Tiny Finishes and GO PACK GO!

 I had a semi relaxing day (been going way too much!) working out, making homemade soup and biscotti and finishing up the quilting and binding on three little quilts.   This first one is Barb's Christmas present.

 I do still have mine to quilt yet.

 I also got this one done from Bread and Butter "Jelly Stars" which has been pieced and waiting for quilting for TWO YEARS!  I really need to just finish up some of these little ones.  I am not great at the quilting and so that is why they get put off.  I did this one kind of free motion wiggly lines...I am pretty happy with it.

 I also quilted and bound Piney Flats.  This is such a fun bright quilt!  Kathy and I did a little high dusting and shook out and rehung some of the little quilts.

The Christmas Past and Presents is hung up in the middle but it is still awaiting quilting (and the other one is still waiting to come together).  It was fun to have three little finishes today though!

Finally made Ros' Christmas Biscotti!  I didn't get to it in time for Christmas so I made it today--I know I should not have because it is delicious.  I didn't spread the loaves out enough--this one spreads more than my usual recipe.

 It is pretty and tastes great too!

So happy the Packers won today--perfect end (or beginning as Amy says) to a great week!  Back to work tomorrow.  One more week and my college job starts back up too.  I am ready to get back to my normal craziness--bring it on!

City Sampler Check-In

 Keeping caught up which is awesome during this busy Holiday time!  Here are blocks 35 and 36 of the Tual Pink City Sampler.

I also made biscotti.  Ros the Quilter posted her recipe here, but since I did not have the red velvet cake mix or the white chocolate chips I went with one of her alternate recipes.  On the top is maple and pecan and the bottom has maple, pecan and mini chocolate chips.  I also made my cousin Tricia's healthier recipe (not pictured) and that had vanilla and almond, some with chocolate chips.
I finally also made spice cake/pumpkin cookies.  They taste okay...they are supposed to be semi healthy.  That is the extent of my holiday baking unless I suddenly get the urge to do bread tonight to give to my family on Christmas.
I lost 2.4 pounds this week for a total of 74.6 pounds!  This week will be quite a challenge--trying to get to 75, but thinking it may take a few weeks--eek!

Biscotti Recipe at Last!

Tricia’s Biscotti
2 ¾ c. flour (or a combination to equal this amount-- oat flour, flax seed flour, whole wheat flour, almond flour)
1 c. sugar (you can use less than this unless you are making cinnamon and sugar biscotti)
3 eggs
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1-2 t. vanilla (or orange flavoring with cranberries)

Combine the dry in a bowl, mix then add wet ingredients and extras (see end of recipe for ideas on extras). Mix well. Flour your surface and split dough in half…roll in the flour into two long squarish rolls about one inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take off pan immediately and let cool about ten minutes. Slice sideways and set on pan in staggered formation and rebake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. It will keep for several weeks.
EXTRAS ideas
1/2 package chocolate chips and 1 c. dried cherries
Orange flavoring with 1 c. dried cranberries
Anise flavoring
Maple flavoring with 1 c. pecans
Cherry flavoring with 1 c. almonds
Instant coffee flavoring
Chocolate chips with Cocoa powder
Sugar and Cinnamon
Christmas time: 1 c. crushed Ande’s mints

Home Again and Biscotti

First off can I just say that in both Wiconsin and Arizona it is hot enough to melt an ice cream truck this time of year. I am glad to be home again after five days in Wisconsin for my Grandma Nan's viewing and funeral and the packing of her apartment. I haven't uploaded my camera photos (just a few from my phone that went on facebook) so I will wait to talk about that when I have some pictures. One hint, there are two quilts involved in my trip and both made me smile :) despite losing my Grandma Nan.

This is my cousin Tricia teaching me how to make biscotti. I have always wanted to learn and got a recipe from an online friend a long time ago but had never made it. A few weeks ago Ros brought some to our sewing day at June's and she shared her recipe with me too. I have been planning on making it, but last night my cousin had us overnight (she lives near the airport in the Cities and drove us there in the morning) and she had to make biscotti for her fabulous husband. (Seriously she met him on E Harmony and they married and have a three month old and are so very happy--she deserves a great guy). So she taught me, and I now have three recipes and a zillion variations to try out.

Do you have a favorite recipe for biscotti or a variation you especially like? I would love to hear about it!

I am happy to be home, am behind on everything and go back to work full time on Monday. Summer has slipped through my fingers entirely too fast.