Floral Paintings and Plants around the Studio

Hi Everyone,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I certainly did! Had lots of family here and we had your basic "Eat Fest" ! I must now get down to the business of eating healthier and trying to lose a few pounds. Today, I froze the remaining cookies. They will come in handy later for taking to my quilting group!
For some of you, new to this blog, I have another blog, as well. It is http://egrettawells.blogspot.com/ On it you can see lots of my paintings and click on an icon to the right that will take you directly to my gallery on Daily Paintworks.
Here are a few of the floral paintings I have posted.

I love doing florals, and there is a wealth of material around the property here. Right now the hibiscus is blooming profusely, as well as bougainvillea, many annuals, etc.

We have finally had a low of 50 degrees, so it is very pleasant, sunny, but not hot.

A painting of a pink geranium.Notice I posted this painting sideways....see the signature!

This is a lovely poinsetta I bought for Christmas...don't you just love the color? I hope to do a painting from it soon.




Below are various plants from the back porch. Notice the blue watering globes. They work well!

Got to run...I must begin working on my New Year's resolutions. Have a great day!

Merrry Christmas to All!

Hi everyone, Thank you for looking at my blog and for all your nice greetings and comments throughout the year. I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas, filled with good times with family and friends. Happy New Year, too, filled with good health and prosperity.

As we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, let's remember that there is only one gift that "keeps on giving". And that is the gift of Jesus Christ in our hearts!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

I am sure you are as busy as I am and are enjoying guests, too, just as I am. We jokingly say that we are having an "Eat Fest". Already I am thinking about those resolutions I will have to make come Jan. 1 about losing weight. I don't recall a year in the past that I haven't made that same resolution. I wonder how many of you have made it, too.

Oh, well! For now, lets just enjoy all those special goodies. Tomorrow we can think about dieting.

Merry Christmas!

Baking, Baking and more Baking!

Hi Everyone from Ten Gables,

Well, yesterday after church, I got right into marathon (almost) baking! I also dipped pretzel rods in white chocolate and milk chocolate, decorating them a little bit. My children love these treats.

I made molasses crinkles a recipe that most people seem to have on hand. I also made Magic bars, using condensed milk, graham cracker crumbs, with butterscotch and chocolate chips. I had these in Minnesota and found the recipe on the internet!

I made Crispy Oatmeal Sugar Cookies and then Soda Cracker Cookies. I have given out both these recipes on this blog.




Finally I made Caramel puffed corn and put it up in airtight jars. Below is the recipe for Caramel puffed corn.

Caramel Puffed Corn

Buy two bags of Chester's Puffed Corn in the potato chip section of your grocery. Dump it into 2 baking pans with sides, so you can stir it. Puffed Corn looks like packing peanuts!!! Now melt in saucepan on the stovetop, 2 sticks or 1 cup butter, 2 cups of brown sugar (I used dark brown) and 1/2 cup of either light or dark corn syrup. (I used Light, since I used dark brw. sugar). Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of soda, then pour over the puffed corn. Coat all the puffed corn. Now put in an oven preheated to 250 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. It will be very crisp. After cooling, put in air tight containers. I had 5 and 1/2 containers! Delicious! Happy Christmas cooking to all and to all a good night!

Look at what's growing in the winter garden...

Now is the time to garden in Florida. Hopefully we won't get a really cold night with a freeze! So far, our average winter temperature has been about 71, I think and it has rained enough to keep the plants fairly happy.

The purple cabbage looks great and I have several regular green ones growing, too.

The broccoli is doing well....no bug damage on anything so far. The argula is growing so big now and is beginning to get a bit bitter, but it is so pretty.

I need to stake this tomato..it has several green tomatoes on it and lots of blooms. I have harvested one red one already and it was so good and juicy.

I probably should have thinned these radish plants a little more, but just couldn't bear to do it. I can see a few almost big enough now to harvest.

Around the house....

Hi everyone, just a few photos of some of my decorations around the house. I have a very old Bible displayed on the buffet beside a small nativity scene. The Bible dates over 200 years ago!

Here are some of the Annalee dolls I collect. Notice the flickering lamp in the background (this photo is so bad!). I have "electrified" it and bought a flicker bulb to put in it and it gives of the nicest, warmest glow.

A simple bowl of antique ornaments makes a nice decoration.

A white poinsetta in front of the stained glass window in the dining room. This poinsetta is so pretty with the little touch of pale pink in it.




Merry Christmas, all!

"Delicious CrockPot Fudge"

Hi everyone, I made some delicious and easy fudge in the crockpot!

All you do is dump 2 jars of dry roasted salted peanuts in the crock pot. Top with one bar of German Chocolate and one package of semi sweet

chocolate chips and one big package of white almond bark.

Put on low and cover pot. Leave for 3 hours.

Here it is after it is all melted and stirred.

While it slowly melts, set out a cookie sheet or two and put out about 70 mini cup cake paper holders.

After 3 hours, stir and mix all with a wooden spoon. Then drop by Tablespoon into each cup cake holder and let it harden an hour or so. Wow! You now have a bunch of candy....enough to give gifts to lots of folks and oh! so GOOD!

Decorating the House!

Hi everyone, I am super busy today decorating the house.

I am a little behind schedule, so am going at it like crazy. So I am not going to comment---look and enjoy!