Clean slate.

 

I took down the Christmas tree and village today.  What a letdown.  I like the clean feeling in the house, but now the festive feeling is gone.  

 However, maybe it will stop me from eating cookies as one of my meals every day? I hope so.

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Merry Salt Lake City Christmas

 Jeff and I got to go for a night away this week courtesy of my brother and sister-in-law who watched our kids for us.  We love to go to a certain Hilton downtown because of the great gym.  The problem is the rooms aren't super nice.  Nice, but not fantastic.  I wish I had a picture of that gym.  The hotel website only has a picture of the cardio machines --which as we all know are the LAME part of a gym (but they do have tv's on them (yay).  Anyway, we decided to go to the other Hilton this time because the gym looked pretty good (are we nerds or what?) and the rooms looked much better.

The cable machine was gone when we got there, and some of the free weights were missing, but we got in some great workouts anyway.  I'm voting for the old Hilton next time. We were a bit further away from the city center, and so we got some nice walks in.  I've always lived in the suburbs, except for a brief time in South America, and so I love walking in the city because I feel like I'm in a romantic comedy.  Have you noticed they all seem to take place in New York City?  Except "While you were sleeping" -Chicago. Last time we stayed downtown, we witnessed a drug deal within a few feet of us.  That wasn't so romantic comedy-ish.

 

Every year the LDS church lights up Temple Square in the center of downtown Salt Lake, but this was the first time in a few years I got to see it.  Can you see me?  I'm the little dark shadow in the foreground.  That's the big LDS temple on the left --all made of hand carved granite. They light up all of the trees, running the lights up and down each branch.  I think I'd kill myself if it was my job to light up all even one tree.  Look:

 Can you IMAGINE?!? Hours and hours.

 

I've got the crappiest digital camera in the world, but I wanted to show you a little of our walk downtown. This is Main street.  All of the sidewalks are made of granite, and there are these cool clocks, and the trees are lit up too.  I could almost imagine the jazz soundtrack in the background.....

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Christmas crazies. Or, how to make your own snowflake cookies.

 Yep.  I did them again this year, but it's the laaaaast time. We ended up making 12 batches of gingerbread dough, and I didn't bother counting how many cookies this year for neighbors.  They're all done (although not all delivered). Sigh. 

 I couldn't find any more white nonpareils this year, so we were a little skimpy on those kinds.  On the plus side, I was finally able to figure out how to keep my blue flood icing glossy --but not until the second day.  See how shiny my blue ones look?  They're dry and everything!

I also found these cute gable boxes to pack them in.  We had some fun doing them this year --mainly because Tia helped (and Wendy for an hour or so -Thanks!).  But yeah, this is the last time.  Hopefully Jeff gets a million dollar an hour job before next Christmas's neighbor gifts and I can give everyone their own pony instead.  Haven't you always wanted a pony?
So I decided I ought to share my recipes so you can make your own cookies -since I'm giving out ponies from now on.

First, the equipment.  I bought a set of snowflake cutters here. ;a good rolling pin; a good mixer (-I recommend a Bosch since I burned out my Epicurean Kitchenaid twice before I gave up and switched over), cake decorating tips and bags (you need a #2 size, and maybe a six, or a flat one -like a 101) three cookie sheets; powdered sugar (try to get C&H --when I get the bargain brand I regret it when I taste it), meringue powder, lemon juice,chocolate sprinkles (Guittard are the best. I eat them by the handful when I'm feeling weak -made of real chocolate; White non-pareils (I should have ordered them there -I forgot to and looked in Funfinity --they usually have them, but DIDN'T this year), sanding sugar, and blue food color (this is me --I like the light blue with the chocolate sprinkles).

OK, here goes: the recipes. for the cookies I use a version of Mrs. Field's but add a little more spice.

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 T. ground cinnamon (I buy the cheap cinnamon though, maybe that's why Mrs. Fields only uses a t.)
3 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves (I really do about 1/2 t. --but try this first, since I really like it spicy)

Mix all of this together in a bowl.  In your Bosch add:

1 cup softened, salted butter
3/4 cup DARK brown sugar (packed)

Cream it together. Add:

1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses.

Add your dry ingredients, and mix just until moistened.

