Happy Friday!

We've actually had a rather boring uneventful week which is just fine with us.  Last Saturday we returned our DS to Austin (first day back at UT was Monday).  Our older DS caught a ride back the previous Wednesday with his roomie. So...we're back to empty nest again.

I finally packed up a stowed all the Christmas decorations.  Yay!  (Well, except for a few things that are DH's "department" and I'll encourage/help him with those this weekend.)  It feels good!

I decided to try to finish up some wips this year.  The first one I picked up was "Betsy's House" by Plum Street Samplers:

I'm also working on a PS freebie called "Welcome Home" for an exchange block:

I'm also excited to see that Diane of Little House Needleworks released a design for which I was the model stitcher.  It's called "Hands to Work".  I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this one...so much so that I was almost sad when it was finished.  For sure I'll be stitching it again for me.

We've had some cool enough weather this past week that I claimed a couple of "soup weather" days.  One day I made some homemade vegetable soup (I don't really have a recipe bc I made it up...and it can be different every time.  I used to call it "garbage soup" bc I'd make it on Fridays and put in all the little dabs of leftover veggies from that week.)  I made a big batch and kept out some of the leftovers and froze the rest for later.

I also tried a new recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup which DH and I both loved.  What's even better is that it was easy peasy to make and doesn't call for any "exotic" ingredients (many of which I already had on hand.  I love a well-stocked pantry and freezer!) .  Yum!  I'll definitely be making this one again.

We have a neighborhood association annual meeting/get-together tonight for which I'll be baking some Texas Sheet Cake and some cheese breads.  While the oven's hot, I may bake something else to freeze for our use later.  I'm thinking maybe a pound cake that I'll divide into 4 "hunks".  (I'd like to stock up the freezer for those too-hot-to turn-on-the oven days that will be here soon enough.)

Until next time.....

Happy stitching!