January Things: Homemade Cocoa & Aliens

 

For a lot of stitchers, maybe most, January is the month with a flurry of new projects. It has become a tradition to begin a new piece on New Year's Day. There are many SALs and monthly series that kick off in January. I don't know if it's still going, but one had stitchers starting a new project every day in January (that one gives me anxiety so we won't dwell on it, but to each their own). I'm not much of a SAL stitcher, but I do almost always have a New Year's Day start, and I do love a good monthly series, but I'm picky about those and like to see all the months before starting one. The point is, it seems a lot of stitchers like to hit the ground running in January. 

Me? Not so much. My approach to January is pretty leisurely, stitching-wise and otherwise. While everyone else is signing up for the gym and eating lettuce and starting 30 new projects, I'm over here burrowing deep down into my winter hibernation, even here in this warm climate. It has always seemed unnatural to me to plunge into furious activity in the middle of winter. I do that in the spring. But in January, I hibernate. 

So I've been playing in my stash and stitching aliens and making cocoa.

Wait. What?

Yes, we're off to a delightfully weird start this year. This is my first finish of 2025, Get In Loser, by Jen Medrano of Under the Sea Fabrics. I spotted the stitched model when I was in the shop in December and bought the chart immediately. I mostly followed the suggested colors, but didn't have the glow-in-the-dark beads so I just substituted the lightest green. I stitched it on 28 ct Monster Mash Lugana from PTP, which (bizarrely) has become my go-to fabric for a wild night sky.

Mooo.

You know how when you take down the Christmas decorations the house looks a little bereft? A lot of my Christmas decorations are actually winter decorations, so I put away the Christmassy stuff and leave the rest out and it really helps keep the house looking cozy.

During the holidays, my favorite French Vanilla cocoa disappeared from the stores and I couldn't find it anywhere. I went on the hunt and found a recipe for a homemade mix that is a perfectly good substitute. I also made a little cocoa tray for my kitchen. Very cozy.

French Vanilla Cocoa Mix

1 1/3 c. powdered milk

1/2 c. confectioners sugar

2 oz. French Vanilla powdered coffee creamer

1/2 c. chocolate Nestlé Quick

1/3 c. plain powdered coffee creamer

pinch of salt

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Use 3 generous tablespoons of mix per mug of boiling water. Add LOTS of whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate. 

Where else can y'all get cozy tips, cocoa recipes, and alien stitching, all in one post?

Hope you're all safe and well. I'm keeping Southern California in my prayers. Back soon with sewing room stuff.