I'm back!

Time to dust off this old computer and get back in the blogging routine again! I left off about a month in to the 52 hike challenge (aka Feb 2019), after having been derailed by me getting the flu twice (both strains, and both confirmed, despite having gotten my flu shot, thank you very much) and by a messy situation at work that left me clinically depressed and asking to be reassigned to a different department. But now that I'm in a better work situation, I'm feeling MUCH better emotionally and I'm ready for a new (fun) adventure. Now, I'm not a huge fan of New Years resolutions, as they tend to be very extreme and image-obsessed and usually people ditch them within a month or two. So rather than plan a New Years resolution to start my fresh outlook on life, I started to think of what I could do instead that would still be a bit structured and also outside of my typical routines and experiences.

On Christmas Day I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I was reading one of the cookbooks I got from my sister-in-law:  Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland   (Yes, I read cookbooks cover to cover, just for fun!)

I was enamored. The recipes all looked delicious and also doable. Perhaps I was feeling nostalgic for the Midwest, or perhaps I just wanted to break out of my baking ruts.  But reading this cookbook was the impetus for what I'll call my "Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge."

I'm going to bake every recipe in the book!!

Once the idea came to me, I got so excited! What a fun way to expand my baking horizons and to have fun doing it.  And hopefully my family and coworkers won't mind too much when I force the baked goods on them :)

I'm going to try to go in order, but I'm sure there will be some that change due to seasonality, time, or just what mood I'm in. Similarly, I'm going to try to bake each weekend, but I'm also going to cut myself plenty of slack if it just doesn't happen for some reason.

So my first treat yo' self challenge was the first recipe in the book: Potica / Povitica  (Sweet Breads chapter)

This was a bit intimidating to start with because I'd never heard of the item nor tasted it, which always makes me question whether my results are "right" or not. Furthermore, this one has a warning that "the process of shaping potica is absolutely a case of practice making perfect." Gulp.  So I stifled my fears and got to work... 

About three hours later, this was our reward!

It was delicious. Rose said it was the best bread she'd ever tasted in her entire life (which is high praise from the girl who had called my pain au chocolat earlier in day "fine, but I've had better"). To me it tasted like a cross between baklava, babka, and a cinnamon roll, but not as sweet as any of those (although still plenty sweet for a bread). 

Verdict: Definitely a fun first challenge. I'm not sure I loved it enough to make it a regular part of my baking routine, but I'd certainly be willing to make it for someone else if they request it. And the shaping really wasn't that difficult.  Also, I'm pretty confident that mine tasted "right" based on the internet research I did while it was rising and baking. Kudos to the author for her excellent instructions.  So far my Christmas 2019-2020 Treat Yo' Self Challenge is off to a great start!

annual birthday questions

Favorite color:  

Age 3 - blue and green and white and red and purple

Age 4 – pink

Age 5 – all of the colors in the rainbow except orange and red

Age 6 - rainbow

Age 7 - gold

Favorite toy/game:  

Age 3 - playing with baby things

Age 4 – playing Kristoff or Prince Hans

Age 5 – dragon Legos

Age 6 - Legos

Age 7 - my new Wild Kratts toys 

Favorite food:

Age 3 -  mac and cheese

Age 4 – mac and cheese

Age 5 – mac and cheese

Age 6 – mac and cheese

Age 7 - mac and cheese

Favorite drink:  

Age 3 – moose hair (?!?)

Age 4 – milk

Age 5 – chocolate milk

Age 6 – chocolate milk

Age 7 - chocolate milk

Favorite movie:  

Age 3 - Happy Feet

Age 4 – Sleeping Beauty

Age 5 – Finding Nemo and Finding Dory

Age 6 - The Lion Guard

Age 7 - Lion King

Favorite TV show:   

Age 3 – Caillou

Age 4 – the car one

Age 5 – My Little Pony

Age 6 - The Lion Guard

Age 7 - Wild Kratts

Favorite song:  

Age 3 - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Age 4 – Jasmine ("A Whole New World")

