Twenty-One Years!!!

Wow! Twenty-one years ago I had a dream to invite some friends to help me knit items to donate to local organizations and here we are eleven of us contributing to keeping our neighbors warm throughout the winter. I thought that this would go on for a year or two and then fizzle out due to a lack of interest. But God bless these ladies! They have stuck with me! Barbara K in the green, second from the right, is one of my original members.

As is Maureen on the far left in the white T. They've been there through thick and thin since 2005. I am so grateful for them and all my Chicks both past and present. Without them this dream would never have happened.

Members have come and gone over these years. Tina, on the left, is our newest Chick.

And the one thing they have all said to me at one time or another is that this is such a great group of women! I guess I know how to pick 'em! 😉

 They are also all fabulous cooks! I look forward to this dinner to see what tasty treat we will share this time. These pita chips were tasty by themselves but went so well with...

Barbarba B's dip of Boursin cheese with fig jam, crushed pistachios, and a drizzle of hot honey! 

Soooo good!

Nancy made a pastry baked Brie to die for! The crust was so light and flaky!

Of course we couldn't have an anniversary dinner without Dorah's delectable Moosewood Kitchen Gazpacho! It is just understood that's what she'll bring. I hope she doesn't get bored with it! She chooses all fresh ingredients which makes all the difference.

Tina made a tasty tomato quiche. It was so pretty, I hated to cut into it.

Margaret made a wonderful loaf of homemade bread. 

Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, just as it should be!

Maureen's fruit salad hit the spot on this summer day with it's pretty colors and flavors.

And Jan brought a tasty tomato cucumber salad with little chunks of cheese. We had a discussion about leaving out the lettuce this year. IYKYK😉

I made a Middle Eastern dish called Chicken Shawarma. The chicken is marinated in tasty warm spices and then skewered onto this fancy pan with onion slices between some layers and baked. I'm so pleased that everyone loved it!

Cinzia made zucchini fritters which went very quickly so you know they were yummy.

We finally sat down to eat and catch up on current events and what our next project will be. Since we've been working on donation projects since January, we are taking a break until this coming January to catch up on our personal projects and possibly give our hands a little well-deserved rest.

Carole made a little game of the gifts she made for everyone. She had them pick a number out of a hat and then gave them each the bag with the corresponding number.

She made cute little project bags for each of the Chicks.

The fabrics were adorable! Some had yarn balls and knitting needles...

and some had sheep.

Now they'll have to find a project to fill them.

After our dinner, we sorted and labeled all the items which will be donated to The Falcon Boutique at Albany High School. 

We are awaiting confirmation for a delivery date but it will be within the next month so incoming classes will be well equipped for the cold winter ahead.

Our collection included 65 hats, 16 cowls...

22 Scarves, 3 headband/ear warmers, and a hat and matching mittens set. 

We had a grand total of 109 items!!!

Fozzie was exhausted by the end of the afternoon. So he's taking a nap until his next feeding, which should be as soon as I stand up.

My Chicks deserve a round of applause and big hugs for all their hard work! I couldn't do this without you ladies. I am blessed to have you in my life! Love you all! Congratulations to another year and I look forward to the next with all of you. Keep those needles clicking!