C2 Cookie Construction

A little bit of heart

2012-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

To tell you the truth.... I have been a little "cookied" out lately after planning not one...but two birthday parties for the two most important little men in my life. Right after the firetruck party for J... I went right into the sock monkey party plans for little S. In all the cookie chaos and party planning I realized that I had forgotten to take decent pictures of a few "in between orders" and I realized that Valentine's Day cookies have not even made an appearance on my blog this year....

So before we get back to that very important FIRST birthday party for Mr. S.... I am going to share just a little bit of Valentine's love....

These were inspired by the amazing Glory.....her blog is always full of amazing recipes and beautiful photography.

And because it always feels good to go back and play a bit of "catch-up," here are a few more "random" cookies that I came across in my picture upload tonight...

Panda bear cookies for a sweet friend turning 8 years old...

And "Thank You BEARY Much" cookies for all of my littles' teachers to celebrate Catholic School's Week.....

Sock Monkey Party Pics to come soon!!!!

Substitute for Snow

2012-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

This little guy got to bring a special snack to celebrate his birthday at preschool. J's class had been reading books about snowmen....so we decided to make some cookies in keeping with the theme....and since we have had only traces of the white stuff here in Kansas thus far this season....we thought snowman cookies might be a fun substitute for the real thing!

Sound the Alarms

2012-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

My little J turned a BIG 4 yesterday! I simply can not believe that he has made us smile for 4 years now! He was such a special little miracle to us......and he has tugged at my heart ever since. He makes a cloudy day sunny, and though he is a tiny little guy,....his heart is one of the biggest I know.

He chose a firetruck birthday party.... a perfect little boy theme. I found the idea for these cookies here, and I knew they would be perfect to recreate for our party.

And because my little man loves chocolate almost as much as his mama does....I made these bite size little cuties. I used a dark cocoa that I ordered from The King Arthur Flour Company, and made a fabulously easy chocolate roll out recipe on another of my favorite blogs. And the home-made buttercream came from the Queen of Cakes herself, Miss Amanda of I am Baker!

Here are some of the goodies at the table.

But the best little "goodie" of all is this little man. Here he is with his cake. I was not happy with how the cake turned out. I found the cake idea on Pinterest, and when I read that canned frosting was used to frost the cake.... I.just.couldn't.bring.myself.to.do.it. Sure... the picture of the cake that I saw looked smooth and creamy...but I felt like I would be cheating if I used a can. So... I set out to look for a "creamy" buttercream. I found a recipe that actually turned out to taste pretty good...but it was not super spreadable, thus accounting for the "sloppy" frosting job. But... in the end... J liked it... and that's all that matters!

Strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were also on the menu.

And last but not least ....the favor table....and the invite for the party designed by Dimple Prints on Etsy. Carli and Mike were amazing to work with and have some great designs to offer!

And though our trip to the fire station was cut a bit short (as the fire fighters had to rush off for a REAL emergency)... I think this Four-year old still had a pretty great time! Happy, Happy 4th to my little J!

Merry Merry!

2011-12-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours!!

Santa Slices

2011-12-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I saw Haniela's post about her sleeping Santas. I love, love to follow her blog...not only is she an incredibly talented baker...but an amazing photographer! I have been infatuated with Santa cookies this year...and absolutely loved her sweet little Santas. The colors....their little overalls and their shape!!

I used my large Christmas tree cutter that I got from Copper Gifts this year! It truly is like my birthday whenever I get one of their cookie cutters in the mail. Their cutters are durable, beautifully crafted and copper!! After I cut the dough with the tree cutter... I cut off the base of the tree and used a template to get the shape I wanted for each cookie. It took a little extra time to hand cut, but definitely worth it in the end.

I had fun taking pictures of these little guys...but oops.... if you look closely... you will see me in the red ball....not a very good photographer!

They almost look like a little santa pizza!

I still have some more Christmas cookies that I never posted....time slipped away sooo quickly this Christmas season. My littles were sick much of December so I was very behind on my shopping, baking, etc. Hard to believe Santa will be visiting tonight! Hope that you and your families enjoy a Magical Christmas and a New Year full of blessings.

2011 Gingerbread...

2011-12-12T21:30:00.000-08:00

The tradition continues...

I had grand plans to design a rather elaborate house this year.... something as fun as last year's sleigh....but..

the littles all decided December might be a fine time to throw mama for a loop and develop a nasty cold/virus....hmmmm....

So...my grand house ended up as a quaint cottage.... very simple....very cozy....very perfect to us.

And a few little gingerbread trees just for munching! Mmmmm. This year I used a different recipe from one of my favorite bakers. You can find her recipe here! Thanks, Glory, for all of your mouth-watering recipes... I haven't found one yet that I haven't fallen in love with:)

Can't wait to share some more Christmas cookies soon....

"Monkeying" Around

2011-12-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

When I saw these....

I couldn't resist!

My littles LOVED them!

You can find the tutorial for how to make them here at the Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle!

Next up....our annual gingerbread adventures!

You better watch out...

2011-12-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

You better not pout....

Santa Claus is definitely coming to town!

We have been busy at our house preparing....decorating, baking, and crafting.

Our "Elf on the Shelf" has arrived and has been having some fun already at our house. So much fun that the little Missy gets up at 3:45 am just to see what sneaky thing he is up to!

I was inspired by A Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe when I made these cookies. Stop by her website.....you will be drooling! Can't wait to share some more holiday fun!

Giving Thanks 2011

2011-11-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful morning here in the Midwest...a perfect day for giving thanks with family for the many blessings in our lives. I can not even put to words how grateful I am for my husband and my children who make my life FULL everyday. I am thankful that we are all healthy and that we have the opportunity to live in this amazing Country.

But I am also thankful for my fellow "cookier's" who share this love of baking with me. We all may be miles apart...and never see each other face to face, but we are together in some way through email, Facebook, blogger, etc. So many of these incredible women inspire me everyday....open my eyes to a creativity I wouldn't have known before, and are always willing to answer all of my questions.

Thank you to Paula who never fails to leave sweet and encouraging comments on every blog post. She is amazingly creative and super sweet right down to her core! And thank you to Callye for always inspiring and teaching me. She is incredible beyond words. Thank you to Linzy who always helps me with my royal icing dilemmas. Thank you to Lila Loa for always making me chuckle, and for her fabulous ideas and willingness to offer suggestions. Thank you to Pam for sharing recipes and ideas so readily, and for her amazing cookies that inspire me to work even harder. And thank you to Amanda for sharing her beautiful creations, and for her always sunny disposition. She inspires me not just be be a better baker, but also a better mother; and encourages me to challenge myself in more ways than one. Thank you, thank you!

And my final cookie for this Thanksgiving came from an idea I found on a flickr photo stream here. My mouth dropped when I saw them. I tried to recreate...but I'm still loving hers better:)

Here is my rendition....

Wishing my family and friends and fellow "cookiers" a lovely Thanksgiving and a wonderful Holiday Season!

Not so scary Scarecrows...

2011-11-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Last week... I went to Sugarbelle's website to look at her Indian cookies so I could make some of my own for our Thanksgiving Feast.... I had already made some Pilgrims (still need to post these) and of course I needed Indians to make the cookie set complete. But when I got to the site... I found her DARLING scarecrows. I couldn't resist..... as you can see...

I followed Callye's instructions to the T....thank you thank you, Callye, for all of your detailed instructions!!! I think the only change I made was the color of the patch on the hat.

My hand was a little tired after piping the grooves on the hat because I made quite a few scarecrows....and the grooves were pretty tiny...but definitely look just like an old scarecrow's hat!

These little guys have such personality....Yes... cookies can have personality....:) My favorite part of these little guys....their sweet pink cheeks!

Today... I ventured away from cookie baking to whip up the sweet potatoes and apple pie for our Thanksgiving Feast tomorrow...

Here is the pie before it went into the oven...

And a picture (from my phone) as soon as I pulled it out of the oven....

Hoping that it tastes as good tomorrow as my kitchen smells right now! I promise to share the Pilgrim cookies...real soon:)

Leaves

2011-11-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have seen so many fun Autumn cookies this Fall... so many creative spins on the "usual" Fall cookie. I really wanted to not overlook the Thanksgiving holiday this year. It seems that we go straight from Halloween and right into Christmas and almost tend to "skip over" Thanksgiving.

