I figure since this coming week is the last of 2025, then last week must've been week 51. Or whatever. It was Christmas week and I'm short a few brain cells due to the timewarp that occurs this time of year.
I had a good writing week... well, a good beginning of a week and then the holiday hit and crickets. Still, I managed to crank out 2236 words and I feel like I'm pretty close to THE END. I mean, I could wrap it all up in no time and be done with it, but it feels flat, like it needs one more oomph to give it a real climax and then I can write the denouement. So, I've been playing with how to make that happen over the last couple days. Today, there will be writing. I can still finish this by the end of the year, if I hunker down.
Marketing occurred. Not a lot of marketing and thus, not a lot of movement. Better than nothing, but not by much. I'm like $2.50 away from clearing $200 this year. Not sure if that'll happen, but a girl can hope. I don't know what I'll put forth as a freebie to finish out the year and start next year. Stay tuned.
I finished reading a book this week! Woot. That puts me at 35 for the year. Still 5 short of my adjusted Goodreads goal, but I'm not flagellating myself over it.
On the activity front, we took three walks this week because the weather has been nice, and way too hot to play in the woods. I also did some cleaning. Eh, it's better than nothing, which is what my ever-widening ass wants to do. Weight: 176.4
Baking happened. I made a pumpkin pie bread pudding for Christmas dessert and it was pretty yummy. (Recipe below.) I also did a ham for Christmas dinner and it turned out awesome. Total yummers there.
I've been busy getting ready for next year with my spreadsheets and crap. Hard to believe Thursday will be a whole new year. I do wrap-up posts and junk starting Friday. Maybe. If I remember.
Christmas happened. We don't give each other gifts anymore, so no big whoop there. We got ourselves a chainsaw and a deer dragging sled and a couple books (one of woodworking and the other on art). Mom sent me card with a check in it, but that still hasn't arrived. (Don't get me started on the USPS.) MIL sent a card with a check in it, too. That's the total of prezzies here. The tree is still up and will be until Friday-ish. We watched a boatload of movies - some of them Christmasy and some not. Life is good.
Other than that, it was a quiet week. Here's to a quiet end to 2025 and all that. :hugs:
How was your week? Did you get any good prezzies?
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Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding
2/3 loaf of Italian Bread* (or about 8-10 oz worth)
2 ½ cups evaporated milk
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp rum extract (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
Dash ground ginger
1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
1 cup raisins
¼ cup butter
Cube bread (1-1 ½” cubes). Preheat oven to 350F. Put bread cubes into a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, stir together pumpkin and evaporated milk. Pour wet mixture over bread. Fold together and let sit until bread absorbs wet (about 5 minutes). Mix together sugar, eggs, vanilla, rum, and seasonings. Fold that into the bread/pumpkin mixture. Put butter into 9x13” pan and put in the preheating oven. When it’s melted, remove and set aside. Fold pecans and raisins into batter. Spoon mixture over the butter in the pan. Bake 35-45 minutes until firm in the middle and edges are crisp. You might need to put a separate cookie sheet on the rack below the bread pudding, in case the butter decides to escape over the edges. Serve warm with ice cream or drizzle with caramel sauce, or both.
*I bought a 14oz loaf from Walmart and cubed about 2/3rds of it. The original recipe called for an 8oz loaf of French bread, but I improvised.
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