Baking & Blog Friends

My mail came yesterday and what did I find in there? A wonderful vintage Cooky Book from Judy:



Oh, what a nice surprise that was! I've looked through it so many times, I'm surprised I haven't worn it out yet. There are a ton of yummy sounding recipes in here and I've already picked out a few that I would like to try. Along with the book, Judy also sent me a couple of charms. Thank you so much Judy! You're so kind to me!

I must say that my friends in blog-land are the best! So many of you have sent me cards and little surprises to cheer me up and encourage me through this very trying (and what feels like a never-ending) illness. I really can't thank all of you enough for your support and understanding.

Anne mentioned that she really enjoys my baking photos. She said that she wishes she could come to my house for a cookie! Anne, it would be a very long drive to my house just for a cookie! Thank you so much for leaving me a comment.

Honestly, if I could mail cookies to all of my blog readers, I would. Unfortunately, I don't have a money tree growing in my backyard and I haven't been able to work much for awhile so the best I can do is to share my baking, my stitching and my other creative endeavors with you.

I didn't actually bake today but I did make some Strawberry Applesauce:



I guess this is sort of baking because I put everything in a casserole dish and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees. That way, I don't have to watch it and keep stirring it on the stove top.

I must say that my house smells so good right now! I cut up 3 pounds of Red Delicious apples, sprinkle them with the juice of 1 fresh lemon and baked it for 40 minutes. Then I added a bag of frozen strawberries and 1/4 cup of sugar. I baked it for another 15 minutes and I have a nice batch of Strawberry Applesauce. I used a potato masher to mash the fruit after it was done baking. I like chunky applesauce! Sometimes I just leave the sugar out. I don't eat much in the way of sugar but today I felt like adding a little.

I was going to try a recipe that Mary Anne sent to me called Impossible Chocolate Cream pie. I bought the Bisquick today but unfortunately, I'm out of steam now. I will see how I feel tomorrow and perhaps make it then.

I'm hoping to feel decent enough on Sunday to run my sewing machine. I mentioned last week that I'm planning a new CQ project to help me get through this Winter. I collect vintage machine embroidered handkerchiefs. I picked out 9 of them with different flowers and I'll be working each one into an 8 inch block. They'll be pieced entirely in white fabrics. I really want my embroidery and beading to show up and working with flowers will help me to think of Spring.

I do feel like I should be designing. I have ideas but the drive just isn't there. I don't know why since I can stitch, sew and bake. I can take care of keeping my home clean and I take care of all errands. Working on designs at the moment just feels like one too many things. I'm told that will come back in time. I sure hope so. I do enjoy it. I just can't get into it at the moment.

Well, that's my post for today. Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll have more baking and some sewing photos soon!

Making Christmas Cards

My Thanksgiving cards are made and ready to mail out so I've started on some Christmas cards:



I have another one at mom's that I started today but it isn't quite finished yet. I have a few other projects going as well. I mentioned last week that this will be a pink Christmas for me. I'll share what I'm working on when I have things ready. I have to make Christmas different this year so I decided on everything being pink rather than the traditional harsh red & green. I find soft pastel colors calming on my nervous system. Of course, I'm using lots of glitter as well!

I still want to pick up some pink poinsettias that I can glitter. I'll be going to Hobby Lobby with mom next week. I'm sure I'll find some there.

I had some other things I was going to chat about today but it seems that they've slipped my mind. I'm sure those thoughts will come around again and hopefully it'll be when I can write them down!

Flea Market Finds & Tropical Gingerbread Cake

It was a lovely day here in Northern Illinois. Sunny and temps around 60 degrees. We went to a flea market this morning and I found some more treasures to add to my collections. First, some vintage pins and old lace:



I saw the feather pin and immediately thought it was time to do another peacock project!

Next are some vintage handkerchiefs:



I love the ones with the machine embroidered flowers on them. In fact, I'm planning a new CQ quilt project using some of my vintage hankie collection. I think it'll be a nice project to help me get through the Winter months.

