Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Unique Gift for Teacher

Welcome back!!   I haven't had time to do much creating in the last month, but I did make some fun teachers gifts.  I made several varieties of apples in trying to keep with the tradition of bringing your teacher an apple.
Suprisingly enough, all these apples in the photo above are based off of actual apple varieties. I spent a lot of time scouring images of different apple varieties, and found some very pretty apples.  Each tiny apple is hand painted in layers of color then I finish them with a glossy glaze to achieve a glass like look.

This is my replica of the Black Arkansas Apple.  The Black Arkansas Apple is shaped a lot like a plum, it is much rounder than the apples you normally see.  These apples are usually picked when they are a deep crimson red, almost burgandy, and they darken to a deep purple to black as you store them.  It is believed that they were cultivated in Arkansas in the 1840s by a man named John Crawford.  It is usually a apple that is stored, and gets better as it ages.  It is said to have yellow flesh, and is sweet and tart like a dessert apple.   The flavor is known for being complex and has honey and almond undertones.   
This pretty apple is the Ginger Gold Apple.  In 1969 Hurricane Camille left Nelson County, Virginia flooded. Clyde and Francis "Ginger" Harvey's orchards were devastated, and while trying to recover what trees they had left, they discovered one tree that was different then the others.  The Ginger Gold is a rounder shaped apple, that varies from a pale golden apple with a pink blush, to a rich golden color.  The flesh is a cream color, and the apple has a mild flavor with a tart finish.  The Ginger Gold is used a lot in making apple pie.   The Ginger Gold was the offspring of Golden Delicious, Albemarle Pippin, and an unknown apple.
The Jazz Apple has the more familiar enlongated apple shape.  It is a very golden yellow color, with a rich orange rusty colored blush that darkens to red with age.  The Jazz apple was cultivated in 1985 in New Zealand.  They are a cross between Gala and Breaburn apples.  They are sweet, and a densed fleshed apple that are great for eating fresh, or baking in pies.
 The Granny Smith Apple was cultivated in 1868 by Maria Ann Smith in Australia.  The Granny Smith is an enlongated apple shape that contains pretty bright green an yellow colorations.  The Granny Smith is actually the only apple I am familair with on this list.  I have had the on many occasions, alone, and in candy apples. 
Yumm!!
These Duchess Apples have a very water color feel, to an extent they all do, but these really do.  The duchess apple has the familair apple shape.  They ripen in a very stricking way though.  They are a pretty yellow green, then as time goes by pinks and red start appearing around the middle of the apple leaving the shoulders green.  The Duchess Apple is believed to come from Russia in the early 18th century.  These apples are often used in making apple pie. 
The Viking Apple is a beautiful crimson red apple sometimes containing burgandy tones with an enlongated apple shape.  This apple was introduced in 1969, on the east coast of the United States, and is used mostly for making pies.  It is known to have tart white flesh.

The Pink Pearl Apple  is a pink fleshed apple.  The skin is a creamy translucent color, The pink flesh can add pink tones to the outside of the apple from the inside.  The apple was developed in 1944 by Albert Etter in northern California.  I read somewhere that they make a fun pink applesauce.
This fun apple is the Maiden Blush Apple.  The Maiden Blush originated from New York in 1817.  This cutey caught my eye because of its donut shape, and fun coloration.  Most of the images I came across of this little cutie were green on one side pink on the other. 
I hope you enjoyed this little Apple Collection, it is seasonal and will only be offered a couple of times a year.

The Contestis still running as usual.  We are just finishing the Fall foods which will appear in my next blog.  Now feel free to start making your Holiday food suggestions :) in the comment section of the blog

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Welcoming Fall

  Fall is here, and living in sunny southern California the seasonal changes are far more subtle than most other places.  The weather is starting to get a little colder, and with Halloween practically here, I am starting to think about the fast approaching holiday season.  Thank you all who stop by my blog, I love reading your suggestions for the monthly contest!
  My newest items can be found in my Etsy shop. I am not finished making Fall foods for the store, so make sure to keep making suggestions for Fall themed foods, check back in see if your suggestions won.  So far pecan pie, a gravy boat, pumpkin pie, a turkey dinner plate, and a roasted turkey are the only suggestions taken up. We have 2 new winners  candy apples, and carmel apples.  You know the drill:) if you won, email me your address at sweetandsavorytrinkets@yahoo.com 

My miniature carmel apples are granny smith apples dipped in a rich (sparkly) carmel sauce . I added a little gold and copper sparkle to these guys to for the holidays.  They come in charms, earrings, and I can even make them into stitch markers. 

The candy apples are made with tiny claygranny smith apples, and is dipped in a rich red (sparkly) red candy coating.  The sparkles I have added look so pretty in person, they catch more light than the photos show.  The color reminds me of the shimmery deep red corvette colors from forever ago :)
I haven't made my wonderful turkeys/ dinner plates yet, but here are my pumpkin pie slices :).   The coloring and texture on top and in the pie filling is actually real pumpkin pie spices.  

For those of you that are new thank you for stopping by the blog!  I have a running contest, every month I choose a new theme, and ask you to make food suggestions that go with the theme.  If I make your suggestion, you win your suggestion as a charm:).  Leave your suggestions in the comment section of the blog.  Right now the theme is Fall
Rules:
1 Try to make sure that you look over the suggestions that have been made, so you don't duplicate a suggestion.

2  Make up to one suggestion per day. 
 
In total I have donated 175.00 from sales since the big quake in Japan.  We have donated to the Japan earthquake/ tsunami relief, the New Zealand Quake, and the midwest U.S. tornado storm relief.
Here is the link of our charity page.