HAPPY NEW YEAR

The old year departed, how swiftly it flew,

'Tis gone, and with rapture we welcome the new.

We trust a bright morning will dawn on your eyes,

And sunbeams unclouded illumine the skies.

Then wake from your slumbers, our serenade hear,

We wish you a Happy, A Happy New Year!

Author Unknown

Overnight Carmel Rolls

This was the first year that I made these and was totally impressed with this recipe.  Not only does it use yeast but also baking powder.  I had not used a yeast recipe that had both before.  They turned out GREAT.  I will use this recipe from now on. 

This Betty Crocker Cookbook that I got this recipe out of I bought the first year we were married.  It is out of print now..  I found another used one on Amazon and picked it up because my original cookbook is falling apart.  It is called Betty Crocker's Baking Classics and has a red cover with a beautiful double layer chocolate cake on the front.. Looking at Amazon right now, there are some new and used ones listed.  It is one of the very best cookbooks I've got, and I recommend that you pick up one. 



Banana Bread

I had 5 bananas just sitting around waiting to become banana bread today.  You know, they were soft and perfect for the mashing.  I looked in my quilters cookbook for a banana bread recipe.  This one was called Best Banana Bread-I didn't think I could go wrong with that one.  It's very good-I didn't put any nuts in it though. 



BEST BANANA BREAD

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup sour milk

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together sugar and shortening.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry mixture alternately with sour milk.

and bananas to creamed mixture, beating until well mixed.

Add nuts if desired, reserving 2 T to sprinkle on top of loaves for garnish.

Pour into 2 lightly greased full sized loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 15 minutes.

Turn out onto foil and wrap immediately.  



Earthquake!

Earthquake shakes northeast Indiana: wane.com

I was sitting in my studio this morning and at 7:59 it sounded like a huge gust of wind hit the window. Then the floor shook and the cats looked up from their sleep. I looked outside and there was no wind at all and there were no storms in the area. It was very strange, but having felt an earthquake a few years back I decided that must be what it was. It only lasted one to two seconds. About 15 minutes later the news people did come on and say there have been reports coming in.

Here in Northern Indiana we don't get a lot of earthquakes so it is big news. I'm just glad it was no bigger.

Great Stuff

I hope that you like my new banner.  Trying to keep it all fresh for the new year.

I took other pictures of some great stuff I had received.  Two beautiful scarves (I keep being told it is the year of the scarf) and a blingy metallic green bag.  I am crazy about all of these items.  A luggage tag that goes with my blingy bag but can also go with my new set of luggage.  I was told that my husband decided to get me these roller bags after our trip to Detroit for Thanksgiving.  I believe it was after his shoulder was almost dislocated from the socket from my heavy bag that he had to carry.  It is a great set, 3 sizes of roller bags, a garment bag and a carry on.  I guess his pain was my gain.  It was a total surprise.

Book Review-Open House by Elizabeth Berg

As I had mentioned in a previous post, this book was sent to me by my friend Colleen in Georgia as we exchange books that we enjoyed. 

It can be found on Amazon 

This book is a very easy read and since I had the time it took me only six hours at the most to read. 

The book is about a women named Samantha who was 42.  She and her husband had an 11 year old son.  She knew that her marriage was becoming stale and her husband was becoming distant.  She tried to speak to him about going to a counselor and working out their problems but he was not interested in that.  He ended up moving out and the book is about her journey of finding herself and coping with the emotional roller coaster that she had to go through.  Along her journey she met many new people and found a side of herself that she had left behind when she got married and was raising her son.  I enjoyed this book and gave it 7 out of 10 stars. 

Adding to the New Years List

1.  Cleaning out my Inbox-(and keeping it that way).

2.  Finishing Three Quilts

3.  Drinking More Wine (They say a glass a day is good for you!)

4.  The usual-walking more, eating better.

5.  Painting and crafting more. 

6.  Worrying less, stressing less.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

7.  Trying a new recipe each week. (I have really great cookbooks that need to be used.)

8.  Going to bed earlier so I don't sit down to quilt or watch t.v. and fall asleep.  I think I will be more productive at work too, maybe I won't have the 2:30 sleepy time.

MORE TO COME.....

9.  Lastly-being more choosy about what I buy.  Charging less and paying more with cash.

That's enough to put on my plate for a year.  

The calm after the storm

With the holidays over and I have this week off from work I have to say I have not had a lot of "get up and go".  I have had a case of the "Blog Block" too.  I have taken a couple of pretty pictures and hope this gets me started back on the right track again. 

My sister Linda got for me these really pretty bright towels to go in my new kitchen.  I just love them and thank you so much!

My niece Angie also got for me this whisk with the beautiful multi-colored striped handle.  She and I always admire the striped coffee cups on the show "Two and a Half Men".  They look similar to this handle. 

Another niece of mine, Wendy game me this lovely blue bird.  She picked it up on a trip and it is replacing another bird she had gotten me.  I had a cobalt blue bird sitting outside and one night some teenagers were messing around taking things from people yards and replacing them with other things.  My cobalt blue bird was a victim of that bunch of shenanigans.

  The little ones I found on half price after Christmas shelves.  They were too cute to pass up.