Revisiting 2008 Meme

Tonight while reading favorite blogs, I came across an meme for recapping 2008 hosted by Kelli at There is no place like home. It sounded interesting. Thought I would see what my year at blogging looked like.

Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month
I added the title of my first entry for each month as well as the first sentence and then a favorite picture from that month.

January: New Year New Opportunities
2008 Amazing that 8 years ago the world was concerned with Y2K


February: Longing for Spring Swap Questionnaire
If you have been thinking about spring and love swaps, check out this swap.


March: Haekelbeutal AKA Crocheted Summer Bag For Me
Haekelbeutel is German for crocheted bag.


April: A Little Of Paint Makes A World of A Difference
Slowly....step by step...it is coming together!


May: Bicycle Riding
For several years, Greenwood has been one of the hosts of the USA Crits Speedweek.


June: One of The Many Reasons Why I Love Summer
Home grown veggies.....


July: How About Those Georgia Dogs?
Not those Georgia dogs....


August: So Long, Matlock
On Monday I say goodbye, so long, see ya later gator to Matlock and hello to another year of middle school.


September: What's Up?
Nothing...absolutely nothing.


October: Welcomed Site, Ahhhh!
Driving home yesterday, my eyes gazed upon a welcomed sight.


November: Friday Nights in SC
I love high school football.


December: Felting Groove
For the past few weeks, it was been colder than normal in my part of the world.


Wonder what 2009 will bring?

Southern Cooking Keeps Ya Good Looking

There seems to be a theme to the Christmas gifts I received this year....food/cooking. Not that I am complaining. I love to cook and/or bake and then consume the goods. One look at me and my husband shows we do not turn away good food.
My son gave me this:

and this:

My husband gave me a set of Santoku knives. Love these knives. It's like cutting butter when using these knives.
My son absolutely loves his copy of The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook. Could it be that he misses southern food? I think so. Every now and then he'll call and ask about some southern recipe he is yearning for. One of the gifts we gave him was a t-shirt from Grits and Groceries that said, "Southern Cooking Keeps You Good Looking". Anyhow, he recommended one of the collards recipe from my new cookbook.

He even offered to cook some for dinner.

He is using my new knife and red cast iron enamel dutch oven.

Quite tasty!

Talking about cooking...I have been wanting to try the No-Knead Bread recipe from the New York Times. So to give my new dutch oven a workout, I decided to try the recipe. Hate to admit this but I have made three loaves and am presently in the process of making the fourth. I plan to make one every day this last week of vacation and freezing them. This recipe makes a very crusty, hearty loaf of bread. Boy, with some Happy Cow butter....

More Christmas Baking (Sugar Overload)

Italian Cream Cake
What started out as a mess (cake stuck to the pan - ugh!)

ended up disguised and delicious (icing makes a wonderful cement when putting cake back together - hee hee!)



Cinnamon Buns
Breakfast on Christmas morning is not complete without some made-from-scratch cinnamon buns


Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Baking and More Crafting and Knitting

I have finally gotten around to doing some baking....cookie baking. Good idea, since the Doctor son will be home soon - like today. Since he is the only child of ours and he isn't married, our Christmas revolves around him. Maybe one day, he'll be married and have kids. Then our world can revolve around them.

Every year I try a couple of new recipes. This year's new recipes come from a new blog I have been reading lately - Leigh Anne from Your Home Based Mom. Both of these cookies are keepers, according to my husband.
Snicker Cookies
Yep, they have mini Snickers baked inside the cookie.
Snowball Cookies
But these aren't the usual snowball type cookies....
Yep, they have chocolate kisses inside the cookie. Seems that I have a candy theme going on this year.

Another blog I have been visiting lately is Schlosser Design. Erin had the cutest idea for little gifts to give.
Erin provided the template for the graphic that is insert inside a bottle of liquid soap. To see how this was done, visit this link. I thought a bottle of this soap and a handmade knitted washcloth would make a nice gift.

Dumpling Bag update: Here is the bag after felting.
Just like I said in the earlier entry....I have not mastered the French Knot. The so called knot blended into the yarn.
I also felted a couple of bowls I knitted over the weekend. Aren't they cute?

Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas....the smells, the colors, the sounds, the excitement, the celebration of our Savior's birth. I love this time of the year.
New ornaments on the kitchen Christmas tree:

I found these nice dried orange rinds ornaments for the tree. These ornaments inspired me to dry some orange slices which I made into additional ornaments for the tree.

The orange rind ornaments and dried orange slices inspired me to make orange and cloves pomanders.
Greenery and berries in a white pitcher, tiny ornaments in a felted bowl, greenery and mittens hanging on stained glass, and having time off for the next two weeks. I love this time of the year.
Merry Christmas!

Random Photos of Christmas Spirit

No wonder Santa's parked in a handicapped space.

How's that belt working for you, Santa?