Friday update

Creative title, huh?  ;-)

I'm almost finished with the current model so hope to stitch my portion of a round robin, resume stitching Hetty Child, and start DD's wedding project, Bent Creek's "Flowers in the Springtime".

I also have all but the backstitching done on CEC Mitten Mitten for a CEC mitten sal (a very non-stress, year long sal).  I'm hoping to stitch enough of the mittens and then to finish them like real mittens with little hangers  for a mitten tree.  I don't think I'll "sign" them on the front but make little tags with my name and date to attach to the backing fabric.  We'll see.

I tried a new soup recipe from a recent issue of Real Simple magazine...a chicken and barley soup.  It called for using chicken thighs but I don't like dark meat so I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.  It was pretty simple and quick to make and both DH and I like it better than my usual chicken soup that I make.

The weather has continued to be nice and warm here although it's cooling down today and we're expecting rain for the weekend.  They're prepping for some kind of construction at my walking track and had part of it fenced off.  It's sad to see something go up there but will be interesting to watch, I guess.

Happy stitching!

Stitching, Cooking, Visitors

It's been a rather unexciting week...but often that's a good thing.

I've been making some progress on a model but also squeezed in a little stitching time on a CEC freebie mitten called Mitten Mitten.

I also finished the Witch and am pleased with how it turned out.  Now I have to decide on a skeleton to stitch for next month.

I took the plunge and ordered the floss for "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Heartstring Samplery.  I should probably have my head examined for deciding to stitch this one when I have so many other things "going" but I decided to use it to help motivate me to get some of the others done...or at least make some good progress on them.  I'll decide after the floss arrives as to what fabric to use.  I'm even thinking of trying to overdye some myself.  After all, it's good to try new things, right?  If anyone experienced in dying fabrics has any suggestions, please feel free to share.

Nikki at Country Cottage Needleworks released a design for which I stitched the model.  It's called "Seasonal Celebrations-Spring".  It should be available soon at your LNS.

We had a gorgeous few days here last weekend and the beginning of the week.  Our neighbor took a picture of some visitors at our dock.  (The lake level has been very low for several years after several years of drought so our neighborhood association voted to drill a well to pump it up.  This was an "after" picture.  Not only is the lake level better but also the water quality/clarity is much improved.)

Midweek the clouds returned and yesterday a wet and cold front arrived.  I'm glad I took some time to walk when the weather was so pretty.

I'm a "make lemonade out of lemons" kind of girl so took advantage of the "soup weather" to make a big pot of Ina Garten's Ribollita.  I love that stuff and hadn't made it yet this winter.  It takes a bit of chopping and prep time but it makes a lot.  I saved some in the fridge and some in the freezer and save cooking time on other days when we reheat this.  If you're interested, here's a link to the recipe:

Ribollita

I've made quite a few of Ina's recipes...I think she's responsible for some of the extra pounds I carry.

Happy stitching!

Friday already?

The week flew by this week for some reason!

Our "baby" son left to go back to school...after first staying a few days with some friends in College Station.  (He'll go back to Austin on Sunday.)

I enjoyed watching the Big Game Monday night to watch my Buckeyes win the National Championship.  The victory was especially sweet because of all the nay-sayers out there.  Also, because of injuries, we played out third string QB and it was only his third "start" for this game!  Amazing!  To celebrate, I made some buckeyes.  (Peanut butter mixture dipped in chocolate.)  DH took some to a meeting and I took some to choir practice.  It's a good thing...it's dangerous to be in the house alone with these.  Yum!!

Here's a picture of  real buckeyes:

While on the subject of food...I had the TV on one day and saw Ree (Pioneer Woman) making spinach soup.  Since we had a good bit of spinach left from another dish (DH makes a pasta dish with it.) I thought this might be a good way to use up the spinach.  It was tasty!  I'm claiming that it's good for you because of the spinach  (....and not talking about the butter, whole milk, cream, and cheese).  It was quick and easy to prepare too.  This recipe will be "a keeper" in my recipe file.

Here's a link to the recipe if you're interested:

Spinach Soup

On the stitching front:  I've been mostly concentrating on a model this week that, of course, I can't show.

I'm in a blog where we're stitching monthly Halloween ornaments with January's theme a witch.  I finally decided on a freebie by subrosa that's a little on the Prim side.  (I'm also in a Prim group...I like to stitch things that work for more than one of my groups.)  Not long ago I snagged a big bag of 25 count fabric.  I don't normally stitch on that count but thought it would be good for some over one projects so that's what I'm doing with this piece to make the design small enough to work as an ornament.  I like how it's turning out so far:

Last up:  here's my wip of a BBD freebie.  I was moved after the terror attacks in France to stitch an Eiffel Tower.

That's it for this week.  

Happy Stitching!

Brrrrrrr!!!

It's so cold in Gulf Coast Texas (How cold is it?) that I have to wear real shoes instead of flip flops.  We're hovering at about the freezing point which--I know! I know! isn't that cold--- but it is for our area.

Being from "up North", I'm enjoying the colder weather and celebrated by making a big pot of soup the other day.  I think I'll make some white chili today.  (One DS is still home for his college break and he requested this.)

I've been enjoying stitching on Brenda Keyes "Hetty Child" sampler that I started on Jan. 1.  I reached a "milestone" yesterday in finishing the flower basket motif in the center.

In the spirit of my "year of the sampler", I've ordered "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Heartstring Samplery.  There's a FB SAL group for this one.

There's also another FB SAL group started by Jean Farish to work on her "America, Land that I Love".  I joined this one too.  I'd started it a while ago but it's become a WIP/UFO.


I also put a few stitches in a Primitive Needle freebie "By the Light of he Moon".  I joined a Halloween ornament sal group here:  Halloween Ornie SAL 2015  .  January's theme is Witches and I thought this might work.  Unfortunately it's a little big for an ornament so I might have to stitch something else for this theme.  I think this one would make a cute no-sew cube, though.

I fear I've bitten off more than I can chew with these SALs.  (There are a few more too.)  I also am working on another model and need to stitch DD's wedding piece.  I feel like it's ok though and will be happy with any progress I make on these...as long as I finish the model and DD's.  I'll never be bored because there's always something to stitch.


We ran out of pie (according to my guys, a serious problem) so I baked my late DMIL's banana cream pie that has rum-soaked raisins, toasted slivered almonds, and banana slices between the cream and meringue.  The story about this pie is that my MIL called it "Louie's Pie" because she said it was DH's favorite.  He whispered to me once that, although he loves it, it's not his favorite.  Apple pie would win THAT distinction.  He never had the heart to tell his mother.  Of all her pies, this is MY favorite, though.  The cream part is wonderful....so thick and rich.  It uses vanilla bean--YUM!--and 8 egg yolks.  Not exactly good for you.  We have it rarely so I guess it's ok for a splurge once in a while.  Now THIS pie is nearly gone and I'm hearing noises from a certain couple of guys who live in this house that "someone" needs to bake another pie.  lol!

Finally....on a very sad note....I am horrified by the terrorist attack that happened yesterday in Paris.  I feel like this was not just an attack on the Parisian/French people but an attack on all free people everywhere in the world.  I can't say that I know the answer about solving the problem of terrorism that we all face and I fear that our leaders don't have the answer either. I pray for us all that we can all learn to live in this world together with peace, mutual respect, and dignity.

Happy stitching!