Thank you!!!!!!!!

Hello sweet ladies,

It snowed last night.............and I loveeeeeee snow! Maybe it is the Alaskan in me.......but it makes me a very happy person when it snows..........and also......the party is more then I could have imagined................I woke up and my inbox was full..........of lots of ladies........YOU! Thank you and enjoy your day.........and please scroll down and sign up if you like!!!!!!!!

Hugs and God Bless,

Linda

It's Time For A Party.....Prairie Flower Farm and Gooseberry Patch!

PARTY HAS ENDED!!!!!!!

I so wanted to get this up this Thursday morning ...........internet died.........I was so sad........but had to trust the Lord.........so here I am........getting it up on Thursday night instead........but it is never to late........so now.................

Hope everyone is ready for some fun after the holidays!!!!!!!!

Hello sweet ladies,

Gooseberry Patch has been a huge part of ALL of our LIVES......... some for a long long time!!!!! I can't believe all the hard work that THEY do all year long to bring us so much JOY.....which in turn blesses all of our HOMES! When I am out shopping and see a new cookbook........ I always have to pick it up...............peak inside to see what is new..........some times I can just look....... but so many times I have to go to the checkout stand......buy it..........they put it in a bag........ and I read it all the way HOME........anyone out there relate and do the same thing? Their photos.........ideas...........crafts........little helpful hints.......gets me every time! As you know many recipes come from Grandma or Momma's Kitchen........heirloom recipes I call them............ the ones that have been passed down from one generation to another and some of the recipes have come from "your" own kitchen . It doesn't matter to me if I find an older cookbook at a store.........they never go out of date, because "a recipe is a memory that lasts forever" right?! Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks has been decorating our HOMES by the cookbooks just sitting on our shelves........or in a handmade cupboard that was made especially for all the cookbooks that we have collected over the years!

With that said............I have been holding this surprise in for sometime now and I had to wait until I had CHRISTmas behind me and the Snowman Party finished. Now I am ready!!!!!!! Sometime back a "sweetie" from Gooseberry Patch asked if I would like to help by being an Early Bird Reviewer and reviewing some of their new cookbooks that will be coming out this year. Now............ can you imagine my excitement? Did you hear me squeal? I am sure you must have......I was also doing a little dance.........I wrote back and said..."are you kidding?” Well maybe I didn’t say it quite like that.......maybe something like “oh my............I would love to! My excitement always gets the best of me!

Here it is!!!!Isn't it beautiful?

I received my very first set of 101 Cupcake, Cookie and Brownie Recipes Cookbooks .....one for me and one for someone else. I knew this cookbook was going to be fun! When I opened the package and looked at the front picture of the cookbook......... I thought it was beautiful! It had every "occasion" for my baking needs.......it was going to be helpful throughout this whole New Year. At the time I received the books...........I was working on a CHRISTmas gift for someone that lived far away. I came upon this wonderful biscotti recipe on page 48 called Simple Almond Biscotti. It said simple and that was what it was........also it tasted very NUMMY!

Simple Almond Biscotti

2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3 T orange zest

(we had only lemons on hand worked great)

1 t. almond extract

2-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1-1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar; add eggs. Mix in orange zest and almond extract until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. On a floured board, divide dough in half: roll and form each half into a 10” by 1 1/2” (I made mine about 3 1/2 wide instead). Arrange rolls on an ungreased baking sheet 1 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Slice each roll diagonally into /2: thick slices. Lay the slices cut side down on the baking sheet; bake for an additional 8 minutes. Turn slices over and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. Makes 2 dozen.

After they were cooled I slipped 4 Simple Almond Biscotti’s into a cellophane bag.............. tied with a ribbon and tag around the top. I also went and bought 2 coffee mugs.......Starbucks Via instant little coffee packets.........some little candies and a few tea bags, soooooo simple and it made such a sweet little fast gift. This doesn't have to be for just CHRISTmas........it could be any occassion!

I kept flipping through the 101 Cupcake, Cookie and Brownie Recipes Cookbook......my eyes were not disappointed............I was enjoying everything I saw............on the very last page was this adorable recipe called:

"Frosty the Cupcake"

Frosty the Cupcake

8-1/2 oz. pkg. favorite flavor cake mix

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

24 round buttery crackers

2 6-oz. white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 pieces candy corn,

24 pieces red coated candy coated chocolates.

.68-oz. tube red decorating gel

16- oz. container of white frosting

Follow the package directions to prepare cake mix and bake in paper lined muffin cups; let cool. Spread peanut butter over half the cracker; top with remaining crackers. In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate for one to 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Dip each sandwich in chocolate and let excess drip off; set on wax paper. Immediately place chocolate chips for eyes and mouth and candy corn for nose. Place a candy-coated chocolate on each side of the face and connect with a line of red decorating gel. Let set. Frost cupcakes with frosting and garnish with sprinkles. Top with a snowman sandwich Makes one dozen.

JUST in time for our Snowman Party! Vitaliy our little orphaned boy from overseas.......loved

decorating his snowman!

I saw some other recipes that I want to try as I was flipping through.....

Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes

made by “Jennifer from Gooseberry Patch”

(a real sweetie that girl is)

great idea for any kind of party!

Red Velvet Bars,

Coffee Cream Brownies

Scrumptious Cranberry Blondies

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Squares

Triple-Layered Brownies

The cookbook will come in so handy when we go back to work next Monday. The college kids are going to like.......alot!!!!! I am always looking for new recipes....this cookbook will be sitting on "my little country shelf " with some of my other Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks at work!

Thank you Gooseberry for letting me do this. I will continue to review and show my readers the things we cook here on the farm and at the college using the...........

101 Cupcake, Cookie and Brownie Recipes Cookbook!

if you want to

pre-order click Here.

