Christmas Ideas

I am posting this recipe because it is yummy, easy and will look great done up all Martha Stewartish to give as a Christmas gift. I will be giving these to friends and family this year, along with homemade fudge, and a few other treats from my kitchen.

Fregolata Cookie recipe

^{COOKIE CRUMBLES (FREGOLATA)}

Makes 12 servings

This recipe is adapted from Lidia's Italy.

2 tablespoons soft butter for the pans 6 ounces (about 1 ¼ cups) whole unblanched almonds, toasted

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt 3 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble two springform pans and butter the bottom discs and about an inch up the sides.

Set aside 2 or 3 whole almonds. Chop the rest coarsely into chunks the size of chocolate chips. Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl, and toss in the chopped almonds.

Beat the yolks together briefly. Drizzle over the dry ingredients. Toss with a fork to blend. Drizzle the cream over by the tablespoonful, tossing and stirring to moisten the nut mixture evenly. It should be crumbly but not floury. Add a small amount more cream if necessary.

Pour half of the crumb mixture into each buttered cake pan. Spread and press the crumbs down lightly in an even, thick layer, covering the bottom of the pan.

Bake about 25 minutes or until the cookie rounds are nicely browned and starting to shrink from the sides of the pan.

Cool, then remove the springform sides and bottom disc.

To serve, set the fregolata in front of your guests on the table with one of the reserved whole almonds underneath it. Smack the fregolata in the center with the back of a spoon.

PER SERVING: 244 calories; 5 g protein; 28 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 13 g fat (4 g saturated); 66 mg cholesterol; 54 mg sodium

Pink poodle fabric apron

I am digging through my craft piles and finding more treasures that need a home. I think an apron, some cookie cutters, a great cookie recipe, and a couple of wooden spoons all placed in a big vintage bowl, would make a welcome gift for someone special. ( I would love a gift like that if Santa is reading this blog))

sock and glove stuffies

OOoohhh did I have fun making these little stuffies, from plush gloves and socks. I made a pile of them because the are so cute. Now I must find homes for them. My favorite is the tiny monkey made from a baby sock. The dog and cat are made from gloves. Very easy and fun to make!

tea cosy

I made this pretty little tea cosy. I think it will be a nice Christmas gift for someone. I could put it in a basket with some fancy teas, and some home-made shortbread cookies and it will be a great gift from my homemade heart.

Depression glass

I found a spot for my depression glass, I think I need a China cabinet.

Mitts in the window

This is not a great pic, but this is a bunch of mitten shapes that I cut out of felted sweaters, I embroidered designs on them (hard to see ,but they are there), and hung them like a garland in the window.

dog clothes

Layla Modeling
Her wool coat(100% felted wool)
And her flannel night gown( for those chilly nights)

This is Layla. (naked)

Doggie dress

I have become a doggie dresser, This is a before and after picture of my daughters Christmas dress (circa 1989) now made into a dress for her dog. I tried it on my dog, Abby, just to see how it looks, but it is for Layla, the new Boston Terrier puppy. Layla is my daughters dog, she had a Boston when she was growing up, she LOVED that dog, he was a great dog, he let her dress him in baby clothes, stayed in the doll buggy as long as she wanted, and went to bed with her every night. So now that she is out on her own, it is no wonder why shewould buy a Boston pup.

shelves

OK, I found a spot for my glass, now where do I move all this stuff too?????

This is depression glass that I just bought at an auction last week-end . I always wanted some, and now I finally have some! Now were do I put it???????

make-over doors

I don't know if yellow is the right color, but here is a make-over on old doors. We knocked a hole in the wall and I will now have a little computer, sitting room.

doors

Before

After

vintage lady lamp makeover

I have been so busy this fall, that means all work no play. Today I made time to play and here are the results. I had purchased this lady lamp , then stripped her down (ooh that sounds dirty doesn't it). I used a vintage night gown for the satin dress, and just happened to have a vintage hat the exact same color. I made her a shawl with lace from the nightie. And I gave her a necklace of pearls. She is ready to go to the ball, or to sit on a dresser in my extra bedroom.

Thrift Store Junk

Thrift Store finds!!!
My Saturday shopping spree was a success, I found lots of good Junk!! The aronp has oven mitts sewn right in, I think that will be very handy. I LOVE my speckled hen tea pot, and the hanging lamp will be perfect for my living room. O.K maybe I didn't need the crib sheets but I was on a roll. The lady figure and the
ribbon girl will look great in my extra bedroom.

fall fun

A bonfire party at my sisters home in the county was great fun, but unfortunately her Giant pumpkin has deflated, oops no Prize Winner at the fair this year.

Fall has arrived
I love the cooler weather, baking apple pies, and just about everything about fall!
The nights in Ontario are getting cooler and the leaves are just starting to change.
Curling up an the couch with a blanket and browsing my cook books for harvest recipes is a fun pastime, but there is lots of work to be done. AAwwwww what the heck, it can wait.

fun times

Fun at the Locke Street Festival.

busy, busy, busy

I have not had time to post lately, and this is why. HARVEST
every time I think my work is done, I fink more fruit or vegetables to be put down for the winter. Friends keep stopping by with more tomatoes to be made into sauce or salsa . I went down to the compost pile to dump some peelings and found black berries ready to made into jelly. I have a bushel of apples to deal with too. (Don't even get me started on zucchini)My work is never done at this time of year. I LOVE IT! the cool nights , the sunflowers, the fall fairs, it's all wonderful. But, I know that soon the weather will change and I will have plenty of time for my crafts and sewing.

Pretty Pillows

These are so pretty, I just had to post them. My mom bought them at a thrift store for .50 cents each. I think she got a bargain. They are needle point, trimmed with lace. Someone did a lot of work on these, and a good job too.

Change purse, good luck charm

I have not had time to do any new crafts, so I am posting these little things that I had laying around. I sewed them by hand, and they are a pouch, a special charm ,or for loose change.
I found a pattern for him in the book Omiyage. I have made many of the projects form this book, I would like to buy it, but they have it at my library so I just keep borrowing it .

Omiyage

Bestselling author Kumiko Sudo creates 45 exquisite handmade gifts in fabric, each with a flair that is uniquely Japanese. Easy-to-follow patterns, beautiful photographs, and colorful step-by-step drawings help the projects come together quickly­­--many in less than an hour. Whether they are created in kimono silks or in contemporary cottons, these tiny boxes, purses, decorative toys, incense pouches, and good luck charms all make delightful gifts.

Baptism favors

I made 40 of these favors for my Great niece and nephews Baptism. They are white chocolate covered marshmallows, rolled in sprinkles. The twins looked adorable. I couldn't get a picture of the boy because he kept crawling away.

Fun at the beach!! I love Port Elgin, The beach is beautiful , shopping is great, and the Queens Hotel has a 5 dollar, all you can eat fish and chips that can't be beat. This beach is part if the longest fresh water coast line in the world. The water is crystal clear , the sand is fine, and you can walk out for ages before it gets too deep.