Lovely Decadance: Easy German Apple Pancake Recipe

Dan and I had a little sweet tooth yesterday evening after I snuggled into my fuzzy celestial pajama pants and made a cup of Tension Tamer tea with honey to soothe my evening to a relaxing close.  I got to thinking about the recipe my mother-in-law was telling me about for a German Apple Pancake.  This is not like the thin little pancakes you're used to, it's more like a big ole delicious apple cake.  She had been at Costco during the Black Friday shopping invasion and got a free cookbook they were passing out.  In this cookbook she found the recipe for this delicious apple cinnamon wonder and tried it at home.  She was raving about how simple and delicious it was, all made in the microwave, and I thought it sounded intriguing so I got online and found the Costco recipe myself.  After making sure I had all the ingredients I figured I'd give it a try.  She was right, it was super easy and really good.  I didn't have the Krusteaz pancake mix they suggested, but I did have an off-brand one that I used.  I had to add a little more water than the recipe called for to get the batter the right consistency, the Krusteaz brand mint be different, but it worked out great in the end.  I used a mandolin slicer to do the apples and that made it really easy to get them thin. 

My Apple Pancake and a cup of tea, both warm and delicious!  (Magic is Afoot mug available in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/MickieMuellerStudio but you'll have to make your won Apple Pancake!)

The only problem is, now I have it in my house and I may just make it vanish little sliver by little sliver, oh well, it did warm our hearts and our tummy's last night.

German Apple Pancake

Apple topping
1/2 cup of butter (or margarine)
2 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples
1/4 cup sugar (or splenda)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pancake Batter
1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Complete Pancake Mix
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

To prepare topping, place butter in a 9 inch microwave safe pie pan.  Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds.  Stir in apples, sugar and cinnamon.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high 3-4 minutes or until apples are tender.

To prepare batter, place pancake mix, water, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl using a wire whisk.  Pour evenly over the cooked apples in the pie pan.

Microwave uncovered on high 3-5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let stand 3-5 minutes. Place a plate on top of the pie pan and using hot mits flip it upside down onto the plate and remove the pie pan.  If you wish sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. 

Blessings,

Fairy Friday: Join Me For an Interview on Blogtalk Radio Tonight

Hi All! 

Well in 45 minutes I'll be doing an interview on Pagan Perspectives a Blogtalk Radio show!  I'm pretty excited to chat about art, magic, fairies, Voice of the Trees and who knows what else!  It should be a really good time, so I hope you can join me live at 6:00 PM central time, or listen later on at your convenience.

Sitting on a log, waiting to talk on Blogtalk Radio!

UPDATE:

Had a great time with Rev. Sylvanis last night on Pagan Perspectives, we talked about art, fairies, creating oracle decks, music, inspiration and more!  He played some really excellent music too, it made me feel like he was listening at my art table because it's the kind of music I love to listen to while creating!  Also, congratulations to J.P. Plank for winning the Voice of the Trees deck and satin art bag giveaway!  Super nice people, and had a great time!
Here's the link, enjoy!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pagan-perspectives/2011/11/12/an-evening-of-art-and-magic-with-mickie-mueller

Blessings!

Fairy Friday: Sacred Source, Even Better in Person!

A box arrived the other day, and inside were my two Celtic Oak Fairy Plaques, my first look at the new line of hand painted limited edition plaques from Sacred Source!  I carefully opened up the carton and then opened one of the boxes containing the plaque, and even after having seen the pictures, I was floored.  If you think the pictures of this piece in their catalog and on the website look good, I'm here to tell you, you will be even more impressed seeing it in person!  Their artisans did such a great job creating this piece based on my artwork!  The sculpting and painting is exquisite.  I've tried my best to capture it here showing different angles so you can get the full effect of the work and detail.

I've sent energy for every one of these fairy plaques to bless the home she comes to rest in with vibrations of abundance an prosperity she carries a golden coin with the ogham for oak and an acorn for all the potential of growth and harvest!  I suggest waving her through some patchouli, saffron or your favorite prosperity incense to bless her and add a little extra magical boost before hanging her up!

I love how they did her face!

I can't wait to see the rest of the line in person, I'll share detail shots of them also as soon as I get my hot little hands on them!  :o)  Enjoy!

Even her little toes!

I have to figure out where I'm  going to hang mine...no probably not in the tree!  LOL

Fairy Blessings!

