Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Cookie Exchange Save the Date

 Please save the date for next year -
 the second Saturday of December -the 14th- at 2:00. 
Here is a preview of prize catagories for 2013 
 1-The whole package (display, taste of cookie, recipe card etc) 
2-It's Whats on the Outside That Really Matters (decoration/appearance
3-Thinking Outside the Cookie Box - Non Cookie Item -cupcakes, candy, chocolate, divinity etc 
4-Once Upon a Time - Christmas Cookie that has a story/history behind it - family tradition, unique origin - . 5-Audrey Hepburn Award - Timeless Classic Beautiful Cookie. If you win this in 2013 you get to pick the Audrey Hepburn Award winner in 2014.
5-Holiday Hair - more details to come!
                                           




Friday, July 19, 2013

A week in iphone photos July 15 to July 21 2013

7/15 Lava Tubes Hike 

7/16 Native America Art Walk 
7/16 Journaling Hike Sunset
7/17 Resurrection Moss

7/18 Goodbye Red Mtn Spa
7/19 Surprised by how much I loved Snow Canyon 

Monday, July 8, 2013

A week in iPhone photos July 8 to July 14 2013


7/8 Ruby Foo loves the cat shoes

7/9 Finally- after 3 years and 3 attempts at getting                                                                              the correct Edison bulbs my kitchen light fixture is up.

7/10 Wating for my new $900 side mirror to be installed. 

7/11 Ruby Foo?  No, it is her cat twin that sits                                                                                         outside our window catching mice! 

7/12 First super added - hope they fill it fast.

7/13 Goodbye Ruby Foo see you in 4 days 

A week in Iphone Photos July 1 to July 7

7/1 NYC Public Library Children's Book Exhibit 
Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights 
Loved it! 

7/2 Goodbye NYC - See You Soon! 


7/3 Honey Labels are printed 

7/4 They really like each other

7/5 Ruby Foo

7/6 Three Bugs in a Rug 

7/7 Almond Mocha Cake. 


Monday, June 24, 2013

A Week in Iphone Photos June 24 to June 30


6/24 Blue Bird Nest - Amazing 
6/25 On my desk - Chocolate bunnies 

6/26 Relaxing outdoor time with Ruby Foo

6/27 Making birdhouses and feeding birds 

6/28 Leaving her behind - again 

6/29 Yummy dinner at Chelsea Market - NYC 

6/30 Summer Fancy Food Show 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

A Week in Iphone Photos June 17 to June 23 2013

6/23 Starting the huge task of 
cleaning my hoarding room.
6/22 Birthday lunch with Emmy 
6/21 The Super Moon - huge 

9/20 Ear cleaning for Ruby Foo 

9/19 Working in the garden while 
these 3 eat all of the peas.

6/18 Part of my wall of Deruta


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Cookie Exchange 2012 Winning Recipes

Cookie Exchange 2012 was awesome. I was totally blown away by the creativity of the cookies and also the displays and presentations.
 

The invitations I sent out this year were surprise balls filled with candy, trinkets and, of course, confetti - because I LOVE a really big mess and nothing is messier than confetti.

The favors I gave out this year were all super random treasures picked up in my travels, packaged in a craft box embellished with vintage finds - linens from and estate sale, old flash cards, game cards from an old Clue board game. I loved putting them together.

So without further delay here are the 3 winning cookies and the recipes.

The Whole Package - Jillian Hopkinson - Pacheco 

Worth Defending 
 Jill sent these cookies to her husband Vinney while he was in boot camp. Her display, recipe card, story and military apron and hat made her hard to beat for the whole package. And they were delicious too.


1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (softened)
1 teaspoon salt
 2 eggs
1 teaspon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups oats
As much as you want of the following - Macadamia Nuts White Chocolate Chips Coconut Raisins
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in egg one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Add nuts, chocolate chips, coconut and raisins. Drop cookies onto a greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Best Tasting - Tecia Brinkerhoff 
Toasted Coconut Truffle Cookies
 
What You Need:
1-8oz package Cream Cheese,
softened 32-Golden Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (abut 3 cups)
1-1/2 cups Flaked Coconut, toasted, (Heat oven to 350 and place coconut on cookie sheet or metal baking pan for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely so they don't burn.) Separate 1 cup out.
White Chocolate, melted
Mix cream cheese, cookie crumbs and 1 cup coconut until well blended. Shape into 42 inch balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store them in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Creative Ingredient - Abby Ollerton 
White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies with Lime and Toasted Coconut 
 2 cups flour, spooned lightly into measuring cups and leveled with knife
12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled until lukewarm.
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup coconut (toasted or untoasted)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest (1 - 2 limes)
 If you haven't melted your butter yet, do that so it has time to cool off. Heat oven to 325 degrees.Mix flour, salt and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, mix until combined. Add white chocolate chips, coconut, macadamia nuts and lime zest. Mix to distribute. Scoop cookie dough into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set around outer edges, yet centers are still soft and puffy, and appear slightly under baked, about 9 - 10 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Thank you all so much for the time and effort you put into making fantastic cookies every year. You are fabulous!
 Please save the date for next year -
 the second Saturday of December -the 14th- at 2:00. 
Here is a preview of prize catagories for 2013 
 1-The whole package (display, taste of cookie, recipe card etc) 
2-It's Whats on the Outside That Really Matters (decoration/appearance
3-Thinking Outside the Cookie Box - Non Cookie Item -cupcakes, candy, chocolate, divinity etc 
4-Once Upon a Time - Christmas Cookie that has a story/history behind it - family tradition, unique origin - . 5-Audrey Hepburn Award - Timeless Classic Beautiful Cookie. If you win this in 2013 you get to pick the Audrey Hepburn Award winner in 2014.