There's your dough.  Now do that twelve times if you're me :). Roll out using more flour if needed, to 1/3 an inch, cut out, and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  check them, and if they still look wet, put them in for another minute or two, but they should be really soft when you pull them out --and NOT browner around the edges. If you're fast enough, you can roll and cut out a pan's worth in 5 minutes, and then rotate three pans around between the racks of your ovens and the counter.

For the drawing icing:
1/4 cup meringue podwer
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice

beat together in a bowl (with your Bosch --see how handy they are?) until soft peaks form --just like egg white soft peaks, and add:

1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until medium to stiff peaks form. I really like a lemony-icing on gingerbread, but if you don't, you can use all water.


For the flood icing:
Take 1 cup of the icing you just made, and add 2 T. water, 6-8 drops blue food color, and 2 T. corn syrup (hence the glossiness), and mix together well.  You might add half of the water and half of the syrup first and see if you have the right consistency (draw a knife through the icing, and if it comes back together between 7 and 10 seconds.  If it takes longer, and more water/syrup, if it's too fast, add more powdered sugar).

For both of your icings, keep them covered with plastic wrap right up against the icing, and in the fridge.  If it dries out even a little around the edges, those edges can get into your decorating tip and cause you to curse and run around breaking things.

Use your drawing icing in your decorating bag with a #2 tip for making outlines of the things you want to "flood" or fill in.  Do these first, as they need to dry before you can flood.  You can also do the snowflakes you want to just draw on at this time, and then dip them in sanding sugar, nonpareils, or sprinkles right away before the icing dries.  Just fill a saucer with your topping, and turn the cookie upside down in it.  Sprinkling on top DOESN'T work.  Brush off excess.

 Outlined, and then not flooded --design instead.

When your outlines dry, you can fill in with your "flood".  Use the #6 or #101 tip, and fill in the outlines, using the tip to spread it around.  Don't do too much in there, or it will spill over the sides.  Let it dry all of the way --it takes a while-- then you can do another design on top if you want.  I love the look of a chocolate sprinkle design on top of the blue.

 Flooded without design.

 Flooded and design on top with sanding sugar.

For design ideas, I use these books:

Or look at this blog  (but you're really not allowed to compare my skill with this lady's.  She's amazing).

Good Luck! (And bring me a few while you're at it.)

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Christmas Romance

(source)

I took a personality test last night and was SURE I'd be the "romantic".  I was really sure.  Nope.  I was the "helper".  What "the helper" sounds like is a person that would do anything for people to love them.  Kinda pathetic? that's what I thought.  Sigh.  Oh well. I've known for a long time that I really like approval from those around me; not that I'd sacrifice my principles (that showed up in the test too).  ANYWAY, back to the romance.  I'm not talking Harlequin here, I'm talking about a way of looking at things --everything --and seeing things with rose-colored glasses.  I'm talking about finding the "romanticism: an exciting and mysterious quality (as of a heroic time or adventure)" in everything.  It's like taking the world, and finding the Disney in it.  That's what I like to do.

So what's my favorite time of year?  Of course. What other time of year do you decorate your whole house and city, and stylize everything from sweaters to Oreos (did you know they have Christmas Oreos)?   What other time of year are you allowed to go all goopy-eyed over movies, and songs, and faith-promoting rumors and people just say you have "the Christmas spir't"?  This is the time of year, when I can make almost three hundred 6" gingerbread snowflakes --covering every inch of my counters and no-one thinks I'm crazy (except Jeff --and frankly, he's probably right).

(source)

So I wanted to tell you where I always go with my best Christmas fantasies.  England.  When I was little (OK, and again many times as a teenager and young mom) I read a book called "The Children of Greene Knowe" and it is still influencing me now.  There is a scene in the book where the little boy goes to midnight mass with his grandmother in the local church, and travels back in time to the church's glory days when the original family that owned the manor house was alive, and had a boy singing in the choir, the building was decorated with greenery, and there were candles.... can you see it?  The picture above is of the village church near the house the book is based on. It's not midnight, but can you picture it anyway?  I always wish I had big tall stone walls decorated with greenery, and the Vienna Boy's Choir singing the Messiah as part of my personal Christmas decorations.

(source)

The Messiah has always been a big part of my Christmas fantasies. What a stunning piece of music. Growing up in San Diego, and when I lived in Tooele (I KNOW!), they had a big community production of this piece every year.  I scored a solo of some sort three different years, and even now, thinking about it makes me tear up. There is so much FEELING in that music.  I sang with everything I had in me --everyone does because It's part of the piece and you really can't go halfway.

