Coffee for Breakfast

I love baking, but not All baking. I can bake a cake but I don't love cake. Cupcakes? Yeah, I like them more. I can bake a pie, but I don't love making crust! I'd rather buy it. I don't bake good cookies. Never have. I leave the cookie baking to my daughters. They do it better. The baking I love is bread baking! The bread machine is wonderful because as much as I love to bake bread, I don't love to knead! A few months ago I bought a bread machine cookbook at Big Lots for about $5. Great buy. Seven ingredients, a couple of hours, and a wonderful loaf of rectangular crusty bread. In my house it lasts about 5 minutes! This is a great and easy method, with a wonderful result, if I can be home all day. The crust isn't "crusty" if you don't remove immediately and eat while warm. Then, I heard about Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. This book has given me a new love for home baked bread. This wonderful method allows you to mix a large amount of dough ...

So far, it has been a wonderful month! February is "my" month around here. All in one week (usually) I have a birthday, anniversary, and Valentine's Day. Last year at this time I was in bed sick for a few weeks with pneumonia. It was awful. That made me appreciate this year even more. That and a renewed appreciation of my family. I already loved them dearly, but the last couple of years have made that fact even more apparent. I hope to be more intentional in the ways I show them how very special they are to me. This February was very different than past years. I feel that at 41 I am so aware of how very blessed my life really is! I thought I knew this in my 20's, was unaware for most of my 30's, and I am totally aware of the fact that I am living my heart's desire in my 40's. Thank you Jesus, Randy, and my kids for the life I always dreamed of. We all know it's not perfect, but what precious life lessons we are learning together. Good, bad, or even UGL...

Some more Sarah Markley love. Her writing is wonderful. I find it honest and very relateable. Love Isn’t Distracted | Sarah Markley

It has been a wonderful week. I celebrated my 41st birthday and our 17th anniversary. I cannot believe how fast time flies. This time of year is very busy for us, but we are planning an anniversary trip very soon.

The Pioneer Woman is keeping me from losing weight! I love her cooking blog but it is NOT lowfat! This week we have had her recipes for simple enchiladas, chicken and noodles with bacon cheese biscuits, and Italian drip beef. All wonderful. Next week I need to start counting Weight Watcher points. I also need to run about 100 miles! Oh well, I enjoyed trying some new recipes, and eating them. If you haven't tried the Pioneer Woman , I highly recommend her!

Here are photos of the pillow I finally finished for my sister. When I found the John Deere fabric I knew I would make something for her. I just didn't know what. Anyway, it took quite a while to get started. I found this project on Sew Mama Sew a while back and fell in love with it. It was a free pattern from ohfransson.com . Originally this was meant to be a birthday gift (last August!), but I think it is perfect for Valentine's Day.

Hey, I'll take it however I can get it! I was awakened to the sound of howling wind at about 4am. I wasn't totally surprised. We had heard the forecast. We were expecting a winter storm. First came the rain, then the freezing rain, and then the cracking and breaking of tree limbs. Lots of them. I knew right away I wouldn't be leaving my house today. I decided to bake. I baked a cake . The recipe is from one of my favorite blogs , the Pioneer Woman. Delicious. I quickly realized I enjoyed the warmth of the stove. I cooked beans and cornbread. Comfort food. My sweet husband built a nice fire in the fireplace and we all snuggled under our blankets for a movie. Fitting with my cooking theme for the day we decided to watch Julie and Julia. I loved it. I have never been very interested in Julia Child but I would now love to read her cookbook. Wonderful day to be stuck indoors. I probably gained 5 lbs. But it was worth it.