sets Transfer to serving plate and garnish with flowers.

Empty Nesters

For about three years in a row we have had house sparrows build a nest on our back porch. First we would notice the couple flitting back and forth and visiting the sight. Then a nest would appear and mamma would sit only to leave for traffic in and out the back door. It seemed like no time at all before mom & dad were back and forth feeding 3-4 little youngsters. And only a matter of weeks before all the babies had flown.
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This went on until last Spring when the house sparrows again showed up but this time no nest was constructed on the traditional site. This year we have a nest but it remains unused and abandoned. I don't know why they snubbed the space last year but this year I wondered if it might have been because of Molly. The back door is her territory which she guards against the two interested Toms that live nearby. All though she would not be able to reach the little nest her presence might have made the sparrows less then comfortable.
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But every year the sparrows come back and scope out the old homestead. I do wonder if they are the original couple or if they are the children and grand children.

Nest In Bloom

I bought one of Samantha's scarves from her etsy shop nestinbloom. Isn't it lovely? I bet she could make one for you too!

More blooms on my orchids & violets!

Beg, Barter & Sell

My neighbor Kim picked up a small but unfinished crocheted area rug. She asked me to finish it in exchange for a Loft silk floral dress ... I said, "yes"

I then found this fabulous cashmere/silk lace yarn and decided to make French Blue Sleeves (sort of an opera length fingerless glove). I figure in early spring it will add a warm and elegant look to my dress and I love the color combination. The sleeves are meant to be loose and slouchy, below the elbow. I'm using #1 needles so there are a zillion stitches. Look for the finished item on my Cotton Ginnie Studio on etsy.

Snow Days

Delaware declared a state of emergency from under 20 inches of snow dumped on us two weekends ago. These pictures were taken from the window of my house. We weren't going anywhere except outside to shovel which is what David & Jonathan did. I have been spending as much time as possible catching up on commissions for Cotton Ginnie Studio.

A pair of Celtic Harp Fingerless Gloves and portrait of Peyton done! Three more projects started! Click on the picture of Peyton if youy wish to enlarge.

Branding

This is my beautiful new Brand Name and Business Identity Set (BIS) put together by my talented daughter-in-law Samantha Marie. She also updated my Etsy site and I'd love to have you come see. Click on Cotton Ginnie Studio on the above right or go anytime to http://www.cottonginniestudio.com/ It is a work in progress so come back often!
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I really can't say enough about working with Samantha. She has impeccable taste and can work with the pickiest of customers (ie. her MommaMele!). To see more of her hip style go to http://nestinbloom.com/ .
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Read the following excerpts from an article by Samantha entitles Branding Efforts to see how branding can help your business:
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I wanted to talk to my lovely readers about branding efforts. I don't mean livestock marking. More like human heart impressions. What I mean is - the effort put into making your small business a recognizable brand, a memorable brand, and also a brand that emotionally connects to your clients.
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Wikipedia simply puts it, A brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as "cultural accessories and personal philosophies".
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There is an entire psychological aspect of having a brand, and how you use it. There are a lot of words you commonly hear (ie. advertising, subliminal messages, brand recognition, brand image, brand names ... lalala.)
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Even if you are a small business owner, you would be smart to do a little research on what a brand is, and how to use it correctly. You may want to start by reading the small info article on wikipedia: BRAND.
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Key thought: Don't trust your item to do all the work!

One way to get started is to create a business name. After that, create an image or logo. After that, brand your ... everything. Everything your client will receive in their hands, and see online. It's an easy to understand concept. The point is to make your customers feel:
~As if your business is legitimate
~Like you have pride in your products
~Your items are quality
~The money was well spent
~They should buy again
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Let's try this experimental question.
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If you purchased an item online ... let's say it was a small handmade bracelet. You paid $40 for a beautiful item. When you received you item, you immediately knew where it cam from because the packaging had the store's name printed on the back (buy a stamp). When you opened it, you felt as if you were receiving a gift! Your bracelet was in a small gift box wrapped in pretty tissue paper, and dressed with a ribbon and a sticker with the shop's name. Your packaging also came with a thank you card, small invoice, maybe a coupon, and business cards. Hopefully you are feeling pleased with your purchase.
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How would you feel if you received your$40 bracelet simply tossed into a bubble envelope, closed, and stamped? I have had this happen, and in my experience I never went back. I was even tempted to leave neutral feedback due to the care negligence lol.
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Back up your branding with service! This includes opening communication the moment they purchase and completing communication when they are 100% satisfied.
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... I like to hand write personal love notes to my clients. OK, thank you notes with sincerity. I want my clients to know that I put my heart into what I do and that I appreciate them. For this I use my very own hand writing font which I can do for you too!
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A little nudge to get you started:
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Nest In Bloom is my business name. I design logos, business cards, pretty much anything you need printed (but I do not do the printing. VistaPrint is good for this). http://nestinbloom.com/
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Samantha charges $20 an hour for Business Identity Sets starting around $220. With this you get very personal, courteous and timely service. Compare and save!