Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Silent Night


This is another December finish.  I like stitching this and it makes for a nice gift to special friends.  I also can reveal the gift I made for Marissa.  She loves it and the Washington Temple will be a nice reminder of our visit in June.

These are the nightgowns and pajamas that I made for my grand children.  They have become a traditon and and the kids look forward to having them. 
Our family's traditional Christmas breakfast is Eggs Benedict.  Years ago Ric would get a ham from the Honda dealership.  Sense we always had Christmas day at his parents house, we would have the ham on Christmas Eve.  Ric would then make the family Eggs Benedict for breckfast with the left over ham. Even though we don't have Christmas day with his family any more, we still do the ham on Christmas eve so we can have the left overs for breakfast.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Christmas Tradition

Every year for the last 35 years I make peanut brittle. Starting the weekend after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve I make batches of this yummy candy. I go through 25 pounds of sugar, 35-50 pounds of raw Spanish peanuts, 3 gallons of Karo syrup, and 5 pounds of butter. It has become such a tradition that it is hard to cut back or stop when you have so many requests each year.



These are ready for delivery.  I have already sent some to Ric to hand out to friends, family and co-workers.
I got the recipe from Ric's mom.  After we were married and living with his parents, I ended up helping her make this candy.  After the many batches with her as my teacher, the tradition lives on through me. 

Peanut Brittle


2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo light syrup
2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup water
Bring water to a boil on med/high heat. Remove and add sugar and karo syrup.

Bring to a boil. Add peanuts. Stir constantly. Put in candy thermometer and cook to 295 degrees on medium to medium/high heat. When 295 degrees remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Quickly stir in soda. Pour out onto two buttered cookie sheets. Break into pieces when cooled.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Some Stitching--Overdue Post


Here are some of the things that I have worked on these past few weeks.  I haven't spent much time on the computer sense I have my blackberry.  There is not much time for Blogging when the Holidays are around the corner.



Last year I saw this tutorial and wanted to make the ornaments for the holidays.  I pulled my holiday fabric and went through my buttons to make these easy decorations.

This pin pillow was stitched while I was visiting Ric in Maryland.  The pattern is a freebie from gazette94's blog.
I made another Felix sweater.  I really like this pattern.  It works up quick and easy for a gift to a new baby.
Still stitching away for Christmas.  I am hoping everything gets done on time.  Half day kindergarten makes it hard to start anything time consuming and I am running out of weekends.