It's a cookie bakin' day....

Welcome back to day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas!

The weather outside today is cold, snowy & windy...a good day to put on a Christmas CD and spend the day in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE KISSES
"The pretty pink color comes from the cherries and cherry liquid; no food coloring is necessary. They taste like chocolate covered cherries....delicious!"

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup maraschino cherries (chopped) I prefer mine chopped quite fine, so I run them through my small food processor

granulated sugar

48 Hershey's chocolate kisses

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Beat butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and salt; beat till combined. Beat in cherry liquid and almond extract till combined. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed and them add cherries; mix well.

Shape dough into 1" balls and then roll in sugar. Place balls 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven; press an unwrapped candy kiss on each cookie. Return cookies to oven and bake an additional 2 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Transfer to wire racks; cool. Makes 48.

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CANDY CANE SPRITZ
"These cookies are so easy to make & will receive rave reviews from your family & guests."

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (can substitute vanilla or almond if you prefer)
2 cups all-purpose flour
Red paste food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour until blended. Transfer half of dough to small bowl; stir or knead in enough red food coloring to tint dough a deep red.

Form each section of dough into a log about the length of your spritz gun. Now cut each log in half lengthwise. Put a cut red and white log together and gently twist the two sections together in a candy cane fashion and then place into your spritz gun fitted with the star tip or a piping disk.

Press dough in 5-inch strips, 1 1/2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. (For "finished" ends, cut off each strip from tip of cookie press with paring knife.) Bend 1 end of each strip to shape into candy cane.
Bake cookies 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Cool on cookie sheet on wire rack 3 minutes. With pancake turner, carefully transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months

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COOKIE DO'S & DON'TS

"You can ensure cookie baking success by choosing high-quality ingredients and using them correctly. Here are some tips about ingredients."

*Use the right fat option. When a recipe calls for butter it is important to use butter. Many margarines contain considerable amounts of water and will yield undesirable cookies. Butter gives cookies wonderful flavor and ensures good results.

*If you want to use margarine instead of butter, use only stick margarine that contains at least 80 percent vegetable oil. Margarine will produce a softer dough, requiring a need to chill it longer then directed. Spreadable tub margarines contain more water than oil and should never be used for baking.

*There is no need to sift flour when making cookies, just simply stir the flour before measuring. Accurate measuring will ensure good texture of your goodies. Always measure flour in nested type metal or plastic measuring cups. Do not pack the flour, but gently spoon scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Level off the top with a straight edge of a metal spatula.

*When making cut out cookies, work with half the dough at a time. Keep the other half refrigerated. Roll dough on a pastry cloth with a stockinette-covered rolling pin. Use powdered sugar rather then flour on your cloth as necessary to prevent sticking. The use of flour can toughen cookies.

*Dip the cookie cutter into powdered sugar between cuts to keep dough from sticking to it.

*Handle the dough as little as possible. Combine dough scraps into thick "pancakes", and chill before re rolling.

*Decorate cookies with colored sugar immediately after rolling and cutting. Once the surface dries a bit the sugar won't stick as well.

*Wait until cookies have cooled completely before icing them.

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HOST A COOKIE EXCHANGE

"A good reason to simply get together with friends & neighbors for a holiday party."

Here's how it works:

*Pick a date and send, phone or email invitations.

*Ask guests to bring one kind of special homemade holiday cookie (no store-bought sweets allowed). Specify the number of cookies each person must bring; three dozen is probably the minimum to ensure that each guest takes home a good sampling.

*Suggest that everyone bring extra containers for transporting their cookies home in.

*Ask the guests to provide copies of their recipes and share the origins or some other story about the cookie recipe.

*The number of cookies guests take home is based on the number they brought. "no bakee, no takee".

*Also ask that the guest brings a separate plate of cookies for a tasting buffet. Depending on the time of day, consider serving a salad luncheon or a potluck supper.

*Turn your cookie exchange into a fund-raiser for a favorite charity. Ask guest to bring a gift for a sponsored family or local food pantry.

*Combine a holiday activity, such as caroling, sledding or ice-skating with a family cookie exchange.

