This 'n' That

 

A vintage postcard from my collection

 This snowy January morning I just feel like sharing a few random thoughts.  I'm working on some special New Year posts (and also some end-of-the-year book talk) but they aren't ready yet.  Hence, a few minutes of this 'n' that.

January is a wonderful month for new starts and so yesterday I got everything together for a new cross-stitch project:  a January sampler from Prairie Schooler.  I got this pattern in 2021 along with the one for the February sampler one,  but started the February one first.  

 My plans are to stitch each of the patterns in this booklet.  I already started the tiny "Snow Day" one just because I think it is so cute and would make a fun addition to winter decorating.  Also, it will be super quick to make!

The February sampler has been finished for awhile and I've just washed it.  After it dries I plan to press and then finish it as I did December to use in the same way on a clipboard:

 I am not a fast or prolific cross-stitcher, but I do love it!

In other crafting news, I just finished some play food for our friends' children:

felt cheeseburgers like the one below  (I skipped the sesame seeds this time, feeling that these kids wouldn't go for them)

and crocheted donuts similar to those below (only I skipped the bead sprinkles thinking they might be unsafe in the hands of rambunctious little boys).  I did two strawberry frosted ones, two chocolate ones, and two white frosted chocolate ones.

Another project I never showed any photos of (except, I think, on Instagram) is some crocheted covers I made for wooden hangers:

I have one more to go, I think.

Does anyone else feel like doing little puttery things in January?  I think maybe a lot of us do, or possibly it's just me.  But I don't think so.

One little task I'm hoping to tackle today is to take all of my post-type earrings off a simple plastic canvas holder I made years ago.  

 
This holder is stuffed full of earrings by now and I literally can't find room for all my earrings on it.  The other day it struck me that if I just removed all of the earrings I no longer wear, there would be room and I would be as thrilled as I was back when I blogged about it in 2016.

So my plan is to remove all of the post-type earrings, clean them, and put them away.  Maybe eventually some of my granddaughters may want them.  I only wear dangle type earrings at this point, now that my hair is a lot longer than it used to be.  I honestly prefer them and don't see myself going back to the other type.

Another task (my hubby and I are working on this one together) is going through all of our food storage and taking inventory using this form:

We did this a couple years ago, but it needs doing again.  We weren't as good as we could have been about checking off the boxes when we removed something from storage.  We've gone through our main big pantry, but still have a couple other storage areas to do.  That's probably happening today since it's snowy outside.  Eventually we plan to inventory the freezer also.

I've also been going through books, mostly cookbooks, and being more ruthless about donating them.  I've got a "Making Space" box going with a variety of items in it that I'll be donating.  As I come across things -- a pillowcase, a pair of pants, boxes of Christmas cards, books -- that I'll never use again, into the box they go.  A Making Space post should be coming later this month.

 I don't think I ever posted about a new bedspread we got.  It was inexpensive but the color combination is something I've been wanting for a long time.  I love it!

 
And then there were some recent sunrise photos I never shared here.  Here are just a couple.  We don't often see pretty sunrises from our vantage point here in the woods.

Well, I'm sure I must have wasted enough time for today.  There is so much to do and I'd better get back at it.  What are you up to on this snowy day?

A kinda cheesy Wednesday Medley

Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida.  Terry is using National Cheese Day as a theme for the questions in this week's Medley.  Why not head over to Terri's and get the the questions to answer them on your own blog? Here goes:

1.  National Cheese Day is Tuesday, rather than Wednesday, but I think we should celebrate cheese this week!!  Let's start by sharing your favorite cheese with us.  Which one is always in your fridge?

 We love cheese in this house!  American cheese and Parmesan are always in the fridge but neither is necessarily our favorite.   We also love provolone and cheddar -- oh yes, and I always have cheese sticks in the fridge, either the cheddar or colby jack, sometimes both. 

I keep shredded cheese in the freezer because it tends to mold easily.  Shredded sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, and Mozzarella are always in the freezer.  I also store crumbled Feta and crumbled blue cheese in the freezer because I use them frequently, but not every day so they stay fresher there.

Cheeseburger Soup -- photo from Taste of Home

2.  What is your preference? Mild, Sharp, or Extra Sharp?  How do you use cheese most often?

Sharp or extra sharp, probably.  The Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar is wonderful.  

I guess I probably use cheese most as an ingredient -- and I routinely reduce the amount of cheese called for in recipes by about half.  No one needs that much cheese, especially if the recipe also includes meat or eggs.  Also, the sharper the cheese, the more flavor it adds to the dish, so less can be used.  We do enjoy snacking on cheese with apples, crackers or popcorn,  but not that often.  