Age 5 – Twinkle Twinkle

Age 6 - Twinkle Twinkle

Age 7 - Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Favorite book:  
             Age 3 - You are a LION (yoga book)

Age 4 – Anna and Elsa

Age 5 – My Little Pony (the Pinkie Pie one)

Age 6 - Green Eggs and Ham

Age 7 - Harry Potter

Favorite outfit:  
             Age 3 - blue and white

Age 4 – my twirly dress I have on now

Age 5 – sparkly things

Age 6 - dresses

Age 7 - costumes

Best friend:  

Age 3 - Eden and Asher and Evan

Age 4 – Eden

Age 5 – Eden

Age 6 - Aleena

Age 7 - Allie

Favorite holiday:  

Age 3 - Christmas and Easter

Age 4 – my birthday

Age 5 – my birthday

Age 6 - April

Age 7 - my birthday

What I take to bed each night:  

Age 3 - a cat 

Age 4 – pajamas

Age 5 – a stuffed animal like Rainbow Dash

Age 6 - myself

Age 7 - a stuffie

When I grow up, I want to be:  

Age 3 - a diamond

Age 4 – a princess

Age 5 – a junior ranger

Age 6 - nothing

Age 7 - a scientist

I'm afraid to: 

Age 3 – monsters

Age 4 – bears and alligators and dinosaurs

Age 5 – nothing!

Age 6 - be by myself

Age 7 - kill stink bugs

I'm proud of:  

Age 3 -??

Age 4 – Daddy

Age 5 – myself!

Age 6 - mommy and daddy

Age 7 - building Lego sets

Something I do really well:  

Age 3 - cookie monster

Age 4 – watch a movie

Age 5 – Legos

Age 6 - cleaning my room

Age 7 - keep on trying

This makes me happy:  

Age 3 - an Easter bunny

Age 4 – when I have love around me

Age 5 – doing Legos

Age 6 - hugs

Age 7 - when staying up late, going to sleep

This makes me sad:  
              Age 3 - a cow hit me

Age 4 – when someone hits me or bites me or pinches me or kicks me

Age 5 – when it's nap time

Age 6 - when somebody hits me

Age 7 - getting hurt

Favorite time of day:  

Age 3 - movie time

Age 4 – playing with Eden

Age 5 – lunch time

Age 6 - dessert time

Age 7 - dessert time

Dream vacation:  

Age 3 -??

Age 4 – to the princesses! (i.e., Disneyland)

Age 5 – Disney World

Age 6 - to Mitra's house

Age 7 - living in a jungle and swinging on vines

Favorite thing to do with Mommy: 
             Age 3 - play with her

Age 4 – play Candyland

Age 5 – cuddle

Age 6 - be outside playing tag

Age 7 - read books

Favorite thing to do with Daddy:  

             Age 3 - play with him

Age 4 – play Candyland again!

Age 5 – play Legos

Age 6 - build Legos

Age 7 - build Legos

quilt #23

Two quilts in one year is pretty fast for me! I bought this fabric in Appleton last April, and began working on the design that Rose picked out once we got home. Then I took a break to make Sarah's quilt, and finally finished this one up this weekend! It's a Bento Box design, plus a border that I added. I really like working with strips and squares instead of triangles, but I experimented with a minkie backing this time and I will NEVER use that stuff again - way too slippery and hard to manage. Back to flannel backings for me in the future! But Rose is happy with it and looking forward to putting in on the extra bed she has in her bedroom. 

NUMBER ONE
7/07 - Fractured Pinwheels (for the Burmen)

NUMBER TWO
12/07 - Roman Fence (for Gramma Larson)

NUMBER THREE
5/08 - Log Cabin (for my parents)

NUMBER FOUR
9/08 - 30s throw (for my friend Ryan's baby Evan)

NUMBER FIVE
12/08 - Stars and Stripes (for Jack and Marsha)

NUMBER SIX
12/09 - scrap quilt (for our living room)

NUMBER SEVEN
5/10 - Hug and Kiss (for the Failors)

NUMBER EIGHT
12/10 - Amish quilt (for Anne)

NUMBER NINE
12/10 - Corner Stars (for my former boss/mentor Joan)