(source)

One year BYU decorated their bookstore with streamers of what looked like sheet music for Christmas decorations, and maybe you wouldn't think it appropriate, but for me it looked exactly right. The carols and songs --especially the Messiah, are a big part of the romance of Christmas for me; especially the English ones --or OK, European ones --I just picture them all in England. I don't get into "rocking around the Christmas tree" so much, but "Deck the Halls", or "Greensleeves", or "The Angel Gabriel's Message" really speak to me.  Sometimes I wonder if it's my ancestry from that part of the world, my roots, calling to me, but I know it's probably just the same thing as always. The romance.

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Finally the Disneyland Post

Thought I'd finally get around to posting some Disney pics, just when I should be posting Christmas pics. Oh well. We really had a great time on our trip, which was a minor miracle because I was working with a spouse that hated the whole idea of Disneyland, and I was having panic attacks and nightmares that someone would steal one of our kids, or highjack our minivan.

This was the entrance to Disney California Adventure. Jeff loved this sun. Probably because the real sun wasn't super warm the whole trip. We were comfortable with our coats on, it wasn't COLD, except for the first day when it rained. But the rain? Great for crowds. We walked onto most rides that first day. We were so good with it, especially since we could go home and dry off whenever we wanted. My Disney expert neighbor found us THE hotel for being close. Seriously as close as the Disney ones, closer in a way because it was right by the park entrances. Also, the lines weren't bad any of the days with my Disney expert neighbor's written park plan. Seriously, she took a whole afternoon and typed up a schedule for us, and as long as we stuck to the plan we did great.

OK this ride though? We got a little too wet. We put all of our coats in lockers so they wouldn't get soaked, and we were fine to start, it was probably our warmest day there, but man, here's what we looked like at the end:

Here we are on Pirates. I love this ride. It's always been one of my favorites, this and Haunted Mansion. They've added Captain Jack into it, and Davey Jones, but they's still got the bald guy in the well, and the fat lady chasing a pirate, and the dirty pig guy. All the old good ones. Haunted mansion I was disappointed with this time. They redid it with Nightmare Before Christmas stuff, which is a big draw for some people, in fact, Nightmare merchandise was all over the park. Huge this year, but they just threw this Nightmare Before Christmas all over the regular haunted mansion ride, and it made kind of a big mess in my mind.

These were fun rides. Buzz Lightyear and Toy story Midway mania. They were both shoot-as-you-go and keep score rides, which was a fun idea, although Jeff kicked my butt every time. Kind of discouraging, but I beat Kai...barely.

We stayed for the fireworks our second to last night, and it was SPECTACULAR! I wasn't expecting much. I think if you've seen one firework you've seen them all. Not this show. It was all done to Christmas music (yes they even did some religious ones), the castle was amazing that they shot them over, and the fireworks were new and amazing--- I never have seen these before. I told Jeff, it was so worth paying for, just that all of us at the park that day paid enough so that they could really go all out on those explosions. I didn't think the parade was that great, they got a slow start, and there were big gaps in it, which might have meant they had some technical issues that day, but I loved the firework show.
Anyway, Santa did good this year. He put a picture of Disneyland in each of our kids' stockings to help them remember what they got this year, and they each got a couple of treats, and that was all. They were OK with it. I was kind of worried Christmas would be a bummer with the trip already over, but it really wasn't. Maybe Santa does such a bad job every other year, the kids didn't miss his (her) fumbling attempts, but whatever. I'm glad we did this instead.

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I use up my two family party allotment.

We went to Kira's (my sister's) house for Christmas eve. It was a close race as to where this party was going to be, because my other sister said Kira wouldn't care enough, so it should be here. Then Jeff said he didn't want to put up with me caring "too much" all day and snapping at everyone while I got the house and food ready, so Kira was up. She cared. It was beautiful. They had a big fire going all night, and the food was great --even if it was supposed to be a low key sandwich bar. My brother in law grilled vegetables for us (outside in the snow bless him), and there was artichoke chutney, and roasted red pepper spread, and fresh green onion and herb cheese spread, and three kinds of bread, and more dessert than you could shake a stick at. Really. Your stick would be all worn out by the time you finished shaking it at all the treats.

