BREAKFAST

Every year we (our church) has a Labor Day Breakfast! It is a wonderful get together, breakfast by donation and a car wash by the Youth Group. This year was a great success.


The morning started out just beautiful. I was up to the church at 5:00 am. along with several others. After we poured coffee into each other we got the show going....


Robert kept the hungry people orderly upstairs while the little elves were cooking downstairs.


The tables were set, all forks and knives ready...


These guys were cooking the whole hog sausage from Reason's Locker... This is the best sausage...

These are the kitchen people. I thought I would bring a little color to the bunch!!! Three scrambled egg people, one egg cracker and one sausage gravy maker (actually Laura, second from the last) did a little bit of everything. She's the organizer.

We served soooo many, 300+, we ran out of biscuits, but that didn't stop Laura.

She whipped up homemade biscuits for an extra 50 people as opposed to telling them sorry we ran out. Then we ran out of gravy, but that didn't stop Laura.

She whipped up another pot of homemade gravy rather than disappoint people.

Nothing phases this woman!!! She just goes with the flow, leading the pack!!!

These people served the crowd, plus a few others missing in the picture. Then there was a whole crew that cleaned tables and reset them and a few others that filled the plates full of homemade rolls, muffins, breads, etc.

All in all, there are quite a few, 25-30, people that worked the Breakfast and another 10 that did the Car Wash.

I love it when our whole church works together for one cause all for the glory of God.

Praise be to God....

LABOR DAY BREAKFAST

Each year our church does a fundraiser, Labor Day Breakfast. This, my folks, is the-best-breakfast! And because I am a carb lover, I am in sweet roll heaven. All homemade, with the best sausage on the side..... The diet is on hold today.

My contribution this year....

BLUEBERRY SCONES

2 C. flour

1/4 C. sugar

1 Tbl. baking powder

1/4 teas. salt

1/4 teas. baking soda

1 Tbl. grated orange or lemon zest (I used orange)

1/4 C. butter/margarine (I used margarine)

3/4 C. buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used buttermilk)

1 egg

1 teas. vanilla

1-2 c. blueberries (I used fresh)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender, until fine.

Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl then add to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until all the mixture has been moistened. Fold in the blueberries.

I try not to mix any more than I have to.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flatten a little so the dough is not mounded.

Bake at 400 for 18 minutes.

This recipe comes from the Blog, What Matters Most? Anneliese's Low Fat Blueberry Scones.

Well, I'm out the door! I am one of the scrambled egg people, so gotta get,,,,,,, ya know,,,,

Chop, Chop, daylight's a burnin'!!!! (not really, it is pitch black out!)

Have a great Labor Day....

HILLTOP GREENHOUSE

Today is Shout Out Saturday, right here at Altered Glass, and I would like to feature Hilltop Greenhouse, Illinois City, IL. The setting: in the country, easy to get to, quiet, with beautiful flowers. The people: fun, knowledgeable, able to help you pick what would work in your yard. The time: It's MUM TIME!

Remember this shot from the Garden Walk.........








Look at these now! Wow!! The colors are so exciting!!!













The barn and buildings are so unique and original to the farm. The owners love to tell the story of how they came to love this place. This bit of heaven is truly a work of love and dedication.









AND a Pumpkin Fest at the end of the month!!!! Lots of fun for kids and adults. What a wonderful way to enjoy some family time on the weekend. So get away for a bit and come to the Hilltop Greenhouse, Illinois City, IL for a little day trip, some pumpkins and a taste of fall in the country!

THURSDAY NIGHT FARMER'S MARKET

Yesterday morning I went to Friend's Candle Shed to pick up a bunch of stuff for the Farmer's Market that I was invited to participate in. As I was packing up the SUV, I said to Piper, "I sure wish you could help set this up! " and in a whiny voice I said, "Please try to come. Maybe Sharon would watch the shop for a few hours, please call her and see". So she did and Sharon (Thanks Sharon) came to the rescue and Pip came over and I am soooo glad she did. LOOK AT HER STAGING! This was just adorable how she set this up.... I would not have come up with any of this!! and she did it literally in 15 minutes maybe 10.

The other day I was wishing I had planted the gourds more into June instead of May. Yesterday, I was glad to have gourds already mature. I sold alot of them!

