Christmas Baking Done!

This year I went through one of my bread cookbooks and was inspired to try all sorts of new things. I took a stab at making divinity which came out okay, but not firm enough. It was very challenging trying to slowly pour boiling hot syrup  into egg whites WHILE they were still being beaten. I had attempted to use my new candy thermometer, but only seriously read the directions AFTER its use. I think that's why the candy was a little too sticky. Oh well, it was very tasty.

I also made a batch of fudge using sweetened condensed milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Easiest thing I ever made and also good.

On to the breads: I added some dates and pecans instead of walnuts to a banana nut bread using sour cream. Also extremely easy and yum. Finally, today I attempted to use a bundt cake recipe and poured the mixture into 4 small loaf pans, the throw-away kind ("capuccino coffeecake") but 2 of the loaves spilled out (luckily I put all 4 small loaves on a large cookie sheet), looking like a mud flow fresh from a volcano. Again, oh well. Tasty is what counts!

Here's what some of the goodies looked like next to a Christmas Cactus in bloom...

Happy Holidays!

First Great-granddaughter is coming

Just learned yesterday that my granddaughter Raquel will be having a baby girl in May. WOW!

Watercolors done in 2011

These first 2 are from photos taken roadside in Denali Park, Alaska.

This is from a photo overlooking the Prescott Dells from Falcon Crest Development.My version of Cleopatra!

Drawings done in 2011

This is my eldest granddaughter, Beret. 

This is a sketch of a cowboy on a horse at the Courthouse Square in downtown Prescott.

This is our view of a typical summer monsoon from our deck.

This was my granddaughter, Raquel, in her early teens. She's 18 now and expecting in May.

This was the back view from our tiny hotel on Rue St. Germaine in Paris back in 2000.

Nearing the end of 2011

Well, I've only posted once this year, back in January. I've been unable to eliminate many unwanted posts and links on the Facebook page, so I'm going to go back to just using this site in the future.

I finally finished the last cross stitch project which is now framed and looks great. However, I'm so tired of that kind of work that I've begun a new project learning "crewel" embroidery. So far so good.

Sam has put together a Christmas letter which will go out via email very soon with details of our travels this year. I've also found a funny Christmas video I've shared as well.

Our book club is going with the 5 of us left here in Yavapai Hills in Prescott. They are such a fun group - our last meeting was last Friday and we didn't break it up until Sam called at 5:22 pm! We start at 1:30. Our last read was "Mistress of Nothing" which took back to Egypt again, in the 1800s. A fascinating read.

I was "blocked" most of the year as far as drawing or painting anything. I did a few things, but I seem to suffer from sensory overload when I look through all the pictures I've taken. I think I really need to be back in a class again. Maybe this spring at the local community college.

I'll post a few of the more decent of my efforts.

Until next time, then, have a great holiday season and a wonderful year to come!

Happy New Year 2011

Here are photos of my various hobbies/projects from 2010...