Who Loves Muffins?!

Our family is crazy about muffins. When I bake them, I make dozens. The gang is let loose on them and then we freeze the rest for quick snacks or to have with breakfast.

Raspberry-Filled Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/4 cup raspberry jam

Beat , oil and egg together until well blended. Combine dry ingredients and stir into the liquid mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.


Fill muffin cups 1/3 full. Place 1 teaspoon jam on top of batter.


Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.


Cool - and enjoy!!

Long Week

DD fell and ended up with quite a few stitches in her chin - 6 inside and 8 outside. Poor thing. But the best part was how she fell and how she made the doctors and nurses laugh and tease her while she was getting medical care.

You see, our DD loves science and is fascinated with biology and has been so thrilled with dissection. Seriously - she loves to dissect things. So when she saw the Discovery channel had a special on the Human Body, she just HAD to watch it. She watches all the operations and anything gross - well, she's in front of it. (Mind you, she's a teen, so she's old enough.) Well, this particular program was on the mind and pain, and it went into detail about a woman who had fallen in the wilderness, broken many bones, and how her mind had blocked out the pain to allow her to get help. That did it. DD ended up passing out and ripping her chin open as she fell face forward on her way back to the bathroom. We had no idea she was getting woosey - until we heard the crash.

We spent all night in the emergency room, and the medical staff was amazed that this was her first time ever in the ER - and better yet, for an injury that a toddler would get. Then when she told the story of how she passed out and got the cut, they had a great time teasing her. The dr. gave her orders she is no longer allowed to watch the Discovery Channel, except when it involves animals. Then he said that he's giving her strict medical orders to only watch comedies and animal shows on TV - period.

She laughs about it - but that night I know she was scared. The humor certainly helped her - and the staff was great to her. Now, we just need to wait to see what kind of a scar she will have.

Winter and Rain Don't Mix

We've been hit with snow, then a big warm up, and now rain in just a matter of days. We've had some flooding in the area, and everything is a big pile of muck. Our yard has swamp-like qualities to it and stepping out into it proves to be a challenge. Walking to the car is even worse - a good place to lose a boot or shoe... I don't care for this time of the year. It's bleak and muddy. Spring is on its way, though, as Monday, we saw some red-winged blackbirds at the feeder. The promise that warmer weather is coming!!

The Log Cabin is at about 25% done now, and although it's coming along nicely, I ended up putting it aside. I ended up doing something to my right arm - I think it's a pinched nerve thing because it goes from my shoulder to my fingertips. It sure makes knitting painful. Actually, it makes most things painful, so I haven't been working much on anything - PC included. Typing and using the mouse is also not easy. So if this post ends up being a bit disjointed, please forgive me, as I have to stop and come back, so my train of thought is interrupted (more than normal! LOL) Anyhow, I've been letting my arm rest as much as possible, because I'm in a knitting race/competition soon, and I will need to be in top shape, because I have to knit faster than my competitor. oh well, however it turns out, it will still be fun :)

Groceries are going up, so we are only buying what's on sale and only what's really needed. We buy our wheat berries and many other products in bulk. I am going to need wheat soon, but can't get a price at this time. My supplier says that the prices are fluctuating so much, that she won't know what the price is until the days she orders. That doesn't make me want to walk in blind and place an order. I also buy Occident flour, which is an unbleached white that is supposed to be higher in gluten. Breads made from it raise much nicer than those made from normal unbleached white. I buy that at the mill along with my oatmeal. Oatmeal ran $13.90 for 25 pounds - which was cheaper than the flour per pound!! So, now I'm trying to add more oatmeal to our diet and cut back on the wheat products.

I'm trying out oatmeal bread recipes, and both of the following recipes are a hit here. Both recipes came from the Rec_food_recipes email list from wife228. If you want to subscribe to the list and receive recipes by email, click on the interactive tab at the top of the page.

Honey Oatmeal Bread

13 ounces warm water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast)

Place ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended for your machine. Set machine on basic bread, 2 pound loaf. For 1.5 pound loaf, reduce water to 10 ounces and flour to 2 1/3 cups; other ingredients remain the same.

Maple Oatmeal Bread

3/4 cup warm water, plus
2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the order recommended for your bread maker. Select basic bread setting for 1-1/2 pound loaf. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing and add 1-2 T flour or water if needed.

Enjoy!!

Solar Cooking

I've been looking into making a solar oven and solar food dryer, and have been very impressed with both the cost and the effectiveness. I'm a member of the Solar Cooking group on Yahoo, and have been following the use and testing of a few that I had considered. One member, Ken, made this video that has truly convinced me that I MUST try one this year!!



I'm so impressed with the temp outside and how well it does - even with snow on the ground. At $5 a gallon for propane, this certainly will pay for itself quickly.

Snow is Gorgeous!

The snow came down hard and quick at times yesterday. We weren't sure if we were going to keep power, because the lights were blinking on and off quite a bit. We certainly didn't keep the PC on with all the power hits. :) It was a nice quiet day that I enjoyed immensely. I love snow storms. There's something really peaceful and yet really exhilarating about them.

We kept the house warm with baking - first we made Mounds Bar Cookies and then put a nice big ham in the oven and let it bake in a slow oven. Dinner came out yummy - ham, baked potatoes with sour cream, corn, home canned apple sauce, home baked bread, and the Mounds bars for dessert.

DH went to the mill yesterday to pick up some flour and was stunned by the price. For a 25# bag, he shelled out $15 and some change. UGH!! According to the man at the mill, it's only going to get worse. He said everyone is now growing corn, and those that did put wheat in ended up losing it because of the drought. I wonder how much wheat berries have gone up in price. I have to make a trip up to the Mennonite store to get bulk oatmeal and cocoa, so I'll see if I'll be bringing any home with me.