Until tomorrow,

brenda

The decorating begins....

Welcome to the 12 days of Christmas decorating, baking & cooking on my blog!

I am just starting my Christmas decorating today...I'm not one that has to have my Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving. I prefer to do it a couple weeks before, so my tree still looks & smells fresh on Christmas day.

I make my annual trip up to Spencer to Del's Garden Center to purchase tree, roping, wreaths, spruce tips & whatever great things they have for holiday decorating the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. The scent of fresh pine fills the nostrils as you open the door of the garden center. Inside the building you will find several woman feeding fresh cut pine into a noisy machine that staples, twists and whatever else it does and out the other end comes the freshly made pine roping. Pretty neat to see your pine roping made right before your very eyes! Their wreaths are hand made there as well and are always nice & plump....just the way I like them!

I hang 5 wreaths on our house, 1 on the front door & one for each big window.

This year I am using a candy cane ribbon...sort of stepping outside of the box here!

The weather was a very mild 30 something degrees today...warm enough to be outside in just a big warm & woolly sweater.

A perfect day to start the Christmas decorating on the outside of the house. Come along with my to my backyard as I add some Christmas decor to the outdoors...

Big red bulbs are simply hung in our young Service Berry trees throughout the yard. A quick & simple way to add some Christmas cheer to the yard!
So far the squirrels haven't been too curious about them & have left them alone! See all the squirrel tracks in the snow? I was hoping the bulbs might be a diversion for the squirrels and they would leave my bird feeders alone....

I like to add a touch of Christmas to my gardens as well. Here an old wheel barrow that contains flowers in the summer has spruce tips simply tucked into the dirt. Plan to tuck an old pair of ice skates in the barrow tomorrow.

And don't forget about your birdhouses...they look great decorated for the season as well! Here I simply wired fresh pine and a bow to the base of the house. This church birdhouse is one of my favorite birdhouses and is handcrafted by a local Iowa artisan, Ken Bose of Skeeter Creek Fabricators.

Check his website out, his birdhouses are absolutely wonderfully handcrafted & the detail is amazing!

I enjoyed the company of Mr. Cardinal this afternoon as I was outside doing my decorating. He just sat up in the tree and took in what I was doing & would blurt out a chirp every now & again.



Again more fresh pine and viburnum berries picked from our hedge & simply tucked into the snow on my old bench. A great natural holiday vignette for the birds to enjoy.




Here is a piece that I receive as a gift that I have fun with each season. In the summer I line it with a coconut liner and fill in with annual plants. In the fall it was filled with bittersweet and 3 various colored pumpkins. Here I have simply tucked fresh pine and rose hips in it for a cheery holiday planter.

The dried rose hips that I bought from Del's Garden Center are exceptionally big this year...

Aren't they wonderful!

I'm hoping to have our tree (a 9 foot partially sheared Fraser Fir) brought into the house this evening. It is on my honey do list for tonight. I will let it set overnight and the decorating begins on the inside of the house.....

CANDY CANE COCOA
"A great drink to warm the kids up after a day of sledding or snowman building."

4 cups whole milk

3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

whip cream in a can

2 to 3 extra candy canes

In a saucepan, heat milk until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in the chocolate and 4 crushed candy canes until melted and smooth. Pour hot cocoa into mugs and garnish with whipped cream. Serve each with a candy cane for stirring.

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After a day spent outdoors placing garland, hanging wreaths etc, this is what greeted me as I came in the door....our "fur child" Agassi!

Yep, I could use a catnap myself!

Happy Holidays,

brenda

The 12 Days of Christmas...

Join me right here on my blog as I bring you 12 days of Christmas recipes, decorating ideas & tips, holiday traditions, holiday history and a surprise as well! So....starting Saturday December 13th there will be a new post each day for 12 days, with the last to be on Christmas Eve. Please join me each day as we celebrate the Christmas season.

Holiday blessings,

brenda

Soups On!

We eat lots of home-made soups at our house during the cold, chilly winter months. One of my favorites is Chicken Tortilla Soup.... so I thought I'd share this recipe with you today.

The ingredients are.....

