A Fun Sugar Cookie Tutorial

Last Friday I had a baking lesson from my friend's daughter.  We met at Sheryl's place and Lisa got busy.  Honestly, I pretty much watched and gleaned as much information as I could.  Lisa makes the BEST sugar cookies evah!  I had her recipe but my cookies didn't look or taste like Lisa's cookies.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup shortening * Lisa uses butter flavor Crisco, I didn't know that!

1/2 cup butter *Lisa says it must be room temp.

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs * Lisa says they must be room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla *Lisa uses Costco brand, I do too.

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour *I brought Robin Hood from Canada, I think it's the best.

Cream the shortening and butter in a medium bowl.  Add sugar, mix well.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix in the dry ingredients.

Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut out cookie shapes.*Lisa makes them thick and I think that is what makes them good.  Really thick, see photos. 

 Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  *Lisa really watches them so they don't get over baked.

Cool.  Frost and decorate as desired.

Lisa works a fair amount of flour into the dough before she rolls the cookies.  She kneads it in.  We tripled the recipe.

Emeri was our helper.  I can hardly believe it but she talks MORE than her Grandma and I when we get to together.  She calls her Grandma, "Chilla".  It's really cute!

Yes, they are thick!

For the frosting Lisa melts a half cube of butter, and adds the butter and half and half to the powdered sugar, slowly.  No recipe, sorry folks.  She adds a bit of vanilla but not too much as we wanted the frosting to be white.

Wedding white!

The frosting should be thick enough that it doesn't fall off the knife.

The frosting should be spread on thick.  Lisa puts the sprinkles on thick too.

Besides cookies for Mother's Day we made wedding cookies for an engagement care package that I was mailing to Danny and Jessica.  We made wedding cake cookies and bridal gown cookies.

The hearts were for Mother's Day brunch.

For Danny and Jessica's package I had fun finding treats so they could celebrate their engagement.

Vintage champagne glasses, a silver keepsake, a check for champagne, wedding sugar cookies, Bride magazines, nail polish(Glass Slipper and Champagne Toast) for Jess, vintage favors with Jordan almonds. Don'ts For Wives, a book I found at Paper Source with some very antiquated ideas about marriage.  I hope they have some laughs reading this book.  I packed the box with some something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

I used an old wedding dress pattern for tissue.

Hubby and I had fun putting the package together.  We are so happy for Danny and his sweet fiancee.  

Their wedding date is June 21, 2014.

Thank you Lisa, Sheryl and Miss Emeri for a fun morning.  It was inspiring and very educational for this baker.  Sugar cookies are my favorite and Lisa's are my very favorite!

Easy Peasy, NOT

When Shelly and I went to the Island Chicks this Spring we spotted some pretty little cloches.  We realized they were made from stemmed wine glasses and vintage earrings.  At ten bucks a pop we naively chuckled and said we'd make our own.

 I found vintage earrings at a garage sale.  They let me fill a sandwich bag with earring for five bucks.  Then I went to the thrift store and looked for 49 cent glasses.  I watched  several many you tube videos on how to cut glass and got busy.  Hubby was gone and I thought I'd craft a dozen in an evening.

It's not as easy as you may think and honestly I should have bought the cloches at the show.

Hubby came home and I had nothing to show him for my evening's work.  Nada.

The next night he helped me and we enjoyed some success with a blow torch.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.  No one warned me so I went ahead, foolishly, I might add and used a blow torch and ice water with mixed results.

Anywhoo, I had to share my results. 

I made cloches for my sisters for Mother's Day.  I used fairly large wine glasses, pearl and glass vintage earrings and saucers with a silver design.  I put their gift under the cloche. and tied a ribbon at the top.  Very pretty!

 I made a few more for fun.  I'd probably make more but Hubby and I are lucky that our kitchen is still standing and that we still have our eyesight.  It's probably best to leave well enough alone.

