cheese bags

We are absolutely in love with these new cheese bags from France now in the shop!
As the back of the box explains, "Proper storage of your cheese preserves the purity of its flavor while extending its shelf life.  Our premium cheese storage bags stimulate the environment of a cheese cave, where cheeses are traditionally aged.  While conventional plastic wrap suffocates cheese, our unique material allows cheese to breathe while maintaining optimal humidity with the simplicity of an easy to use bag.
The result is cheese that stays fresh, longer."

They are so useful and quite adorable, as well (we are all about the packaging!).  Grab a box for yourself and pick one up for the next time you need that unique hostess gift.  Pair it with some yummy cheese and a bottle of wine and that hard-to-buy-for-person in your life will adore it!

i just love paper goods

Let's all get back to the good old days of journalling and letter writing.  There is really nothing better than receiving a personal letter in the mail or looking back on handwritten notes in an old journal.

The Willows is here to help you throw it back to simpler days...

Stop in to buy a little something for your desk at home or gift some of these treasures to someone special.  

I bet you would get the coolest thank you note in return :)

lucky number 7

Once again, my odd collection of things I pick up here and there comes in handy!

My grandson turned seven a couple weeks ago, so I threw together this jar of goodies for him and tied on the "7" card I had laying around my craft room.  

Happy Number 7, sweet boy!

two more babies on the way...

Our 20th and 21st grandbabies are due this summer and we couldn't be more excited to meet these two little lovely girls!  So fun that they are both having girls and these two little cousins will be able to grow up being such sweet little pals.  I was in my craft room a couple weeks ago and came across my pile of Shabby Chic samples that I've saved since we first opened the store almost 18 years ago!  I knew they would come in handy eventually :)  I decided to make some simple little zipper pouches for the two mamas-to-be.  Perfect for some diapers and wipes.  I love the way they turned out with the bright turqouise zipper!   

Stay tuned for baby news!

Should I be worried I have a problem, that I saved these for 18 years...

Both these lovely mamas have their own blogs, also.

Christine at Simple Pleasures

Mary Brigid at A Thing of Beauty

a happy package, a happy customer and a delicious recipe

The weekend is almost here!  This week I got the happiest package in the mail from my daughter Emily, who, I have mentioned, is spending the semester in Belgium.  She has been a little homesick lately, so head over to her blog, look at all the fun she is having and the beautiful pictures she is taking and give her some words of encouragement!  She will be home before she knows it and it will have been such an amazing experience!  We sure do miss her though!  She sent us a fun package full of all sorts of yummy Belgium treats... (and a sweet little note, too!)

And then, there are little notes like this that make you love your job 

and appreciate all the wonderful people you get to meet along the way...

And, finally, back to those cookies we teased you with at the beginning of the post...

My other daughter, Christine, likes to spoil the Willows and our customers with her delicious baked goods.  She just brought us some amazing Oatmeal Whoopie Pies and people have been drooling over them and asking for the recipe.  Thought we would pass it along and give you something yummy to bake over the weekend!  Let us know if you try them!

For the cookies (makes about 3 dozen):

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 1/4 cups butter, softened

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

For the filling:

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 egg whites

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 3 sticks of salted butter, softened

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION:  

Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan, the right size to hold your mixing bowl on top.  Bring back down to a simmer.  Combine egg whites and sugar in stainless mixing bowl.  Whisking continuously, and at a good pace, place bowl on top of simmering pan of water.  Bowl should not be touching water.  Continue whisking until egg whites reach 170 in temp or appear very white and are hot to the touch.  Remove bowl and place on mixer.  With whisk attachment, slowly bring up to high speed and let go for several minutes until the mixture appears stiff and shiny.  Let cool in bowl.  Slowly add bits of butter with mixer on medium, about one tablespoon at a time.  Finally add vanilla extract.  Should look like pretty whip cream with a thick consistency.  It if is too liquidy, you may place it in the fridge or freezer to cool off a few minutes and then back on the mixer to re-whip! Use to ice a cake, fill  your whoopie pie cookies, or your macarons.  Enjoy!

We hope you have a happy weekend!  

a baby shower

While my son Alex and his wife Mary were in town over the weekend, we had a little baby shower for them as they are expecting their first baby this June.  I made a miniature rack and hung it with some baby clothes and asked our guests to bring books wrapped in brown paper to shower the sweet babe of these two English majors.  It was a lovely party with lots of friends and family.
We love you Al and Mary and sweet baby Evangeline! 

making baby presents

My son Peter made this adorable little hanging rack for his daughter last year, so I thought I would try and put one together for grandbaby number 20, while her parents were in town from Chicago (she is due in June!).  I picked up the pieces I needed from Home Depot (I may have had to climb a shelf to get what I needed when no one wanted to help me...) and picked up some paint from Rust and Roses.  We made the whole thing in one short afternoon and I love the way it turned out.  The only thing left is to add the little mini casters to the bottom of it.  

I just love the stripes!

when life gives you lemons...

Make lemonade!

Come check out all our lovely glasses and this wonderful new book "Homemade Summer" to start your spring and summer off right!

why i can't pass up old junk boxes

Because I always have some little guy in my life that needs one!

They make a great birthday present for boys and you can fill them with whatever you like!

My go-to: hot wheels.  I've never met a little boy who didn't love playing cars.

our holiday party

Once again for Christmas, we had our adult holiday dinner that I host at my home.  (Like I said, it's been a crazy year and I'm a little behind...)  It's wonderful to be able to spend some grown-up time together during the holidays.  We have drinks and appetizers, sit down for dinner together, have a gift exchange, play games, indulge in dessert and just have a great time laughing and talking and being together.  This year my best friend, Laurie was able to come from California to help me decorate and get all set up for the party (and to join in the festivities, as well!).  We have so much fun doing this sort of thing together!  It was a great night with ridiculous games and lots of laughs!  Even though it was almost two months ago, I thought I would share some pictures now anyway.  

Better late than never, right?