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Sunday, December 4, 2011

What a Character...in Cookie Form

I really have a whole lotta catching up to do with postings on this blog and I really have no rhyme or reason as to  where to start.  So while perusing pics that need posting...
some trends or tendencies are beginning to take shape.  Today's posting is one of them.

Character Cookies

Toy Story

Here, in no particular order, are some of the many different charcter cookies that have been requested....

Thomas and Friends



Sesame Street


Jack Jack of The Incredibles


And last but not least....
those infamous birds that are EVERYWHERE now.....
even showing up as toys for dogs!!


Angry Birds


And don't forget to nominate a needy person/family for my 'Spreading Some Christmas Cheer' cookie give-away.  I'll take nominations until Dec.15.  You can nominate someone for some special treats by commenting at the end of this post.
Or, you can leave a comment on my facebook page here.







Thursday, December 1, 2011

Spreading Some Christmas Cheer


I'm back to blogging....again.
It's been so long since I last posted anything, I'm embarassed to say....I ALMOST FORGOT how to log in and write a post!!!

I think my blog must be saying.....who the heck is this!!!!
I'm getting the hang of though.

So several hundreds of dozens of cookies since that last post.......(reason why I haven't been posting)  brings me to today's post.  I won't even try to catch you guys up to what all's been happening cookiewise since then.  Instead, I'd like to ask you, my faithful followers....(if there are any of you left!)....to help me to help spread a little Christmas cheer to some of our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

God has so abundantly blessed me this year with an amazingly successful business that I am so passionate about, and I want to share my blessings with those in need.....those who have fallen on hard times.....those who are quite deserving of a little Christmas cheer.



What, you may be asking, do I need of you?  I'm asking for your help to nominate some deserving individual/family, who is in need this Christmas season, to be the recipient of a gift of one of my Christmas cookie collections. 




I will randomly select 5 deserving people/families from comments left here on my blog, and on my facebook page, to receive a gift of my Christmas cookies.  Leave me a comment, telling me why your special nominee is deserving of some special cheer this Christmas.


I will accept nominees until midnight, CST, on December 15. 

In your comment, please provide your email address so that I can notify you if your nominee is the winner.  Cookies will be shipped to arrive prior to Christmas directly to winning nominees if I am providred with a shipping address.  If the address is unknown, then they will ship to you, so that you can present them to the winner yourself.

Thank you for helping me to help make someone's Christmas a little bit sweeter.








Monday, July 18, 2011

Anniversary Week

Today, July 18, marks the 1 year anniversary of the opening of my Etsy shop.
It has been a wonderful first year filled with many blessings.
To help in the celebration of this milestone, two lucky people will be the recipients of 1 Dozen Cookies of their choosing!!

Here are the 'cookies of choice' of the lastest winner of one of my giveaways.......


The winner of these decided to give her winnings to her husband for his birthday.  She told me that he was a big fan of Marvel Comics.  I never dreamed Marvel Comics characters were so numerous.  I chose these because they looked more 'cookie friendly'.  By that meaning.....easier to do!  Besides, these are the more familiar of Marvel Comics characters.

Little did I know that I was making cookies for an illustrator and graphic artist!  Talk about pressure!




.....but I guess I passed the test........
His response, " As a professional illustrator and the lucky person to receive these as a birthday present from my lovely wife, I can tell you they are works of art to behold and delicious. Amazing work, well done, thank you."

Said his wife......"Thanks again Kay for making his birthday terrific!!! Its been a tough year but you just made it totally perfect!!"

That makes it all worthwhile for me :)

So now you have 2 chances to win some cookies to make someone else's day too.....or maybe make your day!

For all of the details for your chance to win, go visit Mrs. Robinson's blog by midnight this Thursday, July 21 to enter for chance 1 .....and for ANOTHER chance.......Noelle and Kerry over at Sweet Crafts and Cakes are sponsoring a 'sweet giveaway' of my cookies.  Their giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, July 22.  Go check them out for all the details.

And finally, starting today until Friday at midnight, purchase any listing in my Etsy shop and receive an 18% discount!  Simply use coupon code ANNIVERSARY1 at checkout.

Thank You for a fabulous first year!!







Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Farewell, A New Beginning, and HOPE

I've wanted to blog about this for some time, but it's been difficult.  As I sit here typing this, it's still hard to do without getting teary eyed. 
 You see, on the Saturday night before Easter of this year, we had to say goodbye to our beloved little yorkie, who shared our home, our life, and our hearts for the past 8 years.
 He fought tenaciously, as always the ferocious and brave little fighter that he was, all 6 pounds of him, but lost this last battle against lymphoma.


Shnookems.......in  his earlier days.



Yeah, he was like another one of my babies.
This is him about 3 years ago.  His dark coloring was getting lighter in his older age.
Will always love you, buddy!

It's not easy to fill that void that is left by the passing of your faithful and loyal..(no matter how many times he was fussed for pooping in the house after just being let outside)....companion, friend, and for all intensive purposes, 4th child.  The kids had been asking to get another dog, but it just didn't feel right.  They finally wore me down with the asking and decided it was time "to look".....afterall, summer would be a good time for them to bond with a new canine friend.  

I decided we weren't doing the puppy thing again.  Life here is crazy enough without adding the antics that come along with a puppy!  Being the animal loving family that we are...did I ever mention we own 14 cats, all spayed and neutered by the way, 2 guinea pigs, 2 nigerian dwarf goats, 11 chickens, 1 duck (who thinks she's a chicken), and 10 rabbits.....I figured adoption was the logical thing to do.  

"Looking", at the shelters, was difficult to do.  Not only because it got me to missing Shnookie, but seeing the look of desperation in those dogs' eyes, and knowing their fate, is gutrenching.

My daughter asked, "please, can we get this one"..only about 6,7,8+ times, but none of them seemed to 'feel' like the one.

Until this little guy caught my eye,


 because he reminded me of.....Shnookems. 

 It was the hair covering his eyes......just like Shnook.  Shnook always had those bangs in his eyes, just like this little fellow.  

He had been picked up by animal control.  He did have a collar on, but no i.d., and no one came looking for him.  During the summer months, the shelter will only hold strays for 5 days, and if not claimed, or saved by an animal rescue group......well.....you know what happens.  

We saw him only minutes before the shelter was closing on a Friday afternoon.  Something about him made a connection with me.....could have been the gentle lick he gave me when I put my hand into his cage.  But I needed to know how he got along with cats, as we do have quite the mess of those!  The shelter worker didn't know, but said she could see how he would do over the weekend.  This sounded good, because I needed to think it over, too.  I didn't know if I was ready, yet. 

Remember I said strays had 5 days in the shelter?  This little guy's number was up on the Monday morning.   His fate was in my hands. 

I thought about it, prayed about it, and ...still didn't know what to do.  When late Sunday evening, I was reading a book from the library to my 4 year old......


The story begins.....'In the back of a dogcatcher's truck sat a little white dog nobody wanted.'
I hear you God!  LOUD and CLEAR!!

So, Monday morning I called the shelter to tell them to spare the scroungey little mop dog, we were coming to get him.  The shelter gave us a 5 day trial period to see if he would get along with the cats.  If it didn't work out....we could return him to the shelter.  I got the first hint he'd be staying with us when he wasn't the least bit interested in the cute kitties in cages in the shelter lobby.

I have to say after a clip (he was so matted, he needed to be clipped before bathing), a good bath, and another clip....he is quite the handsome chap......don't you think?



He is the most gentle of dogs, gets along brilliantly with the cats, and loves to have his belly scratched.  He's the quick learner too...as he has already learned to sit and stay after only 2 weeks with us.  My daughter is teaching him more, a lot, more.

Of course, our new family member needed a name....can you guess what the kids named him?





I would like to introduce,..... you guessed it,....... McDuff.

Who ever would have thought underneath all of that matted, dirty fur was this little cutey?
There are many more like McDuff waiting for a home and a loving family.  So many innocent little lives are just disposed of because of irresponsible human owners. 
Thankfully, there are no-kill animal rescue groups that give some (wish it were all) a second chance.

Which leads me to the cookie part of this post.....had to have SOMETHING to do with cookies!

A local animal rescue group, HOPE for Animals, does just that........it gives these furry little members of God's creation a second chance.  The organization has worked to develop awareness and interest in both animal cruelty issues and overpopulation problems, and they provide for foster homes for dogs and cats until adoption becomes an option.  