Attention Shop Owners: A Contest to Win Voice of the Trees Merchandise!

All across this country there are tons of brick and mortar independent metaphysical bookstores that are havens to all of the seekers out there on their paths.  They offer books, candles, incense and other supplies, but they also offer an opportunity to learn and grow, and fellowship.  I know, my husband and I used to run a little shop too.  We know that some extra merchandise and some really cool store displays can really help sales especially when the economy is a challenging one.

With the holiday shopping season just about to commence, we wanted to offer all those great bookstores that support their communities an opportunity to win a box full of our beautiful new Voice of the Trees merchandise! (a $436. 00 retail value)  All it takes to enter is the Voice of the Trees deck you probably already have in your shop to sell, some imagination, and a camera.  If you haven't gotten your copies of Voice of the Trees for your shop yet, there's still time so don't wait.  The contest starts today (Oct. 24, 2011) and we will accept entries until Nov. 23 2011, the winner will be announced on Nov. 28 2011.

Could all this good free loot be in your shop? Scroll down to get a closer look at all of these great items.

The Prize:  This beautiful merchandise is made right in our studio using printing and/or dye sublimation, your customers will love these items!  Sell them in your shop, give them as gifts or keep them, whatever you wish!

4 15 oz ceramic Coffee Mugs, microwavable and dishwasher safe
4 crystal glass pendants
4 ceramic 4 x 6 oval wall tiles
4  8 1/2 x 11 prints
8 satin art bags (a perfect compliment to Voice of the Trees deck)

The challenge: Create an eye catching store display featuring Voice of the Trees: A Celtic Divination Oracle by Mickie Mueller.  You can set it up in the window or anywhere in the store you want.  Get creative, use leaves, silk plants or trees, wooden wands or bowls, add other Celtic merchandise, candles, lights, etc.  Make it eye catching and show stopping.  Take a really clear photo of your efforts, if you need to show it from more than one angle, you can send up to three photos to show different angles or details.  Email your photos to mickiemueller@yahoo.com along with the name and address of your shop, so we can ship your merchandise if your display is chosen as the winner.  Be sure to put "Voice of the Trees" in the subject line to avoid spam filters.

The Rules:  This contest is open to all "brick and morter" New Age/Metaphysical book shops, individuals may not enter this one, only retail shop owners with a wholesale license, if you don't fall into this catagory, don't worry, there will be more contests in the future.  Only 1 entry per shop.  Email up to 3 photos of your store display (which must be set up in your shop)  featuring Voice of the Trees: A Celtic Ogham Oracle to mickiemueller@yahoo.com including a photo of the front of your store and your stores mailing information.  Entries must be recieved by Nov. 23. 
The displays will be judged on creativity, visual appeal, customer appeal and the best presentation of the Voice of the Trees deck.  The photos will be judged blind (the judge won't know which shop entered which display) the judge is president of a Point of Purchase display company who has worked with major corporations and created nationwide programs.  Your display should be in the shop until the end of the contest to win.  The winner will be announced Nov. 28, prize to be shipped immediately to dazzle your December shoppers, so again- be sure to include your address when you enter for fast processing!  Remember, get your entry photos to us on or before the Nov. 23 cut off!

All the store owners that enter will have an opportunity to get their creative juices flowing and create awesome displays that will boost their sales this holiday while making an even more exiting shopping experience for their customers, and one lucky winner will get a box full of great free merchandise! Scroll down to see the items closer.

Everything you see is packed in the box and ready to go to the lucky winner's shop, they are all made by the Mickie Mueller team right in our studio!

These 15 oz ceramic mugs are gorgeous, full color designs all around and are microwave and dishwasher safe.  Included are Ivy, Hazel, Grove, and Willow mugs.  Each mug shows the meaning of the card as well as a quote from the companion book for that card.  (inset)

4 x 6 ceramic oval tiles are very popular items for us especially when people see them in person at festivals .  Each one has a hanger on the back and they look great hanging on the wall or on a small easel.  Included are Alder, Oak, Fionns Window (card back) and Ogham Shield (Companion book cover)

These satin bags are aprox 5x7, the Voice of the Trees cards fit in them nicely, we've sold many of them along with decks.  One side has one of the more popular card images,  clockwise from the left: Grove, Alder, Hazel, Willow, Oak, Ivy, Holly, and Yew, the other side has the "Fionns Window" card back design. (inset) Satin drawstrings and beautiful glass beads complete these beautiful bags.  