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2 Tablespoons flour

Three 14 oz. cans chicken broth

4 cups half & half

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup salsa

1 (15 oz.) can creamed corn

Rotisserie cooked chicken from the grocery store (chopped)

2 teaspoons cumin

1 packet dry fajita seasoning

2 teaspoons dried cilantro

8 oz. shredded Monterrey Cheddar cheese

Bag of tortilla chips (we like the hint of lime ones)

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the broth and half & half. Bring to a boil and reduce to low heat.

Add the soup, salsa, corn, chicken, cumin, fajita seasoning, cilantro & half of the bag of cheese. Stir and continue to heat on low temp for 30 - 45 minutes.

Ladle into a bowl and top with crushed tortilla chips & grated cheese. Serve with additional chips for dipping. Enjoy!

until later,
brenda

NEW 3 strand floss from Valdani!

- Tea Dyed Stone-

-Dark Antique Gold-

-Golden Moss-

-Yummy Pumpkin-

-Earth Shades-

-Muddy Bark-

-Golden Browns-

The much anticipated 7 beautiful new colors of 3 strand embroidery floss from Valdani arrived yesterday. Oh, once again I feel like a child with a new box of crayons! This floss works beautifully for punch needle embroidery...if you haven't tried this floss yet you really should! These colors are now posted on our website and are available for purchase.

My next design cycle will be for punch needle...can't wait to use these beautiful new colors from Valdani. I am currently working on my punchneedle design that will be featured on our 2009 calender. Further details on this to follow.

happy stitchin',

brenda

The Fisher Girls

Anybody else out there in blog land enjoy old photos? I spend lots of time on ebay looking at old photos...I love old portraits & snapshots. Not sure whether it is the clothing styles, the hairstyles or the frumpy smiles some of the woman possess...I just love old photos! I'm not certain of the age of this picture, but judging from the hairstyles these lovely ladies are sporting I am guessin the late 50's early 60's. My mother had this same hair style in some of our family photos when I was a small child. BUT I could be wrong...not sure if Mom stayed current and up to date with her hairstyles!!

One day while doing my "old pictures" search on ebay I stumbled upon the above picture and new I HAD to own it...so the biddin' began! You see I have 2 sisters and this picture just said "The Fisher Girls" all over it. Fisher is my maiden name by the way. We seem to always be called "The Fisher Girls" when we are at home for any home town gathering...not sure why, but I'm guessing it is because they can't remember who is Brenda, who is Sandra or who is Linda!

You all know that I spend most of my life doing needlework. AND my sister Sandra (aka Sandy ~Pieces from my Heart) spends most of her life quilting AND sister Linda who is the bank pres spends her spare time sewing business suits. So this picture was so "us"... fast forwarded many many years of course!! We have just taken up our newest form of needlework, crocheting doilies, and it appears we are having a great time. Don't you think?!! Be sure to click on the photo so you can zoom in on us!

After the picture arrived I had the pleasure of deciding who was who in the photo. I am the youngest sister and I felt the lady on the left appeared to look the youngest, so we'll call her Brenda. Don't you love my new saddle shoes? My sister Sandra is the middle child in the family and is the skinny one of the bunch, so we'll call the thinner lady in the middle Sandra. Sandra would also be the one to be wearin' bobby socks! Linda is much much much older then I so we'll call the older lady on the right Linda. Linda would certainly have rick rack sewn on her dress, complete with a brooch pin! Oh this is getting fun...sorry sisters!

Off to crochet,

brenda

Happy Holidays from Country Stitches!

All orders placed between now and December 23rd totally $10.00 or more will receive the above cross stitch pattern FREE! This early style table runner is stitched on osnaburg and backed with a red civil war reproduction fabric. Fill the pocket with vintage pipe cleaner candy canes, sweet annie or fresh pine. This is a project that you can easily get done in a weekend.

Holiday Blessings,

brenda

P.S. Don't forget tomorrow Monday December 1st is FREE shipping day (Cyber Monday)...read below post for details!

Cyber Monday & Free Pattern!

