Fresh Baked Bread

Who doesn't love homemade bread? We love it at our house. I made potato soup for dinner tonight and a loaf of homemade bread. I must confess that I did cheat on the bread. I used my trusty bread machine. I use the bread machine to do the hard work; mix the dough and knead it. I then take it out of the machine, form it into a French loaf and put it into my French loaf stoneware pan. I allow its second rise near the stove and then pop it into the oven when it's ready. Presto, wonderful homemade French bread. What is not eaten with our dinner I use for toast the following morning. Since I had a dental appointment today I did not have time to go through all the steps so I put the ingredients in the bread machine and set the timer. It was baked and ready for dinner with no more than 5 minutes prep time, gotta love that. The house is filled with the wonderfully sweet aroma of the baked bread even as I type this. Ok, another confession...I try not to make bread too often because we love it and can't quit eating it. As delicious as it is, it is not good for the waist line. I do try to be healthy making the bread; I use whole wheat flour, honey and olive oil but unfortunately that doesn't cut out all those delicious calories.

I can remember when bread machines were all the craze. I quit buying bread and only used the machine for the bread we used. But like every craze, the fervor soon dies away and my bread machine sat in the pantry for a while unused. I am using the machine again especially since we have homemade peach jam, blackberry jelly and apple butter. Hmmmm, I wonder if anyone will be pulling their bread machine out of the pantry, dusting it off and making some homemade bread for their morning toast. Pin It Now!

No More Interruptions....I hope.

I’ve been busy working on a project. This is a sewing machine box I found at a local antique shop. As always I found it (along with another one) tucked away in a corner of the vendor’s shop. At least it wasn’t dusty and covered in cobwebs. I’ve been busy painting a design on it. It’s a "Spring Thing" so it has rabbits and carrots and such. The painting is done, now I am sewing some rabbits and some carrots. I’m hoping I will find some dried lavender left in my garden from last year to go with it. I was planning on having it done by today but I’ve had a few interruptions (and played some too) so I’m behind schedule. I have another dental appointment today, that’s definitely an interruption, maybe it will be done by this evening or best by tomorrow. Don’t you just hate interruptions when you are working on something you want to finish? I know interruptions are a part of life but they sure are aggravating especially when they come at the most inopportune time. Of course I am sitting here typing on this post when I should be sewing those rabbits. I'll post a pic when the project is finished. Just thought I would show you the "raw" piece that I start with rather than only showing the finished item.

We have snow moving in tomorrow. Looks like it is going to be flurries all day but at least it is snow. It is COLD! Last night we started a fire in the woodstove, it’s nice and cozy in the house. The grocery shopping is done, the errands are done, looks like it is going to be a delicious day to stay in and craft. Pin It Now!

Prim Thyme Kerosene Can

I finished this project today. I found this vintage kerosene can in an antique mall in West Virginia. It was hiding under a chair where I am sure it was waiting for me to find it. Some of my best vintage finds for painting on are usually hiding under something. Anyway, when I pulled it out, it was covered in dust and cobwebs. The cobwebs made me want to put it down immediately but instead I held it out and gave it a good looksy to make sure there were no creepy crawlies on it; I then dusted it off somewhat, fanned away the cobwebs and gave it a good "willa" inspection. I was so delighted to see it was in good condition. I don't mind a few minor dents, after all a vintage item has been used, some more than others, so I expect a few minor dings. This one had just a couple of very small dings. I painted a Terrye French angel on this piece, added a hand painted tag, a small grapevine wreath, a hand lettered tag and some homespun. As always, I had those moments of how is all this going to come together, how should I do this or would it be better to do that. Those things are part of the process of creating and crafting as we all know. Hopefully, I made all the right choices and used all the right colors. I like it; I hope someone looking in my Esty shop will like it too. It would be great sitting by a fireplace or a wood stove, not too close though. If the mantle is wide enough it would look great there too. It was a fun piece to paint. I have another one sitting on my “to do” shelf, who knows what will end up on that one. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Pin It Now!

Ginger Gal Winner

I know you have probably been waiting on the announcement for the ginger gal winner. The name has finally been drawn. After cutting up 18 pages of names for the drawing they all made into a large bucket. There were 99 names in the drawing pot so it took a large container to hold them all.

I want to thank everyone who entered the drawing for the ginger gal. Your participation was overwhelming and thrilling. I so wish I had a ginger to give to each one who signed up. This is the "down" part of a giveaway, that there is only one winner.

