Walnut Toaster Bread - Yum!

I admit it - I love toast a little bit too much. And it's not a good thing when there's no bread in the house, and shopping day is still 3 days away. (First rule of getting a new business off the ground - stay AWAY from stores as much as possible!). Just happen to have buttermilk, flour and walnuts, so I made Walnut Toaster Bread for the first time in years. Yes, I'm definitely getting back into my cooking mode. There is nothing like this quick and hearty little bread freshly toasted and topped with butter and honey.. mmmmmmmm!

Walnut Toaster Bread

3 cups unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
grated rind from 2 lemons
2 eggs

1. Measure all dry ingredients into large bowl and stir with fork or whisk to combine.

2. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl, stir until mixed. Stir in walnuts.

3. Mix wet ingredients into dry until just moistened.

4. Turn into 2 9-inch loaf pans, and bake at 350 degees for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before taking out of pans and placing on cooling rack.

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 11/23/08

Good morning! This week I'm continuing to highlight my friends from Wet Canvas who have Etsy shops. Today, I'm highlighting the incredibly talented Andee, a jewelry artist and photographer from Germany. Her touch with beads and metal is truly inspiring, and even the most simple pieces have that special 'Andee' look to them. And her photography is nothing short of amazing. She has a way of looking at things that can make even the most ordinary a work of art.

Andee's photography talent clearly carries through to her jewelry. This pair of Peruvian opal earrings, 'Mopopal', are a brilliant study in blue, and the photography shows them off in a most spectacular way! And of course, since I am an avid gardener, I love the way her photos show off my favorite garden helpers - ladybugs!

New Earring Monday - not exactly earrings yet, but...

Okay, this is a pendant, BUT - I am working on earrings with the same design. I have wanted to make ruffles in my metal pieces for ages now, but didn't have the tools to do it well. Now that I have my new hammers, and have learned to make wooden forms, I am ruffling away! I am planning a series of ruffled pieces, many of which will hopefully be earrings. So, does this count for new earring Monday? ha, ha.....

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 11/16/08

I've been sitting here this morning going through recipes for Thanksgiving, and I started thinking about how much I have to be thankful for. I'm so happy to be doing something I love for a living, and I have my friends at the Wet Canvas Wearable Arts forum to thank for that. I had never posted in a forum before, and waay back in the summer of 2006, I posted a little beaded necklace, and they made me feel so welcome, that I stayed and never looked back. I was encouraged to try new things, and included in fun gift exchanges, and yes, introduced to Etsy.

It was Pam's excitement about her Etsy experience that prompted me to sign up last November, and I opened my shop in February of this year. Each Sunday for the rest of the month, I'm going to feature a few of my Wet Canvas friends' Etsy shops. Today's shops are all about lampwork. I love lampwork, and have quite a little collection of great beads started - some I purchased for myself to wear, and others will be featured in very special pieces in my shop.

Pam, whose Etsy shop is called the Blue Between, makes beautiful and whimsical pieces, and when I saw this great heart with a dragonfly (lord knows, I love dragonflies, lol) and a dinosaur bone bead, I just had to have it. She also makes spectacular necklaces that showcase her beads, as well as beads from other artists.

Another WC friend, Gwen, from Valley Creek Studio, makes the most delicious etched beads (along with a lot of other fab beadies from cute cows to elegant tapestry. I bought these beautiful etched pastel 'sherbet' beads last summer.



They will be featured soon in pieces for a new Spring 2009 series. I've also got my eye on this set of rich and vibrantly colored beads for myself.

Two more super talented glass artists that I have met at WC are Maggie from Beadtowne who makes the best



shell and yummy chocolate beads, and Angela from The Blue Lagoon - I particularly love her Lagoon Blue set, and I purchased this delicious Creme Brulee bead set from her a while back - I'm saving this one for a bracelet.

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 11/09/08

I'm starting to get going on my Christmas shopping in earnest now. One of the favorite traditions in our house is the Christmas stocking - I think this is because this gives us an excuse to shop for little fun tidbits that we like, but never buy for ourselves. My mom and I both love paper and writing stuff - notepads, cards, lists, calendars, stickies, pens - anything to make us feel more organized.

This weeks picks are from the great array of paper artists to be found on Etsy. The first shop is Rista's Shop, Papier de Fantaisie. Her fancy clipboards and and beaded pen/notepad sets are totally adorable.

And for those looking for something to make them laugh, be sure to check out this shop for great tongue-in-cheek notepads, recipe cards, greeting cards and tags: Terri Taylor's Designs. I love her to do list and 'awesomely proper insult' notepads - had to laugh out loud when I saw those! Also love the Bite Me gift tags - perfect for edible gifts.








That's it for this week - time to shop - see you all later!

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 11/2/08

This is starting to be my favorite time of the week. Relaxing with coffee, and doing a bit of shopping. I'm getting ready to start serious Christmas shopping, and this year I am definitely sending cards. The last couple of years I haven't had time to send cards to anyone but a few close friends, and I missed it. I've been searching for cards all morning on Etsy, and I've picked a few favorite shops to share here. I can't wait to start sending some of these gorgeous cards! The adorable red boot cards are from Ella Parry's shop. Her cards have been in my favorites list for a long time, especially this one - that'll be me this spring in my organic garden!

Then we have the totally festive holiday invitations from YesUMay's shop - I fell in love with these. I'm going to have to plan a party so I can use them!



Check out my favorites on Etsy for more cards!