This week I get to play in dirt

I'm concentrating on changes to my landscaping, while the deck project moves ahead. In 2000 we built four large raised beds where I grew a bounty of veggies & herbs. Now this area is shaded by the 2-story TreeHouse and my veggie garden will be elsewhere. The wood enclosing those beds looked black & grungy, covered with 13 years worth of dirt & mold.

Enter my favorite water toy...the pressure-washer. I'm constantly amazed at what you can accomplish with plain water under pressure. Now the boards are clean again and look almost new...plus it soothes my instant gratification soul. 

I discovered a forgotten flat of light green coleus I bought months ago at Lowe's bargain table. They were small & weak at the time, but for $2 I thought they might have a chance planted under my towering palms. I promptly forgot they were there, hidden behind a loveseat, until a flash of lime green recently caught my eye. With all of the rain we've had, and my benign neglect, they turned  into healthy flowering specimens. They'll be transplanted to their forever dirt homes later this week.

The mangoes are almost ready to begin picking, but the crop is very limited this year. That means I'll be making jam soon, but I won't have any fruit to sell, as I have in past years. Sorry.

Here's what the view looks like from the enclosed deck. New sliding acrylic windows & screens have been framed in above the existing railing. The bottom section used to have rabbit wire as a barrier; now replaced with 1/4" polycarbonate, it gives the illusion of no glass at all. I love it and can't wait to hang out there and read a book, surrounded by the trees.

Big "thanks" to all of my wonderful taste testers who tried last week's Prune Danish (above) and gave me feedback. Based on the enthusiastic response, the pastry will appear in the future with a variety of fillings.

This weekend is the August ArtWalk in the Village of the Arts. I'll be open Friday & Saturday from 11-4 for you to pick-up orders, as well as hosting my ongoing
                     ESTATE SALE (but I'm not dead yet) 
consisting of things I've amassed over the years but no longer need, from measuring spoons to furniture. New items added each week as I continue to unpack.

Because I'm trying to juggle a lot of things, I have a limited baking schedule this week.

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Dark Chocolate Walnut, 

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Milk Chocolate       

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies   $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds & chocolate chips. Available in a plain brown bag if you don't intend to share them with others.

My Favorite Challah   $4.50/loaf 

The Jewish answer to brioche...golden soft crumb, mahogany exterior, fabulous for French toast

                    Order by 5pm Wed for pick-up Fri or Sat

                                                    most items in limited supply

TO PLACE AN ORDER call me at (941) 746-6647   or

 email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  by 5 pm WEDNESDAY 

 Pay by cash or local check made out to Bonni Brown

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

 in The Village of the Arts  

at former BONNI BAKES building 930 12 St W

FRIDAY or SATURDAY from 11 - 4  

 

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

Finally I see a light at the end of my tunnel

Many of my projects are beginning to wind down and I've starting unpacking & displaying the items for sale from my personal collection, like these baskets starting at .50 cents.

There are a few pieces of antique furniture that I've lived with all of my life. Whoops, that must make me an "antique" too!

This piece was always in our dining room; the shelves filled with colorful china, linens in the drawers and the home office in the fold down desk w/cubby holes.

My parents bought this classic wicker bassinet in 1939 in preparation for the much anticipated birth of my brother. From there it provided a temporary home to me, my cousins, children, grandchildren & friends. In the 1950's my Dad modernized the original wheels with new "buggy" wheels. Because all the babies who called it home for a few months were passive residents, it remains basically in its original condition. The ecru cotton bed throw was hand crocheted by my Mom's cousin in the '40s. 

My Dad proposed to my Mom over coffee and cherry pie at the Automat in 1936. Being a true romantic, he sealed the deal with a unique engagement present. No diamond ring for her, instead she unwrapped a Singer Featherweight sewing machine & table. Although they didn't fit on her finger, she treasured them. I do too and have used them since I was a kid.  My Aunt Gert got a Featherweight too, pictured above. Since I can only use one, this classic has to go. I understand quilters love it for the straight stitches it makes. I've always loved that I can easily keep it in its box in a closet & pull it out whenever I need it. I've even been known to sew on kitchen countertops.