These crystal clear glass pendants sparkle with light.  they are 1 inch x 1 1/2 inch and are 1/4 inch thick.  These are made in our studio using dye sublimation, they are not paper glued on glass, through our process the art becomes  part of the glass.   These come in kraft boxes with white padded insert as shown, ready to display.

These 8 1/2 x 11 size prints are always a good seller for us, we've included a selection of four of our more popular designs, Fionns Window, Oak, Ogham Shield and Willow.  Each one is packaged in a crystal clear acid free bag with a sturdy baking boadr for easy display.

Good luck, we look forward to seeing your stores entry!

Blessings,

Fairy Friday: Sacred Source Oak Fairy Prosperity Wall Plaque

What a happy Fairy Friday!  I've been sitting on a really cool project that is now beginning to manifest!  Sacred Source is producing four new Celtic Fairy wall plaques based upon my Celtic Tree Fairy series!

Limited Edition Oak Tree Fairy -- Blessings of Prosperity and Growth
Sacred Source's excellent artisans did a great job of reproducing my art as this lovely wall plaque.  These plaques are full of magic, and I have personally sent magical energy to charge each one of these special limited edition Oak Fairy collectible plaques with energies of prosperity and abundance.

Click here for more details from Sacred Source 

The graceful Oak Tree Fairy rests sheltered in the arms of the mighty oak, cradling the acorn of new life, her wings dappled with sunlight. She offers the ever-present magic of solid strength, dependable century-long growth, and the promise of new opportunity ready to burst into life.

Each 9" x 12" resin plaque is hand painted by the master artists of Sacred Source faithfully reproducing my art, and each limited edition piece is numbered to enhance their value.  The Oak Fairy was the first design to be released, but all four will be coming, so you can collect them all.  They are great for bringing fairy magic into your home and can be used in your fairy spells as well.  The series will have fairies for prosperity, love, healing, and protection, that's a lot of fairy magic!

In Other Fairy News, A Short Enchanted Nature Walk:

We are working on packing up the office where I work for my day job, the boss is moving to a different location and I'll be working part time from home and being a full time Professional Bohemian making more beautiful art for all of you dears, writing, offering readings, and classes both in person and online.

This gorgeous bridge is across the parking lot in the golf course.  We get Canada geese, cranes and egrets out there, so pretty!

Yesterday after everyone had left and I was getting ready to head out myself, The fairies that live in the little stand of trees at the back of the parking lot called to me, "Mickie, come and walk a bit, come and play."

Praying mantis on a pin oak branch

What's a witch to do?  I followed of course, but not before grabbing my handy camera to see what treasures my fae friends had for me on this Autumn afternoon.

Not being ready to traipse through the woods quite yet with my slightly gimpy foot, this was the perfect, non-challenging nature walk my soul needed.

There are so many mushrooms, soon it may be a ring!

I found mushrooms growing, all fall and winter the birds will enjoy the ripe berries that swell where honeysuckle flowers once bloomed, leaves donning a fresh coat of Autumn color.

I decided as I walked along, that even after I'm not working in this building, I will have to come back for the occasional visit, it's so pretty, and I'll miss this gorgeous view out my window.

Birch, for new beginnings.

Ornamental Crab-apple Tree with the pond in the distance.

I hope you can go out for a Autumn walk, even a short one and see what secrets you'll find!

Blessings!

Beautiful Things From Afar

Running a home business and Etsy shop, we have a lot of mail going out every week.  But this week I got a taste of being on the receiving end of beautiful things coming in the mail! 

Owl Post art by  Mary GrandPré

The first of these magical packages came from a dear friend of mine that sent me some very cool treasures from the across the pond!  I was totally delighted to discover an envelope with a small chalk stone from Uffington, (I work a lot with Rhiannon) a little soil from Glastonberry Tor, and a vial of White Well and Red Chalice Well Essence that she made!  I put a few drops on my hurt foot.  I put the soil in a pretty jar I had and made a label for it, yes, I'm a dork.  But I was absolutely giddy at the unexpected thoughtfulness and I'll treasure each item always!

Pretties gathered in the U.K. by my dear friend!

