"Christmas in the Country"

Every year I ask myself if I'm going to have another Christmas open house...I ponder the question awhile then decide, "YES!" I started having my open house in 2005 as a way to provide Christmas baked goodies for friends and family. We gather together and enjoy good food and hot spiced cider. Over the years it has grown and this year I was joined by friends Bee Katz of "Cowtown Candies", Gretel Adams of "Sunny Meadow Flower Farms" (you may have seen her on the cover of Columbus Monthly recently), and my sister-in-law, Becky Joseph. What wonderful handmade items they brought! Delicious fudge, cards with beautiful photography, lovely scented handmade soaps...........something for each of our senses!

While the open house is a lot of work and preparation, we sure have a good time being together. Isn't that what the season is for? Being together?

Here are the "Elves" who helped me prepare for my 4th annual "Christmas in the Country" Open House. Thanks to my Mom (Effie), Cousin Vicki and friend LeAnn, we enjoyed a very successful day. Not pictured is my daughter Caitlin-thanks for all your help Cait!! We couldn't ask for better weather...sunshine, cool but not too cold, and no slippery roads! Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed themselves. I'll share some pictures of the goodies we had for gift buying, parties, Santa's plate, etc. We had a "make your own cookie dozen" table which was a huge hit. We'll have to have a repeat performance next year.

I baked for so many hours I lost track. I do know I baked about 60 dozen various cookies and at least 25 dozen sugar cookies. There were also Cranberry Orange Breads, Pumpkin Spice Breads, Cocoa Banana Breads, and Old Fashioned Pecan Tassies. After the open house I baked some more.....pies, cookies, breads. I sure hope everyone enjoyed what they bought. I had fun not only baking everything but also making them look pretty and packaging them for your parties and gift giving. Above are Gingerbread Men, Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Candy Cane Sprinkles, Cherry & Apricot Rugelage, Cherry Thumbprints drizzled with White Chocolate, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Beautiful Buttercream Froster Sugar Cookies.

I'm hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a safe and Happy New Year!

Being Thankful

I take great pride in this beautiful apple pie because my daughter Sara made it for her friends when they celebrated Thanksgiving in her tiny Brooklyn apartment last Sunday. I think her artistic expression says it all................................

Holiday Baking: Get Ready, Get Set...BAKE!!!!

We had our very first Columbus Winter Farmers' Market of the 2009-10 season this past weekend and it was such a gorgeous day. Thanks to all who came to visit us. I'm glad I have a few markets to get me ramped up for holiday baking. So far I'm in for about 20 pies, some pumpkn rolls and cookies. Shouldn't be too bad. As you can see in the picture above, I've baked a lot of pies over the holidays :) This was just a fraction of what I made one year. I think the grand total was 72 large pies. Whew!!!

Please come see us this coming weekend at the market (you can check out the website @www.columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com There will be lots of wonderful goodies for your Thanksgiving table. I'll definitely have a variety of pies (Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan for starters), Chocolatey Chip Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread, Fannie's Apple Walnut Brownies, and who knows what else?

See you Saturday!!

Shipping Goodies to Loved Ones is EASY

I'll be baking this week so I can ship some fall cookies and pumpkin spice bread to my Sara in NYC-she's needing a taste of home about now. If any of you ever need some sweets shipped most of my cookies and breads travel quite nicely. Sara is my test market and everything has arrived delicious and fresh and uncrumbled. I don't ship pie, of course-that would be a disaster. Holidays are a great time to share the love through homebaked goodies!!

Halloween Fun

We sure had fun at the last Westerville Farmers' Market! Thanks to all who came to see us. Have a super year and don't forget the winter markets.

Come visit me at the Columbus Winter Farmers' Market

For all of you "foodies" who are addicted to farmers' markets with their availability of locally grown and produced foods, the friendships established and the atmosphere of the market, you MUST come to the Columbus Winter Farmers Market. Saturdays, November through April at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus. It starts November 14 @ 10am until 1pm. Check us out @www.columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com. See you there!

Summer Farmers' Markets are winding down.....

This week is the last Westerville Farmers' Market for 2009 and I will miss it something awful! We have had a tremendously loyal customer base who stuck with us through all the crazy weather of 2009. I hope to see you all there Wednesday. Many of us vendors will be dressed for Halloween and hope to trick or treat you all...so see you there my pretties :)

Birthday Pies

Happy Birthday to you! What better way to celebrate your birthday than with PIE! Who gives a hoot about cake-give me pie! This past week I made 2 very different pies for birthdays: a Boston Cream Pie (not really a pie in my book but it has pie in the name), and a Cherry Pie for my cousin Vicki. Both looked scrumptuous and were enjoyed by all (thanks Pam for the return phone call-always wonderful to get feedback!), along with candles to complete the celebration. So, if you ever want a pie for the big celebration, remember-it's all about the pie.

All Things Pumpkin & Fannie's Apple Walnut Blondies

Fall is my favorite time of year and boy, do I love pumpkin. Pumpkin Pie, Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.............so many good things from this yummy vegetable. My next favorite fall goodie is anything with apples. Everyone seems to LOVE my Gramma Fannie's Apple Walnut Blondies. I plan to make extra this week so we can share the love. Make sure you come early while there are still plenty!

On a decorative note (did I tell you I'm no Candice Olsen?)-you can find all the beautiful fall bounty you need for your home decorating needs: mums, gourds, pumpkins, Indian corn, bittersweet........so many beautiful things. Come see for yourself!!

Friends at the Market

One of the very best things about our farmers' markets are the relationships we build between vendors. We love what we do and we enjoy each others' company each week; supporting one another when the weather is less than perfect and when we are so busy we need that extra hand. It is always nice to get that "good morning" when our butts are dragging and we just need that one extra hour of sleep and definitely that first large cup of hot coffee. Pictured above is BKatz from "Cowtown Candies"-home of the best fudge in Central Ohio, Lee Bird from Birds Haven Farms with his classic truckload of delicious sweetcorn, and Gretel from Sunny Meadow Flower Farms who puts together gorgeous fresh sunflower bouquets. These are but a few good friends of the market-wonderful people who love what they do and show it in their smiles!

This week's fall specials from Sue's Kitchen will include Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread, and Apple Walnut Brownies. I'll also have tons of cookies and pies for everyone. See you there!

Apple Season!

Well, by now you know I have failed at blogging 101. I haven't entered anything since August 21st and I am so sorry! Inbetween baking chocolate chip cookies, my Biker Bars and Blueberry Crumb Bars I am attempting to catch up. I went to the Granville Orchard today and picked some of the biggest, most beautiful, delicious Cortland apples! I'll be making large and mini pies with them and they are sure to smack of late summer. I also picked up some fresh peaches so we will have these in pies tomorrow as well. Here's a picture of the apples that were hanging in the trees in the orchard-so pretty!

A Prelude to Fall

I'm so ready for fall and this weekend sounds like it may be a prelude to cooler, less humid days. Tomorrow morning we have the Granville Farmers' Market and it should be a gorgeous morning. Please come see all the truckloads of fresh picked sweet corn, gorgeous flower bouquets, fresh honey, cheeses, organic meats, and of course-baked goods! If you like fruit pies I will have plenty: Mom's Apple, Big-n-Bold Blackbery, Beautiful Blueberry, Tart Cherry, Gramma's Award Winning Peach (see the story), Summertime Strawberry-Rhubarb, and Sue's Southern Pecan. There will also be Cookie Stacks, Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls, Biker Bars and Blueberry Bars @ Sue's Kitchen. Come enjoy the atmosphere and some great food!