Happy New Year!

Dear Friends: I wish you a very happy 2007! Today's my birthday, and I've very excited to be 28. I feel like a youngster, and life's just beginning.




I imagine Dodger will ring in the new year by snoozing!

Mom and dad gave me this cool antique yarn caddy for Christmas. It's so sweet and elegant.

Craft:

I am blown away by this craft magazine, Craft: transforming traditional crafts! I picked it up at Barnes & Noble today after being drawn in by Jess Hutch's familiar knitted robot dolls on the cover. There's also an article about Jenny Hart, master embroiderer.

Here's some of the how-to's:

silk screening
chain mail
framing
hard cider
iPod cozy
knitted boots
cat playground
room divider
shirt sewing

Already craving it

One of our family traditions is to eat microwaved big slices of this special coffee cake on Christmas morning after everyone has opened the presents. My mom only makes it for Christmas, and if you read the directions you will see it must be made ahead of time. It's sooooo good. We all forgot one year, and I was terribly disappointed. So now I remind mom!

Christmas Coffee Cake

Cream Cheese Braids

1 cup commercial sour cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter or margarine
2 packages dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Filling (recipe follows)
Glaze (recipe follows)


Heat sour cream over low heat; stir in sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large mixing bowl, stirring until yeast dissolves. Add sour cream mixture, eggs, and flour; mix well. Cover tightly; refrigerate overnight.

The next day, divide dough into four equal parts; roll out each part on a well-floured board into a 12- by 8-inch rectangle. Spread one-fourth of Cream Cheese Filling on each rectangle; roll up jellyroll fashion, beginning at long sides. Pinch edges together, and fold ends under slightly; place the rolled seam side down on greased baking sheets.

Slit each roll at 2-inch intervals about two-thirds of way through dough to resemble a braid. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Spread with glaze while warm. Yield: 4 (12-inch) loaves.


Cream Cheese Filling

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Yield: about 2 cups.

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Yield: about 1 cup.

(Mom's advice: sprinkle red and green sugar on the glaze for decoration. Also, she has never had success dividing the recipe. Make lots!)

365 days of SNB

El regalo navidad numero dos. !Gracias!

Merrily

Today I opened my first Christmas present: a Blondie shirt from the GAP from my friend Suzanne! Here is how it looks in the mirror. Not only is it sickingly cute but also it is extremely comfy. I may have to buy another one with a different band. . . .

According to Suzanne, they have some Cars t-shirts, but the younger crowd of teenagers doesn't realize they are a real band! Shocking!

Sloganizer to the rescue!

Lacey Dishcloth

I've been MIA on the blog because I haven't been very busy making stuff.

Here's the mid-month dishcloth from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL.



And here's a snail I almost stepped on last time it rained hard overnight. I was waaaay too excited about the snail.

Pink and green

"It’s probably not a good idea for you to be looking at this website while you’re at work on account of, once you start, you are gonna be so mesmerized by our utter fabulosity, you will no doubt end up gazing at us for hours on end. We understand . . . "

Mystery solved

The December dishcloth is a rocking horse!

Monkey business

Sock monkey in progress, sewing on the muzzle:



Dodger in his Old Navy jacket. The lining is teal fleece. I make him wear a jacket or sweater when it gets in the twenties or below. He does not appreciate it!

What is it?

I joined the Monthly Dishcloth KAL, and this is day three of the surprise pattern. I have no idea what it is; what do you think? It may be December-themed. Every day for a week or so, the group administer emails you about ten rows of the pattern, which would be great for someone who has little time to knit.



Here's the November dishcloth, a poinsettia pattern (unblocked--the group has complete dishcloth patterns from past months):

New patterns

Yesterday I bought these Simplicity patterns. Can't get enough of retro patterns: