♥ Hump Day Humor ♥

♥ Tea on Tuesday: Chocolate Strawberry Torte ♥

Ingredients:
•5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
•3/4 cup butter, cubed
•1-1/2 cups sugar
•3 eggs
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1-1/2 cups water

STRAWBERRY FILLING:
•4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
•2 tablespoons sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE:
•3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
•1 tablespoon butter
•1 cup confectioners' sugar
•3 tablespoons water
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
•In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool. Transfer to a large bowl; beating sugar until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with water beating well after each addition.

• Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

• In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside. For glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla until smooth. Cool slightly.

• Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the whipped topping; drizzle with half of the glaze. Top with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: Country,  February/March 2002~~

♥ Busy Bee ♥

I seem to always be running behind. I don't know what my problem is. I suppose I pile too much "stuff" to do on my calendar and can't get it done. I suppose I need some "time management" classes, but who has the time for that? LOL

I have been busy as a bee making tea balls! I shared a week ago about the wholesale order I had going to Canada and thought I would share those with you. :)

Quite a few, wouldn't you say? :) And of course I had tea-themed earrings to make too.

Needless to say, I have been running behind in my Etsy shop, so I've been busy the last week making teaballs and the medical alert bracelets too. Not enough hours in the day! ;) It's a good problem to have!

 We'll be planting rose bushes this weekend so hopefully that will go well for us. ;)

Have a TEA-rrific weekend!

SHERI :-)

♥ My first Wholesale Order! ♥

I am feeling quite good today! I had a business owner in Canada email me about doing a wholesale order of my teaballs & earrings for her shop. Who me? Why, I'd be delighted to!

I was hoping, before our economy went south, to approach several tea shops in our area about my selling teaballs and tea-themed jewelry. Now there isn't one left within a 200 mile radius of me! So sad.

So I am anxiously awaiting my order of 50 teaballs to arrive so I can get started. It felt so humbling that someone would choose me from the few teaball'ers I've seen listing there. It was also exciting to get that bit of validation that I'm on the right path here. :)

So I'm choosing beads and charms and making the 10 pairs of earrings while I await the arrival of a big box of teaball infusers! ;) I just feel so happy and thankful I had to share my good news!

♥ Hump Day Humor ♥

♥ Easter Greetings! ♥

♥ Changes in the Air ♥

It's a cold, wet, rainy day. But I really can't complain. Days like today remind me of the little rhyme I learned as a child..."April showers bring May flowers". I can't help but smile when I think of that. I am blessed to live in a part of the U.S. that has 4 distinct seasons and I love each one for their differences.

We seem to have entered into our spring early this year and I see neighbors out planting flower already. It really is a no-no for our area because as my grandmother used to say, "no planting until after May 15th." We can still get frost and plants are really vunerable until after mid-May here.

We've decided to do a bit of gardening this year. We spent last weekend at Home Depot buying lumber and brackets to build containers for square-foot gardening (or raised beds). This seems a bit easier for two 'crippled folks'. Of course, I always laugh and say "I don't have a problem getting down on the ground, it's getting back up!" ;) Jeff wants to do a bit of "homesteading" since he's vegetarian now and we're spending so much on organic produce! So I'm sure I will be sharing our adventures as we garden this year. :)

I've been making my beaded teaballs for my etsy shop and have added some tea-themed earrings. I want to get back into my russian punch needle, but can't find the needle! Ho-hum. I guess it's "tucked away" somewhere since we moved last year. I finally broke down and ordered a new one so I can get started. Hopefully it will come in soon. I really miss doing the punch needle. I was selling it rather regularly on eBay and hope to get back there soon. So, let's see....gardening, jewelry-making, punch needle, still working full-time....I really need something else to do. LOL

I do feel like there are some changes coming soon. I had this feeling before I went back to school for deaf interpretation. It's really kind of hard to explain. I've been working alot more with the subject of "diversity" at work. I was elected to the board of the "Commission of Equal Opportunity and Diversity" at work last fall. I've certainly been interested from an ADA standpoint between my own handicap/mobility issues and working with the Deaf. Yesterday I spent the day at a Diversity and Inclusion Workshop and it was really an eye-opening experience.

I'm not sure where I am headed, or what the changes will be, but I do feel like there are some changes coming in my life with my work. It's kind of exciting to be standing on the brink, not sure where it's headed. Seasons bring changes, and there are always seasons in our life too. I can only embrace the changes and know that someone higher has the best plans for me. I just have to let go and accept it.

♥ Hump Day Humor ♥

♥ Tea on Tuesday: Peanut Butter Eggs ♥

I can't imagine Easter without these. :)

Ingredients:
•1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1 jar (17.3 ounces) creamy peanut butter
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar
•2 cups flaked coconut, optional
•6 cups (36 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
•1/3 cup shortening

Directions:•In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Stir in coconut if desired. Form rounded tablespoonfuls into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.

• In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening: stir until smooth. Dip eggs until coated; place on waxed paper to harden.

• For more decorative eggs, place about 1/4 cup melted chocolate in a small plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag; pipe chocolate over tops of eggs. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2002~~

♥ Hump Day Humor ♥

♥ Tea on Tuesday: Coconut Cream Eggs ♥

Yum! Coconut Cream Eggs for Easter! :)

Ingredients:•1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
•1 tablespoon butter, softened
•4 cups confectioners' sugar
•1 cup flaked coconut
•2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
•1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:•In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and coconut. Refrigerate for 1-1/2 hours or until easy to handle. Using hands dusted with confectioners' sugar, mold rounded tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture into egg shapes. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2 hours or until slightly firm.

• Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Remove eggs from the freezer a few at a time; dip into chocolate mixture until completely coated. Return to waxed paper; refrigerate until hardened. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 dozen.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: Taste of Home April/May 1999~~

♥ New Tea Infusers ♥

Yes, it's time to add more tea infusers to my Etsy shoppe! I have so many more to make, but wanted to share what I've done so far. I seem to not be the only one who loves owls. Everytime I add owls to my shoppe, they get snatched up quickly. It's a great problem to have. ;)
I have a terrible addiction to Farmville I must admit. And when I saw this adorable little black and white cow, I had to get him. I know plenty of Farmville addicts! ;)

Of course, you know I'm irish, so I have to always have a good supply of shamrocks on hand!

This is my favorite tea infuser of all times. It's just so dainty and elegant!

I'm not a frog lover, though I know people who do collect frog items. But I had to have this cute little guy! He reminds me of an amazon rainforest frog!

Hope you're having a wonderful TEA-rrific weekend!

Sheri :)

♥ Erin Go Braugh ♥

From our Irish home to yours...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥ Happy Friday! ♥

I have been watching this tree all week and today when I was leaving for work, I noticed all the pink blossoms had exploded over night! I'm not sure what type of tree this is. It has these delicate little blossoms in the spring and then has red maple-tree-looking leaves the rest of the year. At any rate, our weather has been rather crazy this winter and we are experiencing an early spring. I hope the frost doesn't get this tree! It brightens up the whole front yard and makes me think of sunshine-y days ahead!

Hope you're having a wonderful Friday and best wishes for the weekned!

Keep on crafting,
Sheri :)