I have soooo much to be thankful for this year.....I don't have to wait for Christmas to receive gifts...because they are already here in my lap. God has answered my prayers in more ways than I can count this past year...so I am definitely counting my blessings...and really trying to give this Thanksgiving holiday the credit it deserves:)

I have a lot of cookies to share....but these were some of my favorites this season. When I saw them on LilaLoa, I was dying to make some of my own....I always love me some gooood chocolate cookies....I like plain sugar cookies...but really I'm a chocolate kinda gal. Thanks LilaLoa for the inspiration, and for all the chuckles I get when I read your blog...it's a fun read every time!

Check back later this weekend for some more Autumn inspired treats:) Happy Friday!

Baby Bottom and Bath Bash

2011-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Doesn't a "Baby's Bottom and Bath Bash" sound like so much fun??? I was thrilled to make these cookies for this darling themed shower. What a fun way for friends and family to meet Mr. K.

When I received the request... I immediately remembered a post Sweetopia had published with a VERY similar cookie. Marian....an amazing "Cookie Queen" created this design and even made the cookie look almost "stained glass-like" to better resemble a bath shower. You can see her incredible cookies from this post here.

To make these cute rubber duckies... I did make a paper template... I was too nervous to attempt piping the duck's body on white with black frosting without having a guide.... so I made a template from Marian's design and traced with a food writer before I piped.... I really wish I would have taken pictures of the process... It would have been a good tutorial...next time.. :)

The bubbles I made with royal icing on wax paper. I made all different sizes and colors and let them dry. Then I sprayed them with a pearl spray... it was sooo fun and gave the bubbles just the right amount of sheen!

I also used a few sugar pearls to add some different textures.

And because I don't have a bib cutter that I love... I just used a few different circle cutters to create a small little simple bib.

Congratulations to Mr. K's family! Thanks for letting me create a sweet treat for you:)

Turkeys on the brain and a revelation....

2011-11-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Every year the time between Halloween and Thanksgiving seems to just slip away ever so quickly. I know the next few months will be busy ones at our house...so I wanted to get some Thanksgiving cookies in before all the holiday craziness sets in.

I remember seeing these turkeys last year when Bridget posted them here. Love how she used various cutters to make these little guys.

I made a few changes and used a few different cutters...but followed the general idea. The result: sweet little turkeys for my sweet little ones. Not too big...not too little.

I opted to use a small oval cutter at the bottom to form the base of the body and the feet.

Lots of piecing together to make these gobblers...but not too difficult and definitely a fun change from your standard turkey cutter! Thanks for the idea, Bridget.... and if you haven't been to her blog recently...do stop by for a looksie...Her blog has had a "facelift" and is cuter than ever.... and this amazing lady is busy writing a book...which I can't wait to get my hands on!!!

I took lots of pictures of these little guys...just love their fallish colors!

And next... the revelation....

In addition to the turkeys... I wanted to make some owls....I had bookmarked these over a year ago when Linzy made them. I have a thing for owls...and for birds...not real ones...just pretty decorative ones. I was so excited to make these....

until... I realized I would have to conquer the eyes...GULP.... The puffy whites with black on top have been giving me troubles lately....those pesky little craters. I want that puffy look but can't seem to achieve it without getting those craters as a result. This go round I tried adding black sugar pearls rather than adding black icing to the middle...but still to no avail... when I added them when the white was wet...they sunk in too far...and when I added them to a dry white....the white cracked when I pushed them in... UGHHHH

I did not want to post these...and I admit... I did throw a few of the really bad "eye" ones away..tsk, tsk, tsk. I was frustrated. Mr. B kept telling me... "They're just cookies!!!" It took me a while to come to terms with that...but yes... he is right. So...the revelation: It is OKAY to accept imperfection.... and now that I have kids I realize that even more. Sometimes I see my daughter getting frustrated with a picture she is making, and she will simply throw it away.... I am always shocked because all of her artwork is so wonderful to me. I am trying to teach her that everything doesn't have to be perfect...that there is beauty in everything.....but then I see myself getting upset with my minor cookie imperfections.... Hmmmmm... "Practice what you preach, Mama!!" It's funny how much parenting can teach you about yourself.

Okay...I'll get off my soap box... these little guys aren't perfect....but they have character....and I'm pretty sure those "cratery" eyes will still taste darn good!!!!

A MONSTER of a job

2011-10-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have seen sooo many amazing Halloween cookies from all of my cookie blogging friends who continually make my jaw drop when I see their creativity. It was hard to decide what type of cookies I was going to make for Halloween this year... I LOVED one idea in particular from Lila Loa...who demonstrated how you could make lots of Halloween cookies from ONE basic cutter... (not that I don't have 2 drawerfuls of Halloween cutters...but this was just too cute to pass up!)

I chose a few of her designs and went to work.

I have to say....these were a bit more work than I anticipated.... I tried just using flooding icing to achieve a smoother look without any piping. And... I vowed to myself that I was determined to create "craterless" eyes on all of my Frankensteins and vampires. But sure enough...those stinky little "pit hole like" craters showed up nonetheless on a few.

Meet Frankenstein up close and personal...

And his close friend Vampire....

And what would Halloween be without a friendly Jack?

Well... I am still open to suggestions regarding my crater issue. When I make my eyes... I like the black part of the eye to be smooth (flush) with the white....but this can be tricky....It seems that as they dry... I sometimes get little pit holes in the black part. The vampires seemed to pose less problems...maybe b/c the eyes were smaller...but I wanted the Frankensteins to have large whites and blacks.

After much trial and error (my mother can vouch for this)....She and I sat at my kitchen counter for a good hour and tried creating the eyes in all different consistencies, using different size tips...even using a two minute timer between adding the white and black dots. Still.... we got some craters. UGGGHH

I don't think I will ever be able to rid myself of these annoying little craters completely, but here is what I have learned, at least for now:

1. When making big eyes... I used a number 3 tip for the white and a number 2 tip for the black.

2. I sometimes think that they turn out better if I don't wait too long to drop the black after I drop the white.

3. I did notice less craters when I turned my fan on (Thanks for the tip, Callye!).

But the best thing I learned was from one of my favorite cookie friends, Linzy..... I asked her what size tip she used on some eyes she had done and she shared that she used black sugar pearls so as not to have to mess with the crater issue at all! AWESOME idea! Thanks Linzy. If you don't know Linzy....you NEED to... She is out of this world amazing, precise, and her cookies are just about as BEAUTIFUL as she is. You can see her amazing creations here.

So after a busy week of experimenting and cookie"ing"...Today...my oldest had the day off of school. So, while J was at preschool and little S was napping, Miss S was thrilled to help me bag all the cookies I had made. And we had a ball making these little packages for our friends.

Is she the cutest or what???

Hope everyone is having a festive "almost" Halloween weekend!!

A little bit of "spooky"

2011-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to do some out of the ordinary Halloween cookies this year....not just your normal jack-o-lantern, ghost, etc. So when the Cookie Queen herself came up with these....I couldn't resist. Callye's creativity strikes again in these cookies, where she made cute witch stockings and boots out of a baby onesie cookie cutter!! Incredible. I followed her tutorial and came up with these...

I had my pumpkin cutter out and ready to make some pumpkins when Callye gave yet another tutorial on how to make puffy pumpkins. I loved how "real" her cookies looked. It was a fun way to make these cookies...however, after mine where finished and dried... I noticed lots of blotchiness in my orange color. I went over and over in my head what possibly may have caused this...and came up with these conclusions:

1. Maybe my cookies were slightly underbaked and the oil from the butter in the cookie caused this blotchiness when it met with the RI

or

2. Maybe using a spray bottle when trying to achieve the flooding consistency caused the blotchiness ( I used to just drop some drops of water in my stiffer frosting with a spoon to achieve desired flooding consistency until recently when I heard about the spray bottle tip) I SURE hope this is not the cause b/c I LOVE to use the spray bottle...makes my life sooo much easier

or

3. Maybe I needed to add white to my frosting prior to the orange color to prevent this blotchiness

If anyone has advice on how to prevent this in the future....do tell..do tell! But for now I am trying to do all three things I mentioned above to prevent it. I have even stopped the spray bottle.....but I MISS it.

I have more Halloween cookies to share very soon and of course more sweet baby cookies to come. The littles have already had many opportunities to wear their costumes, but are looking forward to the big night. We need to get those pumpkins carved and then we should be set...

Be back soon-

Appreciated

2011-10-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

It wasn't the last day of school... or even Teacher Appreciation Day...but these cookies were specially made for the Preschool teachers at J's school...for an inservice day they had last week.

Teachers work soooo hard....and often...their work does not end at the end of the school day. Many have to go home at night and do a lot of work to prepare for the next day's activities. So... these were just a little treat to thank all those teachers for all they do.