Last night, HOPE for Animals had it's annual fundraising gala, which provides much needed funds to help foster animals, provide veterinary care, and low cost spay/neuter programs.

I felt compelled to help out in a small way after our recent adoption of McDuff.  
So, I made.....what else.......a cookie donation towards their fundraising efforts.

Here are the cookies in the 2 dozen+ collection.



Both the feline and canine interests were represented.




And of course, I had to make a McDuff version......



So, please remember that your local animal shelter is a great place to go to give a wonderful furry little friend a second chance.  And if adopting a pet is not in the game plan in your life right now, remember that animal shelters and rescue organizations, like HOPE for Animals, are always in need of monetary assistance and support. 

I know this post was reeeeaaaalllllyyyy long-winded, and I appreciate it if you stuck through to the end.
If 'ya did.......here's a little treat for 'ya..........



Thursday, July 7, 2011

I am Back....to Blogging!!

Yes, it's me.....back to blogging.   Can't believe it's been 3+ months since I last posted!
Instead of trying to play catch up with all the new things that I've done over the past months, I'll just start new here, and post the catch-up stuff as we go forward.

Thanks for being patient  as I try and get this blog in gear, again.  I've developed a new-found respect for bloggers who keep it going regularly.  Blogging is a lot of work and dedication, and I admire those who find a way to keep their blogs current!!  More power to 'ya!

Well, let's get started with the latest.......

Princess cookies fit for a little princess.


Every little princess has to have her favorite princess with her to celebrate her 3rd birthday.  And when there are twin little princesses turning 3, well.....they both have their own favorites.  One loves Belle, of Beauty and the Beast, while the other fancies Sleeping Beauty........


I'd love to be able to see the look on the twin princesses' faces when these arrive.  I'll just have to be content with the words of their mother......  " the sweet smiles that will light the world when my girls see them ! "

This little comment justifies why I do what I do.  It justifies spending a lot of time reasearching to find clip art and graphics to give me inspiration.  It justifies hand cutting shapes to make the perfect design I want, because there isn't a cutter that's the right shape.  It justifies mixing up 7 different shades of icing to get the right colors to match a princess' ensemble.  It justifies spending way too much time working on one cookie to get it just right.  And certainly justifies staying up waaaaay past anybody with sanity's beditime.

One little comment like that makes it all worthwhile.  That's why I do what I do.


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Cookies That Almost Killed Me!!!

Most times I look at a request to do a cookie I've never done before as a challenge, and an opportunity to learn something new, to grow.

NOT THIS TIME!!!

These had me thinking...."What on earth was I thinking!!!!'
These are the cookies that almost killed me!   At first request, I thought, OK, not too bad, a little more detailed, but not too bad.
I don't want to even remember how many hours went into making these. Don't get me
wrong, I like the end result.  It's the process of getting there that was a doozie!


After 24 of them, I got a little bored with the repetition, so I added some 'dirt'.


I think it looks kinda cool!

Here are photos of some other things I've worked on but never posted:














And remember these?




I've been doing a whole lotta these lately....and I have two extra pizza cookie favors looking for a home!
If you want them, you gotta do one or all of the following below to win them.  They are ready to go when I get a winner!!

To enter:
1. Become a follower of Rollin' in Dough's blog, (just click the google follow link on the side bar). Leave a comment on this post saying that you are a follower, and LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS so that I can contact you.  If you already follow, YIPPEE!, just leave a comment telling me so, and LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS to contact you.

2. For an additional chance to win, become a fan on Rollin' in Dough's facebook page.
Leave a comment there telling me you are now a fan, come back and leave a comment and EMAIL ADDRESS telling me that you completed the task.  If you are already a fan, THANK YOU!!!, tell me so in a comment over here!

3.  For a third chance,( boy that seems like a lot to do for two cookies!!! ), post a link of this little giveaway on your fb page or blog or twitter, and let me know that you did in a comment over here.  And DON'T FORGET THE EMAIL. (I know you're tired of hearing it).

This is going to be a quickie .......entries will be accepted up until Thursday at 12 noon! 
Hurry!!