Piper had this bright idea to paint a few old lunchboxes. These turned out soooo cute!!

And this one sold right away!!

Piper and me (I'm in the orange t-shirt.... See my stones!)

This is Veneta, she is a veteran Farmer's Mkt. person. She does them all season with fresh baked goodies and farm fresh eggs, fresh picked produce, etc. They actually have a stand in their front yard that she sells stuff out of...

This is Laura,,,, yes, the instigator of many things. She seems to have endless energy and always puts it to good use. And on her days off from the extras, she is a surgery nurse at two different hospitals.... I shake my head in amazement. She gets more done before 7am than I do all day!

Sue,,,, she's the one that paints!!! Oh my, you should see her miniature paintings on Agate stones. They are just precious. She can paint a whole scenery on a 2 inch square, detailed work that is so tiny! Hold them up to the light and the colors are magnificent!


Maria - She is the one that owns Hilltop Greenhouse, Illinois City, IL. She and her husband have been established now for quite a few years! And it is Mum Season!!!! The size of these are just not justified by the picture and the colors are beautiful!!! If you ever get through this way, please take time to find this place which is right on the way to Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, 238th Street West, Illinois City, just North from Illinois City, IL. Ya know, turn at the old pool hall and go down a mile. You can also pick up mums from Hilltop Greenhouse at Fareway Grocery Stores throughout Iowa.

I had so much fun! Now I understand all you antique people who do shows all the time! This could get addicting. I saw so many people that I hadn't seen for a long time, got to chat for 3 hours, everyone was just having a good time, great weather, and I got to hang with my buddy, Piper who taught me how to stage something cute in the blink of an eye!!! Thanks Pip for coming and spending the time away from the shop, Friends Candle Shed...

OH, and I sold 5 stones,,,, wow, I was thrilled beyond belief!!!!

This was a one day trial with a great turnout!!!

Next year, we have decided to do a monthly Farmer's Market Days on that little corner in Illinois City, IL.

THIS IS ME!!!

As I have been into crafts for a long time, I never thought I would be a person who would have any use for a business card! I am preparing for a first. A booth/table at a very small Farmer's Market in Illinois City, IL. Oh you giggle, Illinois City, really? You would be surprised how many people travel through this little spit in the road. Anyway, several posts ago, I did a post on a bunch of gals that work for a Hilltop Greenhouse and did a Garden Walk. These same gals dreamed up the idea to do a 1 day Farmer's Market and they invited me to join. It's only for 3 hours and I have so much stuff I could take. So I am working on that today, setting up a few tables with stepping stones, birdhouses, candles, etc. What fun!!!!! Piper (Friend's Candle Shed) helped me put this little business card together so I could possibly take orders for stuff. I love it! It is just one more little thing, but it is a big thing to me!!! It validates, to me, that people like what I make and that it isn't just a time consumer on my part!

IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS CARD, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH US!!!!

CRAZY BUSY

Yesterday, church stuff all day...
Today, Cedar Rapids, IA all day...
Tomorrow, Farmers Market stuff all day...
Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, you know who you are, the ones that do this kinda stuff every day, all day....
I don't know how you do it.... Hats off to you (me, clapping my hands loudly)...

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

When green bell peppers come into season, I make stuffed green peppers and freeze them for in the winter when it is cold, snowy outside and we just want a hot meal.

This is something my m-i-l taught me a long time ago and is oh so simple.

Just make spaghetti, however you would. I did these with bottled spaghetti sauce only because it was a time issue. I would prefer to make my own sauce, but I always keep a jar of this on hand in case I don't have all the ingredients and don't want to make a trip to town.

Combine all your ingredients, cut the tops off the peppers (I save the tops for something else). Clean out the inside and fill as full as possible. If the peppers are fresh, I bake them in the oven for about an hour, maybe 1 1/2 hours along with a baked potato.

Yes, this can be done in the microwave, just so the pepper is fully cooked.

When they are frozen, I will thaw them in the microwave and then cook them until the peppers are fully cooked.

When the peppers are done, I top them with cheddar cheese and melt it.

It is a good hearty meal..... YUMMO....

Yeah, see that big slice of tomato, too bad you don't find those in the winter! Garden fresh!!! Well, I guess I should say, you wouldn't find one of those in the winter in Illinois!