Then- I got another unexpected envelope in the mail!  This time it was from a woman who had ordered a deck from me, she live in Albuquerque, where I grew up.  There was a hand made card with a photo of the Sandia Crest, the mountains that you can see from anywhere in the city.  I felt a little lost when I moved to the Midwest with no mountain to watch over me.  Seeing it just brought back a huge whoosh of memories having grown up seeing it every day.  I'm framing it and hanging it over my art table so she can watch over me again. :o)

Oh look, my old mountains!

She also included a little rock from the Sandias, what a treasure, and included a leaf from a cottonwood tree, the fae tree of the Southwest!

This little rock from the Sandias will have to go somewhere very special!

This great gal also makes these gorgeous journals which she sells on Etsy, it's a beautiful supple leather cover, and you can change out the blank book inside so you'll always have it even if you fill it up.  So clever!  I'm loving this, it's so beautiful, the one she sent me is a pretty shade of leafy green, I'm going to use it for a sketchbook.  Here's a link to her shop if you want to see more of her pretties! Magical Intentions http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagickalIntentions I hope my travels bring me back to Albuquerque someday, I would love to meet up with my dear old friends, new friends and see the mountain again!

This leather book is simply delightful!

Last but not least, yesterday the print I ordered from Colorado inspirational fairy artist Lisa Steinke arrived.  When I first saw it online, I just had to have it, I thought the art was beautiful, and I love the message and decided that I would like to see it every day.  This is a gorgeous print, even better in person.  I need to pick up a frame and decide where to hang it now.

Lisa Steinke has lots of gorgeous inspirational prints check out her websites  http://www.thefaeriegathering.com/ and http://lisasteinkeart.com 

Sometimes it's the little things in life that can just brighten your outlook, a beautiful sunset, a thoughtful word, or just knowing that someone out there "gets" you.  Who knew I would find so much magic in my mail box this week!  Well, the weekend's almost here and I'm sure I'll be mailing out some more of my own magic soon!

Blessings,

Voice of the Trees Party Cancelled Due to Injury

I have bad news this morning:

Yesterday at about 6 am, I went to the bathroom in the dark, forgetting that we moved the iron tables that were in the bathroom so that we could put the new bath mat in place.  We left them sitting in front of the sink.  At six am in the dark I totally forgot they were there.  Oh yeah, you can see this coming, right?  I knocked one of those iron tables over onto my leg and foot yesterday morning.  I smacked me right in the shin and dragged down onto my foot.  I initially thought I had broken my foot. Turns out it's not broken, but it's bruised to the bone and really swollen and I can't put any weight on it and I'm supposed to keep it elevated. Today I woke up with my neck messed up, I guess from moving around on my husbands tall guy crutch yesterday getting to the bathroom, so I'm a mess.  To top it off, the pain pills I'm taking are making me pretty loopy, haven't taken them yet today, I needed to write this and contact everyone first.  The foot hurts worse today than it did yesterday.

I had to make a decision, and the shape I'm in, I have to cancel the Voice of the Trees Deck Release Party that was sceduled for this Friday at Red Fish Blue Fish.  I don't know if I'll be able to move around or even be coherent by Friday.

I don't want to take a chance on Friday, the pain pills I'm taking are making me pretty loopy and I don't think I'm going to be able to manage to do the event.  I'm really very sorry to everyone that was looking forward to it, I know I sure was, but I figured I would be better to cancel sooner than later, because the way I feel now, I may have to hobble to the chiropracter as well.  I will be ok, but I do tend to push myself too hard sometimes and I really need to heal, the timing couldn't have been worse.

If you have a deck you would like signed or you need to pick one up or just to say hi and hang out, I will be at Pathways on Sunday Oct. 30 for the psychic fair signing decks, I would love to see you as long as a meteor doesn't fall on my head or something, I'll be there!

Sunday October 30 11am-6pm
Pathways
Located at 11419 Concord Village Avenue,St. Louis MO 63123
Come and join Mickie at Pathways big psychic fair for a meet and greet and deck signing for "Voice of the Trees, A Celtic Divination Oracle" Mickie will also be having a small "trunk show" featuring select items from her Etsy shop including the popular full color satin art bags to compliment the Voice of the Trees deck.
* Mickie will also be offering a free lecture, "An Introduction to the Celtic Tree Calendar" time TBA
For more information contact Pathways at 314-842-0047

I'm going to put a heating pad on my foot and one on my neck, and lay down for a bit.

Blessings,