Oh, and do me a favor and refrain from leaving me comments about how to cut glass with string, nail polish remover and fire, or how to cut glass by scoring it or ... I know, I know, I know and those methods do not work on stemware.  Trust me on this one.

Oh Mama!

 Mother's Day began on Thursday evening for me.  Max surprised me by coming home for the weekend.  He brought me a box of shiney brites.   Max definitely knows what his mama loves, he brought me some wine from Walla Walla too.  It was going to be my first Mother's Day without any of the guys at home.  I was so happy to have Max here for the weekend.  And I got call from Danny and Sam yesterday.  I am blessed by my guys.

We set a special table for the Moms in the sitting room.  Since it is lilac season I chose lavender and green for the tables.  We have brunch on Mother's Day.  The place cards were sugar cookies with each mama's   first initial.  I'll be sharing more about the cookies later this week.

 Hubby's parents came for the day, and my parents, and my sisters and their families were here.

It was pretty special for Hubby and I to have both of our Moms here to celebrate with us.

I filled the house with big and small bouquets of lilacs. 

 After everyone left Hubby came with my book, a pillow and a blanket and  led me to the sofa.  He then went into the kitchen and tackled the dishes.  So yes, it was a very nice day for this mama!

Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers

Have you planted your annuals?  I was stalling as I didn't want to prolong the watering season.  Yesterday I caved.  It's been such gorgeous weather and we are hosting Mother's Day brunch on Sunday so I bought the annuals and planted them.  Last year Sheryl helped me with my planters and this year Shelly helped me.  Shelly gave me something to remember easily, 

"every planter needs a thriller, some filler and a spiller."

 Just like last summer I went with fuchsia and coral for the patio planters.  

The colors clash but in a pretty way.

According to me, anyway.

The window boxes in the front are red, white and blue.  They need to look good with our bunting for the Fourth of July.  We are a military family and I like to be reminded of our troops.

***Edited to add:  The plants were purchased from Vander Giessen Nursery, LCHS and WFC, all in Lynden.  VG Nursery is where most of the plants were purchased.  They have beautiful plants.

On a another note, come see me at the Lynden Pioneer Museum Gift Shop this morning.  It's our Mother's Day SaLe!  We have 20% off all aprons, towels and our new line, Crabtree & Evelyn, and one surprise sale.  Plus it's super fun on Thursday mornings at the museum, Leslie and Marjean are the volunteers.  See you there!

Our Guest Room

 Remember when the guest room became a guest room?  It continues to get little updates and tweeks.  The candlebra is new to me.  I found it at The Picket Fence in Lynden.  I'm still looking for six inch cream tapers, the ten inch are just too tall.  They aren't that orange in real life, by the way.  I'd like to find a creamy white twist taper.  Remember those?  I'm not sure they are even made anymore so that will be an ongoing lookout at estate sales.

 I hung the hooks and added satin and velvet hangers for guests.  Possibly for her dress that she packs for dinners? Or for a pretty robe?

I am still on the look out for a luggage rack and a cozy cream rug.

It's coming along though, this space for guests to feel welcomed and loved.

Get Going!

I did a bit of junkin' this weekend.  The local yard sales on Friday were better for me than the estate sale in Belltown on Saturday.  At the sale on Saturday they were pretty proud of their wares and I walked away.  I will not pay $65 for a curtain panel.  No, I think not.

The sunshine was amazing this weekend and I took advantage of the vitamin D by sitting on the patio in the sun, enjoying a happy hour on the patio and spending most of the weekend outdoors.

Hubby and I are hosting Mother's Day brunch this year so I need to get my game on this week.  There is some cleaning, cooking, crafting and creativity involved.  This is the kick in the pants I need because honestly, there hasn't been much cleaning, cooking, crafting or creativity going on here.  Game on!  

Or at least, I'll make a list of what I should be doing to prepare... and in the meantime, I have some painting to do this morning.  Happy SuNnY Monday!