The holiday spirit is in full swing around here...
The tree is up, though we haven't finished decorating it yet. With our new, energetic kitties, we weren't sure what sort of mayhem might ensue, so we did a trial run with just (unbreakable) Swedish straw ornaments. So far, so good -- time to try adding a few more.
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My knitting friends came over for a crafty afternoon last Sunday, so the holiday baking has begun. These
deep dark chocolate cookies are amazingly delicious and just happen to be gluten-free.
I also made
cranberry crumb bars with mulling spices from
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Also yummy, esp. since the cranberries taste fresh, not jammy; however, they are a bit tart, so if you crave a sugar rush, this may not be up your alley. Also, they are best served fairly soon after they're baked, as the crumb crust tends to sog out with time.
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My current knitting projects are a bit dull right now, so I've been cheating and reading lots of novels (aided in part by an unfortunate incident with my Jeep that has left me riding the CTA for the past week -- public transit = reading time).
I'm stranded on sleeve island with my
Drops cardigan...
and I'm knitting the most boring scarf pattern in the world. The yarn is lovely, the finished project will be classy and very wearable, but I'm never touching
this pattern again.
10 comments:
I love your tree! We decorate a Norfolk that always lives in our living room so we stick to the straw ornaments ourselves. I got a rosemary tree for my desk at work and am making origami stars I'm going to string on butcher's twine for garland for it. But the scent has been lovely this week and nearly everyone has commented on it. It was been lovely.
Both the cookies and the bars sound heavenly! And I'm on sleeve island myself on a DROPS pattern too :-)
I am finishing up a couple of Christmas knitting projects - and it seems to be taking me forever! I'm eager to return to some personal projects.
Love your sweet tree!
My knitting is really boring lately, too. I can't wait to finish my gift knitting so I can get back to my cabled cardigan for me!
Sleeves are always the worst part, but you can do it!
Your tree is so cute! And I'm glad to hear that the kitties aren't too interested ... Good luck with the boring knitting. Sleeves really can drag ...
Ooooh, always looking for new cookie recipes at this time of year! Those dark chocolate ones look just like the chocolate crinkles my mom makes but must be healthier without the flour and butter! And SK's bars look great...I'm addicted to anything cranberry related so definitely need to try these!
Those dark chocolate cookies sound amazing!
Good luck with the kitties and the tree...
Yay for holiday spirit! :) The cookies look so delicious, and I love your tree. I'm a big fan of those Swedish straw ornaments...we did something similar this year to test out how curious toddler hands would handle so many tempting delights. (So far so good, but he does frequently take down my ballet slipper ornament and try to put it on...).
We did the same thing; our new cat Lexy is only about a year old, so the tree has been bare except for lights. She's been really good so far, so we're hoping she passes "ornaments" and "toy train" tomorrow too.
A knitting friend is coming on Saturday so we can bake together. We're going to attempt my Grandmother's Italian cookie recipe. She is the kind of cook that doesn't need recipes as much, so I'm hoping what she wrote out for me will work. :)
I knitted the bias scarf but I love to knit boring as long as the end project will be VERY useable and elegant. Your cookies look yummy.
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