For all of us who love CHOCOLATE & COFFEE... ya gotta try this recipe!

Seattle Latte Brownies

6 oz (6 squares) unsweetened chocolate
¾ c butter
¼ c water
1 Tbsp instant coffee crystals
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ c all-purpose flour
½ c ground almonds
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp p. sugar (optional)
¼ c cocoa (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 9x9x2 baking pan with foil and grease well; set aside.
Meanwhile, cook chocolate, butter, water and instant coffee crystals in a large microwavable bowl on 100% power for 2 – 4 minutes or until butter is melted, stirring once or twice. Remove and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Beat sugars together until mixed. Add eggs and vanilla; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Add flour, almonds, cinnamon, and salt; beat on low until combined. Spread in pan.
Bake in a 350 oven 30 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not over bake.) Cool in pan.
Lift foil from pan. Cut into squares. If desired sprinkle with p. sugar and cocoa. Recipe from Hometown Cooking Aug 2000.
YUM!!!

Exchange received!

I received these lovely squares from Peg! Aren't they too cute? (note the K A & V for my initials... ;-)) I love them... I bid on a chart on ebay ~ many moons ago (didn't get it)... called the James Town Minstral??? I can't remember anyways it was very remincent of this... I would love to find it... anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyways... I'm thinking of makeing a little pillow/pin keep... but then again I think it would be adorable framed up in a very dark prim frame... what do you think? I'm almost done with my squares for Peg... had a little glitch. Stitched the biggest part of the design then noticed OOPS! Oh, how aggrevating!!! GRRRRR... to much and too big to pull stitches so ~ I started over. I am close to done... can taste it! ;-) Will post when she gets them.

Also, working on another exchange. can't show you that one either... deep sigh... but it's gonna be cute!

It was beautiful Monday! My 13 year old and I went fishing and for a ride... (caught 6 fish ~ they were oh, so tastey!!!) as you can see I make him do all the work... I just catch them! The advantages to being a mom... ;-). I could feel summer! I think it got to be 82!!! Shadow thought it was way too hot to run but he is so out of shape since we moved so he did a lot of running... had to stop at every water hole on the way ~ makes it a little hard to fish LOL! Well, today is 33 so far and it actually had the nerve to spit snow!!! What is with that???? I do think it's gonna be a nice day but really now...

Linen Stash

Well, I got an order from Silkweaver! Have you ever ordered from them? I have a couple pieces of their linen that I got else where but this is the first time I actually ordered from them.... oooo how lovely! Soft, beautiful hand dyed linen!!! The big piece is called Desert Sky (it has lovely soft peaches/blues... just like a sunrise...) I am planning this for my Chatelaine Springtime in Holland...

The other 2 are from their Expressions Linen Assortments... you order they send you something... their choice either 32 or 28 ct. I got Intrigue in 28 (that lovely denimy/purply blue!) and

Goldspinner in 32... (the beautiful sunny yellow...) Please note how nicely surged it is around the whole piece of linen! I think it was well worth it!!! The small pieces were priced at $6.50 They are both 9x13... I'm thinking I need another order... hmmm... DH might kill me... hmmm.... death... linen.... death.... linen... maybe I better stitch and think on this... ;-)

If you haven't been to Silkweavers site you should check it out... (see if I can get you in trouble with me.... )http://www.silkweaver.com/

Bygone Stitches ~ Quaker Christmas and Stash

Ok, here's my ByGone Stitches ~ Quaker Christmas... obviously I'm not very far... I had to pull stitches... arrrgggghhhhh! I'm stitching on 32 ct Silkweavers "Days Gone By" 1/1... so pulling stitches... yuk! I'm doing it a little different... I added the blue which really isn't very Christmasy... but I couldn't resist! The threads are Gloriana Silk Luminescence: Black Cherry, Forest, Antique Gold and Midnight.

OOOO! Stash Report! Smaller picture is Thread Gather Silken Pearl... the bigger picture is more Gloriana Luminescence... I got that beautiful dark blue but then of course had nothing to go with it... I ordered the Sky Blue to go with it! Also, I added the purples and the green... absolutely GORGEOUS!!! ;-)
Isn't this just the prettiest picture? I have been "collecting" Gentle Arts, Cresent Colours and Weeks Dye for a while now... lol... so I snapped this picture... there is nothing more lucious than beautiful overdyed threads!!!