February "Fillers" Just for Fun

"Beep,  Beep" for Boys!

With the new baby, I try to make weekly visits to my daughter's home, so she can take a nap and have another pair of hands with the two boys.  I had very little time to make cookies, but did not want to go empty-handed.  I mixed up some chocolate chip dough, cut trucks and cars, and kept the piping to a minimum.  It didn't bother Jack one bit that the vehicles were missing details, he sat nicely at the table talking, playing, and eating them right down to the last wheel!  He was probably just happy to have cookies that weren't pink.

SpringTime Fun for Girls

With the remaining dough, I cut some flowers and birds for the granddaughters, who were going to be visiting over the weekend.  I should have known that the cookies fully covered in Royal Icing would be the first to disappear from the tin.  (Why eat a cookie partially covered in frosting?)  Kylie digs for the biggest one, while sister Kendra always makes sure that she is eating pink ones.

  . . . Never met a cookie that I didn't like!

Love Is in the Air

Created with the use of a stencil.



Simple can be so stunning.














I spotted this design on FLICKR and thought they were so elegant.  Later, SweetSugarBelle posted directions on her blog:  http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com/2011/01/kopykake-shmopykake.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheSweetAdventuresOfSugarbelle+%28The+Sweet+Adventures+of+Sugarbelle%29

She created a stencil for the red heart, so every cookie would have the same size heart and used a marker to write "love" prior to piping the word in black.  It was a new technique, and I wanted to meet the challenge.  I was happy with the results, but it wasn't as easy as I orginally thought.  At least I learned that there are options other than buying a KopyKake projector.

Happy Valentine's Day!  May it be a day filled with hugs and kisses and cookies from those you love.

Chocolate Chippers

Sometimes I think I have cookie ADD.  I get a little bored with the same recipe and the same designs.  SweetSugarBelle posted a recipe for iced chocolate chip cookies that caught my eye.

I decided to give them a try for Valentine's Day.  Cookie Friend and I are always saying, "KISS--Keep It Simple, Silly!"  This time I listened to my inner voice and only made hearts, lips and hands.

Rather than the traditional pink and red with an occasional purple color scheme, I tried to match some tissue paper that I had for wrapping presents.

The cookies were met with rave reviews by the grandkids and my daughter and daughter-in-law.  Actually, the granddaughters asked for a second chocolate chipper rather than accepting a cute baby cookie that was made with the traditional sugar cookie dough.  I resisted the cookies as long as I could, but I did cave and try a small heart myself.  Yowza, they are good!

I don't feel like they held their shape and kept crisp edges.  I also don't believe they made a very clean backdrop for the icing designs.  However, I will be doing these again using simple shapes . . . perhaps Easter Eggs.

I wish I had a picture of the grandkids eating the hand cookies.  The cutout heart created a good handle for toddlers!  Even the 19 month old was able to grip that cookie from first bite to the last.

Sold!

Weekends at the lake house began running from Sunday to Sunday, so we decided to sell the other house and move to the lake as our primary residence.  In just 3 weeks we had a signed contract with the efforts of our aggressive realtor. 

It took 3 months for the buyer to get financing, but the closing was on January 28.  I baked some "home sweet home" cookies for the family and left the box on the island in "our" kitchen.

Baking memories . . . one cookie at a time.

Welcoming Ben

Cookies for those visiting Baby Ben

Our fourth grandchild was due February 1.  A very proud grandma wanted to be sure cookies were ready and waiting regardless of when the little one decided to join us.  I created a blue and brown color scheme of onesies, bibs, diaper pins, and rattles.  The monkey faces seemed appropriate, since baby's blankey is a monkey.  The collection was in our freezer, and a "post it" note was attached to Grandma's bag reminding her not to forget them when the phone call came.  Sure enough, the call came at 1 AM.  Grandma grabbed her bag and the cookies and made the 2 l/2 hour trip to Kenosha.  Big Brother Jack needed someone to stay with him when Mommy and Daddy headed to the hospital.



Cookies to be bagged and tagged
 for the proud daddy to take to work.

In addition to a plate of cookies for visitors, I wanted to be sure that our son-in-law had treat bags to take to school announcing the birth of their second son. 

Design was based on a Christmas
Ornament that I spotted at Menards.



The Zaban's

Ben Alan Zaban arrived on 1-22-11 at 6:17 PM.  He weighed 7 lbs and was 20.5 inches long.  Brother Jack was waiting in the wings to meet his little brother.  Laps around the hall and a PBJ (sadly, not a cookie) kept him entertained while we anxiously awaited.

Start saving now for that college education.

Cousins Kylie and Kendra came to visit at the hospital.

Life is sweet . . . especially with a cookie!