Typically when I make apple cookies... I make them red. But I saw these cookies originally made by JP Creatibles....and fell in love with their green color. After all...some of the best apples are green...right? Jen definitely has an eye for details....and she is an extraordinary decorator. Sometimes I just find myself gazing at the gallery on her website... in complete awe of her creativity and precision. Love how my fellow "cookiers" are just a constant inspiration for me.

These apple cookies were also a perfect little "thank you" to S's student teacher who left on Friday. The children adored her from the beginning....she was incredibly sweet and gentle with the kids....exactly what a teacher should be. She will definitely be missed...but we wish her tremendous luck in her next teaching adventure!

Still more cookie pictures to post...but I am finally catching up! I am really trying to organize the many recipes I've acquired the last few years and trying to organize a notebook where I can keep handy all of the incredible ideas I find as well as the pictures of the cookies I have designed. A huge undertaking for me...as every time I begin to sort through photos... one of the littles needs me or needs redirecting (as in J's case..ha!) I'm so lucky to be able to stay at home with all three of these little ones and still enjoy my love for baking:)

What a hoot!

2011-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner....it's probably time to be making some pumpkins and ghosts... But as I was getting ready to make some cookies the other day, I decided I wanted to make something beyond the traditional Halloween cookie... And because of my love affair with all things "bird" (cute bird prints, decorative birds, etc) I decided to try an owl cookie. They just seemed like the perfect "Fallish" cookie!

Last year I made these owls....and wasn't thrilled with their turnout. The cutter was kind of small and didn't allow a whole lot for creative decorating. Then Callye shared her idea of using a tulip cutter to make an owl...and that opened my eyes to something even cuter!

This year I decided to make the eyes out of royal icing on wax paper first and later applied them to the cookie when the rest of the owl was dry. I think I like the more 3-D look this gives!

I really am kind of phobic of real birds...so it is pretty funny that my house is full of decorative birds and bird pictures. My cookie cutter drawers even have a separate drawer just for bird cutters alone, because I own so many different bird cutters! I bet these won't be the last bird cookies I make either!

Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails

2011-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

That's what little boys are made of!

A special congratulations to the B family on the birth of their sweet baby BOY! Miss L assumed her position as BIG sister about a month ago....and I'm sure she will accomplish her duties well!!! So excited for all of them....I know first hand just how incredibly sweet little boys can be!

So....a few little nautical themed cookies to match Mr. H's room! Congrats to a special little family....

I originally got the inspiration for these whales from my cookie idol! The trick is using a balloon cutter to get that cute round whale! Thanks again, Callye!

I loved doing the vertical stripes for a change!

I am very behind on my picture posting! Lots more cookies to share soon!

A farewell to summer

2011-09-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

With Fall temperatures slowly arriving, I think these might just be my last summery cookies of the season...

I was soo excited to finally get my hands on this set of cookie cutters from Wilton. Ice cream cone cookies are always a hit (especially in my house)...but the soft serve version....even better!!! I could not find this set anywhere for quite some time....and even contacted Wilton to discover they had no more in stock.... but a few weeks back... I got an email letting me know they were in stock! I ordered immediately and got to work!

Hope I don't have to wait till next summer to try the sundae cutter from this set!

Favorite Requests

2011-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

I pretty much love ALL kinds of cookies for all kinds of occasions...but I must admit...the requests I get for baby cookies are probably what I look forward to most. Who doesn't love those tiny little onesies, cute little prams, and chubby little bears that go along with babies?

These onesies were a very simple baby design that I found here. If you have not seen Katie's work....you'd better be sitting down the first time you check out her blog.... simply beautiful. simply precise. simply perfect.

I loved the baby pastel colors of these cookies....but still need some work on the teddy bear on the onesie....had a few little pit hole issues....still trying to resolve!

Thanks, Katie, for sharing your tremendous talent.

2011-09-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

A few of my cookie idols have been cookie creating with ideas they have seen on Pinterest. Since I consider myself a Pinterest addict.... I figured I had to jump on the bandwagon and join the fun. Inspired by this amazing set of cookies... I created some vintage lace cookies..... These are truly an art....you get to use a paint brush and all! But beware....you have to have patience to let the petals dry between layers....:)

If you haven't jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon...you must!!!

Character Cookies

2011-09-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even the simplest looking cookie can be deceiving. I've always wanted to make these infamous cookies....and thought because of their few colors and simple features they would be easy peasy.....not so much...

Turns out that it is really important to get the eyes in just the right spot....and to space those cute little whiskers in just the right way!

I used these suggestions to help me as guides when I made my kitties! Thanks, Callye, for the tip!

KA-CHOW!

2011-09-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make these for quite some time....but have been a bit nervous about it....

So much detail....it was kinda scary.....I think I still need some practice on the wet on wet technique when 3 colors are involved (still have some bleeding issues on the eyes of McQueen), but the ultimate judge (my 3 year old, J) didn't seem to notice one bit! He LOVED these cookies!

We made some for a friend of ours who is also a CARS fanatic....and a very cute one, I might add! He just celebrated his third birthday.... and I'm quite sure these cookies can't even be HALF as sweet as he is. Cutest.little.boy.ever! Hope you enjoyed your day Mr. W!!!!

I am behind on my cookie posting....my little tikes have felt icky the last few weeks....so once they are on the mend... I can hopefully post some new cookie pics!

Gratitude

2011-08-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

"Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;

Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.
~Henry Burton, Pass It On

It's simply amazing how someone you've only just met can change your life forever. A few weeks back....fate introduced us to some amazing people. We didn't know them by name...but they opened their arms and hearts to us without hesitation. Our paths may not meet again...but the generosity they showed us will not be forgotten. We are forever grateful. These cookies are just a SMALL token of our incredible appreciation.

Thank you Sugarbelle and A Dozen Eggs for the inspiration behind the designs of these cookies.

Hip Baby Cookies

2011-08-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

When I saw this design....I couldn't wait to try it! I loved the bright pinks against the black tones...and it seemed like the perfect cookie for all those trendy new mamas!

I have to apologize to my source... I found this cookie design on the internet and printed the picture, and just tossed it in my "fav cookie designs" file, only to discover that I didn't write down the source. I think I found it on flickr...but I am wishing I could credit the original decorator for her amazing design!!!!

Searching through my files has also reminded me that I desperately NEED to organize my cookie files. I finally found a great way to organize my cutters....(oops...still need to take a picture of that system), but need to better organize my design idea folders and template folders.....it will definitely be an ongoing and lengthy project, but well worth it in the end.

Anyhow... hope all those new mamas to baby girls enjoyed these fun little cookies! I'm a bit behind on my postings... but hoping I can play catch up and put a few more cookie posts up before the end of the week:)

Some lunchbox love....

2011-08-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

I am sending my oldest off to SECOND grade tomorrow with some of these...

She has met her teacher....

and laid out her neatly ironed uniform alongside her new shoes, still with that new shoe smell.

And I pray...

that she wakes up each day with the same First day enthusiasm that she will have tomorrow.

Hope her year is full of new knowledge, special friends, and sweet memories.

His and Hers

2011-07-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

July is the month for anniversary celebrations in our family. My parents are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary today. Now, that is worthy of a few cookies...don't you think?

The hubby and I are celebrating our 11th anniversary tomorrow! My... time sure does fly....We have changed so much since we first met each other back in grade school,....but...I can't imagine a life without him.

"Love is something eternal; The aspect may change, but not the essence."

-Vincent van Gogh

A big thank you to Callye, who was, once again, the inspiration behind these cookies!!

A Special Christening

2011-07-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

This set of cookies...I finally got to make for our own little family!! Our youngest little boy celebrated his Christening this past weekend. And I loved making treats just to celebrate his day! Of course there were sugar cookies...a layer cake, mini pound cake cupcakes and a few other appetizers and treats!

I made my favorite white cake from the Best Recipe cookbook. I always struggle with white cakes...they just seem drier than my chocolate ones....so this time I decided to make a simple syrup to coat each of the layers before frosting....in hopes it would stay moist....well...let's just say... I think I went a bit overboard...b/c I think the cake was tooo spongy.... hmmmm guess I need some more practice from Amanda....she is the Queen of cakes!!!

These little babies are my favorite to serve at a party...they are mini....so perfect for picking up and putting in your mouth! You can find the recipe here....

Here is our little family...so hard to get those pictures with all the kiddos looking in one direction! I just love getting a shot where we are all together in one place:)

And here is the SPECIAL little boy!!! What a gift he is to us and we are so thankful for the joy he gives us each and every day!!