Milk also went up to $3.75 a gallon. Still not bad since it is hormone free and the cows are pastured. This time of the year, they are supplemented with their own grown grains and silage. I have no idea what the milk runs in the grocery store these days.

We've been really good at keeping our heat turned down this year. It stays at 63 in the daytime and gets turned all the way down at night. I made a dropped stitched wrap that was a free pattern from Jo-Ann's fabric called Rainbow Boucle Wrap. It used Jo-Ann's Sensations Rainbow Boucle in the Dark Blue colorway. I used a 50% off coupon when I purchased it, and I can easily get 2 wraps out of it - breaking down to about $2.25 a wrap. It's very light and quite warm, making it just the perfect thing to wear when it gets just a bit chilly in here (when the wind blows just the right way).



Mounds Bars

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter in pan and add crumbs and sugar. Mix well and spread evenly over bottom of pan. Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Cool.

Mix together coconut and sweetened condensed milk in a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes. Be careful not to scorch. Spread hot mix over cooled crumb crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips over coconut mixture, and put in 350 degree oven until the chips are melted. Take spoon and spread melted chocolate evenly over coconut. Cool and chill before serving.

Out of Hibernation

Since we don't have a farm, there's not much going on here during the winter time. I usually "hibernate" and enjoy some time off to do some counted cross stitch (purely a selfish thing) and catch up on some reading. Things slow way down here after Christmas, and I so love MY time off. It's like a renewal period for me.

I spent the end of December deciding on things I'd like to try and/or learn. I also make a list of goals and things that I'd like to start and/or finish. This is also the time we all go over our lists from last year and figure out what we finished. It's a positive time, noting all that we did accomplish, and not the things we didn't.

This year may be a time for change. DH is currently looking for a new job, and he is searching out of the area - actually out of the state. All the states he is looking at are quite far from our families, so we'll be going it all alone. That's a bit scary, but at the same time, exciting. It feels like we will truly be homesteading if we relocate to one of these places.

I've been doing a few projects to use up scrap yarns and materials. Currently, I'm working on a granny square afghan, a knitted Log Cabin Afghan a scrap quilt, and a yo-yo quilt. Nothing is nearing the finish line, but the Log Cabin Afghan has been my largest focus. It's been really fun working on, although it's far from gorgeous. I have a bunch of acrylic yarns (like Red Heart brand) in a bag, then I put my hand in randomly and pull out a skein to knit with. I never know what colors will go with what. Here's the start of it:


I'm not using any pattern, but came up with my own formula after looking at a few online tutorials and other's photos. Yes, it's very colorful. I guess it will end up being a lot like Joseph's Coat of Many Colors :)

I've also been making some new dishcloths. I've made some for Valentine's Day, test knitted some for a designer, and tried my hand at illusion knitting. The illusion knitting is really cool, and DD wants me to knit her a scarf using this technique.

March is almost here, and it brings garden plans - which I'm not sure what to do there right now with DH wanting to relocate. At this point, I'm going to proceed as normal, since he hasn't found a job he wants yet. Many things are up in the air at this point, and a feeling of restlessness has hit me.

To counteract the restlessness, I've decided to try my hand at a few new things. This year will consist of trying my hand at cheese making and soap making. Two things that will be useful wherever we go, and certainly help with the budget. I'm really looking forward to trying them!

It's so good to be back blogging again. :)

Everyone Loves Captain Jack!!

I love the TransSiberian Orchestra and adore Captain Jack!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can't believe so much time has gone by since my last posting. I've been quite busy between the kids, test knitting, and a little cross stitch. I don't have a whole lot to post, but I do have a couple updates to post.

First, I want to say that I'm very sorry to all the visitors that have requested the first part or the key to the Mystery SAL. Helga took sign-ups before the mystery began, and then closed it. She has requested that no one send on either the key or any of the charts to those that missed the sign-up date. The chart for the whole mystery will be on sale after the mystery is over. She and Barbara will be donating all the proceeds from the sale of this chart to charity.

I didn't get part 2 of the mystery finished yet. Here's where I was at on Tuesday:



Currently, I am test knitting a couple of patterns and working on DS's socks. I hope to get more time in stitching this coming week. Tomorrow looks like a good day to finish up my test pieces. They are coming out nicely, and I can't wait to get the OK to post.

Part One is Finished



I really enjoyed stitching this first part. The colors are vibrant and cheery, and I found that I actually used DMC colors I've never used before. I guess that means the designs I usually stitch aren't as colorful. I find that quite interesting.

Seeing this piece done, I can't wait to see the next part. I have been trying to figure out what would be next and how it ties into the title "Back on the Road Again". Is it seasonal? This almost looks like a winter into spring panel, but the title confuses me. Since the next part comes out on Wednesday, it won't be a long wait - but still a wait. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas on this piece. Maybe it's because this appeals to the child side in me. :)

Speaking of appealing to the child in me, I adore Margaret Sherry's designs. Being here in the US, though, they are expensive to purchase. Imagine my delight when I won this lovely piece from Elaine at the 1-2-3 Stitch Bulletin Board!! Thank you, Elaine!


I've promised myself that I will not start this kit until I get my 2 pieces finished. Now it's time to pull the needle roll back out and put some stitches in on that as well as on Wolf Portrait. This kit is my reward for finishing 4 pieces off my list.

My WIP/UFO list has gotten so out of hand. I'm really ashamed that it got as long as it did. Model stitching really cut into my personal stitching, and many of the projects were from being set aside to do a model, and then not picked up right away. Some were started as gifts - some for my mother who died before they were finished. They were put aside because I had two under the age of 3 and no real time to sit and stitch. I had always assumed I'd be able to get back to them as soon as they were older. I had no clue my mother would pass away at the age of 56.

