We’ve made it halfway through the week. Celebrate by throwing some chocolate chips and dried cherries in your sourdough for some tasty midweek toast.

Last week Audrey asked for mittens attached with a string so she won’t lose them. Lucky for her I was at a point in my WIPs where I wanted to throw them out the window. I made Thick and Quick Álafosslopi Mittens from Sand & Sky Creations. The yarn is 3 ply chunky Polypay from Long Way Homestead. Audrey dyed the yarn with Kool Aid last March.

These mittens will be great for playing in the snow. They are knit at a very tight gauge (you know, the kind that makes your hands hurt a little bit). The yarn feels like the sort of yarn Ma Ingalls would use to make mittens for Laura: not super soft, but will stand up to anything.

What do you knit when you need a break from your current projects?

I don’t like being stuck at home. I am dealing with it by cooking and baking.

Today I made French bread. I needed four slices to top the soup I was making, so obviously I needed to bake two loaves. I’ll use the rest of the bread for sandwiches, French toast, and probably for the bread in an egg bake this weekend.

I made some chocolate chip cookies. I was excited to try the recipe, because it only makes 12 small cookies. Not only is it a small batch recipe, it starts with browned butter, which I adore. The problem is the cookies are unremarkable and bland. These will not be made again.

I mentioned yesterday that we were having French onion soup for dinner. Oh my gosh. The soup made up for the bad cookies.

The kids are tired and grumpy, but other than that they are symptom free. They had fun today playing with the dog and drinking out of weird things from the recycling. Elliot drank out of a peanut butter jar and Audrey drank out of a wine bottle. They thought they were funny and cool. They are right.

I’m ready to get out of the house again. I’m so stir crazy I haven’t knit a stich yet today.

I hope you are having a souper Thursday.

My kids have been dealing with mild colds. Except it turns out they don’t have colds, they have covid. We’re stuck at home. How do I deal with that? I bake.

At lunch I made everything bagel seasoned cream cheese biscuits. I froze half of the formed but not baked biscuits to have another day. We had egg sandwiches and grapes and everyone was delighted.

It was the first day of a sprint for John, which means a very busy day at work. I had a Girl Scout cookie meeting during dinner. I wouldn’t have time to talk to John before bedtime, so I surprised him with peanut butter blondies. I like how the recipe uses a bread pan to make six bars. This isn’t a recipe I would make again, as blondies are better with butterscotch than with peanut butter.

Tomorrow I think I’ll make French bread to top the French onion soup we are having for dinner. I might try a small batch cookie recipe too. The kids have to quarantine and it is snowing outside. I might as well have some fun.

Have you been baking lately?

I have a shameful area in my kitchen: the kids dishes area. The cupboard is crowded with plastic cups, a few plates we haven’t donated yet, and lots of water bottles. The plastic cups and plates will be gone eventually, but the water bottles are here to stay. With four active people in the house, we are always reaching for a water bottle. Water bottles are great, they allow us to take water with us wherever we go. Water bottles are awful, they are awkwardly large and end up falling over and creating a mess in the cupboard.

Today I received some water bottle holders from Amazon. My water bottles are organized! It is going to be easier to keep the other kids things organized. When the kids things are gone we will sill have a space to keep the water bottles together. I’m thirilled.

What helps you stay organized? Do you have any tips to share?

The house is full of sick kids and we are the the bleak gray days of winter phase. I needed a break today, so I headed to Goodwill. I love thrifting. It appeals to my cheapskate side. It appeals to my don’t like to try it on side. It appeals to my environmentalist side.

I headed into the store with one goal: buy a blanket to put in Bramble’s kennel. I had a 30% off coupon in my pocket that I was hoping to use. I was met with a busy store full of things to look at. It was so full of people I didn’t even get to look at the kitchen area (which is OK, because I have a lot of kitchen stuff already. How much stuff? I have a backup waffle iron in the basement just in case my primary waffle iron dies.).

I spent $23.97 ($34.24 before my coupon). I picked up a summer dress, a new pair of jeans, a pair of capri seersucker pants and a pair of shorts. It is the middle of January in the Midwest, but I’m already looking forward to summer. I found a small roof rack, perfect for carrying bulky camping items, for under $5. I also found a blanket for the kennel.

I love thrifting. I could not justify going out and buying a bunch of clothes for myself at the mall, but I can do it at Goodwill.

Do you like to thrift? Have you found any good deals lately?