We also did our traditional nativity with the kids, which was actually kind of pathetic because half of the cousins weren't there yet, and Kai refused to do it (even when I threatened no ice cream he wouldn't budge), my Mom had to be Joseph. That was a picture. My sister's husband isn't a member of our church, and I swear thought we were all nuts, which was a fair assessment.

Then last night was the Christmas DAY family party. Jeff's limit is two, so I used up my second one the next day. We don't get to go to the extended family party on Sunday now (well I could go without him but then everyone asks the whole time where he is, and it's awkward --what do I say? He doesn't like crowds of people, it doesn't matter who the people are, just crowds. People don't understand.), but we're going to his parents tomorrow for a couple of days, so it's all good anyway.

ANYWAY, we went to my parents for Christmas DAY party as I was saying, and ate again (Jeff says all we like to do at our parties is eat), and opened presents, and the kids got too many, and are going to be unlivable with now they're so spoiled, and then we watched a movie, which everyone deserted halfway through which is also a tradition, and then we noticed the RAIN outside had turned to SNOW. Not good. In Utah, that's like a death sentence if you're going to drive. The rain freezes, and then snow falls on top so you don't know where the ice is.

The last two days I'd been congratulating myself that the big storm they've been predicting never came so I could go to my beloved family parties, and then here it hits right at the end of the second one. Now, if I had been by myself, I would have said yay, and spent the night and gone shopping with my mom and sister the whole next day, but my man likes his privacy and his own bed, and so was motivated to RUN out the door to try to beat the storm (which was already there). Tia was crying she was so scared, but as soon as we got down off the mountain my parents live on it wasn't bad at all. In fact, the roads were dry by the time we got to Point o' the Mountain (the county line).

So yeah, we're alive, and yeah, after cleaning the house all day I'm wondering if life's worth living anyway (my tub and shower are REALLY clean now, but do you ever wonder if the effort is really worth it? It's just going to get dirty again. I HATE cleaning the shower.). We're going to need something fun tomorrow. Now I'm in the party mood, I want to party on I guess. Meesha's coming, and Garret, and there's after Christmas sales, so I guess I'm going to be OK (if I don't make myself sick with junk food first).

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Sacred Season

I heard something cool today on KSL. If the hour of prayer is the time of day we stop to remember our Savior, and our Church services , our sacrament meetings, are the time in the week when we stop to remember our Savior, then Christmas is the season of the year when we commemorate him. It's the sacramental season of the year.

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Rambling again

Well, I haven't been feeling myself lately, but, I'm up and around again today, so thought I'd say hi. I still haven't found a Christmas present for Jeff, mainly because his list is a little tricky this year (I'd really like to tell you his main request but it's too embarrassing -think Star Wars), and frankly I'm scared to go to the store this close to Christmas. I know I'm going to have to buck up sooner or later, but right now it's looking like later. Internet shopping anyone? I'm also terrified that it's going to be a disappointing Christmas for my kids. I think I get it from my Mom. I always remember her looking anxious Christmas morning, and I never remember being anything but thrilled, but those facial expressions must have sunk deep into my subconscious because they're there inside me every year.

Part of it may be all the options! Kai wants "that for Christmas" every time we see something in a store, on TV, at a friends house.... We really try to keep it small for Christmas, just three gifts each, and this year it's more like two, but it's a conscious choice that's really hard to stick to. We also have a limit of around 40.00 to give something to each other. This makes it more challenging to give something meaningful, or something the person wouldn't buy for themselves, but sometimes (like this year) I get stuck. It's all going to be OK right?

On a brighter note, we had our church Christmas party last night, and it was really nice! My friend Audrey was in charge, and I guess that was why it turned out. The ward had no budget this year for the party, I mean literally no budget, so everything had to be potluck. She assigned out everything, and people really came through. It was just soup, salad, bread, and pie, but it all looked nice, and the soup I had was great (so whoever brought the lentil and sausage -yummm!). She even assigned out the centerpieces. The one on our table was a replica of the Grinch's sled tipping over the edge of the mountain with all the gifts (remember that part?) --our neighbor made it. The kids did the whole nativity story on stage with songs, and then the bishop read stories to the kids, and the Primary donated stuff for a craft.

