Fall Has Arrived!

Autumn has arrived! My favorite time of year! We live on some acreage that basks in the glorious fall colors. We also have a breath taking view of Mt Hood which I will add some pictures of as the fall colors change! I've gotten underway with the decorating for Halloween! As I said earlier I normally start this around the 15th of September. I'm still working hard in between trying to get all my new products listed before October 1st. Soon I think I will be chained to my computer for several days! I did want to point out our Autumn Splendor Dinnerware Set that I have listed on my website. These are primitive folk art design by artist David Harden. This set is absolutely one of my favorites & it has been retired & very hard to find. It's been selling like hotcakes this season so get yours while you can!
On another note I've been having some retail therapy of my own! I'm really in to the vintage Halloween decor & have added to my collection! I found this wonderful Spooky Greetings Treat Chest at Hallmark that I bought for creepy critters & candy for the boys. We found a cut off hand at the store that is made of gummy so it is eatable but Mr. Ford & I can't stomach the thought of actually eating it. The treat box is also a talking one and makes this creaking noise when you open it! Very cool!

On Halloween I'm having a little get-together with family and friends before we venture out trick or treating! I bought a bunch of Wilton Halloween sprinkles in different Halloween shapes, ghosts, pumpkins, cats and colored sugar sprinkles to make decorated sugar cookies for everyone. I have also decided to make an attempt to make these Pull-Apart Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes that I found in Woman's World, October 20th, 2008 that I thought was really cute! Here's a picture:

Weekend Madness

The weekend is finally here & for most of us that usually means some time to rest... Not here. This weekend is the official canning peaches weekend! This year we bought more so who knows what wee hours in the morning will be working to. We are canning O' Henry peaches that we purchased from the Kimberly Fruit Company in Kimberly, Oregon. They are suppose to have the best tasting fruit around & I would have to agree! I decided to include a picture of the fruits of our labor for the year:
I found a wonderful recipe for Mr. Ford for canning his peaches since he needs to watch his sugar so I thought I would list it:

This recipe when compared to a full sugar version, has a 40% reduction in calories, 45% reduction in total carbohydrates and a 50% reduction in sugar.

Fresh Canned Summer Peaches
3 quarts fresh peaches2 quarts boiling water 2 quarts ice water 1/2 teaspoon citric acid* (or 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.

Light Syrup:4 cups water, 2 cups SPLENDA® Granular

Special Equipment Needed: large canning pot with rack for jars, one-quart size canning jars, two part canning lids **
Select firm, fragrant ripe peaches without any blemishes or green spots. Ripe peaches should give slightly to palm pressure when checking for ripeness.
Slice peaches in half and remove pits. Set aside. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Dissolve citric acid in ice water (or mix lemon juice with ice water) Set aside.
Drop peach halves into the pot of boiling water. Leave peaches in the water for approximately 30 seconds or until the skin easily peels away. Remove peaches from boiling water using tongs and submerge in the ice water until cool enough to handle (approximately 30 to 45 seconds). Peel peaches. Place peach halves in sterilized quart-sized canning jars.
Make Light Syrup. Mix 4 cups water and 2 cups SPLENDA® Granular in a medium-sized saucepan. Simmer over medium high heat.
Pour hot syrup over peaches, leaving 1-inch of headroom. Wipe jar rims clean, ensuring that there are no peach or syrup remnants on them. Firmly seal jars with two-part lids after cleaning.
Process in a boiling water bath (212°F) in a canning pot for 30 minutes. Jars must be completely covered and submerged by at least 1-inch of water. Remove with tongs and set aside to cool.
Makes 3 quarts.
*Citric acid prevents discoloration of fruit. Lemon juice can be substituted but is not as effective and sometimes adds a lemon flavor to the peaches. Citric acid is available in grocery stores and farm and home centers as well as many large retailers (seasonally).
**Canning pots and lids are available at a wide variety of retail outlets including grocery stores (seasonally) and farm and home centers.
Canning Fruit with SPLENDA® Granular Serves: Fruit canned with SPLENDA® Granular is best using a light syrup (ratio=4 cups water: 2 cups SPLENDA® Granular). Heavier syrups tend to get too sweet.
Note: This Recipe is only a canning guideline. Please refer to local sources and canning jar manufacturer specifications for details about canning at your altitude and in your region.Nutrients Per Serving: Serving size: 5-ouncesTotal Calories 50, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 0 mg, Total Carbohydrate 14 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 10 g, Protein 0 g.
Exchanges Per Serving: 1 fruit.
Recipe courtesy of Splenda, Inc. Splenda® is a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar that is suitable for diabetics. For more information regarding this product, please call 1-800-777-5363 or visit their website at http://www.splenda.com/.

I started putting up my fall & Halloween decor about the first week in September. Mr Ford thinks I'm absolutely crazy! If I had my way it would be Christmas year round! I have slowly convinced him that I need a year round tree to cover all the holidays throughout the year. I told him it was for the sake of pictures of new products... On another level I really confused our grand-son Tyler when I pulled out a Halloween costume catalog. He was ready to go trick or treating right then! Very cute!

Official Launch

Hello & welcome to Sweetheart's Nest News Blog! Our
names are Linda & Nathan and we are thrilled you found us! We have been really busy creating our new website. the official launch date is October 1st, 2009!
Those of you that already know us, may know that our old site has had its fair share of problems. We have decided to part ways with our web designer/host. He was unable to give it the attention that it required & in his journey has decided to serve the Lord full-time. We wish him the best of luck and send him off with our gratitude for the work he did for us. We are pleased to offer a new and exciting site with a gorgeous new design and greater functionality for our loyal existing and future customers! We would like to extend a very special thank you to, two very talented artist's, Victoria & Vickie whose combined efforts helped create all of the beautiful new graphics for us. They have both have gone above & beyond with their dedication & continued support! We created this blog as a means for you to learn more about us. We would love the opportunity to share the news with you about new product arrivals and upcoming events!