NUMBER TEN
1/11 - another 30s throw (for my friend Megan's baby Norah)

NUMBER ELEVEN
9/11 -Nature Studies Nine Patch (for friend Mitra)

NUMBER TWELVE
3/12 - I don't remember the name of the design! (for Rose's crib)

NUMBER THIRTEEN
7/13 - Christmas Cactus (for my office at work)

NUMBER FOURTEEN
8/13 - Moda Charms Toddler Quilt (for my friend Aryn's baby Vivia)

NUMBER FIFTEEN
12/13 - another Moda Charms Toddler Quilt (for Rose to have at school)

NUMBER SIXTEEN
1/14 - Checkerboard Plaids (for Mike)

NUMBER SEVENTEEN
3/14 - Scrap quilt (for Rose)

NUMBER EIGHTEEN
5/14 - Bali Sea Stars (for friend Marcy)

NUMBER NINETEEN
7/14 - Honey Honey Layer Cake Quilt (for friend Anna)

NUMBER TWENTY
8/15 - Wee Woodland (for friend Jane)

NUMBER TWENTY ONE
10/18 - Churn Dash (for me!)

NUMBER TWENTY TWO

12/18 - Between the Lines (for Sarah and Bryce)

NUMBER TWENTY THREE

1/19 - Bento Box (for Rose)

hike #6

Hike #6
1/20/19
2-2.5 miles
my neighborhood out-and-back

I meant to take a hike yesterday (Saturday) since it was 50 degrees outside, but Rose woke up with a fever of 104! That called for a day of snuggles instead. We watched two Harry Potter movies together, and she watched some of the new Carmen Sandiego series on Netflix while I quilted. Today I got out for a quick hike after the sun rose and before she woke up - and also before the snowstorm started today.

quilt #22

I made this quilt in record time! Rose and I went to my cousin Sarah's wedding in October, and I used their wedding colors to select the fabric in November (they had already selected the design). I finished the whole thing on New Year's Eve - only two months from start to finish, which absolutely has to be a record for me. It's bigger than a throw but smaller than a twin. Hopefully they like it!

NUMBER ONE
7/07 - Fractured Pinwheels (for the Burmen)

NUMBER TWO
12/07 - Roman Fence (for Gramma Larson)

NUMBER THREE
5/08 - Log Cabin (for my parents)

NUMBER FOUR
9/08 - 30s throw (for my friend Ryan's baby Evan)

NUMBER FIVE
12/08 - Stars and Stripes (for Jack and Marsha)

NUMBER SIX
12/09 - scrap quilt (for our living room)

NUMBER SEVEN
5/10 - Hug and Kiss (for the Failors)

NUMBER EIGHT
12/10 - Amish quilt (for Anne)

NUMBER NINE
12/10 - Corner Stars (for my former boss/mentor Joan)

NUMBER TEN
1/11 - another 30s throw (for my friend Megan's baby Norah)

NUMBER ELEVEN
9/11 -Nature Studies Nine Patch (for friend Mitra)

NUMBER TWELVE
3/12 - I don't remember the name of the design! (for Rose's crib)

NUMBER THIRTEEN
7/13 - Christmas Cactus (for my office at work)

NUMBER FOURTEEN
8/13 - Moda Charms Toddler Quilt (for my friend Aryn's baby Vivia)

NUMBER FIFTEEN
12/13 - another Moda Charms Toddler Quilt (for Rose to have at school)

NUMBER SIXTEEN
1/14 - Checkerboard Plaids (for Mike)

NUMBER SEVENTEEN
3/14 - Scrap quilt (for Rose)

NUMBER EIGHTEEN
5/14 - Bali Sea Stars (for friend Marcy)

NUMBER NINETEEN
7/14 - Honey Honey Layer Cake Quilt (for friend Anna)

NUMBER TWENTY
8/15 - Wee Woodland (for friend Jane)

NUMBER TWENTY ONE
10/18 - Churn Dash (for me!)

NUMBER TWENTY TWO

12/18 - Between the Lines (for Sarah and Bryce)