Come shop with us on Monday December 1st as Country Stitches is taking part in the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season (Cyber Monday). We will be offering free shipping on all online orders placed on Monday December 1st between the hours of 10:00 am - 9:00 pm CST. This offer is good on orders shipped within the United States. No exceptions...thanks for understanding!

ALSO.... all orders placed between November 28th & December 23rd will receive our annual "FREE PATTERN" give away. The free pattern is a new cross stitch design of mine and has never been sold or will be sold as a pattern.

Happy Thanksgiving,

brenda

Back Home & Back to Work

Beckham all snuggled up in his Teddy Bear Fleece & ready to leave the hospital. He is not quite 48 hours old in this picture. Just as content as could be!

I spent a few days with Baby Beckham, Mommy & Daddy and had the time of my life! Being a grandparent is a wonderful experience. It gives you warm fuzzies watching your own children become these wonderful & loving parents...a neat experience in itself! Beckham is very very fortunate, he has great parents! I just couldn't get enough of those darling little fingers & toes... I took lots of pictures and they are printed off...need to buy my "BRAG" book today, oh how fun!

Wishing everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving!

Lots to be thankful for,

brenda

Look who's here!

Beckham Christian was born Thursday, November 20th at 8:30 pm. He tipped the scale at 7 lbs. 15 oz & 20" tall. Mother and baby Beckham are doing good & he is a very content baby so far. I am spending this week away from the office so I can enjoy this time and help Erin in any way that I can.

Until later,
brenda

It's Done!

The "Snowy Meadow" cross stitch pattern is now done! This piece features Parson Brown out on a winter wonderland skate...won't you come join him? Lace up those skates!! This piece is worked on Dirty Edinboro linen using 2 strands over 2 threads. Piece shown above is framed in an 8" x 10" frame. Stitch count is 114 wide by 154 high. We will have this pattern & also pattern/fabric/floss kit posted this evening on our website for purchase.

Stay warm,

brenda

Coming Soon!!

Here is a sneek peak at a new cross stitch pattern design that is in the works & is close to being complete. I am just showing you a snippet of this design. This finished size of this design is approximately 6" x 8 1/2". Stay tuned as updates on this guy will be posted right here on this blog.

Baby UGGS & bursting with excitement....

Our daughter Erin & husband Rob are expecting their 1st baby & our 1st grandchild. Ultra sound due date says November 27th and actual due date is December 2nd. So you see, the count down has begun here at grandma's house....hmmmmm am I going to be Grandma, or Grammy (this is what I called my Grandmother), or Granny Brenda??? A brand new baby just in time for Christmas...how exciting!

One day shortly after we got the the exciting news from Erin & Rob a Hanna Andersson catalog was in my mail box. I LOVED Hanna Andersson and I sort of forgot about this company. I ordered clothing from them when my children were young. These clothes were some of the last ones I parted with as the kids outgrew them (there may even be a few pieces in a box around this big old house of mine, for all I know;-). I was amazed....how did Hannah Andersson know I was approaching grandmother hood? Do you suppose they have a way of keeping track of how old we are really growing? Once we reach that "grandparent" age, we magically become part of their mailing list again. Hmmm....perhaps this is why I haven't received a Victoria's Secret magazine in some time!!

Well about an hour after the magazine arrived, I had several little "boy" items ordered online. They even have UGGS...can you believe it!!??? I couldn't resist, I had to order a pair! Oh how warm would these little fuzzy, fur lined UGGS keep a babies feet? Does this sound like a grandma-to-be who is trying to convince herself that it IS okay that she just spent 50 bucks on a pair of baby booties? The UGGS were on back order for what seemed like an eternity. They finally did arrive and I am know realizing that they will fit the baby in about August...the heat of summer! So they do need to be returned for a larger size some day, but in the mean time I have enjoyed peeking at them in their precious little shoe box!!

The nursery is now done & is just waiting for the arrival of this little one. Dave & I spent last weekend at their home putting the finishing touches on the room. They have chose the MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO theme from Pottery Barn for the nursery, far from the "safe" mint green color schemes that I used in my day. The ultra sound says boy...crossing our fingers it is correct as this nursery says "boy" all over it. They decided they would like the stripes and letters on the wall above the crib just as pictured in the catalog. Of course no one at Pottery Barn could tell us if these stripes were a wall paper border or simply painted on...after some thought we decided that for all we know the stripes were computer generated and just simply copy & pasted onto the photo!

