Shop Local

May 13, 2015
Art
I spent my Saturday afternoon this past weekend at the beautiful Trapp and Company store here in Kansas City.  Celebrating their Spring into Summer event, the store was full of brightly colored clothing, décor, and of course flowers. I want to thank all of you that stopped by to shop and visit.  It was a fun day.  Being the day before Mother's day the floral department was operating at maximum.  I could have spent more time back there watching the artist arrange gorgeous arrangements. If you weren't able to visit.... no worries. I have plenty of visuals for you today!  This is only a snap shot of the store and you must see it in person.  Lets get right to it shall we?




This is the same sweater tunic I styled here but in white. 
 





 
This floral arrangement was my favorite as you can imagine with the pretty pinks.   
 

Don't forget dear old dad.... Father's day is coming up and there is a great section for the fellas!


 
This vase!
 

 

Just me hanging out in the flower cooler. 
 



 
This is only a portion of the wall of Trapp candles and scents.  I found a new favorite Black Pepper.  But I still love the orange vanilla.
 

 


Perfect Cut out Cookies

March 31, 2015
Baking

baking-cutout-cookies


If you know me then you know I have a weakness for sugar cookies.  My favorite being a soft with frosting.  Now most sugar cookie recipes are pretty standard.  Nothing fancy to them really.  But what I like about my cookies is the touch of pure almond extract I add to them. Not the artificial flavoring either.  During the Christmas season I always make a few batches of spritz cookies... you know, the cookies you use a press with.  It is a simple almond dough but designed to be used in a press.  My family loves them. So it only made sense to add just a hint to my sugar cookies!


bunny-egg-cut-out-cookies

I know what you're thinking about now.... "sounds great but rolling dough is a mess". Right?  Well I agree.  My Mother, being a fabulous woman in the kitchen taught me years ago that any dough you chill will do so faster if it's flattened.  This is what makes all the difference in your cookies.  After your dough is prepared and ready to be chilled, lay out parchment paper on your counter and place your dough on it.  Then cover the dough with another sheet of parchment paper and begin rolling it out. If you don't have parchment paper wax paper should work just fine.  Now I like thicker cookies so I try to keep my dough around 1/3 to 1/2 inches thick.  The other great benefit to rolling out on parchment paper is no additional flour has been added to your dough.  This step cuts your chill time from an hour down to approximately 30 minutes.  Just enough time to clean your mess and prepare to cut out your cookies.

So are you ready to make the best cut-out cookies ever?  Here we go!

Serves: Depends on the size of your cut-outs but you should get at least 3 dozen good size cookies.  

What you need:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1¼ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Decorations or frosting ( I prefer the frosting)
  • Royal Icing (recipe below)
So lets get to mixing:
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  I do not pre-sift my flour, however my Mom says it actually makes a slight difference in the measurement. Do whatever you're comfortable with.  Set this mixture aside until you're ready to add it to the wet mixture.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, The time varies depending on your mixer. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.  Now I know your asking about if you add the extra extract will you need to decrease the vanilla?  Nope!  What's a good sugar cookie without Vanilla?  Then it would only be an almond cookie!
  • Add the dry mixture slowly to the butter mixture.  Mix until it is completely combined.




  • This step is what really makes the difference in your preparation.  Roll out your dough between two sheets of parchment paper.  Wax paper will work too, just be careful not to tear it.  Lay your rolled out dough onto a baking sheet and place it in your fridge.  This not only makes it easier to use, it also shortens your chill time to approximately 30 minutes.





  • Remove from the fridge and only remove the top sheet of parchment paper.  Cut your shapes out directly on the dough still with one sheet of paper underneath.  Carefully remove the waste (the dough left between cutouts) and your first sheet of cookies is ready to bake.  If you are only adding colored sugar to your cookies now is when you sprinkle it on.  I bake them for 8-11 minutes however, this time will vary depending on your oven.  You want to keep an eye on them baking to regulate your baking time.  You want to remove them just shy of brown edges.  Allow them cool on your baking sheet for 3 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.  They continue to bake on the sheet so transfer them as soon as you are able to move them without breaking the cookies.  Don't be alarmed that they are not done when you remove them.  They firm up after they cool.





  • Frost your cookies once they are completely cool so your frosting does not slip off.  Royal icing isn't a frosting with a sweet taste, or for that matter not really a taste at all so the cookie is the real show stopper here.   If you are a wiz at royal icing (I am jealous) I bet you can go to town decorating yours. I stress over the whole keep your frosting covered from air with saran wrap.  I did better this time than in the past.  The key really is keeping the saran wrap pressed directly on top of the frosting rather than just over the bowl.  Practice really does make perfect when your working with royal icing!  See my bowls below with the wrap touch the icing. 

    For your Royal Icing Click here for the recipe I use.  It is the best I have found and she has a whole section of FAQ.  



diy-cutout-cookies




baking-recipe-cutout-cookies

Enjoy! 







Traditions

December 09, 2014
Baking



What I love most about the holidays is the traditions.  I remember every year growing up some of the traditions my mom carried out and I have continued with a few traditions for my boys.  We made divinity, fudge, haystacks, and spritz cookies.  I loved helping her in the kitchen if for nothing else other than a sneaky little taste without the others knowing.  One of my favorite cookies to make at the holidays is the Spritz.  A light delicate almond flavored cookie.  When my grandmother passed away several years ago I requested her cookie press.  I know they make new one and they have a handy trigger that "presses out the correct amount" but I never could get it to work better than my old fashion press.  So the new one sits in the box, and with the right amount of twist of the wrist I use my Grandmother's every year.  