Remembrance

2011-07-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back....on a rainy day....the kids and I headed to the library for some summer reading. One of the books we chose was called "Ghost Wings," by Barbara M. Joosse. I had never heard of this story and had no idea of the powerful message it would tell until I sat down that afternoon to read it to my little ones. The story tells of a little girl who has a very close relationship with her grandmother. In the story (set in Mexico), one day, the grandmother passes away...the same day that the butterflies migrate north in the spring. Each year the monarch butterflies return to Mexico during the Days of the Dead. Many people believe that these butterflies carry the souls of the old ones-

The little girl is heartbroken and doesn't feel the "tickle" of the butterflies anymore. Her Papa tries to teach her that with the endurance of love and the power of memory....those you love never really leave.
It was a powerful story....one that I hope to read again and again.

A special family that we know recently lost their grandmother...and I immediately thought of this story. Fortunately Glory had just posted a tutorial on how to make these butterflies...so I went right to work.

I did not know this family's grandmother well...but I know that she was an incredible care giver just like the grandmother in this story. She was always reaching out to others. And even in her time of pain and suffering....the family spoke of her continued concern for others rather than herself. She lost a difficult battle to cancer....but her example will not be forgotten.

Independence Day!

2011-07-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

When I saw these flag cookies on Sugarbelle's site....I immediately fell in love with them!! The perfect patriotic cookie for the Fourth! Callye gave a fabulous tutorial here on how to make these lovelies. I even learned a new way to draw stars!! Not only is she an amazing baker....but an excellent teacher!!! I LOVE these scalloped circle cutters! I have many circle cutters and some scalloped...but the size of this scallop makes outlining easy peasy. Callye told me that she found these cutters at World Market....I headed there the same day with 3 kiddos in tow...and found a bunch of them for only 99 cents!!!!

My kiddos LOVE vanilla cupcakes....well...scratch that...my kiddos love the frosting on cupcakes! I found this recipe on another of my favorite sites. You can find the cupcake recipe I used here. I made my "go to" frosting recipe (1 stick butter, 1 box powdered sugar, 8 ounces cream cheese and a tsp of almond extract), and found these cute cupcake toppers to download, print and cut!

A perfect little dessert basket for sharing!!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July! I'll be back later this week with some bright and cheery cookies for a very special family:)

Beachy

2011-06-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Making these cookies made me long for the beach! I guess there is still some time this summer for us to try to make it there! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I have loved these palm trees and yellow bikini's from Bake at 350 for some time now....Glad I got a chance to make some. Visit here for a step by step on how to make these.

And I have never had a great whale cookie cutter....so when I saw these from Sugarbelle...I couldn't resist. I just used my balloon cutter!

Another idea from Sugarbelle.....making flip flops out of a butterfly cutter!

I had fun making these swim trunks...but ugggghhh....that white bow tie kept turning pink! I know the black was bleeding into it...even though I didn't add the white till the black was completely dry. I'd love any suggestions on preventing this from fellow "cookiers" :)

So tell me what you are all doing for some fun in the sun this summer...

Happy Daddy's Day

2011-06-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Some Daddies wear ties. Some Daddies play golf. But whatever they do....Daddies are always appreciated. When our Daddy comes home from work every day....you would think the President had landed at our house... the kids go nuts with excitement and our Wheaten goes crazy barking and running in circles until that garage door opens.

I had fun with just a few simple designs for Father's Day....for all kinds of Daddies.

Of course we saved these hammers for our very own Mr. Fix-it!

Happy Daddy's Day to all those SPECIAL Daddies!

Baby Boy Couples Shower

2011-06-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

When I had the opportunity to make cookies for a baby shower... I immediately ran to my "cookie idea file" to search for a square of wrapping paper I had saved from a baby gift I had received for my SW.

The paper was so simple, but so darling...that when I first saw it... I knew I had to make a cookie out of it!

The wrapping paper had an orange background and tiny white polka dot elephants. I took the idea and ran with it, making little and big elephants and adding some umbrellas and binkies.

And because it was a couples shower for a baby BOY.... I thought these colors would be perfect!

Hope the shower guests had as much fun eating the cookies as I had making them:)

A Slice of Summer

2011-06-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here....and when I saw these cookies from Glorious Treats... I knew they would be the perfect summer cookie. I loved how Glory used real chocolate covered sunflower seeds on her cookies. I searched all of Kansas City to find those same seeds, but didn't have much success. I did find some assorted chocolate covered sunflower seeds in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. But after giving the kids some practicing sorting through the colors to find all the dark brown ones... I decided they were too big for my little cookie...so I ended up making the seeds with frosting.

I loved how Glory used real chocolate covered sunflower seeds on her cookies. I searched all of Kansas City to find those same seeds, but didn't have much success. I did find some assorted chocolate covered sunflower seeds in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. But after giving the kids some sorting practice ( I thought having them search through the colors to find all the dark brown ones would be a good sorting activity)... I decided they were too big for my little cookie...so I ended up making the seeds with frosting instead.

Wouldn't these be a cute little cookie to pack in a picnic basket?

Or to give to someone...just because!

I will be back with some more cookie pictures soon...and promise to reveal the final cookie cutter organization system when I am finished!

Organizing Cookie Cutters

2011-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I took a breather from baking and frosting today because I am in desperate need of some organization!!! If you know me well....you know that organization is pretty much my middle name. I am constantly trying to find new ways to organize anything and everything! I've been wanting to have a better organization system for my largely growing stash of cookie cutters for quite some time now...and so today....I went to work.

Up until now... my cutter organization has looked something like this...

And do you believe I have had ALL of these bags stuffed into one drawer under my oven??? Now imagine my frustration each time I open the drawer and have to pull out 10 bags to get to the one on the bottom that I need!!!!

SW seemed to enjoy the organization party today too!

Hopefully I will have a more efficient system up and running in the very near future!!!! Can't wait to share it when it is all finished:)

Mr. Roboto

2011-05-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Mr. S celebrated his birthday today!!!! When I asked the kids what kind of cookies I should make for him....they immediately decided upon robot cookies! Their daddy does the best robot dance ever.....and they absolutely love it!!! I thought they couldn't have chosen a more perfect idea! So I got my pencil and paper out and began designing.

Here is what we came up with!

Orange is one of my hubby's most favorite colors...so I immediately knew these would be the perfect colors for him:)

No big celebrations today b/c the two boys have been a bit under the weather this week....poor J finally got meds and an inhaler for his asthma and nasty sinus infection.... I think we must be the most allergic family in America!!! Even our wheaten has allergies!!!!

But no birthday can go celebrated at our house without cake! I didn't even ask Mr. S what kind of cake he wanted... I just made my favorite....cause hey...May is my month too!!! I chose chocolate with chocolate cream cheese frosting!!

A few fun pics from our little family celebration tonight...kids in jammies and ready for bed!!
Oops... I forgot the candles and we didn't have any in the house....so here is Mr. S pretending to blow out the candles. J loved it!

It wasn't a big celebration today...but when you have known each other as long as Mr S and I have...well...it's not the presents and parties that matter....:) We are pretty thankful for our other three gifts:)

Little Critters

2011-05-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I love making cookies for birthday parties... the themes can be so fun and this one was no exception! These little guys were for one very special FIVE year old!

His mama and I go way back...to the 7th grade, that is!! I was a little nervous when she said the party was a "snake" theme...as I didn't love any of the snake cutters I had seen...but then she mentioned the party was going to be at a Nature Center.....so my mind starting going lots of different directions.

We all know that ALL boys love anything buggy, or creepy, or crawly...so I went from there...and used lots of boyish colors!!

And because none of the snake cutters depicted how I envisioned a snake... I tried to draw my own!

So glad I could make some special treats for this special little guy!! He's a lucky little boy with two really FUN parents and two sweet, sweet sisters!! So glad his mama and I have stayed in touch over the years!!! Hope you had a SWEET SWEET day, Mr. C!!!!

Someone special

2011-05-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

When the school year began... I have to admit, I was a bit nervous that my S would not like going to school ALL day long. I had horrible memories of my first grade year and still remember clear as day my "not so friendly" first grade teacher. I didn't want my S to have that same experience.