We decided we'd give it a try, and paint the stripes on the wall. We used a masking tape called Frog Tape and it worked great...I highly recommend this tape! I was quite concerned of any goof ups made during the stripe painting process due to the fact that we had little or no wall paint left. Any mess ups would mean buying more wall paint and starting over. No pressure on Grandpa Dave (the painter in charge) at all! The stripes of bright white, orange & chocolate brown turned out perfect and looked great on the powdery blue wall. Really brought the whole room together with the sheets & quilt. The wooden letters that spell out the babies name were also hung that evening before we left. Now when guests come to visit they must run upstairs & take down the letters as they are trying to keep the name a secret. :-) We joked a few times and wondered what girls name we could come up with using the letters from their chosen boys name if the ultra sound was misread. I think there was one possibility for a girls name....

I have thoroughly enjoyed this whole pregnancy of my daughters and have gained a wealth of knowledge about products that I didn't even know exist. Oh my, how things have changed! (I think I remember my Mom saying this...oh know, isn't there some mirror mirror on the wall saying?) Today's strollers are no longer the Umbrella type that I used. Today's strollers are not only a stroller, they are the car seat & the infant carrier too! Playpens are now Pack N Plays. Then there is the device that warms the wet wipes so they aren't cold on the little ones bottom. There is also a waste basket of sorts contraption that holds something like 180 dirty diapers....not sure of this & really don't see a need to keep 180 dirty diapers in my house, stink or no stink! Then have you ever wondered how these cute, young pregnant woman are still wearing their regular jeans?? It is the belly band...what a great idea, whomever came up with it! It is a tube of knit fabric that you wear around the waist of your regular low-rise jeans. Your jeans are unzipped and this belly band simply holds everything together and keeps your pants from falling off! And baby booties are now called UGGS!

2 weeks and counting,

brenda

Where's Rudolph?

There's Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, on Comet and Cupid....where's Donder, Blitzen & Rudolph??? Must be playing that reindeer game of hide and seek from old St. Nick!

This design titled WHERE'S RUDOLPH was worked on 28 count Cashel Flax linen using 1 strand of floss over 1 thread. The design frames nicely in a 5" x 7" picture frame. I purchased an inexpensive frame from my local discount retailer and gave it a coat of Rittenhouse Red (Old Village brand) paint and then gently sanded and stained it with Minwax. I love the red frame around this design. I then propped the picture on an old iron coat hook of sorts that was a find at a local antique shop...makes a unique easel. I am looking forward to enjoying this design this holiday season in my red & green living room.

We are now taking advance orders for this new pattern and will begin shipping early next week. Pattern is posted on the website under the NEW ITEMS category. We are offering this design as a pattern only or a kit (includes pattern, linen & floss).

The Parson Brown cross stitch design is progressing nicely & should have it ready to go by Thanksgiving. Will keep you posted on its progress!

Happy stitchin,
brenda

Stitching is done....now what??

Now it's time to decide how to finish this piece...small pillow, ditty bag filled with holiday goodies, put in a picture frame, or mount on a hornbook.... I will spend the evening making that decision and then completing the piece. Instructions & photo shoot to follow. I hope to have this new cross stitch pattern ready for shipping by weeks end!

Happy stitchin,

brenda

Warm & Cozy on the inside....

Winter seems to have made it's presence here in Iowa, temps have been cold & windy the past couple of days with a 1" dusting of snow... a good day for soup! Just finished preparing Chili for supper & plans for today are to curl up in my chair next to cracking logs in the fireplace and STITCH, STITCH, STITCH...

If all goes well, I think I will complete the new Santa cross stitch design today....yippee!!! Pictures of this to follow (hopefully in a day or so)...still have to come up with a pattern title for this guy! After 21 years of being in this business I find it harder and harder to come up with pattern titles...always afraid I'm going to repeat myself!

Sharing a couple of recipes today...enjoy!

