Kitchen Complete...and some other good stuff

Hi everyone and happy Sunday.  I am so excited to share some pictures of a now completed kitchen that has made me very happy.  I have more cupboards to store more of my stuff-and boy oh boy do I ever have STUFF!  I also am thrilled with my new counter top.  It was worth the wait. 

Another feature I am loving is the extra sink.  It is handy right near the cook top.  I can wash my fruits and veggies I am cooking with and not drip water all over the floor. 

Probably my most favorite part is the small table and chairs.  I have wanted an "eat in kitchen" for a while.  Now that both the boys are working during the dinner hour many nights, my husband and I eat a cozy dinner right there in the kitchen.  I ended up doing much of the back splash myself and I am very happy with how it has turned out.  It wasn't quite as hard as we anticipated.       Now this Winter,  I can bake all day Sunday in my new kitchen and not have to listen to football.  When the kitchen was open, I had to watch what my husband was watching in the living room.  Aah it's the little things! 

  

Now back on the creating path.  I don't know if you remember(it has been a while), but I made one very wonky coaster with some leftover fabric from a giveaway.  I was just obsessed with the fact that it wasn't perfect.  It really bugged me.  I finally decided to come to terms with it and love it for what it is: a useful coaster made from great fabric that has character!   As you can see from the picture above, I made it some friends.  The friends are equally wonky and I wouldn't have them any other way!  It was fun to just sew with abandon and not get hung up on the details.  They are useful and I love the fabric.  I also got to play with some decorative stitches on my machine. 

I mentioned that we were about to have a graduation party for my youngest son.  It was a success.  I had way too much food(better than not enough) so I had to get creative with the extras.  After giving a boat load of macaroni and potato salad away and freezing alot of cold meat, I froze some of the sandwich rolls and decided to make some bread pudding with what was left.  Yum!  It turned out great.  My recipe is really easy and you can customize it a little with your own ideas. 
Break up 6 slices of bread(I used 4 sandwich rolls) and put the pieces in a 8 inch square baking pan.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  I sprinkled a handful of frozen blueberries over the bread and butter but you could use raisins or dried cherries or craisins-whatever you would like.  In a big bowl, whisk together:4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup half and half, 3/4 cup sugar(white or brown) and a healthy splash of vanilla.  Pour over the bread and make sure all the bread is dunked in the custard mixture.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  My husband ate his with vanilla ice cream.  Sometimes I like whipped cream on mine.  Sometimes I go really crazy and eat it for breakfast like French Toast.  Enjoy!

I have several projects I am going to make and I am excited to have more time to spend in my craft room.  I am getting a start on my Christmas crafting-an early record for me.  This week I will get a chance to visit my favorite quilt shop.  I am really excited for that.  Have a great week and take care.  Nancy