Ice, Ice, Baby

We got sleet during the night. Church was cancelled today due to icy roads. Most schools in the area are cancelled for tomorrow and Steve just found out his work is also closed tomorrow! Houston and surrounding areas just don't have the equipment to deal with ice on the roads. I'm grateful the trees didn't get any ice on them, so no broken branches and no broken power lines! I'm happy to have heat :) It isn't supposed to get above freezing today and tonight the low is 19 degrees. Tomorrow isn't much better. The high is 38 degrees and the low is 17 degrees. We're going to have a cold week!

Multigrain Sourdough Bread

I've been working on my recipe for a multigrain sourdough bread for Steve. I am finally happy with the taste and the rise of the loaf. Now I'll try adding more wheat flour and see if I can still get a good rise. Currently, it's just over half wheat and other whole grains. I'd like to increase that to 2/3 and see what happens.

Valentine's Mini Quilt

One of my goals this year is to design a new embroidery pattern every month and list it on Etsy for sale. Today I started a design for a small Valentine wall quilt. I'll be teaching it in my class the first week in February, so I need to get busy! This is my first draft. Now to start digitizing the design so it can be stitched on the embroidery machine.

Chicken Broth

I love buying rotisserie chickens from Costco or Sam's Club. After I take off the majority of the meat, I cook the bones with some vegetables and seasonings for broth. I realized today that it only takes a few minutes to strain the broth directly into canning jars and place them into the canner and process them instead of putting them in the fridge to can or freeze later. Not sure why that didn't click sooner! Yesterday and today I made two batches of broth and canned 6 quarts of broth.

Sweetheart Street Bench Pillow

I finished the top of the Kimberbell Valentine bench pillow. I am teaching the first half of it tomorrow and then we will finish it next week. I just need to add the lights and the pillow back. Lots of unfinished projects to do! My goal this year is to not leave any projects unfinished as well as finish some projects from previous years. 

Clean Report!!

I had a diagnostic mammogram today. They did a 3D mammogram along with an ultrasound. I've been having pain in my right breast lately. The doctor read the mammogram while they were doing the ultrasound and then compared the two. She came in and talked to me before I left and told me they didn't find anything and that I am cancer free. Great words to hear! And it was so wonderful to be told the results before I even left the office! I am so relieved that nothing is wrong. The pain is most likely due to the underwire in my bra, so now for some new bras. I feel very blessed today!

Enchanted Winter is Almost Done!

I finished the borders and added all of the embellishments to the Enchanted Winter quilt. There were lots of small seed beads and buttons that needed to be sewn on by hand, as well as lots of jewels that were adhered with a heat tool. All that's left to do is quilt and bind it! Hopefully I can get that done before the end of the month.