Since my granddaughter, Courtnee, chose the winner of my first give away, my grandson, Alex, chose this winner. My granddaughter Megan will chose the next winner and after that I will use a randomizer for drawings.This is Alex holding the large bucket of names. He reached his hand in and stirred the pot as much as possible and pulled out the winning name. He opened the name but he's only in kindergarten so he handed it to Nonna. He was even excited for the winner and couldn't wait to hear who it was, kinda like you if you are still reading and haven't scrolled to the bottom to see who it is.....




And the winner is CinnamonLaine (Rita) of "gatheringsatcinnamonlaine.blogspot"

Thanks again to each of you for your participation. I am looking forward to the next give away, hopefully a spring give away at the end of February.
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Last Day...

This is the last day of the sign up for the Ginger Gal giveway. I will be drawing a name tomorrow and announcing the lucky winner. A big thanks to all who have signed up for this give away and left such wonderful comments. The best of luck to everyone. I certainly wish you all could win. Pin It Now!

Finish it.

I love to watch "The Biggest Loser". The contestants stories inspire me as does their determination. They struggle to overcome obstacles they have faced most of their lives. One theme throughout each season is "finish it". Finish what you start. Each challenge the contestants face is won by one person or by a team. When someone crosses the finish line, whatever that line might be, the others have the option of quitting and not completing the challenge. But each season I have watched, the contestants finish even when they are in last place. Sometimes the other contestants go and help them cross that finish line. It's inspiring.

Most of the time I finish what I start...most of the time. But there are times I give up. I have a couple of things on my craft shelf that I said "forget it" to. Honestly, I don't know if I will go back and finish them. I'd rather start over than finish what I was doing with them. One item is a boot, I don't like what I painted on it. The best option is to basecoat over it and begin something else. Who knows I might be telling its story here someday soon.

This coffee pot almost made it to the "forget it" shelf. I didn't like the colors I was using; I couldn't see the finished product in my head. But I decided to give it a couple more hours of work and see what would happen. There always seems to be that "forget it" hour in there when I'm working on something. I taught an oil painting class to some military wives when my husband and I were stationed in Guam. I remember one student who was going to put a painting aside and start on something else. She was at that "forget it" hour. But I could see the finished product so I encouraged her to continue. Just follow my directions and you will begin to see 'it' I told her. She replied "ok, I'll work on it a little longer". She ended up finishing it. I think it turned out to be one of her best works.

If you have an unfinished item you've set aside, why not take it off the unfinished shelf and finish it. It might be one of your best works.

I finally was able to take my Etsy shop off "vacation mode". I had closed it while I was working new items since most of what I had left was Christmas or winter related. I have 6 new items added and hope to add a couple of more this week. Pin It Now!

Old Friends and Old Stuff.

We had friends in last week. Ken and Cathy stayed with us 5 days. It was 5 days of fun, fun, fun. Ken, of "Ken's Famous Cookies" loves sweets, he has a sweet tooth the size of Texas. In that 5 days we had pumpkin pie, apple pie, pumpkin cheese cake, chocolate cake and a couple of bags of cookies. Oh, we also had a bag of licorice, the specialty type that is rather exclusive. It felt like Christmas all over again. We not only had food, lots of food, but we went shopping, antiquing to be exact and managed to get some crafting done, Cathy, wanted to make a couple of the ginger gals and some of the Christmas meeces; she made a total of 12 meeces. She also painted "Sammy's Letter" on a vintage teapot, it turned out beautiful. Well, you put a set of friends together with food, coffee, crafting, some comedy videos and you have a volatile mix that could erupt into a fit of laughter that ends up in side stitches.

Here are a few of the finds I purchased at one of the antique shops we visited. I'm really trying to curb my antique buying. I have quite a pile of stuff that I need to paint before I buy more, but I just can't help myself. My only consolation is that Cathy bought more than I did. Isn't it wonderful to have friends that support you in your mania! The box you see in the picture is a vintage sewing box, I can't wait to paint it. I have lots of stuff on my studio table that I need to finish before I start on the box, but I'm excited about it nonetheless. I've also picked up some sewing drawers, a couple of shoe shine boxes, some more tea kettles and a couple of foot stools. Usually this time of year I am in a painting funk but not this year. I think it's because I didn't have to paint long hours for a craft show, what a relief!

I have painted 4 items and will be working on them today to finish up the final touches. Of course I will be showing them off here. I put my Etsy shop in vacation mode so I could paint and restock with Spring items, I certainly didn't expect it to take this long. I painted while Ken and Cathy were here but it's hard to work while you are laughing,or eating, or watching comedy, or hiking, or shopping.