Ladies you are going to just enjoy this cookbook sooooooo much!

Now for some more fun!!!!!!!!!

a

Prairie Flower Farm/Gooseberry Patch Giveaway!

starting today until January 11th NOON (central time)

Anyone can join in........even our sweet oversea ladies and Canada!

If you need to send me an email prairieflowerfarm@gmail.com (say "contest" in the subject)

if you don't have a blog! We don't want anyone to miss out!

This is what someone will win:

101 Cupcake, Cookie and Brownie Recipes Cookbook

Cute cute cute!!!!!!!

New, (sold here)

"A Winter Thyme Notebook Keeper "

pocket on the front (to store recipe cards)

used some of my fabric designs.

size 8 1/2" x 11"

you can tape recipes.......pictures..........write ideas........... whatever on the inside .......so

then you will be ready for your holiday by the time it comes around next year!

You can even use it as a MEMORY KEEPER! You decide if you win it!

Also in the giveaway will be...........

Winter Thyme Recipe Cards

(designed by me)! New, sold (here)

6- 3"x5" & 6- 4" x 6"

The contest is really really SIMPLE!!!

1. Leave me a comment............

ONE VOTE

2. Tell me if you are a follower on my blog (side bar)

2nd VOTE

3. Tell me, if you are a subscriber to Prairie Flower Farm

3rd VOTE!

4. Leave a note on Gooseberry Patches blog or their facebook and please tell them I sent you......

let them know one special thing you think of ..........when you hear the name "Gooseberry Patch!"

Come back and tell me that you did it. It will make them smile!

4th VOTE

5. If you would like to blog or facebook about our party.............please take any picture off this

post or use the button along the side bar!

5th VOTE

So you can have a total of 5 votes.

If you are interested in buying the

Winter Thyme Notebook Keeper

or the

Winter Thyme Recipe Cards

they are for sale Here

Hope you enjoy our party!

Trusting and asking the Lord to BLESS your new year like only He can do!

Love you ladies bunches............you make my days and heart smile.............

a lot!!

ME

Snowman Party 2010

Children......were sleeping........all over the house.......... not a creature

was stirring not even a mouse!!!!!!!!!!

Miss Snowlady was given to me for CHRISTmas from our oldest son's family. She greeted the children when they came. She stands about 3 feet tall............isn't she just adorable?

Hello........sweet ladies.....it is Tuesday night,

The house is all quiet now .........they have been gone for about 5 hours.......it is amazing to my honey, Tressa, Taylor how quiet our HOME is after the last set of children leave the farm. As soon as all the cousins enter the house...........they don't come up for air until they all leave!!!!! Talking, giggling, laughing uncontrollably goes on for the evening and all the next day. It is special that all the children can be together at the same time......in one place!

We had the house decorated in snowmen.........all over the house!

Thank you sweet friend.......you know who you are!!!!!!!!!

We served cheese dip with corn chips, little carrots, fresh cut apples and apple juice. Very simple!!!!!!! Then we all sat and watched the Measure Twice and Cut Once (it is on sale now)...........they all loved the video and hardly moved as they watched it.................they said things like .........."that looks easy"..........."cool"......can we do that(?)"......."my dad can find some extra wood" they were definitely excited.

The highlight before going to bed though was roasting mini marshmallows over a kerosene lamp (we use candle oil in ours). It was a riot. We have done this before......but our Vitaliy (orphan boy) eyes lit up!!!!!!!! The kids were very patient as each child took their turn to roast. Lots of giggling going on though! Then it was time to find the spots where they wanted to sleep.

A lot of happiness!!!!!!!!!!

A meeting under the table!!!!!!!!

To get them to calm down....... Tressa put on a Focus On the Family, Adventures in Odyssey. It works every time.

I had the baby with.......not much sleep had!!!!!!!! Smile.........who cares........I don't have to do this every night! Momma's out there...........you are wonderful!!!!

In the morning I got up early to get started cooking the snowman pancakes. I poured the maple syrup into a little snowman tea pot................they thought that was really fun! I used the Wilton Decorating Gel in black for the eyes and mouth and orange for the nose to decorate the snowman pancakes.

Later the children worked on their flags that they had started the last time they were here. They are making them for their fort.

We walked the farm to see the best place for their fort...........they all agreed on a place........that is for another day. It will be fun to see their fort go up. We need some warmer weather.........until then we will work....pray............plan and be ready!

They made cards for the manor and for Grandma Dixie (my Momma).

Vitaliy our little orphan boy......... was always close to Poppa Phil...........feeding the horses, chickens..........he loves everyone. He was always bringing a chicken into the house to get my response.............always had to smile! If you looked for Vitaliy......he wasn't very far from an animal!

Even our littlest grandson was put to work to make this day special. He put a napkin on every plate..........thought he was a really good helper...........HE was!

One of my favorite pic's of our time together.........Reid was wearing one of those one piece zip up the front pj's..........adorable and snuggly!

At different times through out the Snowman Party Camp........we would thank Jesus for our time. We even sang to Him......... Happy Birthday....................before we ate our snowman cakes (I will show you the cakes tomorrow.......it is going to be a special day...........a fun surprise........just wait and see)!

We just have memories now.........precious memories.......we all need those once in awhile............life is hard! I trust my grandchildren will do some of the same things we are teaching them to their children and grandchildren someday...............like loving the Word........working together.........serving each other and most of all having grateful hearts for all that the Lord does for them!

Father......thank you for thinking up children..........they truly are a gift from YOU! YOU are so wonderful.........would YOU please let our Grandchildren know you..........personally.............continue to use us.........we are willing!

Amen

So that was our party..........if you ever have one........please let us know. They are so fun and they can be so easy!

Me