...and more leaves...

so this is probably the first time i posted pictures on facebook, then waited a few hours to write about them here.  gotta get the word out!  on sale now at The Meet Market, cute little trees, and matching brownie pops.  and my spidey sense says there will be chocolate chip cookies later this week.  so come on in for lunch!
and later this month, definitely pumpkins, and i'm thinking some skulls too.

turning leaves

my coworker at The Meet Market brought in some cookies from another establishment.  they were swirly fall leaves with the veins drawn in.  (they looked all right, but i take issue with the recipe.) i felt i had to participate in the making of fall cookies, so i brought these in to share.  just simple leaves, but with a blast of burgundy or red with the airbrush, then a quick sketch of veins.  i like how the watered-down food coloring sometimes makes a splotchy effect--leaves are never evenly dappled, and it looks so water-colorish.  (while they were drying i went to the craft store, and a leaf just like the larger green/burgundy one was lying next to my car.  nice.)
the cookie dough for something decorated is currently in the cooler and i welcome your suggestions for my inaugural, in-house, professional batch of decorated cookies to sell to the public.  more leaves?  pumpkins?  oh the Halloween ideas...  and when i get them made, i'll be sure to tell you all about the place.  for now i'm a mom on the go, and i have to post this quick, and meanwhile you can head over there and sample my banana bread (no nuts) and oatmeal/raisin/date cookies (with and without nuts).  yum.  go, eat, be merry!  and coming soon, ferrets!

and on to the new year...

these snowmen, snowballs, snowflakes, and snowy trees were part of the Christmas package sent to my brother's family.  like i said, if they were to arrive late for Christmas, they're still winter cookies, if not Christmas cookies.  i made a bunch and gave a bag to Vanessa for that help she gave Jeff with his online work/stock thing.  all extras were promptly eaten.  sorry Santa.  the resemblance to the snowman in "The Snowman" was a coincidence--and he had a (tangerine?) for a nose, not a carrot.  and around my cookies, you'll probably hear Perry Como playing...
and that brings me to the end of the year, and the pictures taken thus far.  i'll have another 90th birthday assignment in January, and a kid's birthday after that.  and some owls for a baby shower... and then Valentine's day? (nudge) see ya on the flip side! Merry Everything! Happy New Year! and drive careful out there...

the one-elf kitchen

holy mistletoe did December kick my hiney. i still owe Vanessa and Theresa a dozen each for covering hubby's Christmas weekend, and Aunt Donna and family can expect a thank you package--had we drawn one of their names for the secret Santa game, a treat package would have accompanied the gift; alas, orders came in, snow fell, one car was shared, one toddler discovered "no" and now it's already 2 weeks after Christmas and i still twitch a little. i didn't bring any cookies to Christmas at my brother's, didn't do a plate for Jeff's family, and i didn't even bother sending cards this year. seriously, some years i'm Martha Stewart, this year i was Charlie Brown. but i do have pictures to prove i was busy, and i will take care of my back-logged cookie agenda.

onward.

Jeff's sister Heather and Aunt Dahlas lead the choir and bestow thank-you treats to singers, readers, and musicians who make the yearly musical service and pot luck dinner a success. once more, i was asked for a cookie creation based on this year's theme, "Emmanuel, God with us." at first, a nativity scene was suggested, but i pointed out that one would then have to bite and eat baby Jesus. the "Emmanuel" part comes from the angel informing Mary about Jesus, 9 months before Christmas, but if you say "angel" and "Christmas" one first thinks of the angel directing shepherds and kings. so i drew a sketch for a composite cookie of an angel gesturing to the star and got a thumbs up. the trickiest part was piping in the blue sky as negative space before filling in the angel, lest i cover detailed edges, like the face and hand, by trying to do the angel first. i heard one choir member thought the cookies came from a bakery; it's always nice to be mistaken for a professional. :)

next came Jeff's godmother Dorothy, who wanted 2 dozen. i included a slender white tree with dragees and something new i tried: there's a variety of cookie sprinkle that comes in different shapes--tiny hearts, tiny circles, etc.--and they're made with vegetable oil, i presume so they wont stick to each other. if you were to take a spoonful, and a little bit of pearl dust, and shake them in a tiny container, the dust sticks to the sprinkles. i can now make shiny blue ornaments.


then i did some red and green pinwheel stars, and by then the order was done, but i had just reorganized my sprinkles so i had to try my meta-cookie idea, little cookies on a cookie sheet. i sent these along too.


then i had just enough time to fill one more order--Jamie who ordered the bridesmaid dresses wanted to give a dozen to her godmother, so i did a dozen snowflakes with simple mint-green lines.
and by then i had enough time to tidy the house and pack for Indiana. much thanks for your orders, ladies, and many apologies to anyone who thought i might be slacking. fear not, i'm still baking.
coming soon, my other December order for a girl's night out, those cookies i owe people, and probably some birthdays... happy new year everyone!

i like to kick it old school

this year i fell in love with pearl dust. first i made my wedding cookies shimmer, then i made shiney reindeer, then i made actually-silver bells. i seriously got all bouncy like a kid when i made a metalic cookie. to complete the trio for eldra's december dozen, i paired the "silver" with pastel blue and ta-da, it was 1952. the fun continued with pinwheel stars. next year? christmas robots!