Etsy Episode: Farmers Market Fest

'Tis the season for Farmers Markets! As the first Pinedale market of the season approaches on Sunday, I have them on the brain this week. Many of you know that I serve on our local market's Board of Directors and have studied and appreciated the fine intricacies of food systems for many years. Short of naming my first child Wendell Berry, I strive to be a good ambassador of supporting local farmers, ranchers, and gardeners. 

Since one of my favorite things to do while traveling and visiting new places is to check out the local farmers market (I think you can tell a lot about a place by their market!), this week I am bringing the VIRTUAL market to you. Welcome to the Farmers Market Fest - a MEGA collection of some of my favorite food and farming related finds!

SWEET PEAS IN A POD LETTERPRESS CARDS PACK OF 8 WITH ENVELOPES by yeehaw

Cottage Sign 16X24 Farmers MARKET Vintage Style by familyattic

Farmers Market Print by lonny

Farmers Market Belt by mountainashdesign

Farmers Market Tomatoes 8x10 Photo by gallogirlphotos

Farmer's Market Rainbow Chard Print by lindenleaf

Farmer's market patchwork throw quilt by olivetreetextiles

FRESH STRAWBERRIES vintage crate label switch plate by frecklefaceka

Farmer's Market Wedding Save The Date Card by SandyPhotoArt

french vegetable tags by bellaseradesigns

Retro Duck Duck Goose UPCYCLED Farmers Market Tote by greeniebeanrecycle

GROW Set of 4 Garden-Farming-Local Food Slogan Magnets by amepix

Vintage Food Poster by 3LambsGraphics

Grow Your Own Food T-shirt by happyfamily

You're my all thyme favorite Greeting Card by DapperPaper

Eat Your Veggies keepsake baby bib by YellowTreeFarm

Basket of Cherries Ring by PenelopesPorch

Organic Reusable Vegetable Bags by wonderthunder

Revenge of the Veggies T-Shirt by juror2

Stomach Savvy - Food News VIII

This tasty edition of Stomach Savvy - Food News is coming from Chow. According to the site:

CHOW is a new kind of food media. Not only is our subject matter different—about the parties you really want to throw, the meals you really want to eat, the gear you really want to have—but we deliver it to you in audio, video, and everything else the Web's got to offer. Come to us for recipes, instruction, news, entertainment, discussion, and advice. And come often—we update the site daily.

From recipes and restaurant reviews to a comprehensive directory  by city/region (Chowhound), feast your eyes and ears on the foods news that Chow has to offer...

The Problem(s) with Slow Food
Kiwi Soda Recipe

Pairing Beer and Pastries

Hotel Room Cuisine

Hunting for Secret Ovens

Memoirs of a Troublesome Macaron

Build Your Own Burrito Bar

Indoor Composting Systems 

10 Cosmetic Uses for Everyday Foods

Grow Your Own Cocktails

Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Mexican Potluck Party For Cinco de Mayo

Rhubarb Almond Bars Recipe

Dishes & Cocktails for the Derby

And that's the news!

Baked Fresh: Mountain Air Soap

3 Days until the Mother's Day Farmers Market!

New scent for Spring/Summer: Mountain Air!

Check back tomorrow for a Farmers Market edition of Etsy Episode!

Bird Feed: Spiced Grrrs, Cont.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post about Spice Grrr Cookies,

I did make a few round cookies for decorating practice...

My favorite trick involves a few dots...

and a toothpick! Simply drag the tip of a toothpick through the center

of your dots for a nice design in wet frosting.

What's this little one for?

A Spring flower, of course!

Loops are good for practicing a steady hand...

The spider web - also made with a toothpick and a few concentric circles!

Ta da!

Bird Feed: Spice Grrrrr Cookies

Spring might be all about Easter for some, but around these parts it's also about all of the creatures and plants that are coming back from a long winter's sleep! In celebration of all things hibernation, I decided to revisit a recipe that I've been wanting to try since the holidays - Spice Girls Cookies from BHG!

