A LOT OF THIS AND A LOT OF THAT

I know no one out there is waiting with bated breath for my latest post, still, I just wanted to say, like everyone else, I AM BUSY, busy, busy. 

Oh, how I welcome the new snowfall that not only blankets the world with purity, but also brings a stark beauty that is difficult to ignore.  

It has made for evenings of comfort food....

'Jumbata' ...at least that is what my Aunt Bertha used to call a dish that was a jumble of many things.  This is one of our favorite winter meals:  onions, garlic mild Italian sausage sauteed in olive oil and then potatoes and sweet red peppers added to the pot.  The mingling of these flavors is astonishing, served with crusty freshly baked bread....

...and Gypsy soup...adapted from the Moosewood cookbook....spicy and delicious.  Sweet potatoes, red peppers, onions, celery, garlic, chickpeas, paprika, tamari sauce, basil, tarragon....makes for an unusual though extremely wonderful dish...served over basmati rice.

...and then Christmas preparation...the little girls

...painting cards for mama and papa...

helping Nonna make the traditional holiday tea rings

I think I've made about 12 of these, and I use them for gifts to important people in my life, like the mailwoman, the librarian, my masseuse, etc.

And a kind of last minute request for another life sized baby doll.  About three years ago I made one for Iris, and Elsa wondered why she did not have a 'realistic' (her word) doll.  Given a few days until Christmas, I tackled this project...

pattern pieces

(most of this is done by hand, with very little machine sewing)

legs before stuffing with wool roving

The head, pictured here, is actually formed underneath the 'skin layer', shaped by placing heavy duty string in strategic places and pulling thightly

the hair being made

the hair applied...

...and the doll assembled, donning a newly made diaper.  

Not only is this doll actually life-sized, but the arms and legs are movable, too.

Prior to starting this doll, I had embarked on knitting a sweater for the girls with yarn from their sheep, dyed a burgundy

 

one done (by the way this is pretty accurate as to color) button still to be added....

and the other nearly complete

(actually as of now, it is complete and being blocked)

And the need for more cookies presented itself, so here

peppermint candy cookies, made with broken pieces of candy cane.

Am I ready, well not quite.  But I think I am finally catching the holiday spirit.  May you all have a blessed and merry Christmas!!