Tag: farm chicks (page 1 of 1)

Christmas Goodies

Jennifer Michie Christmas Cookies

Last night I worked on packing up a few Christmas goodies for work and snapped this pic on Mr. Michie’s phone (sorry for the grainy pic, I was doing this by the glow of twinkle lights). I found some adorable red and white polka dot bags and these very cute cupcake boxes, which I thought would perfectly hold my cookies and it worked!

I filled each bag with a jar of homemade apple butter and a box of snowballs. Today I shall deliver them to their intended recipients.

The snowballs were made from a recipe by the lovely Serena Thompson of The Farm Chicks. I started making them 2 years ago and they have become a tried and tested favorite in the Michie household, perfect for gift giving and eating with a cup of tea.

The Farm Chicks Flyer

This arrived in the post over the weekend:

I couldn’t believe it! I saw this Farm Chick’s post the other week and Serena was kind enough to send me a postcard flyer after her request that if you send her your address she will mail one your way.

The card is so beautifully crafted and sweetly designed!

Thank you Serena for sending this to me across the pond, it just made my day! Going to The Farm Chicks Antique show is on my To Do List! I’ll make it there someday!

To see the printing process click here.

To learn more about the design process click here.

The Giant Valentine’s Day Round-Up!

I truly love all Holidays. Christmas more than any other holiday holds a truly special place in my heart. But, the magic of Valentine’s is something special and I don’t think you particularly need a Valentine to spend it with, it can be a bunch of friends, a close family member, even just little old Y-O-U. It is about celebrating love and that can be love in whatever form it comes in.

I also love Valentine’s day, because it is a chance to decorate again, I decorate my house for every holiday you see. After taking down my Christmas decorations (Shh! Mine aren’t all down yet, don’t tell anyone, but I still need my twinkle lights up) and the emptiness that your house feels, it is nice to have a chance to fill it up again with the air of festivities, bustling about in the form of pink and white and red.

Below are some Valentine ideas for you, some from things I have come across on Pinterest, others from some of my favorite blogs. Enjoy! (click on the images to be taken to the relevant site, all images copyright, their respective owners)

Cooking:
 

Serena of the Farm Chicks has created the most adorable cookie flags to decorate your valentine treats. Adorable for classroom party cupcakes!

Jenny has made a lobster mac-n-cheese for a more grown-up Valentine dinner! YUM!

Delicious with a cup of tea, the lovely Susan Branch has made heart shaped orange and chocolate tea biscuits, a lovely way to start the day with your sweetheart over your favorite cuppa.

Sweetopia, shows you how to decorate these adorable Paris inspired cookies! Amour!

 
Making:
 

The Purl Bee does it again with these rose clips. Very sweet for a little Valentine’s hair all dressed up for a party.

Create Valentine Day Crackers with Not Martha! A fun idea to decorate your table with.

Eat Drink Chic created invitations for a Valentine Couch Picnic, an inventive way to spend the evening in, a stack of movies and plenty of delicious snacks to share with your sweetie!

 
Decorating:
 

Hand dye your own ribbon to decorate your Valentine’s gifts with. A romantic touch for the boy or girl in your life.

While looking into each other’s eyes you can sip your Valentine’s Day punch through decorated straws. What is it about pink and red and white that just shouts happiness?

Valentine’s Round-Up

Valentine’s Day is almost here and I have collected a few last minute ideas, recipes and sweetness from some of my favorite places to share with you. Click on the images below to be taken directly to the featured project:

Jenny B. Harris of Allsorts has done it again, with this cute Valentine’s Paper Angel. A fun project for your little ones to decorate your kitchen table with:

Serena of The Farm Chicks has created adorably wrapped chocolate brownie bites. A cute idea for the little Valentine Love Bugs in your life:

Eat, Drink, Chic has the most wonderful answer to staying in for Valentine’s. Amy Moss, has designed a DIY Valentine’s popcorn bucket to invite your Honey Bunny to spend a night snuggled next to you on the couch. You just have to provide the popcorn and the right movie:

The lovely Bridget, of Bake @ 350 has taken “bark” to a whole new level with her Sweet Heart Conversation Candy Bark. A great idea to hand out to your neighbours or any little Valentine’s fingers that might be around on the day:

The cute girls at One Charming Party have come up with simple yet effective idea. If you are stuck cooking on Valentine’s night, why not bring as many hearts into the mix as you can. These home made heart shaped pepperoni pieces add a cute flair to store bought pizza for your sweetie pie:

And, just in case you forgot to get a card head on over to Eat, Drink, Chic for some DIY printable Valentine’s cards and envelopes. You can never go wrong with polka dots!:

A Farm Chicks Christmas

The lovely Serena of The Farm Chicks has published another beautiful book, this time a Christmas one. I love books, the feel of them, the delight in turning the page and feeling the paper on your fingertips, the smell of them; old and new.