Many projects were put in the closet, moved around the house, and forgotten about. When I started sorting things and putting my stitching stuff in one place, I was stunned to find so many things started and even more - how many were forgotten. A stitching friend of mine said to just purge the things and start over, but it seemed like not only a waste, but an easy way out. I'll admit, there are pieces that I don't like as much as I did when I started them, but I've decided to finish them anyway. If I still don't care for them, I can always pass them on to someone who would like the piece or donate them to a charity of some sort. I know it's strange, but I have this huge need to finish those that I started.

Celtic Spring Update

Finally, I've been able to post a pic of Celtic Spring. Here she is with another 10 hours of stitching on her, bringing my total up to 42.75 hours.

I didn't want to put her aside, but I have the Mystery SAL to work on, and then there's the needle roll and Wolf Portrait to finish this month. So far, I've been doing pretty well on my stitching goals for the month. I'm hoping to put a check next to each one :)

I should have part one of the Mystery SAL finished by tomorrow - so look for that posting. It's really bright and cheerful. I look forward to the new posting on Wednesday!

Mystery Update

Thank you all for such nice comments about the mystery piece! It's such a fun stitch, and I'm finding it hard to put down. I wish I had more time to be able to put into it. The colors are so vibrant and cheery - a total opposite of the weather here. We are getting hit with a winter storm, and even though we have snow now, it's supposed to turn to rain, making it dark and dreary. This piece is just what I need!

Here's my update for today.


This piece has to be put aside now, so I can get my last hour in on Celtic Spring. I hope to have an updated picture of CS tomorrow.

Mystery SAL Begins!

I love mysteries, and mystery stitch-alongs are one of my weaknesses. When Helga Mandl and Barbara Ana announced that they would be doing a Mystery SAL, I had to join in the fun. The SAL is taking place at the Wonderful XS World yahoo group, and yesterday the first part of the piece was posted. I'm stitching mine on 14 ct. smoketone which I pulled out of my stash.


Celtic Spring has almost 10 hours in - just another day of working on it, and I'll have met this month's goal. If I keep this up, I'll have it finished this year. :)

I Don't Like Sharing!

At least not when it comes to my PC. DH's laptop died on him, and is in need of a new part, so until the part arrives and can be fixed (I'm hoping it can be!!), I have to share. sigh.... The worst part was DH was home for part of the week sick, so he was online quite a bit during that time. Plus, with him home sick, I didn't get much time to stitch.

I did do a little sorting of things, and pulled out a needle roll that I had started a while ago. I had made a mistake on it somewhere, and try as I might, I couldn't find the mistake and back it would go into the WIP box for another time to examine it. This time, I decided that I would continue to stitch it if I found the mistake or not. I looked and looked, and try as I might, I couldn't find it. So I started stitching - and found it! Things were ripped back and fixed, and I now have more than two rows done on it.

Here is "Olde English Needle Roll" by Sweetheart Tree, after finding the boo-boo and adding a couple more rows.

And here it is as it stands today. I'm now ready to start row 12 - the middle row. Another thing I can soon cross off my list of long time WIPs/UFOs. The color on this scan is more accurate than the one above.


It really is a pretty piece, and I forgot how much I love stitching band samplers. I need to get my Just Nan's out and start working on them again.

With working on the needle roll, I didn't get much done on "Wolf Portrait". The one wolf is really starting to show, even with the little bit that I did.


New Contest

Tomorrow starts a Contest on the Lavender & Lace Bulletin Board. I have committed to stitching 30 hours on "Celtic Spring" over the contest period. I 'm looking forward to about doubling the amount of time I have on her now. Here she is at 32 and 3/4 hours.

I still haven't decided if I want to just stitch the girl of if I want the boarder around her. The boarder is beautiful, but I don't like how the word "Spring" is. I would have to rechart it to make it so it fits and I don't know if I really want to do that. I'll see when I come to that bridge.

Well, now it's off to make dinner and hopefully get a few stitches in tonight.

A Great Weekend to Finish Things



It was a good weekend. One that I actually pulled out the sewing machine and did finished a couple of things. Usually, I finish stitching, and then the item goes into a box to be a someday project - when the sewing machine comes out or I've found a couple of nice frames on sale.



First I have a stitching finish for Friday. I finally finished stitching "From the Heart" needle roll. It only took me 8 years from start to finish :) (Hey - I had a lot of good excuses!)


I was so ambitious, that I even finished it into a roll.



While the sewing machine was out, I decided to finish my House-Mouse piece. "A Mother's Work" is now up and hanging in my living room:







(Please excuse my photo - the piece is not really hanging crooked, it's the photographer LOL).

New Focus Piece

I had to pull a new piece out of my WIP box to make as my focus piece. Already two off the list. If I keep going like this, I will be able to knock the list to the lowest it's been in years. I feel like I'm getting more in control with each piece that I finish.

My new focus piece is called "Wolf Portrait" by Dimensions and is being stitched on 14 ct. black Davosa. When I purchased it, I didn't realize there was a sheen to the black as well as the obvious design - looking a bit like huck weave. I started the design on it, to find I didn't care for the Davosa, but instead of frogging/tossing, I've decided to finish it and see if it's really as bad as I had thought. This is where it stands as of this morning:

All my WIP's and UFO's seem to have a reason why they have sat in the box so long. From being set aside because of receiving a model, to really hating stitching a piece, to a change in recipients - like no one wanting it after it's been started. Every one has a little story of why it has taken so long to be finished. I wonder how many others have a box of stories?

