Great Lakes Floral Expo 2011

The 2011 Great Lakes Floral Expo was held this weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I was fortunate enough to attend, participate in a hands-on class with Loann Burke AIFD, and compete in the student design contest.  As always there was a wealth of information shared - tips Loann shared will go back with me to the classroom for next fall, and winning second in the design contest was the icing on the cake.  Looking forward to next year's Expo!  Highlights from the Professional and Student design contests...

Deep Fried Pickles!

Strangely enough when it comes to county fairs, nothing for me comes close to the excitement of deciding which food stand to stop at first.  Corndogs or elephant ears?  Pork chops or cotton candy?  Unashamedly I'll admit that my husband and I plan our fair food indulgences sometimes weeks ahead.

Maybe it's the dead of winter that is giving me this hankering for fair food, or maybe it's that I've been deprived of it for 4 months.  Whatever it is - I thank you!  Like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love, I'm eating my way through life... one deep fried pickle at a time! 

More importantly, this perfect recipe by DMJOLLY can be found at allrecipes.com.  Enjoy!

Antiques in Sandwich

I’ve debated on how to start this entry… “Dear Penthouse…”, “To You Who Love a Good Hunt…”, “Guess What?! OMG!! ANTIQUES!! 3 Antique Malls in One Day, and My Husband Was Okay With It!!!” Can you relate?

Mom and Dad are serial antiquers. As a kid I remember spending hours in antique shops, wandering the aisles finding all the depression glass Grandma had in her china cabinet and the rusty metal traps Granddad had in the barn. From time to time there would even be a Garfield mug – the very same mug I had sitting in the kitchen cupboard at home. Someday that $8 mug would be worth millions!

During lonely Saturdays in college, 5 hours away from Mom and Dad, I’d make the trek downtown to the only antique shop in town and spend hours walking from booth to booth. The shop wasn’t big by anyone’s standard, but it let me escape to Northern Wisconsin, wandering the aisles of Mom’s favorite shop.

Present day, antiques are both a reminder of my wonderful folks and an addiction that might just need a 12-step program! I’ve even managed to evangelize antiques to my childhood friend who, after going to Junk Bonanza with me this past October, is now completely hooked!

Today’s trip was great! I visited 3 shops in Sandwich, IL: Sandwich Antique Mart, Olde Timers Antique Centre, and Prindi’s Antique Mall.  Had to share with you the photos...

The floral design instructor in me had to take a photo of this Pave-esque arrangement.

Cast iron "Steer Barn"

Children's beaded mukluks - I love all things Native American!

Paper mache Christmas houses - adorable!

A new find - canvas water bags.

Beautiful airplane quilt - if I had $450 it would have been mine!

Another new find - an over-the-fire popcorn popper.

I love the finds that bring to light an old memory. 

Grandma kept one of these in her closet.

For my close friend, the copper kettle she was looking for at Junk Bonanza!

For Mom, a Norwegian pewter necklace.

For me, a pair of $3 "feather" earrings.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, happily at home surrounded by the warmth and love of the season!

Oreo Truffles

Oreos, cream cheese, and chocolate - what's not to love?! 

Plan for plenty of time in the kitchen when you make these truffles - dipping and drizzling chocolate takes up most of your time, or simply forego the chocolate altogether and roll the truffles in nuts, sprinkles, crushed Oreos, etc. If you're a want-to-be chocolate pro like me, instead of drizzling chocolate over the truffles with a fork to get those pretty little ribbons, make a small cut in the corner of a plastic sandwich bag, fill with melted chocolate, and pipe over the truffles. These stay perfect in the freezer for 2 - 3 months in an airtight container - if you can make them last that long. Enjoy!

This recipe for Oreo Truffles comes from evelyn/athens at http://www.food.com/.

Cinnamon Roasted Nuts

When a man stops eating and asks for the recipe, you know it's good!  It's a wonder we even had any  leftover last night after my husband's men's group met at the house.  Your guests are sure to have the same reaction!  This recipe for Cinnamon-Roasted Nuts is from BJ at AllRecipes.com.

Water, sugar, nuts, salt, cinnamon, and an egg. 

The brown sugar snuck into the photo - not used in this recipe!

Beat egg and water until frothy but not stiff.

Add nuts and...

...toss to coat.

Mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Pour over nut mixture and...

...toss to coat.

Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, and

bake for 1 hour at 375⁰F, stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!

Homemade Potato Chips: An Experiment Worth Trying!

Ever eat homemade potato chips dipped in barbeque sauce?  If not, drop everything and do so.  Your world is guaranteed to stand still!  After our first trip to the new bbq restaurant in town, I was determined to create these yummy treats at home.

On my old mandolin, I thinly sliced the potatoes.  Tried frying apple slices... didn't work out very well!

A handful of potato slices in vegetable oil for just a few minutes until they turned golden brown.  Don't let the temperature gauge fool you, I had no idea what I was doing!

Voila - Potato Chips! Now, where's the bbq sauce?

Thanksgiving Arrangement

Mums and Sunflowers need not be the only flowers we use in Thanksgiving arrangements.  This design incorporates turkey feathers and wheat with baby blue eucalyptus, dahlia, and spray roses, making it a fresh approach to a classic holiday design.  Happy Thanksgiving!