More Words To Live By!

My daughter-in-law sent this to me.  It was so sweet I just had to post it!

I Am A Mother

I did a search and found the author:  Ameliosgirl.

More Words To Live By!

I saw this today on facebook and thought it was worth sharing.

Homemaking is surely in reality the most important work in the world.  What do ships, railways, mines, cars, government, etc., exist for except that people may be fed, warmed and safe in their homes? . . .  The homemaker's job is one for which all other's exist.
C. S. Lewis

My New Hobby: Scarves!

Like I need another hobby to keep me from what I should be doing!!  I know! But I love making these!

All the women in my family got a scarf as part of their Christmas gift this year.  Here's a sampling of a few I just made.

 This one was knitted using Ice Mambo yarn.  This yarn is so easy to work with!

Same yarn as above for this one, just different colors.  I love this one!

This one is crocheted from Mirabella yarn.  I think this would make a nice spring or summer scarf.

This is another that I think would make a nice summer scarf.  It's light and airy.  I bought this yarn at Michael's, I believe.  I think it's Ice yarn as well, but I'm not sure about that. I know the pattern is Flamenco.

This one is crocheted using Red Heart Sashay yarn.  I've seen a lot of these around town and on facebook.

I bought the yarn for this one at Joann's.  

Most of these yarn patterns come in a rainbow of different colors.  And most of them can be crochet or knit.  I just go with whatever I think looks best for that particular yarn.

More to come, I'm sure!!

More Words To Live By!

Back in October of 2011, I posted a quote I found on Facebook and titled it "Words To Live By."  Amazingly, that post gets a lot of hits!  Recently, I read the following quote somewhere and decided to post it as another "Words To Live By" selection.  This also happens to be my New Year's motto.

Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
To all the people you can,
In every place you can,
At all the times you can,
For as long as ever you can!

Poinsettia Cookie Platter

I first saw this idea over at The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.  I like the shape of her leaves better than mine, but I was trying to work with the cookie cutters I had on hand.

I think I ended up using about 25 or 26 cookies for this platter.  I forgot the green leaves, though!  I actually decorated these cookies while trying to play games with the family on Christmas Eve.  So it's definitely not my best work!!

I used the platter as a centerpiece on one of my dinner tables.  It was beautiful!!

Canning Jar Oil Lamps

I bought this lamp recently and have enjoyed it so much!  It burns paraffin oil and had a fiberglass wick, which never burns up, so it never needs to be replaced.  

I decided to make a few as gifts.  Here's my version:

 

I like the shape of the jar on the one I purchased better, but this was all I could find locally at this time of year.  I spray painted the ring on mine so it would match better.  I used Rust-oleum Textured Radiant Brass.  It matched pretty close.  For the lid, I bought a vase cap, which is used in the construction of lamps or light fixtures.  I had a prettier, vented one, but I gave that lamp away before taking pictures of it.

I prefer the lid on the lamp I purchased.  The fluted design is beautiful!

I purchased the wick, glass wick holder and vase cap online and bought the jars at Wal Mart.  I used Holiday Picks that I picked up at Michael's for 60% off to fill the jar, along with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, then added the oil.  A deeper vase cap than the one shown here works better.  The wick holder has trouble staying straight because it's sticking down into the pine cones and pine needles.  If I do any more of these, I'll hunt for a taller one.  Over all, this was a simple gift to make and everyone loved them!

UPDATE:
After doing some research, I found that you can add a piece of bamboo in the center of the jar for the wick to hang down into.  This will prevent the glass wick holder from hitting the filler.  I'll try this next time I make these.

Decorated Letter

I saw this idea on Pinterest but didn't save it to my board!  So I did it by memory.

I'm sure the original was better.  Hopefully, I'll find it one of these days.

This is one of those cardboard letters you can pick up for a couple bucks at Hobby Lobby.  I drew the design with tacky glue, then let it dry overnight.  Next, I spray painted it silver, then used black shoe polish to glaze it (since I was too lazy to go to the store and buy black glaze!!)

Present Cookies

First time to try Present Cookies!!  Sent some to CA to my in-laws and enjoyed some at our school party.

Red & White Christmas Ornament Cookies & Brown Sugar Spice Cookie Recipe

Here are more ornament cookies I made as gifts for a few friends.  

For these, I used the sugar cookie recipe I posted in my last post and a Brown Sugar Roll Out  recipe I found at The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.  It has become a family favorite, especially at Christmas-time!

Here's the recipe:

Brown Sugar Roll-Out Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. milk, half and half, or orange juice ( I use half and half or whipping cream)
2 tsp. extract (I usually use vanilla}
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon (spices optional, but I always add them!)
1 tsp. nutmeg
dash ground cloves

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, extract, and other liquid. Mix until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients.  Add to creamed mixture a cupful or so at a time until all of the dry mixture is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, add flour little by little until it's no longer sticky.   Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.  Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes (once again, I make mine a little thicker).  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2" apart.  (I do things a little bit different here.  After cutting out my cookies and placing on a cookie sheet, I put the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes to firm the dough up before baking).  Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are no longer shiny.  (I bake mine at 350).  I also leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.  Decorate as desired.

Enjoy!!

Baby Blue & Pink Ornament Cookies & Sugar Cookie Recipe

I made these ornament cookies for my sister's family in CA this week.  Even managed to get them in the mail so they'll have them before Christmas!!  I'm quite proud of myself!!

Since she has three newly adopted little ones, I decided on a baby blue and pink color theme.

For the past couple of years, I have been using a cookie recipe I found at Cookie Crazie.  It is absolutely delicious!  And her cookies are adorable, by the way!  I found her blog when I first started making decorated cookies and was looking for someone who used glaze instead of royal icing.  I have learned so much from her blog.  This recipe is actually a little different than the one she has posted now.  I've never tried the newer version, but I fully intend to one of these days.

Here's the recipe:

Cookie Crazie Sugar Cookies

4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon extract - I usually use almond, unless I'm doing chocolate cookies
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the egg, vanilla and sour cream until will blended.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a couple of hours.  (I don't always do this and they turn out fine!!  I'll tell you what I do below.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4" thick (I do mine a bit thicker).  Cut into desired shapes.  Place cookies 1 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 14 - 16 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Variation:
Substitute 1/2 cup cocoa for 1/2 cup flour (I use Hershey's Special Dark)

Recipe makes approximately 25 medium sized cookies.

If I don't have time to chill the cookie dough, I go ahead and roll out and cut my cookies, then I place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes before baking.  I've found that the cookies tend to spread more if the dough hasn't been chilled.  I actually prefer to do it this way rather than chilling the dough first.

Some of the cookies pictured in this post are a Brown Sugar Spice Recipe that I found online somewhere.  I'll post it next, but I would like to find the blog I found it on first, so I can give credit where credit is due.

Enjoy!!