Cinnamon rolls - just too yummy

Today I spent the better portion of the morning making these delicious little devils. The recipe comes from Joy the Baker.
The dough has cream cheese sandwiched between folded layers and rolled out to create an incredible treat.

This is all that remains of the Chocolate Shortbread Cookies I mentioned in a previous post. They are just so very good. And easy. I did not eat the entire batch - I gave some to my book group. And they raved about them.

baking

I love to bake. For me it is a way to relax and do something that I can share with others. This is my favorite cookbook author. Maida Heatter's recipes have never failed me. They are delicious! Her chocolate shortbread cookies - absolutely yummy. Her chocolate frosting is to die for. Her books are my first "go to" sources for any dessert. Most recipes have an introduction telling where it is from or a tip about baking. Just mixed up the dough for the above mentioned cookies and will cut them into scalloped hearts for Valentine's Day.

same view, new year

As I look out the window I realize when you live in the midwest the scene is the same every January. Outside is blanketed with snow. These pictures look like the one I posted last winter - trust me, they were taken minutes ago.


I do not want to leave the house. But I must if I want my bills paid and food for dinner. All I want to do is tackle this pile of felted sweaters and stitch away at my mittens. Which one is going to catch my eye this time? My latest idea is to make a blanket out of the large scraps left over. Charlie, our favorite Labradoodle/Great Dane/Horse, just had surgery so he needs a little something to keep warm and cozy.

If you are interested in a great Valentine swap, go to Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly. Heidi does a great job of organizing her swaps.

It's cold and white and quiet

It is cold and everything is covered in snow. The house is so quiet since everyone is back at school. My oldest returned to college yesterday - the last one to leave. A very good day to pack away all the holiday decorations and clean the house.

I have been searching for some new ideas for Valentine crafts. My favorite swap host, Heidi at Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly, is posting her swap information very soon. Unlike past practices, I am committing to only one swap.

On a sour note, in late SeptemberI ordered stickers from Ashley at Sticker Doodles, an Etsy seller, and never received them. Paid thru Paypal, but waited over 45 days to contact them about the problem. I had complete faith that I would get my stickers, after all, the seller did get the payment. I emailed the seller who promised to mail the stickers on Nov. 5. Still have not received them and the seller does not answer my emails. Don't you hate that kind of dishonesty? If anyone knows Ashley or has some contact with Sticker Doodles, please let her know of my plight.

easing into a new routine

This is not going to be a daily thing, I have to ease into a blogging routine. It takes time to produce an interesting entry...for me it takes lots of time.

For the past few months I have been making mittens from recycled wool sweaters. I felt the sweaters by washing in very hot water and drying in a very hot dryer. If you are interested in felting, a tip that has made a big difference is to put the sweaters in a lingerie bag so that the wool is contained and not stretched by the agitation of your washing machine. Each sleeve makes a perfect mitten. Cut a hole for your thumb, cut and sew a piece of wool to cover your thumb, and attach to the body of your mitten. Decorate as you please. I do all the sewing by hand as I find it very relaxing. Cute, economical, green and warm! Each of my nieces and my close girlfriends received a pair for Christmas. Half the fun is matching the sweater to the recipient, deciding who gets which pair. I found a few cashmere sweaters and they make the softest, most luxurious mittens ever!

A new year, a fresh start

My last entry was in August and I feel like a blogging failure for being so lazy. For 2010 my commitment will be to make my blog the kind that I enjoy reading, filled with links to interesting sites and info. My plan is to use the 3 blogs that I visit daily as inspiration in hopes that someone out there will find White Painted House required reading. That is a huge undertaking for me...