Pins of the Day

 A few weeks ago, I confessed my Pinterest addiction.  I finally started using some of the ideas I've pinned.  Here's what I made in the last 24 hours...

Nutella No-Bakes

These are so incredibly delicious.  They are chewy and chocolatey and melt in your mouth.

 Yesterday, I showed you some gifts for Julia's teachers.  The mug mats were great for the female teachers, but what about her male band director?  How about a little bag of Nutella No Bakes?  I had just pinned this folded Treat Bag, and it was the perfect size for a few cookies.  Mine is not as cute as the original, but it does the trick. (The thank you card she had already written is sticking out the top.)

I've been pinning lots of things for Julia's graduation party - decorations, recipes, games, etc.  In under an hour, I made 25 feet of garland from this link.  I used a paper punch for the scalloped circles and a Sizzix die that cuts 4 different sizes of circles at once.  Then I sat down at my sewing machine and put the pedal to the metal!  (The I broke the 25' tape measure. Oops.)

I need to review my Pinterest boards to see what to make today!

Amaretti!

I did it!  I finally made a successful batch of Amaretti! 

(Same as Pignoli cookies without the pine nuts.  My sister and I always picked those off anyway.)

Egg Whites + Sugar + Almond Paste = Yum!

Shhh.  Don't tell my sister.  These are for her!

 

I've been trying to make these cookies for 20 years (on and off).  I've tried different recipes, different brands of almond paste, and I have finally landed on the right combination for me.  Julia texted me from school during lunch to tell me they are "the most delicious things on the face of the earth!"  I'm ready to buy an entire case of almond paste!

 

These are the cookies from Mike's Pastry in Boston that we had to sneak into the Rush concert because they don't allow any "outside" food in the Garden.  But they didn't catch the jack knife in Pete's pocket.  Really?

 

Much more baking and some last-minute gifts to finish will make this a very busy few days.  I hope you are all enjoying the preparations as much as I am!

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal

Pete needed to bring dessert to a cross country team dinner last night, so I thought I'd make a batch of cookies. We were all out of chocolate chips, but I had plenty of peanut butter and oatmeal. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I don't like using shortening in cookies, so I used 1 stick of butter and 1 stick of margarine.

Yum! They were a big hit with the team, all that healthy protein and fiber! Julia and her friends ate a couple after school with a glass of milk to fuel their shopping trip. A few were packed in lunches this morning, leaving 3 for my breakfast! When is my next Weight Watchers weigh in?

Busy Busy Busy!

I'm getting ready for our annual guild retreat this weekend! I can't wait to see all my quilty friends. Karen from Sew Many Ways is joining us this year! We're sad that Jackie can't make it, and we're hoping that Shellie can come down for dinner and show & tell.

Today, I packed up some primroses for the challenge prizes and a few Thank You gifts.


The rest of my week has been spent with Girl Scout cookies!


I'm off to clean and oil my machine to get her humming before the retreat!

Welcome, Abby!

The newest member of our family, my Grand-Niece, Abby!


Now I can officially name this quilt after Abby!

I thought it would be fun to bring it to camp for a photo session before shipping it off.
Love the tall trees!

I wanted to drape it on a pretty white bench on the porch of the dining hall, but Julia wouldn't allow it! Too dirty.

I don't usually wash and dry quilts before gifting, but thought I would try it. I wasn't sure I'd like the crinkly look, but it's nice for a baby quilt. Now mom won't need to worry about throwing it in the washer when needed.

I used an extra block for the label. The fabric on the back is called Savannah.

We were at camp to receive and sort 36,000 boxes of cookies!
Our volunteers were fantastic and super fast.

Got Cookies?

Christmas Eve

Wow! I haven't posted in weeks!

Here's what we've been up to...

I finally got the top done for Pat Sloan's charm quilt along. Since I used a Christmas charm pack that Jackie gave me, I thought it would be nice to hang it for Christmas! I just folded over the top and pinned it into a "sleeve". I'll quilt it next week!

Julia and Pete are in a new jazz combo and their first gig was a Christmas benefit concert. Julia shocked a lot of people when she put down her trumpet to sing! They were great and we can't wait to hear more!

I wanted some new decorations, so I made two yarn wreaths with felt flowers for my kitchen cabinets.


Julia has inherited the crafty gene! She made a bunch of gifts for friends, including this cool patchwork and fleece scarf.


Love it rolled up!


We used a whole package of Nutter Butter cookies to make these reindeer. Aren't they the cutest? (I should have taken the photo before we packaged them.)


I worked on some gifts, too. This is the pillow that I needed to repair for my nephew. I'm trying to figure out how long ago it was made. Maybe 17 or 18 years!


A couple of candle mats with matching candles.

And lots of baking!
Someday, I will get the tri-colors right. They taste delicious, but they are lumpy. But since the lumps are almond paste, who cares?

I hope you all have a Sweet, Merry and Bright Christmas!

Cookies!

Step 1: Unload the truck.


Step 2: Count cases of each flavor.

Step 3: Awesome volunteers sort cookies by troop.

Step 4: Cookies are ready for troop pick-up.

If you need Girl Scout cookies, please go to Girl Scout Cookies.org or visit your local council's website to find a sale near you. DO NOT buy cookies on eBay. It is against GS policy to sell cookies online in this manner.

Family Fun with Friends

We had a fun day yesterday with Janet's family.

Pete's Legos were resurrected...

A baby quilt was designed for a favorite teacher...

A recipe was tested...

And taste-tested.

The unanimous consensus:
As much as we hate to admit it, the home-made Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties) are crunchier, and the peanut butter and chocolate are tastier (better quality) than the real Girl Scout cookies. Many thanks to Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots for the recipe. We'll be making these year-round.

My mother had a health scare this weekend. I'm happy to report that after a night in the hospital for observation, she's on the mend and feeling much better.

Happy Fat Tuesday!