Coming Close to the End...

I can't believe that I'm almost through my 50 project commitment. Only 3 more to go, and I'm finished. So, how will I reward myself? By jumping on the Abstinence Wagon for a year. For my exception, I claimed this year's JCS Ornament issue. I love those issues - not because of the designs, but because of the little write-ups about the designers. I just love the stories and the recipes. The ornaments are just a nice little addition to the magazine :)

I'm going through things and getting all my junk organized. Lo and behold, guess what I come across? Another WIP! Well, that brings the total back up to 41. Here I was all excited about getting down to 40 - the lowest it's been in years. LOL The piece is really nice, and I'm so happy I found it (yes, I had forgotten about it!) It's called "Dinner Call" by Dawna Barton. It's being stitched on 22 ct. white using one thread.



DS started "Gettysburg" and he's doing a really nice job. I'm still stunned that he'd want to do it himself instead of handing it off to me. No complaints here, though! :)

First Finish of 2008

Yes! Here it is... The first finish off my WIP list for this year.


Now, just to decide what to do with it. On to the next WIP. You know, with a list this long, it's almost like going to the LNS and choosing a project - but without all the hassle of starting it. :)

A New Year!!

I hope that your holiday season was full of the love of family and friends and you stuffed yourself silly with great food. :)

You will notice that things here haven't been updated in a while. This blog goes along with the seasons - now the garden and things are on down time, and not much is new and exciting on the home front, so updates here are slow. As spring comes, there will be more activity and you'll hear my chattering about planting, canning, and everything imaginable. Now, with downtime, I spend a lot of time enjoying the slow season, and I work on my cross stitch. Cross stitching really has no place on a homestead blog. I really don't do anything with it except for decorating and gifts. I have another blog for just my crafting life, and if you'd like to see it, you can visit at:

Tweezle's Explorations

I've had the Explorations blog for years and it has always centered around my stitching and other needlecrafts. My homesteading adventures didn't fit there, so I found a need for this blog. I will be flopping back and forth between these two blogs, keeping my 2 interests pretty much separated. Please stop by and see what I've been up to. I've put my link on the sidebar so that you can find it, if you ever need to.

Have a lovely New Year's Day!!

It's 2008!


So begins another year. A new year brings a new start, and a new list of achievements, hopes and dreams. Each year, we all make a list of what things we'd like to do and check things off as we go along. Then at the end of the year, we don't look at the things we didn't do, but all the things we did. This method really appeals to the kids, and they make more goals and try harder to achieve them.

With new lists, comes new projects and commitments. So, I'm posting my first focus piece of the year. This piece was started years ago, and after it was started, the person that it was to be stitched for, decided they didn't want it. It went in the WIP box because I was just too frustrated to finish it. It came back out a couple of days ago, and I decided to make this my first finish of the year. This piece is designed by Lorri Birmingham and is from the LA book Bunnies Galore. Unfortunately, there is no title listed for it.



Coming Clean...

It is that time of year where I look at things to make changes. One of my biggest areas of excessiveness is my stash. The next is my WIP list. There - I said it. No taking it back now :) My WIP list is long - way too long (but is shorter than last year! LOL)

2008 WIPS

Cross - Stitch
Art Ventures – Old Sentinel - 15%
Bent Creek - Snappers (12 w/border) - 2 completed
Breast Cancer fund – From the Heart Needle Roll – 80%
Carriage House Samplings - The Houses of Hawk Run Hollow - 5%
Cross Stitch & Country Crafts – North Woods Stocking - 20%
Crossed Wing Collection – Hummingbird Garden – 35%
Curtis Boehringer – Needlewoman’s Murder Mystery
Diane Arthurs – Happy Everything – 60%
DMC – The White Bindweed Fairy - 15%
Dimensions - A Bird For All Seasons - 5%
Dimensions – Wolf Portrait – 10%
Drawn Thread – Miniature Reversible Sampler
Drawn Thread - Winter Spot - 5%
French Calendar free weekly - 23 of 52 finished
Hearts Delight – Noah’s Ark Kit - 50%
Just Cross Stitch 2001 Ornament Issue – Cinnamon Bear 70%
Just Nan – First Stitches - 10%
Just Nan – Last Stitches - 10%
Kustom Krafts – 4 Horses of Apocalypse - 5%
Kustom Krafts – Fire & Ice - 15%
Kustom Krafts – Sofa Cat – 5%
Lanarte – Romantic Picnic - 15%
Lavender & Lace – Celtic Spring - 35%
Leisure Arts – Bunnies Galore - 65%
Leisure Arts – Noah’s Ark Baby Afghan 50%
Magazine pull out – Hearts & Flowers - 5%
Marquoir Mystery Sampler – freebie SAL – 3 of 9 finished
Marty Bell - Hideaway Cottage - 5%
Pamela Kellogg – Cupid’s Garden Mystery SAL - 15%
Pat Rogers – Hearts & Lace Sampler – 70%
Paula Vaughan – May - 5%
Pegasus – Pekingese – Dogs V. 4
The Silver Lining – Aymar’s Amber Rose – 30%
SMO – Blooms - 15%
Sue Lentz – Grandmother’s Garden - 15%
Sue Lentz – Soft Terra Cotta Pillow - 15%
Sweetheart Tree – Jan. Needle Roll (needs some frogging) - 5%
Sweetheart Tree – Teenie Tweenies – Spring Has Sprung - 20%
Teresa Wentzler – Stretch - 15%
Teresa Wentzler – Under the Evergreen - 15%
Vermillion Stitchery - The Holy Family - 15%

Knitting:
EZ Thick Woodmen's Socks - 50%
Red, White & Blue Socks 50%
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend Socks 50%
Drop Stitch Shawl 75%

Crochet:
Granny Square Afghan (using scraps)

Quilting:
Yo-Yo Quilt
Scrap Quilt
(these will be in progress a long time because I'm using just scraps from other projects or pieces of clothing)

As you see, I could work all year with never having to purchase another piece of stash - except for an occasional skein of floss or pack of beads I may have missed. If I did finish everything on my XS list, I'd be able to easily start some new pieces from my kitted stash. Shameful, isn't it?

