Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year


I am a big one for making lists - grocery lists, to do lists, lists of quilts I've made and of quilts I would like to make. So that I am working on a list of New Year's resolutions isn't a surprise to anyone who knows me!

I will not bore you with the lose weight, walk more, be better about taking my meds stuff and just focus on the Quilting and travel "fun" stuff.

First - organize my quilting and sewing room. OK, this has been on my list every years since I first started quilting. Lets just say it is a process! I am planning however clear out the fabrics I have no plan on using in the next two years and donate it. I also want to finally clear out some craft things that I don't want to pack up and move back to the U.S. again. When we go back to the U.S. my DH has consented to my having the largest of the spare bedrooms to use for my quilting room. This gives me a much larger closet which I can fit out with shelves for my fabric.

Second - Try new things. I feel like I have stagnated a bit in the past year. I am cruising the internet and my piles of books and magazines to make a list of some new techniques or projects for the new year. I'm going to start with improving my machine quilting....

Third - Make the best use of the last year I have here in England. That is right. It looks like we will be going back to the states at the end of this year. So all the trips I have been putting off and all the folks I want to to visit I have to do soon!

Fourth - Simplify. If I don't use it or love it I will pack it away. If I don't miss it by the time we leave for the states than I will get rid of it. This extends to the large piles of recipes, home decorating idea pages, and paint chips!

Notice what is not on the list this year - finishing projects. (That usually follows cleaning the sewing room.) I'm accepting this as a non-finish/play year. I don't want to use up time working on projects I am no longer excited about just because they are half done. I think I will be more careful with my time and focus it on things I really want to do.

I was asked for the Bourbon Apple Pecan Bread recipe so here goes....

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large or 6 small peeled, cored, and chopped apples scuh as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious
1-1/2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans and set aside.

Mix 3-3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

In a large bowl cream together brown sugar, sugar, eggs, oil, bourbon, and vanilla.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until just mixed.

Crush apples with a masher or place in a food processor and pulse several times.

Mix raisins and pecans with remaining 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl. Add apples, raisins, and pecans to batter and stir until blended. (Don't over-mix or the bread will be tough.) Divide into the two pans and bake in center or oven for 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from pans.

Serve with cream cheese sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon.

(I apologize for not siting which magazine this came from...it was in the middle of the ripped pages that I mentioned earlier in my resolutions! It could be an old Country Living or Home Companion?! Who knows!)


Happy New Year!

10 comments:

Toni said...

Happy New Year! I love your New Years List! I hope you have a great last year in England, it sounds like you will. Toni

McIrish Annie said...

Good resolutions! Definitely make the most of your time in England. Good luck with the machine quilting. All I can say is practice, practice, practice!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

'tis the season for goal-posting and resolution-making. Happy New Year!

doni said...

Great resolutions! make the most of your opportunity - I'll bet you get more done than you think! Somehow when we're involved in life - it also sparks our creativity.

Happy New Year!

Tonya Ricucci said...

Playing instead of working on projects that don't excite you sounds like a GREAT idea. That bread looks incredibly yummy. mmmm. We'll see each other this year, for sure. Happy New Year!

Marilyn Robertson said...

Sounds like you have a handle on your goals for '08 - good for you! Happy New Year!

atet said...

Happy New Year! I love your resolutions (and yeah, the thought of moving things across an ocean would be a really great incentive for cleaning things out!) -- and who would I be to say you shouldn't play?? Mine this year is to actually get to some of those "fabu" projects I've had piling up rather than sitting in piles! (similar reasons too -- I love them, but if they sit for too much longer then why keep them?) Hoping the new year brings you much joy, love, laughter and health!

Knitted Gems said...

Enjoy your last year in England!

julieQ said...

Yummy recipe!!

I like your list for the new year. I wish I could go to England, and I am glad you get to enjoy one more year there!!

Sometimes things stiffle us, and I have been paring down and getting rid of "stuff" this week, and it feels great...

JulieQ

Clare said...

Happy New Year! Make the most of your last year in the UK.