With my new bear-shaped cookie cutter from Off the Beaten Path, the recipe quickly turned into Spice Grrrrs Cookies. Using the same royal icing that I made for the Sublette Sugar Cookies in yesterday's post, check out the end result: 

You'll Need:

  2 spiced chai-flavored tea bags

3 cups all-purpose flour
2  tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1-1/2  cups butter, softened
1  cup sugar
2  egg yolks
2  Tbsp. molasses

Empty the contents of the tea bags in a bowl 

and mix with the flour and pumpkin pie spice.

Beat together the butter and sugar.

Add in egg yolks and molasses before slowly adding the flour mix.

Cover and refigerate for about 3 hours or put in the freezer for an hour.

With the oven preheating to 350, roll out the dough to 1/4"

and place the cut-outs on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet.

I was having a hard time with the bear shape (dough was a little dry), 

so I also made some more simple rounds.

Bake until the edges start to brown, from 10 to 15 minutes.

Let cool completely before icing.

With the royal icing, I did a first round of frosting with brown.

  
 Be patient and wait until it hardens completely!

Finish it up with an outline in white.

Those are some delicious looking Spice Grrrs!

Now that's my kind of bear encounter :)

Sweetie Pie Deal: FREE Cookbook Download from Emeril! Cajun Cooking for Everyone!

In celebration of 20 years of restaurants in New Orleans, Emeril Lagasse is offering this sweet deal:

On March 26, 1990, inside an unassuming building in New Orleans’ Warehouse District on the edge of the French Quarter, Emeril Lagasse spun into his own orbit and set out to craft a restaurant that would introduce his eclectic “New” New Orleans style of Louisiana cooking.

Twenty years later, to celebrate the restaurant’s first dish ever served, Chef Emeril shares a few favorite recipes from his flagship Emeril’s – and his other New Orleans restaurants – NOLA and Emeril’s Delmonico.

CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECT LINK.

Right click and choose "Save Link As" in order to save to your computer.

Recipes include: BBQ Shrimp with Biscuits, Smoked Mushrooms & Cream Sauce with Pasta, Glazed Lamb Spare Ribs, Pork Chops, Banana Cream Pie, Stuffed Chicken Wings, Shrimp & Smoked Cheddar Grits, Pork Cheeks with Dirty Rice, Sazerac Cocktail, Delmonico Martini, and Ramos Gin Fizz.

Bird Feed: Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I know that I promised a follow-up to the sugar cookie cut-outs with royal icing that I made for a local dessert auction. Well, your time has come!

I have to admit, the first round of cookies I made were NOT going to work. One of the most important characteristics of a good cut-out is that the cookie doesn't spread while baking. 

After some research on high altitude effects on baking, I found the PERFECT cookie recipe. If you're at high altitude like me, half the amount of baking powder and soda. No more problems!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RECIPE FOR BUTTERY CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

The next step I had to master (remind me again why I decided to try something completely new for the auction?) was the royal icing. Having never worked with royal icing before, I was optimistic that a sense of humor would pull me through! 

I did a LOT of reading on using meringue powder, the proper consistency of the icing, and decorating tips. Here's a nice collection of resources that I think other RI newbies might find useful in your cookie decorating quests - the videos from My Recipes are especially fun... and cute!

Royal Icing from Joy of Cooking

How to Make Royal Icing from CakeJournal

*VIDEO* Making Royal Icing Part 1

*VIDEO* Making Royal Icing Part 2

*VIDEO* Decorating Cookies Part 1

*VIDEO* Decorating Cookies Part 2

How to Marble Royal Icing from Sweetopia

How to Decorate with Royal Icing from Annie's Eats

Trees were great for practice...

I still found it difficult to "flood" the icing - not liquid enough, I guess!

Sprinkle bear!

Rainbow Trout - straight from the Green River :)

The Wyoming Log Cabin

I would paddle that red canoe - right into my mouth...

For the auction, I needed a creative way to both package and display the cookies. Luckily, I have a very crafty husband that came up with the idea of using picture hangers on the side of my bucket...

Hold your cookie up to a hanger to determine where it needs to be attached on the back of the cookie (mine were wrapped in cello).

With a little hot glue...

... and a little love...

...the perfect cookie bucket!

With 3 cookies on each side, bidders on the dessert auction could get a good view of each of the cookies - 2 dozen in all!

More than $110 raised for cause! Sweet :)