Chili for Chili Weather

" A great chili with just the right amount of spices. Good served with a slice of Cheesy Olive Ciabatta bread or buttered Saltine crackers (my personal favorite)."
1 pound lean ground beef

2 - 11.5 oz. cans V-8 juice

2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 T. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 - 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)

1 - 16 oz. can red beans (drain & rinsed)

1 cup water

1 T. white vinegar

Place ground beef in large skillet; cook over medium heat until browned. Drain & set aside. Add all other ingredients and bring almost to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours; stirring occasionally.

Cheesy Olive Ciabatta Bread

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup sliced pimento stuffed green olives

2 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 loaf of Ciabatta Bread

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Slice bread in half width-wise & lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet. Spread cheese mixture over bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into serving pieces with an electric knife.

Enjoy your Sunday,

brenda

Please respect the artist....

Please remember all photos on this blog are property of With thy Needle & Thread. Copying these images/files for your use is a violation of copyright laws. Please know that we do monitor such activity from this blog.

Thank you,

Brenda

Sinfully Delicious!

Apple Dumplings

"A delicious & oh, so easy dessert!"

1 cup sugar

1 stick real butter (do not substitute)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 green granny smith apples

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls

1/2 cup Mountain Dew soft drink

Melt sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon together in a saucepan and cook until sugar is dissolved. Peel and quarter 2 apples. Wrap 1 crescent roll dough around each apple piece; dough does not have to cover apple entirely. Place apples in a greased glass pie pan or small glass baking dish. Pour sugar mixture over all. Pour Mountain Dew over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are soft and dumplings are a golden brown & crispy. Serve warm with ice cream & drizzle carmel from bottom of dish over the ice cream. Serves 4 people.

Yummy Pork Dish

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

"Fork-tender herbed bonelss pork loin chops paired with a tangy raspberry sauce...heaven on a plate! This is a family favorite dish and is a perfect dish to serve to dinner guests. I always serve with mashed potatoes & julienned steamed carrots. Comfort food at its best!"

1 tsp. dried tyme, crushed

1 tsp. dried sage, crushed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 (4 oz.) boneless pork loin chops

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 T. orange juice

2 T. white wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt & pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

2. Melt butter and olive oil in skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and place on oven-proof dish. Cover with a lid or tin foil & place into oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until done.

3. De-glaze the skillet with white wine vinegar; stirring to loosen brown drippings. Add orange juice & raspberry jam. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Place chop on plate and drizzle with sauce.

Look what the UPS man brought!!

The first shipment of the Maywood Studios Woolies Flannel arrived today. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning opening up this big, fat box of fabric. This flannel feels so soft & cuddly...reminds me of the new jammies that we got each year from Santa Claus. This flannel looks like wool and is suited better for doll clothing over the much heavier "real" wool.
The red hounds tooth piece is the fabric that is used on our 2008 Santa (North Woods St. Nick). You will also want to try using this flannel for applique on penny rugs & quilts. To view this collection of fabric, visit our CALICO section of our website.
Happy Stitchin',
Brenda

Christmas Count Down....

Christmas is just 65 days from today! It is time to start stitchin those holiday decorations and gifts. Country Stitches is brimming with new patterns for your holiday stitching. Shown above is our JUST RELEASED Santa pattern for 2008. North Woods St. Nick measures 22" from the tip of his hat to his pointy-toed boots. He is simply dressed in a plain wooly flannel robe, complete with a linen ditty pocket that has charming woodland motifs cross stitched on it. The pocket is then filled with great smelling Sweet Annie & vintage candy canes for added charm & detail.

Be sure to visit our PATTERNS BY OTHERS category on our website as we have some great new stitchery patterns from Kathy Schmitz! We will be adding more patterns to this category in the coming weeks so please do keep an eye on it!

til next time,

Brenda

Jack Frost is coming....

"Holly Jolly Frosty"

My toes were chilly all day in my sandals and I spent the day wishing I had socks & warmer shoes on. There is just something about putting the sandals away....means winter is not far away. Feels like a soup kind of day, so I mixed up a batch of home made chicken noodle soup when I got home from the office and curled up in my comfy chair and stitched, taking in the yummy smell of soup cooking in the kitchen.


