SPICED OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Feeloi's favorite- an adaptation/simplification of a Granola Bar Bar Cookie recipe devised a few years ago. "Bar Bar" is not a typo! They're baked in a 9x13 and cut into "bars." The Granola Bar variety has diced apples, coconut, walnuts, and dates, and is softer.

These are not too sweet. The sugar should total about 1 cup, but you can vary the kind you use. More white sugar results in harder cookies; brown sugar gives you a softer consistency.

Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T. maple syrup
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves

3 c. oats
1 generous c. raisins, soaked

Combine butter and sugars in mixer until fluffy. Add maple syrup, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and mix in. Mix in oats and raisins.
Use a rounded teaspoon (we use the Pampered Chef small melon baller, I think it's called) to drop balls of dough onto greased baking sheets. Bake about 15 minutes at 350º F.

Makes about 5-6 dozen smallish cookies.

RIBBON BOUND BOOK

This little notebook is for a sweet friend who was hospitalized a couple of weeks ago with a brain hemorrhage. She is facing some pretty big life changes, as the doctors cannot operate on her to fix the problem.

For the inside pages, I printed off a lot of Bible verses that were an encouragement to me a few years ago when I was so sick. The doctors held out very little hope that I would even live, but Scripture is full of hope! And the Lord used His Word to comfort me when no one else could.

About half of the pages have verses of encouragement, all relating to God's care and healing, peace and comfort. The other half are blank. I'll be passing the book around at church for friends to sign with their prayers and well wishes before taking it to my friend later this week.



I used a couple different fonts inside.



Here's a view of the pretty paper inside the cover:



I let the paper peek out along the spine for a bit of pop on the outside:

SEAT CUSHION FOR ANTIQUE HIGH CHAIR

The old sewing machine has been giving me fits and appears to be on its last legs. I REALLY had to coax it to get this done. It matches the new valances in the kitchen. As soon as the machine is fixed (or replaced) I'll finish making the little "seatbelt" for Ween to actually be able to use this chair! Then we can throw out the ENORMOUS green high chair that is so ready to be put out to pasture.

The ticking bias tape was made using this tutorial by JonaG.

Side/back view:



The ties look like candy canes!



Reverse side is striped. You can just barely see the red embroidery floss used to "quilt" it (is that what you call it?).



It looks pretty against the red wall in the kitchen!

THOUGHTS OF SPRING

We weren't exactly overwhelmed by the blizzard, but we did have a snow day yesterday! The kids made these beautiful tulips as big puffy flakes of snow were coming down outside. My favorite colors, from two of my favorite friends!

Did you see the grab button on the sidebar for the craftalong?
I'm not sure how to make it clickable, so click here to join the most fun you can have on facebook!



Whatever you craft, post pictures of your creations for all the group members to enjoy throughout the month of February. The more members we have posting, the more fun we'll all have!

LITTLE OAK CHAIR - A RESCUE STORY PART ONE

This kid-sized chair was outside. It's completely weather stripped. I brought it inside, did a bit of cleaning, and am now trying to decide...paint or stain?



It has some damage. One slat on the seat is completely unattached. Another is loose. Then there is cracking along the curved part of the wood at the back.



After cleaning, I wiped it down with mineral oil. Did you know you could use mineral oil to clean your cutting board? It's food safe, and never goes rancid like vegetable oil, so it will never stink. I got a little sidetracked and decided to sand and oil my board. Wish I had taken a before picture, because it made a HUGE difference, but here's what it looks like now- almost like brand new!



Back to the chair. It really soaked up the oil! Here's what it looked like halfway through oiling. It made a big difference! But this little seat still needs some love.



HIgh gloss white...varnish...ideas?