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Tag Archives: holidays

the “infamous” Easter cookies…

4 / 17 / 14
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Carrots, bunnies, baby chicks, flowers, ducks…

So yesterday I talked about my nostalgic Easter memories, and mentioned our yummy Easter sugar cookies that we were, well… not to brag, but we were kinda known for…

IMG_2779Went searching for a good pic of them today, but was only able to get a so-so picture. That’s ok with me though. Considering the state of complete and utter chaos “slight disorganization” my photos are in… finding ANY picture with a cookie in it was nothing short of an Easter miracle. So enjoy it. Please. It did NOT come easy. Here’s the good news though.  Actually, TWO parts to the whole good news thingie. First of all, I’m sharing our recipe with you; or should I say – Betty Crocker is sharing her recipe with you.  It is actually from her “Cooky Book” (1963 – Page 18)!  Ya – Vintage stuff!! 

Mary’s Sugar Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream sugar and butter together. Add egg and flavorings, mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together and mix in. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16″ thick on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutter and bake on parchment paper on baking sheet for 6-8 minutes or until delicately golden.  (Makes 4 dozen 3″ cookies) ** After cooling, we liked to frost with a buttercream icing before heavily decorating with sprinkles!!

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IMG_2771The second bit of good news? It’s Throwback Thursday & as I was frantically searching for the elusive “Easter sugar cookie pic” – I came across these treasures. Awww… So cute!! My kids are gonna love me for this one (wink, wink…) xo

 

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cranberry orange scones

11 / 29 / 12

Talk about perfect for the holidays… I found this delicious recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones on a blog that I follow, I’m an Organizing Junkie. It originally comes from Angie at her blog, Echoes of Laughter.  Please check out both blogs for tons of great ideas!!!  Thank you, Laura & Angie!  (Note to self:  Freeze some of the scones for nibbling come January 1st when I am poring over Laura’s site continuing my ongoing quest to GET ORGANIZED!!)

Hello Org Junkie Readers! I am so happy to be visiting with you today and sharing one of my favourites from the kitchen.

I am in love with scones. They are my favourite baked treat and I make them on a weekly basis. One of the reasons that I love scones, besides their tender goodness, is that I find that they are quick to mix up and quick to bake….there is just one sheet to bake, unlike cookies where you may have up to 4 sheets of cookies to go in the oven. If you are a regular visitor to my blog, then you know that I often share scone recipes and I am all about changing up the flavours and add-ins to reflect the current season! Cranberry Orange Scones are my most recent creation and are perfect for the upcoming Christmas season.

Scone recipes with buttermilk included are my favourite…the tenderness and flavour of the scones are so just so decadent and delicious that they are hard to resist….even if you are not a scone fan. When I am making scones to give as a gift, I often drizzle and sprinkle some goodies on top to give them a from-the-fancy-bakery look.

Cranberry Orange Scones

{makes 16 small scones}

Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2-3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup cold butter 1 1/4 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon orange extract orange zest from 1 orange 1 scant cup frozen cranberries {I like lots of berries. Use less if you don’t!} Sanding sugar {coarse sugar} {optional}

To decorate the tops: {optional} 3 tablespoons craisins, chopped 3 tablespoons candied orange peel 1 cup white chocolate melting wafers, melted

Directions:

1.In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir.

2. Cut butter into cubes and add into flour mixture. Use pastry cutter or 2 forks to cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs.

3. Add cranberries, buttermilk, orange extract and orange zest. Stir with large spoon until soft dough forms.{If dough seems dry, add a little more buttermilk}. Turn onto floured surface {and flour your hands too!}and knead gently 7-8 times. Dough will be very sticky at first.

4. Divide dough into 2 discs. Pat each disc into a 6 inch circle. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with sanding sugar or regular sugar if desired.

5. Place wedges on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until scones are puffed up and golden around the edges.

6. Cool scones on wire rack. To finish, drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle with chopped craisins and candied orange peel.

Now you have a wonderful treat to share….perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!

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big ben

6 / 6 / 12

I have to admit that watching the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration over the past couple of days has made me a bit nostalgic…

It seems like a hundred years ago, now; our life in London.  It was 1986 when the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to these two young, 20-something newlyweds.  The next two years play out in my mind  like a slideshow of beautiful memories, unforgettable friends and extraordinary experiences.  Here we were, two young kids from the midwest.  We were suddenly living in the heart of London, in a small flat (apartment), with a refrigerator that was not much bigger than a small “bar” refrigerator and a washer/dryer “combo”.  (Yep. One contraption takes care of both.  Go figure.) Two of the modes of transportation were a huge underground subway system (“the tube”), or a car (our little white Jetta) with the steering wheel on the right side of the car, that you were, somehow, expected to drive on the left side of the street!  We learned that a “boot” is the trunk of your car, if you need an elevator, you ask for the “lift” and for goodness gracious, if you have to go potty, you need to find the “loo”!!   We fell in love with Indian food, the theatre and the English countryside.  I fell “head-over-heels in love” with “afternoon tea”… the finest tradition on earth, in my ever so humble opinion. I did not, however, fall in love with “pub food”.  Just saying.  We learned that drizzly rain is just that… drizzly rain; and it doesn’t stop anything. When the sun did make an appearance – it was a gift and a glorious celebration.  We learned that no one there cares if it is Thanksgiving back home and that the holidays are a time that you really do miss your family…  We made lots of friends, however.  Good friends; with people from all over the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.  Those friends, along with our many, many experiences, have proven to be truly unforgettable.  There is so much more to share in future posts – but suffice it to say that our time in London was absolutely, positively “splendid”!!  Cheers!

“From the top of the bus she could see the vast bowl of London spreading out to the horizon: splendid shops with mannequins in the window, interesting people and already a much bigger world.”   – Julia Gregson

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Hello, friends!!

I love mismatched chairs and organized closets; springtime thunderstorms and Sunday morning coffee; pearls and puppy breath; welcome home hugs and walking the beach; fresh flowers and flea markets; autumn leaves and afternoon tea.

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