Here we are...in May, coming up on the last few weeks of school...and I am thrilled to say that S's experience was the exact opposite. This child could not have been more excited about going to school every day. She would even feign good health when she was actually not feeling so hot...just so she would NOT miss school! Imagine that!!! She couldn't have had a more nurturing and LOVING teacher who was truly excited about teaching!!!! I am sooo thankful!!!! Having been a teacher myself... I KNOW that the TEACHER makes all the difference. I am so grateful to S's teacher for continuing S's love of school. Watching her skip happily into school EACH and EVERY morning is all a mommy could ask for. Thanks Mrs. M for all you do. We have been so lucky to have you!!!

When one of my cookie idols posted these cookies I knew I HAD to make them. They just made me happy looking at them:) I couldn't even wait for Linzy's tutorial...so I pulled out a heart and small circle cutter and went to work!! Thanks Linzy for the inspiration and for the idea!!! Such fun little cookies to make!!!

A Mother's Love

2011-05-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

For all those special mothers who keep us tucked under their wings and hold us forever in their hearts....

Ice Cream Parlor

2011-05-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

My BIG girl turned SEVEN this past weekend and an Ice Cream Party couldn't have been more perfect for her....she is an ICE CREAM FANATIC to say the least. I was sooo proud of her that she gave it up for Lent SUCCESSFULLY...that I thought she definitely deserved this ice cream party!!

We decorated in bright pinks and blues and made ice cream cone and cupcake cookies.

These adorables came from living locurto... and they weren't actually ice cream sundaes...they were cupcakes with a buttercream made to look like ice cream. I couldn't resist making these... and made our favorite home-made pound cake cupcakes to go inside! Little Joseph even helped by placing the cherry on top (peanut butter m & m's...my favorite!)

The sundae bar

The kids LOVED the sprinkles and the mini chocolate chips...hence the fingerprints on the bowls (which I found at the dollar store, by the way!)

The cake...chocolate and white layers with a cream cheese frosting!

And here she is....the Birthday Beauty!!! Happy SWEET 7, dear Sophia!!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hope your Easter was filled with Joy and lots of SWEET!

Easter Pastels

2011-04-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous weather has inspired me to pull out the pastels. Thought these little chicks were too fun to pass up!

Hoping these ducks will put a smile on two big brothers' faces who recently welcomed a new baby girl into their family.

And I just couldn't pass up making these sweet little lambs, found on one of my most favorite sites....Thanks for the inspiration, Glory!

A Sweet "Tweet"

2011-03-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Amanda of I am Baker offered 2 dozen cookies to readers who were needing something to brighten their day (mind you this incredible woman was a few weeks shy of delivering her fouth child when taking on this challenge). You can read her original post here. If you know Amanda well, then you know she has one of the kindest hearts of anyone you will meet. As you can imagine, once the stories started rolling in...she could not leave out any of those who responded, and felt that each situation was deserving of being selected. I felt privileged to have the opportunity to make a small treat for a family that was in need of a little sunshine.

These cookies should be arriving today in a home that is miles away. I do not know the family that lives there, but I do know their story. I am quite positive that cookies can not take away the pain they have experienced, but I do hope that when they open their package, it will put a smile on their faces and a little happiness back in their hearts.

The Best Medicine

2011-03-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

My little S was sick last weekend. Once she got her appetite back... I wanted to make a "feel good" cookie for her to snack on. There is just something comforting about shortbread. I love the simplicity of the ingredients... I love the crisp and flaky texture. Whenever I have a hankering for shortbread, or know someone who needs a good pick-me-up.... these are the answer.

Recipe for Shortbread
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 --inch circle shaped cutter. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Happy Saint Paddy's Day!

2011-03-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way -
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

~Author Unknown

Sweet Sugarbelle inspired me to make these little leprechauns using a cupcake cutter!!

A "Beary" Special Birthday

2011-03-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was honored when Miss L's mommy asked me to bake cookies for her birthday party! This was not just any birthday....but a FIRST birthday! Those are always so special!

Miss L is a lucky little girl. She has a sweet, adoring family and an extra special mommy! I always love following her mommy's blog....she writes it from Miss L's perspective. What memories she is making for her little girl...and I can just imagine Miss L looking back through these blog posts when she is all grown up with a big smile on her face!

The invitations for this party were darling!!! They pictured a cute teddy bear sitting inside a tea cup. I loved the pink and brown colors....so I just copied with the cookies:)

Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your special day!

In need of Spring!!!

2011-03-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

The cookie baking has dwindled over the last month as much of my attention is now on this:

But after seeing all of Sugarbelle's amazing cookies, I couldn't help myself. I HAD to make some of these! Of course wanting Spring to arrive sooner than later helped a little too!

I also loved the Springy colors of these...another idea from Callye's blog. And I thought they made a perfect little thank-you gift to someone very dear to our family:)

I'll be back soon with some sweet First Birthday cookies:)

Beauty in the Simple

2011-02-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

I came across this blog not too long ago...and was just stunned at the beautiful photography...let alone the amazing recipes. It just makes me feel relaxed every time I look at it.

The other day while SW was napping... J asked me to make some cookies....we didn't have a whole lot of time...so ....I decided these French Breakfast Puffs would be the perfect substitute....not too many ingredients, not too time consuming, and yet something that would be easy enough to allow my toddler to participate.

We had so much fun making these little guys together. In fact while dipping the finished puffs in the melted butter, J told me he wanted to be a chef and needed a hat!

I'm so glad I stumbled upon El's blog. I love how she can make even the simplest things beautiful. And even more beautiful are her sentiments. When I read her post about these muffins, she mentioned how important she thought it was to invite your children to bake alongside you in the kitchen. I couldn't agree more. I hope my children will learn to love to create with their hands and I hope our time together in the kitchen will be something they remember for a lifetime.

Hoppy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Our Valentine's Day this year was pretty low key....I hate to admit...but the sleep deprivation forced me into "store-bought" Valentine's mode this year. Uggghhhhh I normally love making Valentine's with the kids...but this year we changed it up a bit...and went for the good old store bought...and of course the kids loved it just the same! S did, however, bring these home-made cookies to share with her classmates! Chocolate cookies seemed the perfect cookie for Valentine's Day!

It's raining BOYS!

2011-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

Seems like we have been celebrating lots of baby boys these days!!! These cookies were for a baby boy shower! One day I was oohing and ahhing over one of my favorite cookie blogs, and I fell in love with the colors of these cookies. I had to try them out myself! Still think I like Bea's colors better....but these turned out pretty cute! Check out Bea's blog....her work is amazing!!!!!

Congratulations to this new mama to be! Your world will be turned upside down before you know it...and you will be completely in love!

I am already head over heels over my new little guy...

and who can resist these baby feet?:)

A new kind of sweet...

2011-02-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

So I am a "sweetaholic"....love all things sweet.
Chocolate chip cookies are probably at the top of the list....
Followed by warm fudgy brownies accompanied with a scoop of vanilla Haagen Daz.
And of course in addition to eating these things... I love to bake them!
I could spend hours in my kitchen....rolling out cookie dough....
Decorating cookies with an assortment of frosting colors....
Kneading dough for cinnamon rolls....
Making S's favorite mini cinnamon muffins
When the kids are in bed...my kitchen is where you will normally find me.

I love all things sweet. But today I get to introduce you to a new kind of sweet.
It's not something you eat....It's not even something I can make in my kitchen....
But it is definitely something made for me.

A few days ago we were blessed with this....

Meet Mr. S

So, as you can see.... it looks like I will be doing a little less baking in the next few months and a little more baby duty. Can't wait for this little guy to meet his big sister and big brother!

THREE

2011-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

My favorite little guy turned THREE a few weeks back. I still can't believe that my baby boy is sooo big!! We had a super fun train themed party....with cookies, cupcakes, cake....and a trip to a local eatery famous for the trains that bring you your meal!!! My little guy was in LOVE with this place!!!

And here is the special birthday boy....he is the cutest THREE year old I have ever seen!!!!

Hope you had a very special day....little J!!!

Saturday Breakfast...

2011-01-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Here's what we will be eating for breakfast tomorrow at our house...

Cranberry- orange muffins.....can you smell that citrusy orange zest???

It's been a cold and snowy week here in Kansas....I'm starting to get the winter blues... Thought we needed something to "wake" us up...out of our normal breakfast rut!

I found the recipe on one of my favorite sites...And you can find many more fabulous recipes and creative tricks on Glory's blog. These were so fun to make....and smelled so good...that even my little "non-fruit" eater begged me for some of the batter as we were mixing!

I think they might just be the perfect accompaniment with that morning cup of coffee! Happy Weekend!

