marie-madeline studio

Oops, the winner!

It was an oops moment for us when our Nanny informed us via phone that we had yet to announce the winner of our Liberty + trim giveaway!  So sorry 'bout that.... 

Congratulations, Garilyn!!  Please send us your mailing address and we'll get your goodies out to you as soon as possible! 

Garilyn said that one of the things she was most looking forward to about the warmer weather was the opportunity to get out the flip flops.  We can completely sympathize!  In fact, here's a quick run on what we are looking forward to this spring and summer ----

Kristie ~ Not being cold, going outside without a coat, and going home to Indiana

Apphia ~Wearing white and spending time in the water

Achaia ~ Light summer dresses, swimming, and vacation (seeing my best friend too!)

Abigail ~ Warm sunshine and swimming

Abiah ~ Swimming, Indiana vacation, and short sleeves

It's important to think that warm weather isn't that far away, especially since it's gray and rainy here.  We're working in the studio this afternoon, with plans for a spinach enchilada supper.  We've never made them before, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out.  Anyone up for spinach enchiladas?  We are serving them with restaurant rice that way if they don't taste so great we can kill the taste with rice.  Or, if they completely flop we could always just eat rice.

Congratulations again, Garilyn, and don't forget to write us!

xox Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, and Abiah

Pie Breakfast Perfection

Mom has fond childhood memories of going to visit her grandmother in the hills of Southern Kentucky.  They would stay for the weekend, climb steep stairs to sleep in the attic, and eat orange slices & circus peanuts out of a glass rooster dish.  Grandma was a cooking master -- she never measured the ingredients for her to-die-for biscuits.  She also would make fried pies... homemade biscuit dough, dried apples, and a pinch of cinnamon.  They would stay on the counter all day, covered with a flour sack dishtowel so you could snack on them throughout the day. 

None of us ever got to know our Great-Grandmother (she died in the early 80s), but we love the memories Mom has of her.  In fact, we now get the pleasure of having her old meal-chest in our dining room, the same meal chest she'd stand over and knead her dough on.  One drawer was full of flour and the top had linoleum on it. 

We now make our own version of Grandma's Fried Pies, and we wanted to share it with you.  In true Grandma fashion we're not giving you any measurements --- just use your own good sense.  They are absolutely delicious for breakfast with a glass of cold milk.   

Grandma's Fried Pies

-Refrigerated Grands Bicuits

-Regular Applesauce (we like the kind with no sugar added)

-Cinnamon & Sugar

Seperate biscuits.  Take one biscuit and roll out into a round flat dough (you'll need some flour on the counter to prevent sticking).

Spoon some applesauce onto half of your dough, leaving space on the sides for sealing.  You really don't have to overfill them.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to taste.  (We usually move our dough to the lightly sprayed cookie sheet before putting the filling in, but you can do whatever suits you.)

Fold other side of dough over and seal by taking a fork and pushing down.

Continue with the rest of your biscuits.

Pop into the oven and bake at 350 degrees.  We cook them for about 15 minutes, then check with a toothpick for doneness.  They might need cooked a few more minutes. 

Happy Eating! We think Grandma would be proud --- even if we don't use made from scratch dough.

Hugs and kisses,

xox us

Playing Around.

Please forgive the fact that we haven't been talking lately.  Nanny arrived last Wednesday, and as usual, that always makes for lots of fun!  After picking Nan up at the airport we hit a local antique store for a couple of hours, and then went to eat at Chic-Fil-A.  Thursday consisted of messing around here, Friday Nan and we girls went shopping at Macy's and ran some other errands.  We finished the day with the mandatory movies and pizza (we loaded Nan up with Mountain Dew so she could watch everything....).  On Saturday all the boys were out working so we took the liberty of spending some fun time letting Apphia do make-overs on all of us (above).  We did make a little bit of time for some house cleaning.  

Today is scheduled for work on new patterns (!), possibly some closet cleaning, sewing, and other odds and ends that need to be done here in the studio.  We have to work hard too, because tomorrow is slated for deep dish pizzas (a new favorite recipe), snacks, and an afternoon movie.  It will probably be The Sound Of Music....

We'll plan on sharing more soon!

Happy Monday to all of you (and special hugs and kisses to you, Paps, if you're reading!!)

xoxo Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, Abiah & Nanny

Long Weekend Getaway

This past week we had the opportunity to make a trip down to Texas, spend a long weekend with our best friends and attend the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival for a day!!  It was somewhat spur of the moment (we decided to go last Sunday, ran errands Monday, packed Tuesday, and left Wednesday).  If you follow our Instagram you probably got to see some pictures from our trip!

The day spent at the Festival was wonderful (it was our first time attending).  Some of our friends came with us so in between watching movies and listening to some wonderful speakers we ate at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk (first picture above) and were serenaded by a mariachi band.

The rest of our long weekend was filled with late nights (we stayed up til after 1 o'clock every night except one), playing games --- which was too hilarious, watching a couple of movies, worshipping together on Sunday, singing, visiting a couple of antique shops, and cooking together.  We talked and laughed the entire time, and are so grateful to our best friends for putting up with us!! 

We got home last night to a cold Missouri and a few snowflakes.  Now it's back to work.  So, how have you been??

xoxo! Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, and Abiah

They Taste Better Red.

We didn't mean to be gone for so long!  Things got crazy around here (surprise) and there's been days we've been catching ourselves coming and going....