Chocolate mousse with strawberries -- photo from Taste of Home

3.  Cheesecake?  New York style or what other flavors would you rather have? 
Good question.  Just a plain New York style with some cherry pie filling on top is good.  I've also made many other cheesecakes over the years but would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.  Below you see a slice of felt cheesecake, one of many felt desserts and other felt foods I've made as gifts for grandkids.

4.  When you do grilled cheese sandwiches, which cheese do you prefer to use and what condiments do you use, if any?

I usually use American cheese, and I use 1 1/2 to 2 slices per sandwich.  No condiments, just butter on the bread.

Pepper Jack Mac'n'Cheese, from Taste of Home

5.  Number 5 on June 5th... Say happy birthday to my sister, Tammy!!

Happy Birthday, Tammy!  And also say Happy Birthday to my grandson, Nathan!  He is turning six today, but this photo was taken 2 years ago.

6.  Share something with us about your week. If it includes using cheese in a recipe, please also share that with us too!!

 Let's see.  The week seems to have flown by; I have no idea how it got to be Wednesday already.  Mr. T and I are busier than we have ever been in our lives, it seems.  Although I haven't used cheese in a recipe yet this week, I'll try and share links to the recipes for the pictured foods.

Apple Feta Salad, photo from Taste of Home

For the Cheeseburger Soup, go here: Cheeseburger Soup.
For the Chocolate or Cheesecake Mousse with Strawberries, go here: Cheesecake Mousse with Strawberries.
For the Pepper Jack Mac, go here: Pepper Jack Mac.
For the Apple Feta Tossed Salad, go here: Apple Feta Tossed Salad.
And if you should be interested in the felt cheesecake slice, go here: Felt Cheesecake Slice.  It's actually a tutorial for pumpkin pie with whipped cream, but I turned it into cheesecake by using a different color felt and adding a felt strawberry to the top.

Happy Wednesday, all!

Friday five for February fifteen

Wow, is that an alliterative title or what?

Somehow it is Friday again, and snowing like a bandstand (as we say in our family -- long story!) so I'm taking a few minutes to share five blessings from the week.

And no, those Valentine cookies aren't real.  I did use a cookie cutter to make them, though. Need to get back to making some felt food, as I still have grandkids young enough to be interested.  My Nevada daughter told me the other week that they had gotten out some of the felt food for the youngest one, but all of the kids ended up getting involved -- playing grocery store, restaurant, and more. 

1.  Breakfast out with my hubby last Friday.  We went to a new-to-us place with a pretty limited breakfast menu, but thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere.  Wish I had thought to take some pictures.

2.  Finding time to blog about the Christmas cookie book I made with Shutterfly.  It's on my Christmas blog -- Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen -- so do check it out if you've never visited.  I'm so tickled with this book, as it's a project I've been thinking about for awhile.  (Yep, those are felt Christmas cookies on the cover.  Recipe for those not included, though.) I have lots more photos of pages from the book in the post on my Christmas blog.

3.  Being able to get out and walk both Monday and Tuesday.  The weather hasn't been conducive since, but those days we had mostly bare roads to walk on and got in probably close to 8 miles.

4.  A fun day in the kitchen on Valentine's Day.  I have a friend with a Valentine birthday and really wanted to bake a few goodies for her.  Of course, Mr. T was delighted, as well!
 

There are marshmallows hiding under the frosting ...

 5.  A nice surprise in the mail yesterday when a handmade Christmas ornament I'd ordered from an Etsy shop arrived.  Check out this pretty ornament from Treasures with a Twist!  Check out the shop, too.  Marjorie has made many other gorgeous ornaments of the same type.  They are good quality and good value, too.  My scan does not begin to do it justice.

That's it for this week's Friday five ... Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

From the August archives, part 3

I just can't seem to stop myself from a third August archive post.  If I had time, there might even be a fourth, but I am going to try and do one on my Christmas blog as well.  I've tried to keep a balance in this post between devotional thoughts, recipes, crafts and memories.  Here we go ...

Thoughts from reading Jonah is a post from 2008 that might encourage anyone going through difficulties right now.

From 2009, Lifting up my soul to God is another post that resulted from my quiet time.  I hope it will be a blessing to someone else today.

Now for a few recipes:

Lemon Artichoke Romaine Salad is the perfect salad for serving to company alongside pizza or other Italian food.  It tastes impressive and reminds me somehow of Olive Garden.

Root Beer Float Pie is a cool and delicious pie for the end of a late-summer meal, or to bring to a potluck.