Well, this year I'm going to put my nose to the grindstone and not buy any new stash, and limit my starts to only things I am making for others for gifts. I'm climbing onto the abstinence wagon again.

Out With The Old....

Just a few more hours, and 2007 will just be a memory. This week has been a time for reflection and the excitement of new hopes and dreams. I didn't get as much stitching done as I wanted, but did succeed to have a good garden and was happy with all we put up for this winter.

My stitching "dream" list for 2007 looked like this at the beginning of the year:

1. Bent Creek - Monthly Snappers - January - nope
2. Kats by Kelly Monthy Minis - February - finished
3. HoHRH - House #7 - nope
4. Pam Kellogg - Winterlude - finished
5. Marquoir Story - Part 4 - added to
6. Pam Kellogg - Cinnamon Bear - added to
7. Wizzers - Birdhouse Windchime - finished
8. Breast Cancer fund – From the Heart Needle Roll - added to and almost finished!
9. Diane Arthurs – Happy Everything - added to
10. House Mouse – Apple Seeds - finished
11. Pat Rogers – Hearts & Lace Sampler - nope
12. SanMan Originals - Blooms - added to
13. Sweetheart Tree – Jan. Needle Roll (needs some frogging) - nope
14. Sweetheart Tree – Teenie Tweenies – Spring Has Sprung - nope
15. Teresa Wentzler – Stretch - nope
16. HIH Monthly Mania - February - finished
17. The Drawn Thread - Winter Spot - added to
18. Mirabilia - 1996 Holiday Cherub - finished

(colored comments are what I ended up doing to the list)

My Finished list for the year ended up looking like this:

1. PK - Winterlude..W
2. tss - Sunflower Welcome..W
3. Mirabilia - 1996 Cherub freebie..W
4. SMO - Sunflower Blackwork..N
5. House Mouse - Appleseeds..W
6. 2 Dishcloths
.....Grammy's Favorite..W
.....DW Darrell Waltrip..N
7. 2 Dishcloths
.....Piece of My Heart..N
.....LOVE..N
8. Iowa Cruise Socks for DH..W
9. 2 Dishcloths & Scrubbie
.....Feb. KAL..N
.....4-Corners Dishcloth..N
.....Circular Scrubbie..N
10. Kool-Aid Socks..W
11. UGLY Opal Socks for DS..N
12. Felted Bag..N
13. Trekking 104 Socks..N
14. Hot Socks..N
15. Eleanor Socks..N
16. DOW Dishtowel..W
17. Fair Isle Socks..N
18. 2 Dishcloths
.....Hummingbird Dishcloth..N
.....Garterlace Dishcloth..N
19. Fanny Socks..N
20. Trekking Socks 128..N
21. LHN Season of Hope..N
22. PS Spring Ornament..N
23. DGB Confetti Socks..N
24. Hot Socks #923..N
25. CC KBK - I Love Mew..N
26. Spring Tulip Card..N
27. Wizzers Birdhouse Windchime..W
28. DD's Footies..N
29. DS's Hunting Socks..N
30. 2 Test cloths - DBE..N
31. 2 Dishcloths
.....Test Cloth DBE..N
.....Multi Diagonal..N
32. Dishcloth set finished..N
.....Woozy cloth
.....dish scrubbie
33. PK Fluffy Puppy..N
34. SH Flurries.....N
35. PS Summer Ornament..N
36. HS Letter Snow!..W
37. HM A Mother's Work..N
38. HIH Monthly Mania February..W

All in all, I'm pleased to have taken some of my WIPs off the list. I started with 47 XS WIPs at the beginning of the year. I had 16 finishes - 9 of them new. I had 8 WIP finishes. This year, I was close to killing off the same amount of WIPs as new starts. This is definitely an improvement from my past. I'm looking forward to a better record next year :)

Now, for my last finishes of the year....

A Mother's Work by House-Mouse Designs. All I need to do is wash and sew up the banner.


And my last finish of 2007 is Heart-In-Hand's Monthly Mania - February. I had started this a couple of years ago, and then put it aside to stitch a model. I never got back to it until just a couple of days ago. It's stitched on 32 count mystery evenweave (purchased in a small cuts grab bag).


Wishing everyone a happy and safe end to 2007. Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

The past few days were busy but filled with wonderful things: family, friends, great food, and much love and laughter. As much as I love the holidays, I am always glad when things come to a close so I can get back to a nice normal and boring life. A party person I am not.

Can you believe it? Not one piece of new XS stash for Mom for Christmas this year. Do you think that's a hint that I need to stitch some of what I have? LOL No complaints, though, as I got a lot of lovely and well thought out presents. One of the nicest things I got was some hand-made stitch markers for my knitting. DD made them all herself.


Actually, DD made all her presents this year. She miscalculated her time though, and didn't get all her knitting projects done, so she gave the WIPs with the promise of finishing them. She said as soon as they are done, she's starting her projects for next Christmas. Hmmmm - sounds like something I suggested she do this past year, but she was sure she had enough time. :)

I gave DS the Gettysburg kit from Dimensions that he really wanted. I thought that I would be stitching it, but he totally blew me away by telling me he wanted to do it himself. It's not a small piece by any means 12" x 14" on 18 ct. It really is a neat piece.