I noticed the elderly neighbor lady covering up her flowering plants as I was busy making soup...frost must be in the forecast for tonight. Oh the dilemma...do I cover my flowering plants, bring them in the garage, or let Jack Frost get them???


I have been busy trying to wrap up the next group of pattern designs. Always seems like there is a re-work part of this process. Often times it isn't until a design is complete that I don't like something, then I start ripping out or starting over. My Santa doll is the hold up....he is waiting for a new outfit from a different fabric to be stitched. I am anticipating the new designs will be complete by late next week.

Soon to be released pattern titles:

Holly Jolly Frosty (pictured above)

Winter Berries (punch needle)

North Woods St Nick (cloth Santa doll with cross stitched bag)

Mr. Flurry (punch needle)

& last but not least....a snowman doll that doesn't have a name yet!

Also in the works are 2 wintery cross stitch patterns (St. Nick & Parson Brown) These will be ready in a couple of weeks.

Autumn blessings,

Brenda

Back in stock

For those of you patiently waiting for this fabric, we now have more in stock. Also check out our newly added CALICO category as the reproduction fabrics that we have ordered are now beginning to trickle in. Lots of good prints to back ditty bags, cross stitch pillow backs, pinkeeps etc.

brenda

Sometimes life gets in the way....

We have heavy hearts here at Country Stitches. Bev's (the gal that takes your phone calls) Uncle passed away last week due to complications following a stroke. My family received word from hospice today that my Mother-in-law has 48 hours...

Due to these life matters & being away from work, orders are slightly backed up. I'm not quite sure how my week will unfold. We will get pending order shipped as quickly as we can.

Thanks for understanding,

Brenda

A great pumpkin gadget!

The leaves are just starting to show hints of yellows and reds here in NW Iowa and the fields in the countryside have gone from their pretty shades of green to amber waves of grain. We are enjoying beautiful autumn weather for several weeks now....still no frost!

I stumbled upon these darling hangers that you attach a carved pumpkin onto and hang in your trees at Gardner's Supply....aren't they cute! Well you may know I have a pumpkin fetish and could not resist these...so I ordered 1 set for myself and another set to give away. They are on sale too! It has been a few years since I have actually carved a pumpkin and I'm looking forward to buying 2 basketball sized pumpkins to carve for these hangers. I also like the fact that you can run these hangers through a clay pot for spring/summer time use as well! Very nifty & versatile too!

I am currently working on finishing up the next group of new pattern designs for the Fall Quilt Market. I will be posting a sneak peak in a couple of weeks. There is a mix of punch needle & dolls in this group.

Happy Autumn,

Brenda

Fresh & Delicious....

My son Matthew has been telling me how delicious these marinated tomatoes are, so I thought I'd give them a try this evening. Delicious indeed & a nice change from A-1 sauce! This recipe will definately get a smiley face in my book!

GRILLED STEAK WITH MARINATED TOMATOES

2 garden fresh tomatoes (seeded & chopped)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

1 minced shallot (I used onion)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Spoon over a grilled steak just before serving.

Enjoy,

Brenda

New M&M's...in electrifying colors

Aren't these cool? NEW electrifying colors of orange, lime green, purple & black! I will admit I am the biggest sucker for NEW items at the grocery story....gets me everytime!

We enjoyed another beautiful autumn day here in Iowa, a perfect day to have the windows open, decorate the house for Halloween, actually bake a meal in the oven (rather then grilling) and well of course bake Monster cookies!

MONSTER COOKIES

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

12 oz. chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup margerine, softened

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 c. uncooked quick oatmeal

6 oz. milk chocolate & caramel swirled chocolate chips (Toll House)

1/4 pound M & M's

Cream together sugars, peanut butter and margarine. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in oatmeal, chocolate chips and M&M's. Place on cookie sheet using an ice cream dipper. Flatten with a glass that has been dipped into sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes. The trick to making perfect Monster Cookies is to not overbake! Yes, you read the recipe correctly...no flour in these cookies!

Enjoy,

brenda gervais

A visit to the pumpkin farm!

