Looking forward to 2014I

Hope everyone is ready to welcome the new year....we are so looking forward to all the changes that will come--they always do.
New project using a fabric that is part linen and part cotton. It just arrived. Try Fabric.com to find it. It is known as Essex. I will be embroidering and sewing up some kitchen stuff.
Tutorials will follow. I am fighting a nasty cold that has gone through the whole family. My turn...
We are still going to enjoy some baked smoked ham, pot of beans, some strawberry salad and fudge cake lets.
I prefer to make the cake lets, that way every member of the family can fix theirs anyway they want. The main item for the grandkids is my homemade chocolate syrup.
Here's the recipe:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Place the sugar and cocoa in a saucepan and whisk them together, add the water and salt. Heat over low heat whisking until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and stir thoroughly. Let cool. Keep in a glass jar or a squeeze bottle. It lasts a month in the refrigerator but I admit I haven't tested that as it doesn't ever last that long here.

Mason jar lamp

This was the first mason jar lamp I made. You can buy these flame-like light bulbs with a small base to fit inside of this fake candle base. There's an electrical holder already wired with a cord that fits inside. Our local hardware store had these parts. I had to carefully cut out a side hole at the bottom to put the cord through. Otherwise it would go through a hold in the lid then a hole in the glass jar. Not what I wanted to do. I want to keep the jar whole. It's an antique and I love all its bubbles!