The start of Cookie Season!!!

at least for me :-)

When I make my decorated cookies, it can take some serious time! Unless they are just for my family to eat (which is rare), the kids aren't allowed to help, so I make them mostly by myself in the evenings. I don't often have that kind of time lately, but I realized that I can still have lots of fun making lots of cookies! I came across this magazine at the store Monday night, and I couldn't resist it! The kids love baking, so I thought this was a great way to incorporate something I don't often take the time to do with a fun activity for the kids!


The past few Christmases, I have ended up making a bunch of spritz cookies and maybe some peanut butter blossoms at the very last minute. I never seem to get to the new things I want to try, and the time I do spend baking doesn't end up being all that enjoyable. For example, I have printed out the recipe for these Cinnamon Apple Butter Spritz cookies (AND bought the apple butter) for at least the past 2 years. I hope to find out this year, but I'm not sure they can live up to 2+ years of anticipation!!

SO, my goal this year is to make 25 different recipes between now and Christmas!! I am going to think outside the cookie tin, and make some things I've never tried before! So far I've picked out over 13 cookie recipes that include coffee, tea, chipotle pepper, lavender, and more! No, not all together :-)

Here is one of the new things I bought - has anyone ever baked or cooked with this? If so, I'd love to hear what you made and how you liked it!


I'm really excited! We are off to a good start - my (4 year old) son Ryan and I made cookies yesterday and today, so we have 38 days to make 23 recipes. I'll let you know if I need people to help me eat them! Check back to hear how we're doing!!

Bakerella Book winner!

Congrats to Jill D!!!! She has won the book and I contacted her last night to let her know! She has read Bakerella's blog from the beginning and I think she's pretty excited to get the book! I can't wait to see what she makes with it!

I REALLY appreciate each and every entry and I LOVED reading about all of your favorites and special memories. Thank you for sharing that! It made me very hungry and I realized that I should have required RECIPES!!!! :-) If you have any that aren't family secrets, I'd love to see them!! Thanks for the very kind posts on facebook and twitter too!

I really wanted to make some Bakerella inspired cookies, but it just didn't happen this week :-( I have some butter out softening right now, but if I make cookies right now, the icing wouldn't be dry in time if I wanted to bring them with me tomorrow. Oh well!!! I will just be so happy to go and meet her! Maybe I'll have some pics to share!

Thanks again for doing this with me!

A Giveaway!

I am very excited to be giving away a copy of Bakerella's book Cake Pops! Not only can you win your very own copy of this awesome book, but I am going to have it signed by Bakerella specifically for you! A week from today I am going to one of her book signings and I'm so excited! Maybe I need a few more exclamation points!!!!!!!! I am sure many, if not all of you know who I am talking about, but if not, please go check out her awesome blog!

Here is the disclaimer: I am not receiving anything to do this and am purchasing the book myself. I just happen to love her blog and want to share her book with one of you! I actually saw her recommendation of the book Cookie Craft on her blog which is what started my cookie making obsession. My husband might not be too anxious to thank her, though he does love to eat the cookies! :-) I also almost exclusively use her buttercream recipe for my cakes! It's SO delicious and simple!

The contest will end Wednesday, November 10th, 2010, at 10pm EST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. I will announce the winner by Wednesday at midnight, and if you win, I need you to let me know what I should have her write (by midnight on Thursday, 11/11) - so make sure I can contact you in time!

You can enter by posting a comment here. Please leave your blog or email so that I can contact you!!

You can get an entry by . . .
1) leaving a comment here telling me your favorite Christmas cookie (one entry per person please)
2) like my Facebook page (leave an additional comment here telling me you did that)
3) tweet or post on Facebook about this giveaway (leave an additional comment here telling me you did that)

UPDATE: Please make sure to post your email or some other way for me to contact you (like your blog). You also need to post a comment for each additional entry! Thank you!!

Thanks so much and good luck!!!

Are you feeling lucky?

I hope so, because I will be posting a giveaway later tonight! I'm really excited about it!!!!!!! I hope you'll check back and enter!

These are some cookies that I made in August for the mom of a good friend and neighbor. She is pretty persuasive and only needed 10, so I had a hard time saying "no!" I was especially thankful for the meatballs that she made in return! YUM!!!

She told me her mom loves slot machines and this is what I came up with . . . they were very fun to do and I had been wanting to try out my cherry cookie cutter! I did a lot of the details with food coloring markers.