A few weeks ago I cancelled my Verizon FIOS service. For just tv & internet it was costing over $100 a month. I'm not a big tv viewer, so it didn't make sense. Instead, with the capable help of my son, I spent $100 to buy the little Apple TV unit pictured above. It connects my TV to the internet (BrightHouse $30/mo for 6 months). By subscribing to Netflix ($8/mo) I can see unlimited movies & past tv shows. Now I'm addicted to Arrested Development. 

In order to view TV stations I bought the enhanced Leaf Antenna($75) which is the size of a sheet of paper & can be placed or hung anywhere. I'm receiving over 30 channels, including the major affiliates & many PBS stations, for FREE. It's enough to make me happy.

I was going to buy the regular Leaf ($35) for my bedroom tv, but first tried the antenna that Mike built a few years ago for $11 in materials. Amazingly, it works almost as well as the Leaf. You can find directions & see videos of how to build one on the web.

Here are the items I'm baking this week:

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Dark Chocolate Walnut, 

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Milk Chocolate       

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin  $2/each

A match made in heaven...a yummy banana muffin with gooey pockets of chocolate throughout

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pastry  $3/slice

A Cheese Danish in loaf form, enrobing a fabulous fresh blueberry filling

Minorcan Multi-Grain Bread  (VEGAN) $4.50/loaf 

The perfect loaf for a hearty sandwich, but fabulous when toasted so all of those seeds come alive

         Order by 5pm Wed for pick-up Fri or Sat

                        most items in limited supply

TO PLACE AN ORDER call me at (941) 746-6647   or

 email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  by 5 pm WEDNESDAY 

 Pay by cash or local check made out to Bonni Brown

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

 in The Village of the Arts  

at former BONNI BAKES building 930 12 St W

FRIDAY or SATURDAY from 11 - 4  

 

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

This week is a balancing act

Saturday I had the joy of attending Maya's Masquerade 16th Birthday Ball. It was a beautiful affair and reconnected me with wearing heels, bright pulsating lights, Cumbia music & the under 20 crowd. A true break from my project driven reality this summer.

Two sides of the deck have their window tracks installed and I'm adjusting to looking out through screening. The acrylic windows are there too, but their protective blue plastic is still in place. Next will be replacing the wire below with clear plexiglass.

For the first time in ages the temperature is a little cooler and there's less humidity. I took advantage of it by turning off the a/c & opening every door & window. I think the bugs are put off by my new screens because I haven't seen any flying inside so far. But the daily rain is still never-ending. Weeds that were hand pulled a week ago are back, and almost a foot high...in one week! Hard to stay ahead of them and get anything else done, so I just have to focus my gaze elsewhere these days.

I had Florida Power & Light (FPL) send a representative to do a free energy survey in the former Bonni Bakes building. Based on the amount of insulation you have, they can give you a voucher (up to $300) to install more. This was a no-brainer for me because that wonderful 103 year old building hasn't got a shred. The visit was brief and I qualified for the maximum amount. Installation of attic insulation is at the top of my list. There's more information on their website.

Cooks Illustrated has a video on how to cook perfect hard boiled eggs. The method is very simple and the results were foolproof. Just look at my eggs above.

Place the eggs in the bottom of a tall saucepan in one layer. Cover with cold water one inch above the eggs. Bring to a rolling boil; remove from heat; cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove eggs, gently crack all over, and put in an ice bath for 5 minutes. They are then ready to peel. Start at the rounded top part of the egg where an air bubble is located. They were delicate in flavor; the yolk was creamy not chalky; the white was supple not rubbery, and there was no sign of a green ring. It's my new preferred method. Yum yum!!