I got lucky, and found the CrossStitcher issue 194 at Borders. It has a sepia tone pattern of Captain Jack Sparrow in it, so I had to get it to stitch for DD. (That is, unless she, too, wants to stitch it herself.)

I did get a bit of time to stitch, even with all the activities, and am thrilled to post this WIP. A Mother's Work is almost finished. All that needs done is back stitching and some lettering - plus a few half stitches to do the bubbles. I'm hoping to be able to post a finish tomorrow.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the fold in the banding (where momma mouse is) will come out when it's washed and pressed. Folds and hoop marks are one of my biggest gripes about aida.

House-Mouse Progress

I had some time to stitch this morning while the kids slept in. It was wonderful - quiet and relaxing. What a way to start the day! I'm not used to stitching long periods of time any more, and I have some sore fingers to prove it. That, and the needle I'm using isn't my favorite. I need to get to the shop and pick up some more Piecemakers. I use size 28's and this one is bigger and really makes a difference.

The toothbrush and part of the towel on the mice have made an appearance. I'm having a great time working on this piece.

Shopping is Finished


Christmas is almost here, and all my shopping is finished. All gifts have arrived safely and with lots of time to spare. Yes, internet shopping is definately the way to go in my book. The kids are finishing up on their homemade gifts, and we have started baking the cookies. The house smells sooooo good these days.


WIP

From the Heart Needle Roll is so close to being done. I've only one band and part of one to go. DD used all the fiberfill up, so I won't be able to finish the roll until after we get more. That's ok though.

New Project Start

DH bought me a couple of House-Mouse Designs kits for Christmas last year, and I never started any of them. I overheard him talking one day about them and wondering if I liked them because I didn't do any of them. So, on Saturday, I pulled one out and started. He saw me stitching it, and said he was just thinking about them the other day. Oh really? What a coincidence! LOL!! This is a Banner kit put out by Dimensions called "A Mother's Work".

Christmas Shopping, Finishes and a "New" WIP

This year, I've been challenged with a hurt foot, so Christmas shopping had to be done from my computer desk. It was just awful... sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping coffee and in my favorite warm clothes and slippers. Dang - it was so awful missing all the crowds and not being able to go from store to store just to find everything I want is either gone or the retailer doesn't carry what I want. I did all my shopping, finding everything I wanted, and I now have almost everything in hand. Only one more package to arrive. Next year, I'll be doing all my shopping online again. No more crazy crowds for me.

Finishes...

After all that web surfing for the correct gifts, I took some down time to stitch. There's nothing as relaxing as working on a piece that you really enjoy stitching. So, after all that exhausting shopping, I have 2 finishes to report.

First is Prairie Schooler's "Summer Ornament". I originally was going to stitch these as separate ornaments, and change them out every season. After working on the first one, and then finding that the rest were the exact same size, I changed my mind. I'm now stitching all the ornaments together to make a bell pull. They are being stitched on 18 count off-white aida. Since the ornaments are solid stitching, most of the aida won't be visible, so I decided to save my linen for something that would show it off more.


My next finish was a very old WIP. I don't even remember when I started it, but I finally put the finishing stitches in this week. I had put it away because the lighting and my eyesight didn't get along well with the fabric. Since then, I've gotten an Ott light and magnifier, so I'm back in business and pulling out all my old WIP's.

So, here it is..... Introducing my very old project... Hillside Sampling's "Letter Snow! Letter Snow! Letter Snow!" It was stitched on 28 count Blue Wing linen. I love snowmen and cardinals, so this design really appealed to me. The play on the song was another draw to it. I thought the whole "package" was cute. I just wish I could have gotten it finished a lot sooner now. Just think, I could have enjoyed it all this time, instead if it sitting in a box waiting for me to finally start working on it again.

"New" Old WIP

While I was rummaging through the WIP box, I came across another piece that I had put away because of my light and sight issue. The only time I was able to work on my stitching (at that time) was at night after the kids went off to bed, so some of the finer fabrics didn't show up well under the lights we had. I had to put those things off until daytime, and with 2 young'uns home all the time being home schooled, daytime usually wasn't an option to stitch. This project was started in 2000, and with the specialty stitches and over ones, I really had some issues. It seemed like I was frogging as much as I was gaining, so I put it aside for when I could sit in daylight and do it. It appears that day was forgotten about - until I came across it in the bottom of the box.

This is the second in the Breast Cancer Needle roll series that Lois M. Bear designed. It's called "From the Heart" and is being stitched on 30 count off white Northern Cross linen. When I pulled it out of the box 2 days ago, it looked like this:



This morning, it now looks like this:


It is amazing how much difference a light and magnifying glass can make! I'm now starting the last band at the bottom, and will start the top. I'm excited to think that in a couple of days, it will be done and stuffed. I love needle rolls, and I really need to get back into making them. They are just so pretty and look gorgeous when displayed.

One Last Note

I have been lurking on a few cross stitch boards every now and then, and one thing I find fascinating, is the opinion about what makes someone a "real" cross stitcher. My Step-MIL stitches on printed pillow cases and blankets, etc. According to the boards, she is not a real cross stitcher. Her X's are even and the piece is always beautiful when finished. If I work on a printed piece, my stitches are not nice or the same size. On this note, I think she is better than I am.

Another opinion is that those that stitch on aida are less experienced and are considered beginners. I'm sorry, but some of those pieces that are stitched on aida are difficult pieces like HAED's and other computer generated patterns that cover the whole piece of aida. I'm sorry - those patterns that are listed in the expert level won't be any better on linen.