Have any of you ever had pasta from TJMaxx?  We know that made sound strange (it kinda did to us when a friend recommended it), but it really is our favorite place to buy pasta now.  They have brands straight of Italy, so you know it's extra yummy.  Now whenever we have a spare moment when out running errands we run in to TJMaxx to check their pasta selection.  On Thursday when we went we got a little carried away with the other foodie things they have.  Some truffles for Dad, chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles, and Belgian chocolate covered Oreos (the boys ate most of those).  And, last but not least, we found two mixes for Red Velvet Cupcakes.  They were on the $2/apiece sale rack, and since we've never had them we opted to give them a go.  Especially since Dad has fond memories of growing up with red cake, and we've eaten cupcakes our entire lives (they are always a good, cute party choice).

On Monday we made them up.  Monday night after supper Dad ate three in one sitting.  Need I say more?  They seem to have gone over big.  The red makes them taste better too, right?  The only thing we did differently is the mix box gave you a recipe for cream cheese frosting, and since we aren't cream cheese frosting eaters we chose a tried-and-true Taste of Home Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe.  Alls well that ends well!  Now that everyone seems taken with them, I went searching for my own from scratch recipe to use next time.  I think I'll try this one.... minus the cream cheese frosting of course. 

Happy Wednesday... back to work....

xoxo the Long ladies

Bake Days

We took two days "off" last week to do our annual baking.  As usual, we ate waaaay too much cookie dough (we weren't even hungry at meal time), listened to Christmas music non-stop, and got flour on everything.

Have you done your baking yet??  And, (of course) what are you making?

Hugs and kisses from us! xox Kristie, Apphia, Achaia, Abigail, & Abiah

Guacamole Burgers - Austin Style

A couple of weeks ago Dad was telling us how he remembered eating these delicious Guacamole burgers back in the late 70s - early 80s at a place called "Hamburger Hill" in Oak Hill, Texas.  Then it dawned on us.... why not make them ourselves?  So we used our favorite Gaucamole Dip recipe to make our own.  They were absolutely delicious, and we have a feeling they are going to become a staple!  Which is great, since we make lots of guacamole dip to go with Mexican food, which we seem to manage eating about 2-3 times a week.  Now, on to how to make your own fantastic burger.... enjoy!!

xx the Long ladies

 

Mexican Burgers - Austin Style

• Guacamole Dip - recipe below
• lettuce
• pico de gallo - optional, but delicious
  
• cooked meat patty with cheese (cooked like you would for a regular burger)
  
• toasted hamburger bun

Slather a layer of guacamole dip on both top and bottom of toasted bun (can add more as your taste desires).  Starting at bottom of bun, layer as follows: meat patty with melted cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo.  Put on bun top.  Eat with french fries and Mexican coke.

Guacamole Dip

• 2 large avocados, peeled & pitted
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (can also use lime juice)
• 2 tablespoons grated onion with juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce - we use tobasco
• black pepper

Place avocados in medium bowl; mash coarsely with fork.  Stir in tomato, lemon juice, onion, salt, and pepper sauce; mix well.  Add black pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.  Makes 2 cups.

A Fabulous Friday

{kristie's picks}

1. vintage tablecloths... and this is one of my favorites!

2. Treasure Mart

3. Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars --- tonight's dessert!

4. ruby red glass

{apphia's picks}

1. I love this gray tee with a sweet peter pan collar

2. new favorite snack --- vanilla Greek yogurt

3. so very, very true

4. the dress I'm hoping to sew for myself (in black wool)

{abigail's picks}

1. vanilla wafer cookies

2. amazon.com gift cards.  My go-to birthday pick!

3. polka dot chambray + red = fantastic!

4. sweet as sweet can be

{achaia's picks}

1. I love this outfit... patterned tights are the best!

2. a clean, organized closet

3. signet rings

4. Steve McQueen and his son --- absolutely, adorable

{abiah's picks}

1. an adorable mug that my best friend painted for me.  It happily sits on my dresser and corrals all my lip gloss.

2. doing my hair in a top knot!

3. a hotel in Greece... I'd LOVE to go there!

4. peplum tops!!!

 

Alright, now, everyone, for our own enjoyment, please tell us ONE thing you've been loving recently.

Happy Friday~  xox KAAAA

Mulberry try-out

This week, along with doing some deep cleaning in the studio, laundry, hauling a bit of hay, filling orders and other assorted things, Abiah and I made a mulberry pie.  It was our first ever, and Abiah can take all the credit for the pretty lattice top (it was her first time ever making anything other than a simple top crust too!). 

Some of the men in our family are really big on picking berries on our land, and wanting us to make something with them.  Last summer was blackberries.  Well, we tried a blackberry pie, but that didn't go over real big.  Considering the fact that out of four men only one of them ate almost the entire pie because nobody else would eat it.

Well, I had a thought that our mulberry pie might bomb too.  But.... it didn't!  It was actually very tasty (if I do say so myself).  In fact, as evidence from the top picture, we ate almost 1/2 the pie in one sitting.  Success!

We hope you're enjoying what you're eating, wherever you are!

xox! Achaia & Abiah

PS... We forgot to mention that Artful Homemaking is hosting a giveaway for one of our patterns + fabric! xx

A Fabulous Friday

Here's what we've been loving!  How 'bout YOU??? xox the Long ladies

{achaia's picks}

1. suitcases piled high (the higher the better!)

2. my new sweater... I can't wait to get it in the mail

3. Frank Sinatra

4. Oxfords - anyway you cut them, they're fabulous

{abiah's picks}

1. braids in my hair...

2. good food

3. my new maxi skirt from Boden!

4. dancing

{kristie's picks}

 

1. buttons, buttons, and more buttons

2. Cath Kidston fabrics

3. one of my favorite movies

4. a bit of humor

{apphia's picks}

1. the perfectly happy pink cardigan

2. cutest ponytail ever

3. maybe someday...

4. I've got to try these

{abigail's picks}

1. love this combination!

2. my new tee

3. the bunting that Abiah & I made for our room.  We love the word LOVE.

4. our littlest friends