Mermaids

2011-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Whew... the holidays are over and my little guy's birthday has come and gone! I think I can almost breathe now:) So, I am just now getting to posting some cookies. This order was for a very special little girl. I have known Miss M's mama since I was in college. Her mama is one of the sweetest, gentlest....kindest people I know. We ended up teaching at the same school together for a bit....and she was the best mentor I could have asked for! It seems like just yesterday that she was pregnant with Miss M. But oh how time flies ...because Miss M just celebrated her 8th birthday... and I got to make her cookies!!! I was thrilled!

The birthday girl chose a mermaid cookie....I have wanted to make mermaids before but never found the right cutter and was a bit nervous to design my own. Luckily I finally found the perfect mermaid shape I was looking for....and here is the end result!

I realized once I had sent the order off... that I hadn't taken good pictures of these cookies...I always like to get a few once they are tied in their bags and bows.. Maybe next time:)

Hope you had a TERRIFIC birthday Miss M! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day:)

Sparkle

2010-12-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hope your Christmas was full of Sparkle!! Here are a few of the treats we enjoyed at our house!!!

So many of my cookies I made during the Christmas season were the traditional red and green....so when I saw this idea from this amazing blog.....I had to try it out for myself. I think the vintage pink and blues were a fun twist on the traditional Christmas colors!

A few more cookies before the New Year and then....I will be working on plans for my little guy's birthday party. He is already turning THREE....oh how can that be???????

Reindeer Treats!

2010-12-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Found this idea here and thought this would be a fun treat for Sophia and I to make to celebrate the start of her Christmas vacation. A little chocolate, marshmallows, pretzels, and hot tamales....couldn't be too hard, right??

Well... putting those antlers on was a bit trickier than I had anticipated...

So...we made a quick change of plans...and while I finished up the reindeer.....Missy made some fabulous chocolate covered pretzels...mmmm!

Here's my silly girl...

While we were making the reindeer...S informed me that she no longer likes marshmallows...that was news to me! But thankfully....Little J loves them and to my surprise ate every part of his reindeer tonite...right down to that cute red nose! Wish I had a picture! Back to the craziness of this week....and trying to nurse everyone back to health at our house before Santa arrives:)

Christmas cookies

2010-12-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to all of my fellow cookie bloggers ...Marian, Bridget, Callye, Pam, and Linzy for all of their cookie ideas and inspiration! I continue to be amazed at the creativity of all of these amazing bakers!!! So grateful for their advice, and their willingness to share ideas! So.....here are some of my Christmas cookies I have made thus far.....I loved Bridget's peppermint candy cookies so much...I had to buy the cutter...tsk, tsk...I don't even want to know how many cutters I have added to my collection this year....but I'm thinking it is far too many...since my drawer that houses them....doesn't quite close anymore:(

Hope your homes are filled with the sweet smell of Christmas cookies this holiday season too!

The Gingerbread Tradition...

2010-12-10T09:58:00.001-08:00

Continues!!!

We decided to put a spin on our gingerbread project this year....

Typically we build some walls....add a roof...and go crazy decorating. But this year... we decided to try something new....a Santa sleigh.

I found this idea for a Santa sleigh in Valerie Peterson's Cookie Craft cookbook last year....and just couldn't resist trying it out. She designed the sleigh as a centerpiece to hold holiday treats. And as I was reading again just the other day...she also gave the idea of using it as an Advent calendar. You could fill the sleigh with tiny cookies...and then a lucky someone gets to pick and eat the day's cookie. Wish I would have thought of that earlier...but definitely an idea I will use next year!!!

Before I post the picture... I have to give HUGE credit to the hubby....who actually did some "sawing" on my gingerbread sleigh sides in order to make this fit perfectly. He is definitely the secret behind it's success!!! Could Not Do It Without Him!!!! (And of course the tuna, green bean and spaghettio cans that we used while it was drying):)

And.... though...the inside is not huge.... I do already have it filled with some Christmas cookies.....to give to special visitors who drop by:)

Decorating

2010-11-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

I love the smell of Christmas! Love the sweet smells of cinnamon and ginger coming from the oven. I love opening the Christmas boxes and unwrapping our gingerbread houses from years past. Every year I put gingerbread men on a tiny tree in our back hallway. When I unwrapped them this year....they just didn't smell as fragrant....so I decided it was time to make some new gingerbread men to dress our tree! Normally... I just make them red and white...but loved this idea from sweetopia...another of my favorite blogs! So I added some green sanding sugar to make the bows!!

This year I used Sweetopia's recipe for gingerbread. In the past I have used Martha's....but I must say....Sweetopia's may be my new favorite. This gingerbread smelled and tasted wonderful! Here Marian's recipe. Be sure to check here.... for her DARLING nutcrackers made from this gingerbread!

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

For the printer-friendly version, click here.

Ingredients:

800 g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

250 g unsalted butter

1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup molasses

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy.

2. Mix in spices first, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low.

3. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to bowl; mix until just combined.

4. Wrap dough in a disc shape in saran wrap. Let it rest by refrigerating until cold, about 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick.

6. Cut shapes out with cookie cutters and place them approximately 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

7. Refrigerate until firm; at least 15 minutes to 1 hour.

8. Bake cookies until lightly golden; 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Here is the tiny little tree...

Love how sweet it smells when I walk by!

Love how this tiny little space makes me smile....especially the pictures of my now BIG princess and my sweet Willie.

Can't wait to share some more Christmas goodies with all of you!

We are thankful...

2010-11-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

It seems that the preparations for Christmas begin earlier and earlier every year. As soon as Halloween is over....the Christmas music begins playing and Christmas decorations begin popping up everywhere. Sometimes, it seems, that the Thanksgiving holiday gets a bit overlooked, tucked between Halloween and Christmas. I tend to do the same with my cookie baking...Halloween and Christmas provide such perfect cookie giving opportunities that I sometimes get so wrapped up in them that any Thanksgiving baking beyond pies and rolls is few and far between!!

Well....I didn't want to forget the importance of this holiday this year....I do have so much to be thankful for! So I was glad to be able to make this set of Thanksgiving cookies for a very sweet family! And my S and J sure loved getting to meet and play with the V family even if it was just for a bit:)

Of course... I couldn't make a Thanksgiving order without including turkeys....

The inspiration behind these came once again from one of my most favorite bloggers... Trust me....read her blog once and you will be forever addicted!!

The other part of the order was for boy and girl Indian cookies....So for this... I had to go to my drawing board.... Here's what I came up with...

And with a little bit of cookie dough and lots of color mixing...Here is the final result...

Hope all of you were able to spend Thanksgiving with all those closest to you! I guess I can now get ready to pull out all of those Christmas cutters. But first I'll be back with a little Christmas decorating project I am working on!!!

CHOO-CHOO for TWO!

2010-11-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

An old friend asked me to make Thomas the Train cookies for her little C's second birthday!! What a perfect excuse to practice for my little soon to be THREE year old. I'm guessing he might be asking for a Thomas party soon too!

Here are some pictures of the stages of the cookie. Realized after I had bagged and sent off the cookies that I had only snapped a few shots using the camera on my phone during the cookie making....wish I had taken some with my camera!

Here are the Thomas' before attaching the bumpers and the headlights. I made both just by piping my royal icing on wax paper first, then letting them dry before attaching them.

Happy TWO, little C! Hope you had a great day!!!

A little bit of Happy

2010-11-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

I am way behind in my posting.....but after feeling a bit under the weather for quite some time.... I needed to post some baby cookies that just make me happy!!! Hopefully my mixer can start whirring again soon!!!

Punkin cups!

2010-11-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I admit... I am a bit of a neat freak...which is hard to be when you love baking as much as I do! I love to make cupcakes and muffins...but absolutely despise trying to neatly get the batter into the pan! When I saw this idea I decided I had to try it on my next batch of muffins. I wanted to make those same apple muffins that Bake it Pretty showed....but of course Miss S has decided she does not like apples in her muffins anymore... This time she requested pumpkin. I really really want to order the cute brown polka dot portion cups that Bake it Pretty has on her site...but I haven't done it yet...so my plain ole white ones had to suffice for tonight!

The judge hasn't yet given her opinion...we will have to wait for breakfast for that...but I did catch her fingers in the batter more than once....so I'm guessing that is a good sign. And as for the mess....didn't even have to dirty a muffin pan...just put these punkins right on the baking sheet and voila!!!

Here's the recipe from dine and dish adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cups plus extra sugar for dusting

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon for tops

Preheat oven to 350. Place portion cups on a baking sheet or liners in muffin pan.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together some sugar and cinnamon for tops in another small bowl, reserve.

