Sneak peak at Anticipation sampler

Anticipation

 

designed and stitched by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2013

 

model in progress

in honor of the big anticipation of the Royal Baby and will be for purchase when finished on Etsy or the Feathers in the Nest facebook page..........................................boy or girl?????? well, it will not be long until we find out but certainly this last week has been filled with anticipation if it's a boy or girl baby.

  This pretty little sampler can be stitched in other colors for your own decor, primmed with coffee or walnut stain, or whatever to your liking. I like the colors as is for any nursery or baby gift.

This is a reproduction of an antique design that I've had for quite a while and was found in an antique store.  The colors are similar but not the same.. I added the hearts and the date for the baby's birth month.

 

 

I have always treasured this find! I hope you will like the sampler remake too.

 

 

 

Speaking of sweet, it was our 8th month anniversary yesterday, so by tradition every 20th of the month, I make a dessert. This is a Maple Sour Cream pound cake with hot cream cheese icing and cinnamon on top.

 

It is YUMMY!

 

I best get ready for church now. I hope you have a beautiful day, filled with sweetness.

 

Jennifer

 

Oatmeal Cookies from scratch!

My hands are never idle. If they are I'm sleeping. Today is our 7 month anniversary! We have kinda set a tradition to have a homemade dessert on our anniversary date month. So....................

today is Oatmeal Cookies. Not just the plain ones. Well, the basic recipe with a little jazz and pizazz.

These turned out so well just like I like them, thin and slightly crispy!

Yes, the homestead is fragrant with Home. Sweet. Home.

Yes they are YUM!

I tweaked the recipe out of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook I have. Abbie is drooling as I type while I eat one now.  :P

This is my improvised version and it seems to make them more thin and crispy but soft in the middle.

Fox Mountain Homestead Oatmeal Cookies

 

1 and 1/2 sticks of butter, softened well

1 cup of packed brown sugar + a smidgen more (1 tbsp)

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp of baking powder

1/4 ( or a tiny grains less) of baking soda

2 and 1/2 or so tsp of cinnamon (the more the better)

1/4 tsp of ground cloves

2 eggs

3 tsp of pure vanilla flavoring (no imitations)

1 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 cups of dried oats (uncooked, in quaker oatmeal paper cannister)

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 cup of finely crushed walnuts

 

 

Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. The best way to yield a cookie without a darkened edge too much is to use Parchment paper. You can find it by the aluminum paper in the grocery store. A box will last forever. You only tear off a sheet large enough to cover a cooking pan. This make sure no sticking and is easy to clean up when finished. The paper will not burn unless you are baking over 450 degees.

 

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high for 30 sec to a minute.

 

Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt, cinnamon, and cloves.

Beat in eggs and vanilla all together at one time.

Beat in all of the all-purpose flour for about 2 minutes.

 

Then  take off the beaters and hand one to your soulmate and one for you to enjoy and remember sweetness.

 

Then take a large spoon and fold in the batter the 2 cups of oats and the walnuts.

Stir all batter well.

 

On the parchment paper covered baking sheet, put 1 well rounded tsp about 2 inches apart (these spread alot)

 

Put in oven and set cooking time for 8 minutes.

 

Then when 8 minutes are up, scoop right away to a plate with a spatula (if you wait till they cool they cook longer even while not in the oven from the heat of the pan)

 

This makes the chewiest, thin, crispy oatmeal cookie you'll ever eat!!!!

 

When the plate is full set under your glass cake stand an enjoy with coffee, milk, or hot tea.

 

 

 

Place near the sofa and watch an episode of The Waltons!

 

 

Live simple.

 

Count blessings.

 

Spread love.

More Progress on Knitting project and almost finishing up Christmas decor

So, yup, I've been a busy lady of late. Besides working hard in clinic, decorating for Christmas, addressing Christmas cards to send out, I have progressed with some more knitting of a scarf.

 

Mr. Darcy is liking this alot. It's lambswool with dark brown mainly and avocado green flecks intermittently.

 

I last posted this 2 days ago:

and I felt I was getting nowhere BUT when I look at the pic I can see alot of progress.

 

Kinda like life. Someone told me long time ago and I certainly find it to be true: we don't live in the past, but we certainly have to take a look in the back mirror to see how far we've come to where we are going. That defines success. For success is not how rich we are or our place in society, it's how far one has come from where they started in the first place.

 

I've found that knitting has a very relaxing effect on me. Wish I had more time.

The scarf is cast on 21 stitches. It's a chunky yarn and I'm knitting every row for basically learning.

I know that I will knit, purl, knit, purl, another one after this.

On days like today, I think I will get alot done. It's pouring rain, cold and all I want to do is drink coffee and knit and watch a Christmas movie!

However, we have soooooooooooo much to do on the basement level to get Mr. Darcy's office set up.

He has quite the massive Presidential desk that is going to look great. He has been working to help me get it into a better living space.

And this day marks Mr. Darcy and my first month anniversary!!!

 

I ordered this ornament for our first tree. It's a 7 ft slim fir. The ornie was ordered from Personalization.com which is a GREAT gift site. They have wonderful deals and make the most memorable gifts of all you can imagine.

This ornie has our date on it.

I still am adding more ornaments today. I don't think I've ever waited so late to get my decorating complete but it's definitely surrounded with love and Christmas day is going to be special.

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few gifts under the tree. I still have wrapping to do. Mr. Darcy is quick. He wrapped his right away......smart guy!!!

 

 

 

Abbie's mat came in too.........she is already enjoying her Christmas giftie. Now she has a placemat to enjoy some people food for supper sometimes.

 

She especially enjoys potatoes and corn, and ham of late. :P

 

She is so funny this year. This is the first time she really has noticed a Christmas tree as I didn't have one last year. Occasionally at night she will walk over and put her nose up to an ornament like a deer.

And also she, for some reason, likes to take her food morsel by morsel over to enjoy eating it on the tree skirt.

 

I'm listening to Fox news this morning and see 2 really big storms coming through the north and south; hence, bringing our strong rains all day.

Everybody stay safe out there in your travels.

I see alot of the airlines in the north have canceled many flights and they are calling for alot of snow and they are expecting a white Christmas there.

 

 Continuing on to finish decorating the tree,

Jennifer