Then there are those that make fun of the gals that stitch the primitives. I'm sorry, but I just don't understand it all. We all love to craft. We all love to create things. We all know how heart and soul is poured into a piece of our work, so why the criticisms and snobbery? We all have different tastes and preferences, so why is everyone expected to like and work on the same things?

Snow...

With snow here at the beginning of the week, it put me in the mood to want to stitch something to celebrate the change in seasons. I pulled out this cute and quick design by Sue Hillis called "Flurries..."


DD liked the tan snowflake charm better than the one that was included with the chart, so I swapped them. She says it's "cuter" :)

I also finished the first of EZ's "Thick Woodsmen's Socks" for DS. Unfortunately, I won't be starting the second until he comes home because I want to test fit it just to make sure it's OK. That's alright though, as I have more time to XS. I started Prairie Schooler's "Summer Ornament, and am almost 1/4th of the way done.

FINISH!!!

Pam Kellogg's "Fluffy Puppy" is finished and ready for a bath and framing. He was a fun stitch and I'm glad that I started with him to get back into XS'ing. Certainly a cute and quick finish.


Now, to figure out what the next project will be. I'm in the mood for stitching something wintery looking, since it is getting to be that time of the year.

Today was basically a catch-up day. I spent the day catching up little things that needed done, but don't seem to amount to anything. It looks like a wasted day, but really it wasn't. Then, for my short break, I put some stitches in on Fluffy Puppy. You know, no matter how long you have to stitch, it never seems long enough, does it? Puppy seems to be looking more like a Pom all the time. He should be done and framed in a couple of days.

Fluffy Puppy

I didn't get much time to work on "Fluffy Puppy", since today was Cyber Monday. I spent most of my free time online looking for bargains and wish list items. I really thought it was great, sitting here on a rainy Monday, sipping coffee and jumping from store to store comparing prices with only the click of my mouse. It sure beats running from store to store.

Now without further adieu, here's my sweet little Fluffy Puppy.

I Hang My Head in Shame

Yes, I hang my head in shame seeing how long it has been since my last posting. I've been tied to the kitchen and garden these past few months - which hasn't been a bad thing. The shelves are stocked with canned, frozen, and dried foods. Most have come from the garden or from our friends.

I have knitted a little during the past few months, but most of the time has gone into getting food put away and getting all set for winter. Finally, that is almost done, and now it's time to clean house and get things in order. I'm also finally getting a bit of time to work on cross stitch again, and it all feels so good. :) I feel like I'm finally accomplishing things in all areas of my life.

At my daughter's request, I made her another pair of footies, using Lynne H's "Mom's Fast Florida Footies" pattern. I modified it a bit by changing the purl stitches to knit on the bottom of the foot. I also modified the cuff some, making it a bit longer.


I made another pair of socks from Carole Anderson's "Iowa Crews/Cruise Socks" pattern for my DS. He likes a nice thick pair of socks for hunting..


I've also done a few dishcloths including a few that are test knit for Designs by Emily.

Currently on the needles, I'm working on a pair of Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Thick Woodsmen's Socks" using White Buffalo yarn. The yarn is quite amazing, and I so wish that it hadn't been discontinued. This is a yarn I'm sure I would have used a lot. (no pic yet)

Next, I have one of the socks done from Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend by Judy Alexander. It's from a past SOTM kit from The Knitter:


I also received some Regia yarn in Red White and Blue. It was another SOTM kit from the knitter. I didn't care for the pattern - so just knit it using my basic formula for socks. This one is for my DS. I'll soon be casting on the second sock.


For cross stitch - I'm making a lovely little Pomeranian for my DMIL. It's a cute design by Pam Kellogg called "Fluffy Puppy" and it came in a Bucilla kit that I won in a drawing. I'll post a pic of that soon.

Now that all the garden has been caught up, I should have enough time to both stitch and be able to update this blog on a more regular schedule. I certainly have missed doing both!

Warm Things

Since we just found out that heating oil prices are about $3 a gallon, I'm going to be looking at other ways to keep the family warm. I so wish we would have had the boiler fixed this summer, but hopefully it can and will be done soon. Then we'll just get wood each weekend until we have enough. At around $750 for a tank of oil, we really have to think of other alternatives! So, this entry will be dealing with warm things or things that make me toasty :)

I've been making many oven meals for the duel purpose of warming us both inside and out. :) Monday, I got out some chicken breasts that weren't skinned or deboned, so I defrosted them and then did the deed myself. By buying my breasts this way, we end up with 2 meals, one of a nice oven roasted breast dinner, and the other, I take the bones and little meat I cut off and make a broth out of.

I tried a new recipe with the breasts - so simple and soooo good.

Crunchy Onion Chicken
2/3rd's can French's Original Fried Onions
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
1 egg

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (not really necessary, but makes easy clean-up!)Crush fried onions in a sandwich or similar sized plastic bag. Pour into a bowl or pie plate. Set aside. In another bowl or pie plate, beat egg - set aside. Take chicken breasts and dip in egg then in crushed onions - coating both sides. Place on cookie sheet. Press on any left over onions if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Makes 5 servings.

I found that there was enough egg to dip a total of 6 breast halves, and if you are going to do six, you might want to crush the whole can or close to it. I baked these for 30 minutes because the breasts were nice and large.

While the breasts were baking, I put the bones in a pot and covered with water. I brought them to a boil, and them simmered for a good hour or so. I cooled and strained the bones from the liquid, then put in the fridge overnight.