Thursday, March 17, 2011

Frosting For the Cause

I know you don't normally equate cowgirls, horses, and westerny stuff with pink, but this isn't an ordinary collection of cookies. Number one, pink is the breast cancer awareness color, and more importanly, these are special, just like my friend....




Cheryl.


 



 You can meet Cheryl and learn how she inspired me to create this cookie collection for my guest post today over at Frosting for the Cause,  a unique way to, in some small way, reach closer to that day when no one's loved one will have to succomb to that dirty word....cancer.
While you're there, take some time to read the posts of other cookie and cupcake makers and decorators and see how their lives have been affected by this disease, and how, like me, they're making one small, but sweet, contribution to one day finding a cure to eradicate this enemy













Wednesday, March 16, 2011

For the Girls

Life's hectic these days, people!
Waiting, and longing for the laid back, no schedule days of summer!!
Too many kid related functions going on, and too many schedules to keep up with...school, soccer, softball.  Cooking decorating time is long into the evening and early morning hours.
Today's post is about kids....cookies for some sweet girls, and  lack of time.....these were early morning specials!!  And that doesn't mean 6, or 7 a.m.!!  REAL EARLY morning specials!!  Fellow cookie decorators, you know what I mean!

These were my intrepretation of Tangled (aka Rapunzel) cookies for a little 4 year old's birthday.


I had all intentions of making several of the character cookies, but after one, and when I looked at the clock.......face cookies, became locks of hair cookies! 




I haven't seen the movie yet, I'll wait till it comes out on DVD.  But, I just love the horse's expression!  I bet he steals the show!

Also today, something else for the girls.....

Cheerleader Cookies!!

And a cheerleader cookie bouquet.....




Be sure and visit Frosting for the Cause tomorrow, March 17, as I will be guest posting about a special friend and some special cookies that were inspired by her.
You will notice that I have their button on my sidebar.  Go check them out today, and see all of the fabulous bakers who are baking a difference in the war on cancer. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Pizza Cookie How To

After making this 'how to' while decorating a couple of batches of pizza cookies, I developed a new-found appreciation for bloggers who make tutorials  regularly.  It goes without saying that it is A LOT OF WORK!!  Photographing every step along the way is waaayy time consuming!  The results are fabulous, but the process is tedius and lengthy to say the least!  Kudos to all of you bloggers who provide us with these tutorials!!

So, let's get to the 'how to' in making these:


The size of each slize of pizza is about 3"x3.5".  As hard as it is to believe, I don't own a triangular shaped cutter in the 900+  cookie cutter collection I possess. (Yes, the # is correct, it's not a typo!)
So, instead of hand cutting all those triangles, I improvised....... and used these two cutters......



Both get the job done, but 1 of them involves cutting and piecing together and takes a little more time. 

Let's look at the rectangle first.........
This is the cutter and method I used on the plate of cookies pictured at the beginning of this post.  After cutting the shape out, it requires the use of a knife, or what I found easier to use, a pizza cutter, to get your triangle shape.
Use the excess piece of dough you cut away to make a crust shape.  Attach the crust to the top of the pizza cookie (pic. 4) and trim the sides cleanly with your cutter.


One day while searching for another cutter, I came across the ice cream cutter and thought it would streamline the process.  It did!!


After cutting out the shape, manipulate the crust to make it look like 'crust'.  Trim edges with pizza cutter or knife to get a clean edge.


                      

After baking and cooling, outline and flood the crust.  Using a stiff icing, in the same color as the crust, and a #1 tip, add little 'crumbs' to the crust after waiting a few minutes for the flooding to start to set.



Next, comes the sauce.
Add the pizza sauce adjacent to the crust and hit and miss around the edges and the middle of the cookie.  You will want to add more around the edges than in the center.  If you don't have a real slice of pizza handy for color reference, use whatever is handy......



.....like a jar of pizza sauce!  I think it's close enough!



Add mozzarella cheese in the open areas of the pizza....




....and letting the cheese ooze down the sides for the melted cheese effect.



Add  the finishing details of pepperoni, green peppers, and individual shreds of cheese. 

Now, as you bite into this cookie, your mind will be telling you that you will be tasting cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce, and green peppers. But your tastebuds will have something else to say.....like "Say what!!!??? Sweet, buttery, vanilla almond cookie?????"

ENJOY!

 
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