Puppy Chow for People?

This is such an odd name for a yummy little treat. It is really easy to make and store and most people love the chocolate/peanut butter combo. It looks pretty in tins as Christmas gifts for teachers, neighbors, etc.

Melt together in microwave or on stove top:

1 stick butter

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

10-12 ounces chocolate chips

(I do this in the microwave in a 5 qt plastic bowl)

Once it is melted, stir until combined and smooth.

Then stir in a 12 ounce box of rice or corn chex cereal. Make sure all the cereal gets coated. I then take a gallon size ziplock bag and pour powdered sugar in. Better to start with a 1/2 cup of sugar and then add more if needed. ( That way when you pour out the first batch you don't loose all the extra sugar.) Start scooping in the cereal mixture and then seal and shake. Check to see if all the cereal is coated. I do this in batches. It is easier to coat them when the bag is not entirely full. About halfway is best. You can store this in the fridge, but we just put it in a sealed storage container on the countertop. It goes fast, so it is a good thing the recipe makes a very large batch!

Butterick 5435-finished

I think vintage aprons are so feminine. Hancock had their patterns on sale for $0.99 a week ago and I couldn't resist this cute retro pattern. I bought this material at Walmart . It was one of those 5 yards for 5 dollars. I know it is cheap cotton, but it is silky soft and has a really nice drape for the apron. The pattern has an optional pocket that I might attach later. It also has jumbo rickrack. I want the apron to be cute but usable, so I haven't added any of the extras yet. Now if I can get this waistband on surely I can get my '44 skirt waistband on too. I also finished the heel flap for my sock. I will hopefully post some pics later. This little apron just makes me want to go bake something and wear pearls while I'm doing so. Brings out the June Cleaver in me!

Working on the shed-wish I was knitting instead!

I helped my son work on putting tin on the front of our shed this afternoon. My daughter also helped me paint quite a bit of the tin "desert sand" today. Don't you love how names of colors make them sound so much more spectacular than they really are. This is tan in my book! I have made very little progress on my socks. I now have the 2 inch cuff and need to watch the heel flap tutorial. I hope she covers it all because it is not a free pattern to download. I like free! It is not that I won't pay for things, but there are so many free projects that are suitable to my skill level (beginner), that I haven't had to yet. I might have to buy this one or the sock may just become a leg warmer.

I do feel accomplished today because I mopped my floors by hand and I love it when they are so clean. Do you mop by hand or use a mop?

There's a hole in my ceiling, Dear Liza Dear Liza!

I love fires. The snapping, crackling and popping of wood burning is so cozy! Some dear friends gave us a really nice, really expensive Harman wood stove about 6 or 7 years ago when we lived in a church parsonage. We of course took it with us when we decided to build our new home on our farm. Due to the fact that we had little time and little money, we only built our basement. (We look forward to building the remaining 2 floors soon) We did leave a cove area where we would eventually put in the wood stove and this week my rather crafty hubby cut a hole in our roof and put in the piping for our stove. Wood heat is much cheaper for us and it is so much warmer. We look forward to nights spent reading and snuggling in front of the fire! Hopefully it will all be in place soon. Finding time to complete projects is definitely the hardest part for my hubby. He works full time and is a pastor too!

Stitching cards for Holidays

I get a really neat embroidery newsletter each month and the "Find of the Month" for November was a great pattern for stitching on a card.  This holly wreath pattern is all straight lines, so it appears pretty simple.  The instruction page looks a little confusing at first, but when you read through the details it helps simplify things. If you like embroidery and want to get a jump start on cards for different holidays, visit http://www.stitchingcards.com/ to see their downloadable pattern packages.  You can also go here to view and download some of their free patterns to try.  I can't wait to start this pretty holly wreath with some metallic threads! Happy stitching. (picture of the finished project is from their website-so pretty)

2 New Blogs to visit

Are you artsy and creative? Maybe you just like watching someone else do lovely art projects.  If so you will want to keep up with  Michelle's new blog. She is fabulously talented and I look forward to seeing all her new projects.  I am so excited that my daughter gets to do the collage project for her next art class!
Not an artist? Maybe you like to read...and read alot! If you want to glean some info about some classic and not so classic literature selections, I suggest you look no further than Alexis' blog. She is currently reading and reviewing The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. She even takes suggestions for books to read. You can't beat that!
On another note, I found a great website yesterday. It is not a blog, but has much valuable info.  http://www.angelakane.com/.  It is in my sidebar as well.  She has several video series on how to make garments. I watched the series on "How to make a Dress" yesterday. She is thorough and easy to understand.  She also has a free pattern available through Burdastyle right now for the jean dress she makes in the video series. It is a downloadable PDF, so you will have to put the puzzle together so to speak. They are quite easy to do and I used one for my coffeedate dress sew along project from Grosgrain. If you want to start sewing and aren't sure where or how to begin, I suggest stopping by her website.

A Delightful Cookie

I made "kitchen sink" cookies last night. I used a basic cookie recipe that I know by heart and just threw in "good stuff." Cream 2 sticks of butter (room temp) with 1 cup brown sugar (packed) and 1 cup white sugar. Once fluffy, add in 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 2 large eggs (room temp). Mix until blended. Then add 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt and 2 cups flour (all purpose). (I have a KitchenAid stand mixer, so I add the salt and soda in and then begin to add the flour-if desired you can mix these ingredients in a small bowl before adding). Then add 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, 6 oz chocolate chips and 6 oz white choc chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto tray and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. These went like hotcakes last night. I have started baking only one tray at a time(about 9 large cookies) and refrigerating the rest of the dough. It keeps the boys from eating too many cookies in one sitting and allows me to make fresh "hot out of the oven" cookies everyday. The dough stays fresh in a storage container and will usually last for 4 days of cookie baking. You could also roll the dough into logs and wrap with wax paper and place in a freezer bag. Take it out of the freezer before you sit down to eat dinner and it will be thawed enough to slice and bake while you clean up the dinner dishes. They will obviously last longer in the freezer. Enjoy the sweet things in life!