Stitching and Yummies

Hi friends! Thank you for your sweet compliments. You cheer me on. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. You lift me up.

I can finally share my last finish of 2014 with you. It was a birthday gift for sweet Anne.  If you follow Anne, you will know that her and Lee are expecting their first child this spring. What a true blessing from God! I wanted to make up something special to commemorate this.I chose Family Pyn Pillow by Jeannette Douglas Designs. This pattern can be found in the JCS 2013 Christmas Ornaments Issue.

So frustrating! I must have deleted the closeups I took of this lovely ornament. I have "borrowed" Anne's picture from her blog. I used 4 of the recommended DMC flosses. I used Nancy's Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Hand Dyed Floss for the 3 remaining colors. I stitched this 2over2 on32ct lambswool linen. I finished this as a flat ornament.

I have had a request for the Challah recipe. Challah is a special Jewish braided bread eaten on Sabbath and holidays. I have been using this Jewish recipe for years, as it is adapted for the bread machine to make the dough.

Challah

warm water   1 cup
salt                2 3/4 teaspoons
sugar             1/3 cup
eggs, beaten  2
vegetable oil 1/2 cup
bread flour   4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups
yeast             1 tablespoon

egg wash: 1 large egg & 1 yolk

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order. Set machine for dough cycle and start.  When cycle is complete, remove dough to a floured surface and divide into 3 sections and then braid into a loaf. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bread onto prepared baking sheet. Generously brush bread with egg wash (reserve remaining egg wash for later).  Place whole baking sheet into a large plastic bag.  Allow bread to rise 30 to 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.  Brush again with reserved egg wash.  Preheat oven to 375º. Place bread in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 350º. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Last week I baked more of the Grinch Cookies. I know Christmas is over and done, but the kids gobble these up! You roll these in powdered sugar before baking. I cannot seem to get them covered enough that more than only a bit lasts til after baking though.

Do you make chili? I make it fall through winter. I always bake garlic cheddar biscuits to go with it every time. I came up with my own chili recipe at least a dozen years ago. This is what my chili looks like.

Do you add noodles? What do you sprinkle on top? I sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese. =)

Finally, I must tell you I have one page of the six pages that make up the Theotokos pattern, completed!! That sounds weird after you have seen all my progress on that piece. The pattern pages lay out like this:
1  2
3  4
5  6
Well, I did not stitch them in numerical order. If you recall, I worked the outside border first. I have been slowly working my way around and in. So page six is finished! No updated picture today. Next time.

I hope you have a wonderful day my friends! I plan to. My pain is decreasing. I have a book on hold for me at the library. Yep! These are things to be thankful for. :)

Stitching and praying,
Vickie