Oh, I also had some dental surgery done while they were here. I was going to reschedule it but Cathy talked me into keeping the appointment...what was I thinking. I should be thinking Cathy likes to see me suffer, must be what friends are for! The surgery was on Friday, I still have some bleeding going on...hmmmm....maybe the periodontist forgot a stitch. I'll give it a couple more days and then check in with the dental office. I'll be painting regardless.

Don't forget to sign up for The Old Cupboard Door give away. I'm so excited to give this ginger gal away. If you haven't signed up be sure to click the icon on the left and follow the rules for qualifying. Pin It Now!

Chase Away Those Winter Blues

I have seen a lot of snow and ice pictures out there in blog land; crafters and bloggers have been house bound due to the frigid weather, add kids home from school, house bound too, and you've got a formula for going stir crazy. So,
I'm wondering if anyone has the winter blues. As I stated in a previous post, I love winter and most things about it. But when it's colder than the North Pole, even I start to feel the blues. How does one chase away those winter blues? Here are a few of my ideas. Please feel free to share with us some of your ideas too.

Lucy at The Farmer's Attic posted a recipe for some homemade hot chocolate. And the picture she posted with it made me want to rush into the kitchen and strike up the ol burner stove. She even included a recipe for the whipped cream topping for that cup of hot cocoa. How deliciously warm. Can't have the blues while drinking hot cocoa.



If you are a gardener, pulling out the seed catalogs and planning your spring garden will give a spring time pick me up while it is still the dead of winter. The vine-ripened tomatoes you buy in the store, just the smell of that vine takes me back to summer time. It makes me think of June bugs and fire flies; of warm summer nights on the porch. The sight of yellow squash makes me think of collecting squash in the summer, the scratch of the leaves on my arms as I reach around them to clip off the squash. Seeing black berries in the catalogs brings back memories of canning jams with a good friend. It also reminds me of all the hard work that the end of summer brings. Who can have the winter blues while looking at beautiful vine-ripened veggies or beautiful, vibrant summer flowers?



Another great way to ease those winter doldrums, organize last summer’s vacation photos, put them in albums and enjoy the memories of those times again with your family. Remembering times with the family at the beach, or hiking in the mountains, or the fun times you had at an amusement park will drive those blues away. Photos can bring back memories in vivid color. Begin to make plans for this summer’s vacation. Maybe you already know where you are going so make a list of the things you want to see and do. My husband and I have been talking about a New England vacation for the past 4 or 5 years. We would love to drive up the coast and stop at every light house we can find, eat lots of sea food, see how many beaches we can walk on (we love walking and hiking), take in all the tourist traps, I mean sights and just enjoy a true holiday from every day life. We would probably do it if we would sit down and plan it.




Winter time seems slower than the summer months, not only in length of days but in busyness. Take this time to enjoy reading the books you've wanted to read. Buy those magazines and enjoy reading them before all the summer time craziness begins. I use to read a book in a day now it takes me more than a week. I love reading but with all the busyness in my life I don’t seem to find the time to read except for a few minutes before I go to bed. A good book can take you to places you only dream of. Maybe it will be a book about some tropical island, where the water is warm and the sand is hot. I’m warming up all ready. How about you?


In the summer we enjoy making a bonfire for the family. We roast hot dogs, and make smores after the fire has died down. If you have a fire place why not roast some marshmallows and make some smores, we do. Smores always brings back summer time fun in our house. We have been known to roast a marshmallow over the kitchen stove flame. It's great fun for kids and adults alike. Biting into a smore and remembering summer night fun times will leave those winter blues out in the cold.


These are just a few ideas, I am sure you can come up with more as you remember spring and summer and the fun things you enjoy in those seasons. The main thing is to get out of the rut that winter brings, mix it up a little, do something different but also take some time to enjoy winter time fun. Before we know it, we will be in the long, endless, HOT days of summer and longing for cooler weather.

Don’t miss my ginger gal give away. You can still sign up for her by clicking on the icon on the left. Please read and follow the instructions for the give away. Pin It Now!

Ginger Give Away

This ginger gal is a pattern by "Country Stitches". She's 11 inches and packed full of ginger sweetness. I have made her so she will be an everyday item for your home. I made one of these gals back in '94 and each time we moved she found a place to sit in my kitchen so she could watch over the daily kitchen duties. I stitched 4 of these gals, 3 are for my Etsy shop and one is for my BlogLand friends. As in every give away there are rules. Please be mindful and follow these rules so you are not disqualified from the drawing. Due to shipping costs I am limiting this drawing for those in the US and Canada only. Here are the rules:

1) you must be a follower of my blog. If you are not a follower you will not qualify.

2) you must leave a comment on this post. I won't be looking through other pages to find your comment.

