Day 291 of 365

Ever since we were first married, I longed for a baking center. In every rental apartment and house we've lived in I've attempted to create one. A place to keep all my ingredients. A place to keep my mixer without having to take it out every time I've needed it.

When we moved into this house years ago, I was able to officially set up that baking center. It's just a kitchen cabinet next to the refrigerator, but it's brimming with all those necessities for baking. My KitchenAid mixer is housed on the counter right below. As I'm mixing up something in the mixer all I have to do is pull the ingredient out of the cabinet, measure it, and put it right back. Super easy clean up.

I'm so appreciative to have that cabinet. It's a time saver and a kitchen clean-up helper. I'm also so appreciate of my mixer, especially at this time of year.

Today's total: 
*Three loaves of zucchini bread from our garden's zucchini. (I had shredded and frozen it.)
*Four loaves of pumpkin bread from our garden's pumpkin. (I had cooked up the pumpkin and froze it, too.)
*A couple more dozen Christmas cookies. Tuesday is treat day at work and I'm making a version of those snowman cookies I made on Day 286. But thanks to how Bakerella decorated her snowmen my  new batch should be a hipper, cooler looking version. (I hope.)
*A few snowglobe cookies. My plan was to use them to make the tutorial for this upcoming week, but I ran out of time. I need to perfect them a little more, anyway. (I need to find better snowman than the ones I found at the craft store. I added a bit of black food coloring for eyes on one of them, but why would they make sugar snowman without eyes?)

Day 290 of 365

On TV they have been doing year-end wrap ups. Televisions shows and movies of the year, highest paid actors, biggest news stories. Just a few days ago even Barbara Walters did a year-end list with her Most Fascinating People of 2011.

Although the year isn't quite over, I'm doing a 2011 wrap up of sorts. I'm getting ready to close a chapter in the quilting-for-charity category - just until after the first of the year, that is.

In looking back at 2011, I've done more sewing this year than all the other years of my life combined. Here's a recap of the non-charity project days:

• Days 1 and 195: Pincushions
• Day 8: Fabric Memory Game
• Day 14: Camera bag 
• Day 20: T-shirt grocery bags
• Day 29: Clothespin bag
• Day 34: Potholders
• Day 35: Makeup bag for my daughter
• Days 38 and 188 : Breadbasket liners
• Days 41 and 153: Fabric covered buttons and magnets
• Day 167: Pocket tissue holder
• Day 244: Gift card holder
• Day 251: Fabric covered clipboard
• Day 258: Drawstring bags
• Christmas Tree ornaments on Days 272, 276, 279
• Day 265 : Fabric covered bookmarks
• Day 287: Fabric covered bulletin board

But here is the most important list of all. The list of items I've made for charity.

• Day 3: Flag quilt top
• Day 11: Baby quilt for Calling All Angels
• Day 17: Presentation Cases for Quilts of Valor
• Day 27: more Presentation Cases for Quilts of Valor
• Quilts for the Quilts for Kids organization on Days 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 101, 107, 120, 121, 122, 164, 176, 179, 236, 238, 243
• Day 234: Baby quilt top
• Day 86:  Spinning Star quilt top
• Turtle Pillows for the Painted Turtle Hole-in-the Wall Camp on Days 132, 144, 150, 152, 154
• Stockings for Soldiers on Days 214, 215, 219, 221, 222, 237
• Pillows for Operation Kid Comfort on Days 233, 277  
• Quilts for Operation Kid Comfort on Days 196, 198, 203, 245, 246, 253, 254, 280, and today.

Today I can add two more quilts to the Operation Kid Comfort quilt list. Here on Day 290 another two quilts are finished and ready to head out the door. Being that a couple of my pictures (including today's) have more than one quilt in the picture, I think that makes 30+ kids quilts for charity this year.

Here's today's picture, but keep looking. I have all my charity work pictures for 2011 compiled together right below.

I always hear about how one person can make a difference. I hope I'm getting close to being one of those "ones".