This was a book that was delivered to my racing green door, now decorated with Indian Corn for Autumn, that I wasn’t sure I wanted to open. The vibrant colors were so charming set against my crisp white tablecloth, I wanted it to stay that way, but my fingers got the better of me and as I peeled back the covers I was not disappointed.

Each page holds a treasure of delights, from stories, to recipes, to decorating ideas.  It is filled with mouthwatering images so gorgeously displayed. There was, amongst it all, one section that caught my eye as I thumbed through the pages and that was an image of a tag poised over a page with the words, “It’s the Thought that Counts” held within its round frame.

When giving or receiving a gift, that is a statement that I truly believe in. Anything given with love and from the heart is a gift worth receiving and I’m telling you this book, which is beyond enchanting and filled with all the coziness of Christmas, could only be given with love.  If you don’t have it already, I hope you are lucky enough to have Santa leave this under the tree for you!

Serena is having a virtual book signing party tomorrow, Friday November 5th, so be sure to take a peek, it is a great opportunity to do a little Christmas shopping and give someone a gift there is no way they wouldn’t be smitten with that in their little mittens!

Recycled Vintage

I love the idea of re-using things, even if you are using them for something other than their original intended purpose.

There are a few vintage pieces in our house that are used in a new way, like my Victorian pine cutlery tray; it has become the catch-all “pot” on the table for scissors, tape, pens; an old train box now holds cds and a vintage sweets crate is now the holder of my laundry items…

I have had this little project idea on the back-burner for awhile now, I can’t seem to find the right metal tray, but I know the one for me is out there.

In the mean time I thought I would share the Farm Chicks project idea with you that I want to do. Enjoy!

(Image and directions copyright Country Living Magazine – The Farm Chicks)

Sugar Pie

It won’t be too long before Valentine’s Day arrives and I have been busy thinking about what I can make for my Sugar Pie (also the title of one of my favorite Subdudes songs)! I won’t say too much because he does read this blog, but something handmade and embroidered might be coming his way…

I like to make heart shaped items for the day. Last year I kept it simple and baked heart shaped sugar cookies in a variety of sizes, and sprinkled them with pink and red sugar crystals.  They were festive and tasted delicious with a cup of hot chocolate and heart shaped marshmallows. Hmm, can you tell I like to have a theme going here?

I was looking at the gorgeous Serena’s website today and saw her “Sweetie Pie” recipe.  These look too good not to try! When I am making a pie or anything else with pastry whether it be shortcrust or puff I always use my leftovers.  My Nana taught me to not be a wasteful cook!

She would roll out her left over dough into a rectangle, brush it with butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll them up in a log and slice, like a mini cinnamon bread pastry (great with a cup of coffee).  I do that or depending on my mood I will make small turnovers with whatever jam or jams we have going in the house at the moment.

So, this recipe has given me the idea of cutting out shapes the next time I have leftover dough to use, you just know they will taste that much sweeter because you are popping a little heart of love into your mouth!  Click here to be linked to the Farm Chicks website and this sweet recipe.

sweetie pies

(All Images copyright The Farm Chicks, embellished by Jennifer Michie)

Peppermint Fairy Cakes

MMM! I know that after the holidays the last thing on your mind is probably eating anything more. But, these cupcakes on The Farm Chicks website looked so heavenly, I think they are worth stuffing your face with.

The cakes in these little star studded wrappers (from Bake it Pretty) with a candy cane on top, look absolutely delectable.  I love that they are filled with a peppermint cream. I love to whip up extra icing or a Boston Cream Pie filling and pipe it into my cupcakes.  It just gives them that extra little something. I am a cupcake kinda girl, they are the perfect bite when you just need that little taste of something sweet!

To make your own Peppermint Fudge Cakes click here to get the recipe.

Wouldn’t these stripe and polka dot cases look sweet as well, holding these wintery tasting treats!

(Images copyright the FarmChicks & Bake it Pretty)