I'll be baking a few things this week, as I try to balance time in the kitchen with time unpacking items for sale. I'm also preparing to put the former Bonni Bakes building up for rent. As usual, this is all taking much longer than I thought. 

on the menu this week:

Big Cookies   $1.50/each

Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors:

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Dark Chocolate Walnut, 

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Pecan Coconut Milk Chocolate       

Kalamata Feta Breadstix  $4/pkg

Roast Garlic Blue Cheese Breadstix  $4/pkg
Crisp, hand-made sticks bursting with flavor. Delicious paired with an appetizer, soup, salad or cocktail

Cranberry Orange Muffin  $2/each

One of my most requested muffins, made with plump fresh cranberries and Florida oranges

Outrageous Brownie w/Chocolate Chips  $2/each

A chocoholic's delight...fudgy and intensely chocolate, studded with chocolate chips  (NO NUTS)

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread  $5/loaf
A soft loaf with a tunnel of cinnamon sugar and lots of plump dark raisins, makes great French toast too

                 Pre-order by 5pm Wed for pickup Fri or Sat   

           Order early, most items in limited supply

TO PLACE AN ORDER call me at (941) 746-6647   or

 email  bonnibakes@gmail.com  by 5 pm WEDNESDAY 

 Pay by cash or local check made out to Bonni Brown

PICK UP YOUR ORDER

 in The Village of the Arts  

at former BONNI BAKES building 930 12 St W

FRIDAY or SATURDAY from 11 - 4  

 

 Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

The impossible happened...

instead of having to wait 2-3 weeks for my new acrylic windows to be made-to-order, they're arriving tomorrow,  just a week after the order went in! That means that Howard will start to enclose my outside deck this week.

All of my plans have to be put on hold because my primary focus will be on enclosing the deck. 

Jo-Ellen Gorris continues to make great progress painting the murals that will become the backdrop of my outdoor room. As you can see above, the Fairie Tree & assorted inhabitants are beginning to jump off the canvas.

The French doors leading out to the deck are being given a fresh coat of orange paint and most of the furniture has been removed and is for sale.

You can see the set of 3 wicker chairs (with new outdoor cushions) & glass-topped side table, on the porch at 930  12th St West (former Bonni Bakes building). They're comfortable but have seen better days. $35

Three piece matching set of desk, low chest & bookshelf by Henry Link for Lexington. The classic look of white wicker is at home in a bedroom, office or living room. Very solid & made of wood, not pressed board. $135.

I'll be open this Friday & Saturday from 11am-4pm. 

I'll also have some homemade BAKED GOODS but don't know what they'll be at this time, so no ordering.

Call for more information or directions.

Bonni Brown

in the Village of the Arts

930 12th Street West

Bradenton, FL  34205

(941) 746-6647

bonnibakes@gmail.com

Independence Day 2013 for me & the country

I'm trying something new...that's probably what should be inscribed on my tombstone. This time it's embracing the magic experiment of having a 2 month POP-UP SHOP July & Aug that will allow me to live out my fantasy of handing over "things" I've loved to people who will love them into the future. In addition, I'll have a variety of my BONNI BAKES home-baked goodies available. Next week you'll also be able to pre-order goodies for pick-up on Fri & Sat in the Village. 

All this takes place in the 1910 building that Rea & I bought in 1999 and transformed into the first business in the Village of the Arts...BONNI BAKES. After 13 years I've finally seen those beautiful heart pine floors come alive after being sanded & coated with clear poly. I've been worse than an overbearing Mama, not letting anyone walk on the beautiful "new" floors, but soon those rooms will be filled with my personal stash of antique furniture,  kitchenware, Spanish dishes, pharmacy collectibles and more. It's time for me to down-size, sell off the things I no longer have room for, and consider who I'll rent this building to.

I'll "open" the former BONNI BAKES building at 930 12th St West for the July Village of the Arts ArtWalk this Friday night 6-9:30pm and Saturday 11-4pm. I won't have many of my objects for sale because the never-ending rain has impeded my progress. Please give me another week & the building will be filled with my personal collection and ready for shoppers. I'll post pictures on this blog as I add new items.

This Friday & Saturday , July 5th & 6,th I'll have a modest assortment of baked goods available...the MENU is listed below. If you'd like to reserve anything, just send me an email at bonnibakes@gmail.com.

Hope to see you this weekend, if not HAVE A HAPPY FOURTH!

Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni

These MENU items are available this week:

Chocolate Orgasm Cookies
Kalamata Feta Oregano Breadstix
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Outrageous Brownies
Cookies:  Choc Chip; Oatmeal Raisin; Orange Choc Chunk;
Peanut Butter Choc Chip; Lemon Choc Chunk