Last but not least, are 2 vintage baking booklets. One is from Bakers Coconut and the other is from a chocolate company. Both are from 1925:



Of course, the minute I got home, I had to try one of the recipes using my new Kitchenaid:



Here's the recipe for TROPICAL GINGERBREAD CAKE:

2 cups Cake Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Butter or Shortening
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg, well beaten
2/3 cup Molasses
1 cup Baker's Coconut (shredded coconut)
3/4 cup sour milk or Buttermilk

Sift flour once,measure, and add baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt
and sift together 3 times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and coconut. Add flour alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Bake in greased pan, 8 X 8 X 2 inches, in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes.

I frosted it with cream cheese frosting and of course added sprinkles.

Please keep in mind that I typed up the recipe exactly as written in my book. We don't have to do all that sifting anymore. Once is enough.

You know, I used to totally stress about staying on topic as much as possible. I didn't want to stray too far from my needlework theme. Under the circumstances, I'm simply blogging about what I'm doing. I am stitching and will have a photo of my vintage Vogart dresser scarf as soon as it's done but I do think that daily progress photos on that is a bit boring.

Thinking about things now, I'm not sure why I always felt that I had to stay on topic. I mean, there's more to me than just stitching and designing. I've always love baking and I collect all sorts of little vintage things that are pretty and fun to look at. I'm a very domestic person and I guess I'm starting to think that since this is my blog, it can be whatever I want it to be.

I confess, I've lost about 1/2 of my daily readers due to my lack of posting during my illness. I imagine in time, my readers will come back and maybe with a few new topics like baking and other things that I do, maybe I'll attract some new readers.

In the meantime, I hope my readers who have stayed with me through this trying year, are enjoying whatever I write about!

I'm trying to figure out how to have my comments sent to my email address. I would love to reply to everyone's comments but it would be so much easier if could just reply to an email. If anyone knows how I can set that up, please let me know.

Ok, I'm off to wash up a few dishes and then I need to take a bath and call it a day.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies & Thanksgiving Greetings!

I got home from mom's yesterday and I just had to play with my Kitchenaid. I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Sugar Cookies:



My dad loves these and although Scott isn't much for sweets, he too is quite fond of these cookies. Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/3 cup Cocoa
2 cups Flour
1 bag Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

Cream butter & sugar. Add baking soda & cocoa. Mix well. Add egg & vanilla. Add flour and mix well then finally add the bag of chips.

Drop by teaspoon full on baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. I then add seasonal sprinkles! Also, I bake my cookies on Parchment Paper. It helps them to bake more evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until cookies are done but not brown.

I'd love to play with my new toy a little more but I'm toast for today now. I'll be taking my bath shortly and laying on my bed with my remote control and the new issue of Artful Blogging. Of course Nightmare, my little guardian, will be hogging the blankets!

I also thought you would enjoy seeing my handmade Thanksgiving cards:



You may want to click on the picture to see them up close. They're very glittery!

I have some new projects rolling around in my mind. I try to keep myself busy in hopes of keeping my mind off of how I feel. I still don't have my head all together yet. I can't do things as quickly as I used to. And I can't seem to organize things well yet. I'm assured that it will all come back in time but for now, it's a little frustrating.

I'm off to fold a load of laundry and put dinner together. We have left-over taco salad for tonight. Scott told me that taco salad was "border-line" cooking. Ha! I said no way! It's browning a package of ground beef and mixing in a jar of mild Pace Picante sauce!

BTW - I'm a little behind on my email. I plan to have that caught up by the end of the weekend. If you're waiting to hear back from me, please hang in there. I'll be replying very soon.

Floral Pillow

Isn't is amazing what you find when you go through and organize your things? I was looking through my stitched pieces that need framing and I came across this little floral embroidered piece that I stitched years ago. Way back in the mid 1980's! It was a pre-stamped design. I did a lot of those back then.



I don't know why I never sewed it up. I guess I just forgot about it or kept putting it off. Well, it's sewn up now and sits in my wicker rocking chair with my cardinal pillow. I stitched that one a few years ago. The design is from my collection of vintage iron-on transfer patterns. It's crayon tinted.

Well, I've been grocery shopping this morning and I have some ground sirloin cooking up for taco meat. We'll have Taco Salad for dinner tonight. When that's done, I'll head over to mom's for a bit.