Look at all these goodies in my car trunk! Once the frost takes my annual flowers I will replace them with hardy mums and place small vignettes of pumpkins & mums around the yard. My favorite one is the pale orange one with all of the bumps on it....wish I would have bought more of them....I can forsee another trip to the pumpkin farm!!!!

Freshly picked bittersweet....waiting to be placed on the mantle & any other little nook and cranny I can find in my house! One of my favorite items to decorate with!

Until next time,
Brenda

Putting on a show...

After a couple of nice rainy days & cooler temperatures the flowers seem to be putting on their last show, before Jack Frost arrives! I always like to take pictures of my flowers this time of year, reminds me what flowers did good and which didn't do so good.

Impatients & a new type of begonia that I tried this year (sorry, can't remember the name). The begonia has bloomed and bloomed all summer. Plan on planting more of these next year!




The hanging baskets are a miniature impatients and a little hummingbird that is migrating through visits these. He busily sucks the nectar for some time and when his little wings become tired he sits on the railing and keeps an eye on the baskets...very fun to watch! These are amazing little creatures.These hostas were recovered from an area in our yard that was being re-landscaped a couple of years ago. The landscaper felt that they were very old plants, yet good cultivers. He suggested that we should try saving them. They were dug up and moved to a new area in our yard and they have never looked better...they have been beautiful all summer long. They are a beautiful shade of green and our now putting forth their pretty white blossoms.

Red & blue salvia...this is the first year that I planted this in this garden and they did quite well. I am one who likes to try new flowers in new beds each year. Below these flowers, the tulip and daffodil bulbs are resting and hopefully will put on a pretty show next spring. Last spring was not a good growing season for the bulbs, too cold with a late springtime snow.

More begonias.....
Foxglove
Red & white impatients....we have a very shaded lawn and impatients are always a good flower of choice for our yard.
Viburnum Bush
A couple of days ago I was looking out my kitchen window to see one of these bushes just a moving away and then I spotted a robin jumping up and down, plucking the berries from the bush. This is a Verburnum bush and has pretty white flowers in the spring and provides bright red berries for the birds in the colder months when seed and bugs become sparse.

Already looking forward to when the new seed catalogs arrive....it gets me through the long Iowa winters!

Brenda

Sugar & Spice Sampler Cross Stitch Pattern

Coming soon! I've been working on this little guy for a few weeks now and ta-da he is finally done! When I stitch my mind tends to wander to other things....most often my next design, upcoming deadlines and well with this one....my Mother's gingerbread cookies! Mom's gingerbread cookies are a tradition at Christmas and Thanksgiving family gatherings. She makes turkey shaped cookies for Thanksgiving and Reindeer at Christmas.... simply decorated with just a tiny chocolate chip for the eyes. Thin & crispy and so yummy!!

Sugar & Spice Sampler is worked on 35 count hand-dyed linen with 1 strand over 1 thread. The little gingerbread boy measures just 6" tall. This little guy looks great in an old wooden dough bowl with fresh pine, rose hips, cinnamon sticks tucked around it.

Pattern will be ready for shipment late next week.

Happy stitching,

Brenda

Making Snow Angels in August!!

Often times as I sit down with my pad of paper & pencil to design, my mind turns towards childhood memories! This must mean I am still young at heart, right??!! How many of you made snow angels as a child? For those of you who aren't so privileged to live in the snowy parts of the country, let me explain! After a fresh snow fall you lie down in the snow and move your arms and legs (somewhat like doing a jumping jack, lying down) and the movement in the snow makes a beautiful silhouette of an angel. The trick was standing up very carefully, not to disturb the angel. So goes the inspiration for the "WINTER WONDERLAND" cross stitch pattern. This pattern includes the 2 pictured snow angels (just a mere 4" tall) and a Merry Christmas winter scene picture. The angels have cross stitched little tummies & clay shaped head and wings. Their wings are gently dusted with mica flakes to resemble the fresh, sparkly snow that made the best snow angels.

This pattern & another Christmas themed cross stitch pattern will be released soon. Watch here for more details.

Until next time,
brenda