About an hour and a half before I wanted to serve dinner on Tuesday, I took out the broth, skimmed off any fat, and poured in a pot. I had about 6 cups of broth. I then added a few fresh carrots (sliced), a diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 small leafy stalks of celery along with about a cup of diced cooked chicken. This simmered for about a half hour after coming to a boil. Then I brought a pot of water to a boil and and cooked some wide egg noodles until almost done. While the noodles were cooking, I added some leftover lima beans to the soup, as well as some salt, pepper, one "ice cube" of frozen chopped parsley, and one chicken bullion cube. When the noodles were done, I strained and added them to the soup. I cooked more than I needed, for those of us that like a more "noodle-y" soup. They were kept to the side. YUMMY!!



I finally finished my DS's pair of hunting socks. He has size 13 feet, so the photo of these covered almost my whole coffee table! I hope his feet have finally stopped growing :) I still need to make him another pair or two of heavy wool socks, and one more for DH, but the way things are going, I'm not going to get them all done before hunting season this year. Then, after I need to do some for DD as well as myself, but that will certainly be down the road.

My quilt needs to be brought out and sewn. I am looking forward to working on that. I found a couple of pillow cases that I put away of the children's from when they were little. DD's is an Little Mermaid case and DS's is a Barney pillow case. I have decided to pull them apart and integrate them in the quilt along with a few other scraps from things they wore when they were young. It will probably look weird, but hey - I've decided to make it even more warming with thoughts of the children every time I use it. I offered to put them in each of the children's quilts that I am going to do for them, but neither wants them - so... It'll be my memory type quilt. :)

Preparing for Cold Weather

The weather report is calling for chance of flurries tomorrow and possibility of snow on Tuesday. Chance of snow is not unusual for this time of year, but I'm somewhat concerned with all the leaves on the trees. Tonight, we are getting rain, and the temps are at 42°F. They can drop quickly. Those cold temps can cause ice to form on the leaves which can really do some damage. Those trees will snap and pull power lines down and cause life to come to a standstill. Well, at least a for most people. We are prepared. DH has the generator out and ready, plus we've got the oil lamps ready and even one burning right now. I love the glow of an oil lamp, so I had just had to keep one burning.

I honestly love it when the power goes out. The town grows so quiet and still. There are no hums of motors or outdoor lights blocking the gorgeous night sky. It's the sights and sounds I long for, but never get to experience unless we are out of power. The longest we've been without power has been a week, and we really didn't miss it. Now all we need is a wood cookstove and we'll be all set :)

With all the colder temps, I'm getting in the mood for the holiday season. I've been trying out new recipes, and have been looking for a recipe for cranberry sauce. Everyone loves it, but DH and the kids don't like the whole berry kind. They want something that is similar to the gel we get in the store. Today, my hunt has finally ended. I received "Home Cooking with Dave's Mom" by Dave's Mom, Dorothy from PaperBack Swap and in it was the recipe I have been searching for! It's so simple and tastes very, very good! I halved the recipe for trying. We are having this for dinner tonight with our macaroni and cheese.

Cranberry Gel
Source: Home Cooking With Dave's Mom page 106

4 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, add berries and water. Cook until berries pop, then pus through a Foley food mill. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Put in a glass jar with straight sides. (I used a pint wide mouth canning jar). When chilled, it will slide out of the jar and can be sliced for serving. Keeps well in the refrigerator. Makes 4 cups.

I still have not turned the heat on, however, DH did yesterday, to make sure it was running correctly. We are staying at about 60° overnight and it creeps up in the daytime. I have been using the oven for meals, so it usually peaks at about 67-68° in the evenings. The children don't seem to mind or notice it as much as I do, but clothing layers take care of that. I still need to go out and buy some plastic for the picture window. That thing lets so much cold air in - it's like sitting next to a fridge - even with the insulated drapes drawn!

Each year we try to improve our home a little. Each year it becomes just a bit more efficient. I'd love to go solar and use a cook stove for both heat and cooking. Sadly, our kitchen is not laid out so that we can put a stove in yet. Yes, I did say yet. We are planning on some reconstruction a bit down the road to fit our needs. I'm so looking forward to that.

It's funny. I remember when I was so heartbroken when I found out we couldn't move from here. My brother got the family farm, and we ended up with my parents home in town. It's the home they left to move to my grandparents farm. At the time we got this house, it was supposed to be a stepping stone to something larger - a little farm of our own. Life happened and we didn't move and every time we thought we'd have enough money and income for something, the land prices would go up out of reach, yet again. After 16 years of hoping and dreaming, the harsh reality set in that things wouldn't be as we dreamed about. Well, not yet, anyhow. So we decided to stay here a few more years as the economy becomes more and more questionable, and we'll thank the Lord we have a place to call home. Now, we've settled in nicely, and we are welcoming each new change and appreciating it all.

Bloom where you are planted. I finally know what that means!

Girls' Night Out

Yesterday was our annual girls "night" out. (Actually it was more like an afternoon & evening.) Each year, my DD, SIL and I make a trip to see the Taste of Home Cooking School. We always have a good time, come back with a few new tips, and some samples and freebies. We wanted to take a picture for our scrap books, but this year they would not allow any photos, not even before the show - so we came home photo-less. :(

We were especially treated with our show being hosted by Taste of Home's own Patricia Wade Powell who was a real delight to watch and listen to. She has such a great sense of humor and gave so many suggestions for other ingredients that would go well in the recipe she was demonstrating. I loved her many comments that "cooking from scratch is wonderful" and "make this recipe your own". Too many times I've come across people who cook strictly by the book. I will the first time to get a feel for the flavors - but after that - it's fair game to get creative with it.

So now, I need to sit down with my nice package of goodies from the show, and go through everything to see what all we really did receive. There were cookbooks, catalogs, coupons, samples, little gifts and recipes that I saw in the tote last night. We were just too tired to go through them all after we came home. I'm really looking to take some quite time today to sort through it all.