And Farmstand-flavored memories shares a recipe link as well as some precious childhood memories.

 Speaking of memories,A hike with the grandkids talks about a 2015 hike where we made some memories.

 And lastly, a crafty post: Around the felt campfire shares photos of a fun felt project I did for my local grandkids.  Still have a set like this in the works for the out-West kiddos.

There you have it!  Hope you've enjoyed this rummage through the archives.

From the August archives, part 2

Graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Here we go with another post containing links from the Kitchen Table archives.  Enjoy!

Shades of green, from 2012, might be a good one to start with.  Green is so refreshing, don't you think?

From 2009, A tale of four curtains is a cautionary tale about not taking on a project one is not qualified to carry out.  The voice of experience speaking here.



How about a couple of recipes?
Crab Melt Loaf and a picnic by the pond, from 2011, may give you a new idea for picnic food.


Great Garden Veggies is also a recipe I shared in 2011, wonderful for using up garden tomatoes, zucchini, and summer squash.

For something sweet, this Blueberry Almond Buckle, from 2010, will help make use of any fresh (or frozen) blueberries you'd like to use up.

Now for some simple crafting!
I'm probably a little late sharing these Citrus Coasters, although it was an August post.  But they are easy and fun to make!

Or maybe you'd like to try your hand at making felt food, as in this 2013 post:  Hamburgers, Anyone?.  It has links to instructions for several other foods, like sandwiches and ripple chips.


Lastly, Appreciating the little things (2013) is something I aim at doing every day.


Hope you've enjoyed this prowl through the August archives.  I have a third archive post planned for later.

From the April archives

Photo from Photos Public Domain

I hope to do one of these "from the archives" posts every month, both here and on my Christmas blog.  We will see!

From 2007, I chose this Meals as Ministry post.  I had planned to write a second post on this topic, but it hasn't happened yet! However, I have learned a lot more about meals as ministry in the ten years since this was written, so there's still plenty to write about.  There are often situations where we can help a friend, neighbor, or relative by providing a meal -- often on a regular basis, as with someone undergoing cancer treatment.  This post contains some ideas for you.

Continuing on God’s Path, from 2008, offers encouragement and a book recommendation for those going through trials of one sort or another.

This Chocolate Chip Coffeecake, which I shared in April 2009, has stood the test of time.  It's one of the coffeecakes my hubby baked for the Easter sunrise breakfast at church again this year.

Lovely graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

God is in the Details of Life is a post I wrote in 2010, updated from an earlier one.  Hopefully the examples shared here will be a big encouragement to someone!

A post about a completed embroidery project showcases a spring tablecloth that took years of work to complete, but still shines on my daughter's table for spring events.

Another crafting post, Felt Food Frenzy, from 2012, pictures some felt food I made for grandkids' birthdays that year.  Still fun!

A finished project, from 2013, shows a very special project requested by a very special little girl.

If you are one of those who enjoys completely random posts, Mud Season Meanderings, from 2014, might interest you.  Lots of recipe links there and other fun stuff, too.


 And there I will quit.  2015 and 2016's posts are not that long ago, so I shouldn't need to link to any of those.  I enjoy looking around in archives and hope that others do too.  Have fun!

Simple Valentine decor

A Valentine-y hutch shelf, just simple with the same old ironstone and silver plus a card by Mrs. Smith and a plate of "cookies" to make it more festive.

Today I'll show just a few photos (well, maybe more than a few) of my simple decorating for Valentine's Day.  Even though it's a day longer this year, February is still a short month and so this decor will stay up for the month.

Very simple dining room table centerpiece

A closer (though blurry) look at the felt heart made by my friend J.

My granddaughter and I made these heart-trimmed book page banners a few years ago; there's one for each of the three dining room windows.

I made this "Love" banner many years ago and it's only paper but is still holding up.  Don't mind the clutter in the corner cupboard shelf behind it!

Some felt Valentine cookies in an antique dish

Framed Tasha Tudor calendar art in the front hallway

This year's February ribbon board

A keepsake from years ago.  My hubby and I were off on a nursing home ministry, something we did weekly and had to skip supper to do.  Our youngest daughter, a high school student at the time, fixed a Valentine supper for us to come back to!

A tag I made a few years back to commemorate the same daughter's skating afternoon with her grampa (who was 75 at the time!)

Reverse side of the tag.  I'd hoped to make a tag for every month as I was so enjoying it, but life has become so busy!

Hope you've enjoyed these simple ideas.  I'm linking up today with Sandi's No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage, and with Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party.  Also linking with these parties: Roses of Inspiration and Share Your Cup Thursday.