3) please leave an email address in your comment or send your email addie to me at mntpeeps@yahoo.com.

It is not a requirement that you post the give away on your blog but it would be nice if you did and greatly appreciated.

The drawing will be Jan 23rd. I will send the prize out January 25th.

Good luck to everyone. Pin It Now!

I haven't forgotten...

I haven’t forgotten to post the give away. It will be posted tomorrow 1/7/10. A couple of weeks ago I had a cold which didn’t seem to be getting any better. I finally went to see my doctor yesterday since I was convinced I had pneumonia. The good news is that it isn’t pneumonia but a bad sinus infection. Uggh! I’ve had them before and I don’t like them. So, I am on a first round of antibiotics, I hope this clears it up. In all this, I couldn’t muster the energy to complete the give away but it is almost done, I need to put the finishing touches on it, which I will do in the morning, snap a few photos and post.
Yawn, yawn…why is it when you are sick you want to go to bed before 9 PM? I usually stay up until after midnight but for the past 2 weeks, I can barely keep my eyes opened. I am headed to bed so I can start early in the morning. Nitey-night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. Pin It Now!

Wynter Thyme and a treat for your puppy.

I love winter time. I love most everything about it, even the cold. I love the feeling of warming up after being sooooo teeth chattering cold. It's a delicious feeling. First you feel the flush of warmth hit your cold skin, then the slow tingle of thawing out, and finally the cozy warm, drossy feeling of heat enveloping you like a fuzzy heated blanket. Most of you know what I'm talking about, but for those who live in Florida or another warm, sunny state, you will have to take my word for it.

It was cold yesterday and today. It looks like the rest of the week is going to be in the 20's and low teens as well. No matter how cold it is, I hate wearing a coat when I take my Border collie, SadieMae, out in the mornings for her morning potty time. The last few days I have cajoled her to "hurry up" to no avail. She wants to take her time to sniff around and find out who's been in the neighborhood. When she has had long enough, and taken her "ever lovin' time" as we would say in the South, I begin the countdown. I start at 30 and count backwards. If I reach 0 and she hasn't done her business, I take her back into the house and she ends up having to go out her doggy door into a very small section of the yard. It's hard to grow grass in that area (soil is bad and it's too shady), she doesn't like doing her business there; she much prefers the leafy part of the wooded area of our lot. Amazingly, she will usually go by the time I get to 10, 95 percent of the time. Maybe she knows how to count. Sadie is no dumb dog; it seems that she has figured out why I'm trying to hurry her along in the mornings. For the past couple of mornings she has gone straight to my coat hanging in the mudroom and nosed it or jumped up and put her paws on it. "Put your coat on" she seems to say, "you will want to stay out longer with me if you do”. She did this last winter too....how does she know?





Here is a recipe to keep your puppy happy:

Doggie Bones

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
6 Tbs margarine
1 Tbs salt
1/2 c nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 c water
1 garlic clove(pressed)
1 beef cube

Mix ingredients together into a dough ball. Roll out to 1/4 thickness. Cut with dog bone cookie cutter (can use other cookie cutter shapes as well, such as a heart or stars). Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Pin It Now!

I won MommaB's give away!!

I am still jumping for joy! I rarely win anything so what a surprise to see my name as the winner at MommaB’s Front Porch . I kept checking on Vickie’s drawing last night to see who the lucky winner was. I was hoping I would win, but I would be happy for whoever the winner was. It wasn't posted when I went to bed. I checked in late this morning (had a busy morning) and yelled so loud my Darling came running to see what was wrong. Men!!! He couldn't understand what all the commotion was about...until I showed him the generous gift she gave away. The photo is Vickie's Sweetie drawing my name! Thank you Vickie's Sweetie! Thanks again Vickie. Your give away is truly a generous gift. Oh and I just have to say a good “praise the Lord!”. What a way to start the New Year; a generous giver and a happy winner! Pin It Now!

Happy New Year!

Out with the old and in with the New. I can remember a decade ago we were facing the uncertainty of Y2K...remember? Our family was in Guam where my husband was stationed with the Air Force. Guam was the first US territory to face any potential dangers from Y2K. I recall how we stayed up with the TV on, candles and batteries ready; The New Year came and went without any national or world disaster. Who knows what this new decade will bring. I chose to face it with faith and hope. Why worry about what will happen, more than likely it won't happen and if it does, worrying about it will not stop it. Bad things will happen but so will good things. If we are too focused on the bad we will miss the good.

The biggest problem I am facing right now is how in the world I am going to remember to put '10 on my checks. '09 went by so fast I haven't caught up yet. Pin It Now!