I am all about traditions.  I try to instill in all my boys the same.  There is something to be said for have certain expectations.  For example, every year I make home made cinnamon rolls Christmas eve for the morning festivities.  My boys have come to know this and expect them.  My oldest wanted to start the same tradition with his family and asked me to share my recipe with my daughter in law.  That's what I love about the holidays.  The warm memories traditions bring.  Another tradition is cut out cookies for santa.  Every year the boys and I would gather around the table and cut, frost and decorate cookies for santa.  He always had three on his plate, one from each boy!  One year their dad actually informed me "santa really would like to try the fudge dipped oreos"... I told him that was not tradition... and Santa never received dipped oreos!  Haha!  

I enjoy baking a lot this time of the year.  Chocolate, frosting, sprinkling, dipping, and stirring is in full force in my kitchen.   So what do I do with so many sweets coming from my kitchen?  I purchase Christmas plates and fill them up with an assortment of goodies and give them as gifts.  Home made treats make the perfect hostess gift for home parties.  When the plate is empty the hostess has a holiday plate to use again and again.  


With the holidays creeping up on us wouldn't you love to have a little extra spending cash?  I know I would! Weather you have your shopping done, or are just starting,   Coupons.com/TGS  has the good stuff! 


 If you are a budget friendly shopper, (I know I am) there are gifts for everyone.  If you're not into baking away for a hostess gift (like me), Coupons.com/TGS  has hostess gifts galore.  Do you have a hard to buy for on your list?  Yeah, everyone has at least one of those, well there are gifts for the enthusiasts too! 
 The Good Stuff 2014 Holiday Sweepstakes will be for one $100 winner per week and one $500 grand prize winner now thru December 25th.  Just click on the photo above and it will take you straight to Coupons.com!   Now that's something to be merry about! 
*This post was brought to you by Coupons.com but all the traditions are mine and I wouldn't change a one... not even for fudge dipped oreos!! 



Baked Zucchini bites

August 18, 2014
Baking
Today I am sharing a snack I made over the weekend.  It was easy and yummy.  I am a vegetarian so when we go out to eat for Italian... I generally order eggplant parmesan.  I have mastered the art of breading and baking my own eggplant at home and I make a delicious layered baked eggplant that my family loves!  So I used the same technique I use for eggplant and tried it with zucchini.  I am so glad I tried it! I hope you love them too! 

Ingredients 

  • 2 zucchinis 
  • 3 eggs 
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups bread crumbs ( I used Italian seasoned crumbs)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parchment paper

Slice your zucchini.  I used my corrugated slicer but a good old knife will work too.  Next lay them out on a paper towel and lightly salt both sides of the slices.  arrange them on the paper towel in rows and cover with another paper towel.  The salt works to draw the moisture out of the slices so they are able to absorb the breading mixture better. Let the slices sit while you prepare the breading and dredging! 



Turn your oven on to 400 to preheat.
I used plates to coat and bread my slices, but a bowl will work too.  Measure out your ingredients and add the parmesan cheese to the bread crumb mixture.   You should add a little salt and pepper to your flour as well. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.   You are now ready to dredge!  




If you have never breaded anything before don't worry... it's easy, messy... but easy! I suggest you use one hand for dry mixture and the other hand for wet mixture.  That way you don't end up breading your fingers too!  Take the slices one at a time and coat them in the flour tapping off excess.  Now drop it in the egg and use your designated wet hand to pick it up and place it in the bread mix.  With your dry hand cover and pat the bread crumb mixture on the slices then place them in rows on your baking sheet. 



Bake them for 25 minutes turning them over half way thru.  Serve them up warm with a blue cheese or ranch dip!  Enjoy!

My Readers

August 01, 2014
Colors
When Readers.com contacted me asking If I would be interested in working with them I didn't hesitate at all.  I wear readers daily.  As a matter a fact I have them strategically placed through out my house too.  I have worm glasses or contacts since I was in middle school and didn't have a need for readers until I hit my 40's.  Somewhere around 42 I was stretching things further and further back to read.  Now, it is the first thing I reach for at my desk to start my day.  Readers.com has some of the cutest styles and I coordinate my glasses to compliment my outfits!  They have become a daily staple for me to work at a computer all day so they better be cute! 



 You can always find a pair  on my head if I am not wearing them too!  Check out these darling readers.com glasses with the floral and the  pink leopard temples! 






So what about all the times I am not at the office?  When I get home in the evening to work at my desk at home you can bet there are plenty of readers around.
  

I always have several pair hanging on my glassybaby as a cute way to keep them handy on my desk.  


And for those evening I work from my laptop... yup you got it, more readers on my night stand.  This crystal jar was my grandmothers and I use it to hold my readers, hand cream and a little lip balm neatly on my night stand. I am all about keeping my readers.com glasses handy and displayed cute.  



So when I say I have glasses strategically placed all around my home... I mean it!  See?  There is even a pair by the kitchen sink.  You wouldn't believe the number of times I have tried to read some label printed so tiny an ant would have difficulty!  Readers.com is definitely where I will be going to add more readers when I need them!  



*Readers.com sent me glasses for this post to use. All opinions are mine and I am never without a pair of readers... or two!  I would never recommend something I didn't trust or believe in and I love my readers for sure!  

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