Divide batter among cups, and fill about three-fourths full, then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown or until toothpick comes out clean. ( I baked mine about 23 -25 min), and I made about 13 or 14 muffins.

I'll be back with some more cookies to share by the end of the week!!! Happy Monday!

"Painting"

2010-11-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have always secretly wanted to be an artist. I remember when I was little....My cousin and I used to sit and watch Bob Ross on TV as he effortlessly painted beautiful nature scenes. (Remember that, Thad???) I remember wanting to go to the art supply stores to buy the expensive art brushes so I could try painting those same pictures. I tried....but not with much success:)

So when I found this amazing cookie decorator's "cookie artwork" I decided... I had to give it a try for myself!!! I even got my sister to come along with me in search of the perfect "paint" brush. Miss Ali B gives a remarkable tutorial on how to make these cookies here. Please be sure to visit her blog.....you will be amazed at her attention to detail in all of her cookies.

After I read her tutorial.....I made these:

They truly were so much fun! I really felt like a true artiste....using my fancy paint brush!!!

Be sure to check out another one of my favorite baking bloggers, Flour and Sugar, for her rendition of this same technique. She incorporated it into her own flower cookie design you can see here. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

A few others I have been working on...

Dotty Cupcakes

And last but not least.....a special little girl got these birthday treats from her special Aunt. Her birthday was a "close to Halloween B-Day" and I thought the designs she picked were perfect for this occasion!!! Hope you had a Happy Day!

And...these below are not cookies...but I have to post the cupcakes my little girl requests every Halloween!

My little S.....she is not a big candy fan....but my oh my....a cupcake and ice cream girl..she is!!! Here are my two little ones after their big night of trick-or-treating! They love to sort their candy and look through it....but still not too keen on eating it (unless it is a lolli for J!) I guess I hope they keep this aversion to candy for a while:) because I certainly don't mind baking for them!

And have to leave you with the rootin tootin cowboy and cowgirl from Toy Story!!!

Stay tuned for a few fun November cookie orders!!!

Sugar and Spice...

2010-10-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

and everything nice! Thought these little girls turned out sweet! Next time I'll have to make blonde-haired and blue-eyed girls...to match my sweet little girl!!!

Back with some more SOON...Happy Weekend!!

Sanding

2010-10-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have really been wanting to practice some sanding on my cookies.....so I went straight to one of my favorite cookie decorating gurus and found an idea for sanding pumpkins! Bridget made these pumpkin cookies last year...and I loved her color choices and thought it would be a great way for me to practice my sanding techniques. Finding the sanding sugar (the specific brand I wanted....and the color I wanted) was actually harder than the process itself. I tried to find fine sanding sugar in white at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and D&D, but to no avail. So J and I had to drive a bit further to my favorite baking store...where we actually found just what I was looking for (after having to stop at the train tracks and make a 5 minute detour out of our way after realizing the street entrance was blocked off due to the city's annual chili fest occurring that night). But, I guess that extra time was worth it... I LOVE this sanding sugar!!! And as for J....he was thrilled beyond belief that we got stuck at those train tracks. He LOVED watching that long train go by!

A few more fall things and fun cookies to share this week!

Confessions

2010-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

So the little man and I took a day trip to Louisburg over two weeks ago to buy a great big bag of apples. The plan....to make a great big apple pie. Two weeks later....still no pie.... I guess I have been knee deep in cookie baking....and I can not believe October is almost half-way through and I must admit, that I still have not baked my annual apple pie. I guess I need to watch my favorite movie..."The Waitress" to get me in the pie baking frame of mind!!! My goal is to make it before the end of this month....

But for now... I have put some of those apples to good use in these....

These maple-drizzled apple muffins from www.RecipeGirl.com were easy peasy to make.....and I thought the frosting on top might just be the trick to tempt my little S into eating her apples in the morning... so far...no such luck....but J ( my fruit lover) can eat one in no time flat!!! Here is the recipe:

MUFFINS:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 TBLSP baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup ( I had to send the hubby to the store late one night for this...thanks B!)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 cups chopped peeled apples ( I used a mix of granny smith and jonathon's)

GLAZE:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 TBLSP maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 12- cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (through cinnamon).

3. In a small bowl, mix milk, butter, syrup and egg; stir into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Fold in apples.

4. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4-full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

5. For glaze, mix sugar and syrup; drizzle over cooled muffins.

Yield: 1 dozen

Since I didn't take pictures of our trip to the cider mill... I am posting some pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend. These special people are the reason my cookies posts are sometimes few and far between... They keep me pretty busy:)

The little J man....

My pretty princess....

The whole gang (minus me, of course,)....but can't leave out the hubby who is my best kept secret behind my cookies.... he is my late night grocery store runner, my taste-tester, and even my cookie cutter maker, at times!!!

That's all for tonight....but I've been having some fun with some fall cookies and other designs...so stay tuned!

WHOOOO is ready for fall?

2010-10-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

After many orders for baby showers and birthdays...finally some time for fun Fall cookies. I got my inspiration for these cute little owls from this amazing woman. I had seen some owls on her site a while back and loved her detail. She is super talented at icing cookies...and I am so grateful for her words of wisdom and always helpful advice!!!!

And I know Halloween is still quite a ways away....but I have little munchkins at home who are already chatting about costumes and trick-or-treating plans...so I figured I'd better get on the ball with some spooky cookies....and for these I used a chocolate sugar cookie dough....Miss S....loved the dough...mmmm....and I had a hard time keeping her little fingers out of it when I was rolling these out:) These cute spider webs I copied from my other cookie baking hero. She comes up with the cutest cookie ideas ever!!! Thanks for sharing these Bridget!

So..ok...these last few are not Fallish...but some recent ones I have done....I LOVE the colors....and got the cherry idea from yet another DEAR blogging friend. Be sure to check out her amazingly creative Halloween ideas. Wow...not sure how this incredible woman does all that she does... But I do know... what she does with cakes and cookies is truly an art!!!

Finally the little wagons...I thought they would be the perfect treat for toddler boys....I know my little guy loves his red wagon...even though it is twice his size!

So.....that's all for now...but some fun orders to come. It has been a wild week for me (and it is only Tuesday)....So for now...I'm just going to count all of my blessings...and call it a good nite!!

Packages

2010-09-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't it the best feeling when you come home to find a surprise package on your front porch? I usually get so excited when I see one of those brown boxes on our porch....and 99% of the time it is something work-related for the hubby:( We all like to receive....but sometimes I think it is even more fun to be the one doing the giving.....It's just fun to surprise those people who mean the most to you...

So....because I like surprises soooo much.... one of my most favorite people will hopefully receive this...

at their doorstep VERY soon!!!

Back to Basic

2010-09-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just need a little break from sugar cookies and royal icing....and when I found these down home peanut butters on this amazing blog....I whipped out my jar of Jif and got to work. I admit... I am a chocolate kind of gal....so normally I crave a good melt-in-your -mouth chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven, but these peanut butters took my taste buds by surprise....They were sooo good....and easy peasy to make!!!!

Thanks Linzy for sharing your recipe!!!!

September showers and a few others

2010-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

I thought the saying went something about April Showers....but seems like my month of September has been full of cookie orders for showers...baby showers, that is!

I just adore these chicks! I think they are my favorite cookie to make...they are just so bright...and fun...and pretty perfect for all those little baby peeps!

Here's an order I did for a heart association luncheon.... I think the leopard print ribbon added an out of the ordinary touch, and it also coordinated with the theme.

I made just a few cookies for one of our favorite friends...He turned the BIG TWO last week....and I thought these bright birthday cookies would be fun! This little man is cute as a button....I ADORE his blond curls and big blue eyes...and his laugh....oh my.....never heard anything sweeter! Hope you had a great day Mr. W!

And back to those baby showers...these cookies were jungle animals...and butterflies...I wanted to mimic the animals from the tiny prints jungle invitation....didn't quite master it...but at least I got the colors in the same shade! I think the giraffes and butterflies were my favorite. The butterflies were mini's....and I think mini's might just be another new favorite of mine. They are bite size and cute...And, hey, they always say good things come in small packages, right?

A BUSY Summer!

2010-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well...Summer is officially over.... I'm still having a hard time getting back into the "school" groove, but Miss S seems to love it!!! I've had lots of cookie requests these last few months and September has been pretty popular for birthdays and baby showers it seems! So.....here are a few that I didn't share from the summer...

First...what is Labor Day without a barbeque??? We had a fun nite with our neighbors.. and I thought these were the perfect dessert for a cookout!

These cookies were a request from a great high school friend....who wanted to send a "Happy Package" to someone dear to her...and these cookies just make you happy... don't they???

And finally for darling Miss M who turned one this summer. Her mama celebrated her special day with a fun "cake and ice cream" themed party. I got to see the party decorations when I delivered the cookies...and they were too darn cute!! What a sweet idea for a VERY sweet girl!!!

Stay tuned... a few more fun orders to come this week!! Hope everyone's summer ended in a FUN and relaxing weekend with their families!!!

Soar to Four!

2010-08-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

We were so thrilled to get to celebrate with an old friend of mine this past weekend! Her cute as a button little boy turned FOUR! His mama is my baking friend....we chat about royal icing, sugar cookie recipes, baking soda amounts, etc!!!!! She made some ADORABLE fire themed cookies for his party....(oops.... we ate them before I could take a picture of them!) and an awesome fire truck cake! I know this little guy gets lots of fun cookies from his amazing mama, but I wanted to bring cookies for his special day too. I wasn't sure what kind to make...and then I thought of my little guy...and how much he loves trucks and cars and AIRPLANES!!!! (Well...he loves playing with them at least...flying in them..hmmm..not so much!!)

So here's what we came up with...

Hope you had a great day!!!

A recap

2010-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've posted....but that's not to say the mixer hasn't been whirling and my hands haven't been knee deep in royal icing....I just haven't taken the time to post some of my pictures....
So....here are a few...

Whew! It's been a busy month....and still lots more to share in the next few weeks!

BAM!

2010-08-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

The toys lying around our house these days either have wheels or are related to Toy Story characters. So when a friend from grad school asked me to make superhero cookies for her little man turning four... I had to brush up on my superhero awareness. Mr. G had his mind set on batman and he even decided to wear a batman costume at his superhero birthday party! So batman it was!!!!

I would have had no idea how to create a batman cookie on my own without the help of this amazing baker! I LOVED her batman cookies so much.... I tried to re-create them!!!

There were lots of little details on these guys....and unfortunately a few of them broke during the frosting process....so let's just say I had some good practice with these guys.

But BAM!!!! When they were finally all said and done....I think they turned out the perfect superhero cookie for a perfect 4-year old!!! Happy BIG 4, Mr. G!!!! So glad these cookies gave your mommy and I a chance to catch up!!! Our reunion was waaaaay overdo!!

STRIKE!

2010-07-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

What a treat to make these fun cookies for a sweet little guy who just turned 5!!! It seems like just yesterday when he was born because my S was born not too long before him! His grandmama and my kids' yiayia go way back.... So I always enjoy hearing those grandbaby stories!!!

This family has been through a lot these last few weeks....so I hope the birthday party for this sweet little one at the end of the week was a turning point for them....

Ahhh... to be 5 again..and not a care in the world! Hope the bowling party was so much fun!!!

PS.... My little S got to meet 5 year old J...and must have thought he was pretty special too....b/c she couldn't stop talking about him and his "Woody" doll the whole way home!!! We might just have to have a playdate for those "Jessies" and "Woodys" soon!

Sweet TWEETS!

2010-07-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled to be able to make some cookies for a good friend of mine who was celebrating her daughter's first birthday. She's one of those people who, no matter how long it has been since our last talk,....when we see each other again...we could just talk, and talk and talk...and well you get the picture. We have known each other a while and watched each other's lives change. We have laughed about our hubbies together...and complained about all of life's challenges together. We dreamed together about being mommies. We both had a heart for adoption and rejoiced with each other when our miracles found their way to us.

Today.. this special friend is a mommy of two darling children. She is so creative, so neat..so organized....such a strong person! She celebrated Miss S's first birthday with a little Birdie theme....and planned and made adorable "sweet tweets" for the party. The invitation was out of this world and too cute for words! I know her little birdies had a spectacular day.. Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special celebration.

Some fun

2010-07-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Had a few "baker's nightmares" this weekend....some droppage of already packaged...completed...worked on for hours cookies.....had to remake starting at the dough stage. UGGGGHHHH.... I was one unhappy camper. After remaking that batch of cookies... I had some left over frosting....so I just had some fun with the colors.

First...some sailboats....

Next.... a few rocket ships....

And last but not least....some lady bugs... (of a different breed)... I decided to go against the grain and make white spotty dotties instead of the traditional black....

They just look happy, don't they?

But my most favorite little lady????

Going Astray

2010-07-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

So... I strayed a little from my usual sugar cookie baking this weekend and ventured out a bit. On the menu..

1. cinnamon raisin swirl bread with a touch of maple syrup

2. Fourth of July chocolate chippers

3. Red, White and BLUEBerry muffins (minus the red and white)

So... I had fun with all of these new recipes...but back to the grindstone it is....lotso (and not the pink strawberry smelling bear from Toy Story 3 which we saw and cried to today) sugar cookie orders rolling in!

A trip to the farm

2010-07-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine requested some cookies to bring to a reunion....not your typical reunion, though....a reunion among college friends and their children. This group of friends meets every few years or so...such a neat way to stay in touch. This year they all gathered at a farm...So what says "farm" more than a few "moo cows" (as my little J calls them) and piggies?

Wish... I had a barn cookie cutter for this occasion....I have spotted one on my favorite cookie cutter website...just need to order. I kinda have an obsession with cookie cutters....and my once organized space in my kitchen to house them.. is sort of dwindling these days!!!!

And I thought some suns and watermelons just seemed like a perfect summery accompaniment for a trip to the farm!

Hope you all enjoyed your time together!

Because Two is always better than one

2010-06-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well as I mentioned in my last post.... I got to make cookies for TWO sweet twin boys celebrating their 7th birthdays... So can you guess what theme/themes Mr. X chose for his party?

Aliens and....

Men in Black!

Hope you had a fun party!

DOUBLE the fun!

2010-06-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled when a good friend of my sister's asked me to bake some cookies for her twin boys who were celebrating their 7th birthdays! They were each having separate parties with different themes, and each had very unique ideas for what they wanted their birthday cookies to be. Mr. W got to have his party today (first...of course...because as he told me "he was born first!" So, I will post pictures of his cookies today. His party was a "JAWS" themed party and he requested life preservers, danger signs and of course SHARKS!!!! When I was in the process of frosting the sharks...my hubby told me they didn't look like sharks at all...more like dolphins. That night I finished the details of the teeth and eyebrows and left them on the counter to dry. When he woke up the next morning... he told me he was worried they were toooo scary for a 7 year old. I guess they didn't look like dolphins, anymore, huh???

Anyway...what a treat to get to give these boys their cookies in person. Such cuties and soooo polite. Hope Mr. W had a terrific party....and stay tuned for what Mr. X. chose for his celebration!!!

Daddies

2010-06-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to name the things our daddies do for us each and every day. And most often than not....they go on doing these things without anyone even noticing or saying thanks. So today....to my own Daddy, and to S and J's daddy....just want to say a BIG thank you for all those little things....for knowing my car is on empty when I don't, for taking Willie outside every night before bed, for folding laundry for me, for coming home when I need you, for washing dishes, for making MANY late night grocery runs, for letting us all make mistakes and loving us anyway. Happy Father's Day to all of my favorite boys!!!

A big thanks to Bridget for this POPULAR idea!!! And to all the other bloggers who shared their ideas for the bag toppers!!!! AWESOME!

Measuring Up

2010-06-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Finally....an oatmeal cookie that measures UP in both taste and appearance. For years, my mother and I have tried to find the perfect oatie, but to no avail. When taste was good....the cookies were flat, and when the cookies were thick, taste was marginal. But I can always look to this amazing woman for all of my baking solutions!!! Thanks, Bridget, for this yummy recipe that finally measures up!

In her shoes

2010-06-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

When I was little....I wanted to be like her. I wanted to go to school like she did... I wanted to have homework like she did. I wanted to be a Blue Bird like she was.... When she painted her nails for the first time... I wanted to paint mine too. When she got to pierce her ears....I wanted to be old enough to do it too. I wanted to be just like her in more ways than one. Everything seemed better in her shoes.

So we have grown a bit and changed a lot...but my she is still the same person she has always been. I still want to be like her... I still want her GENEROUS heart, I still want her FASHION sense (She is the QUEEN), I still want her ability to forgive and forget, I still want her easy going personality. She is one amazing person....and one admired Thea....She is my SISTER! Happy Birthday Cherry-OH!!!!

PS.... It was MY CHEEZ-IT:)

A Cookie for every occasion

2010-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just to wet your taste buds... a few pictures of some cookies I have baked over the last few months...

Stay tuned....something sweet is stirring.....