Before the Christmas party, Kai had his preschool Christmas program, and ran true to family form. He REFUSED to get up there and sing. After the thing was half over I reminded him that in the spring when his class did their program (and he did a solo with no balking ---what the?) how he wanted his class to do a show "tomorrow, and the next day, and the next". He remembered, and got up and finished the show then. He wouldn't stand up and do the snowflake dance with the other kids, far far beneath him apparently, but the rest of the songs he did. Nuts. I took pictures with my phone, but they've disappeared. He looked like a teenager. "You better not pout" --he must have forgotten that part.

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Christmas letter

ACME Generic Christmas Letter

The 2008 Christmas season’s time-saving innovation for busy people!

Easy to follow instructions: In each section we have included the most popular choices, according to a recent survey among busy people such as yourself. Draw a line through non-applicable words or circle the applicable ones. Then, fill in the blanks as needed. It’s that easy!

Part A: Salutation

Dear friends / family / dudes / coworkers / IRS employees / worldwide community,

Part B: The Opening

I / We can’t believe how quickly this year has passed.

I / We have been incredibly busy with work / school / church / home shopping network / zither lessons / soccer / baseball / football /catering/ basketball / polo / rugby / jai alai / genealogy / therapy / movies / raising rabbits / yoga./tae bo

Part C: News and Accomplishments

At work I / We / Jeff have / has received an enviable raise / been promoted to Chairman of the Board / unlimited usage of the company jet / often worked long hours / regularly received 100 emails a day / taken a second job at McDonalds / often had to take lunch off for Frisbee golf / applied for Unemployment / been serving 5-10 for embezzlement.

In my / our leisure time I / we climbed Mount Everest / played Monopoly/ took a Caribbean cruise / almost got the yard finished / camped a couple of nights in Malibu / vacationed in Maui / bar-b-q'd on the back patio / learned to ski / earned a pilot’s license / motorcycled through China / restored a 57 Chevy / piddled around as usual

I / We also volunteered our vast amount of spare time as a School Crossing Guard / 11 year old scout leader / Activity days leader / Salvation Army Bell Ringer/ Bingo Night Bouncer/ enrichment committee member / Handicap Parking Monitor / Peewee Hockey Coach / Greenpeace activist / Prison Chaplain / Neighborhood Watch Captain.

Part D: The Children

I / We am / are so proud of my / our amazing / good / wonderful / beautiful / perfect children.

Tia is not / attending school and is currently in grade /K/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/F/SJ/Sr.

I / We are especially pleased that he / she has participated in the gifted and talented program , plays the following instrument: radio, is working part-time / full-time at her etsy shop and has earned the following recognition(s): master muffin maker .

Ari is not / attending school and is currently in grade P/K/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/F/S/J/Sr.

I / We are especially pleased that he / she has gotten baptized this year , plays the following instrument: vcr , is working part-time / full-time at vacuuming the house and has earned the following recognition(s): master snowflake cookie baker .

Kai is not / attending school and is currently in grade P/K/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/F/S/J/Sr.

I / We are especially pleased that he / she has participated in the Maple Rose Preschool Christmas program , plays the following instrument: Mozilla Firefox , is working part-time / full-time at bugging his sisters and has earned the following recognition(s): certified Calvin and Hobbes look-alike

If space is needed for additional children please use back of page. See page back X .

Part E: The Invitation

Please feel free to call / visit / stay overnight / move-in indefinitely if you are ever in the area.

Part F: The Closing Blessing

I / We hope that this Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / season is one of perpetual debt / love / joy / hope / peace for you and yours.

‘Til next year, love / warm regards / bah humbug Amara Tia Ari Kai Jeff

For a personal touch, and to let your recipients know how really busy you are, gently sprinkle your ACME generic Christmas letter with water, dust lightly with flour and crumple slightly.

ACME - A Christmas Made Easy

See our 2004 catalog for more timesaving holiday products

2004 MorganFamilyChristmasLetter

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Cookie Factory!

Jeff said it looked like a cookie factory in our kitchen. I said "It is". They turned out really cool this year, even with my non-discouragable helpers. That was a little hard for me sometimes, to let Tia and Ari help, and we did have a few casualties because of it, but I probably would still be working on a bunch of stale cookies now if it wasn't for their help.

I added a light blue flooding icing this year to some of them (inspired by Kuidaore).
Of course they didn't turn out nearly as sharp and perfect as hers, but then I don't think she was making 24 dozen (I know I told you only 23 dozen Kira, but it was 24), and trying to get them all done for neighbors before they were stale. She probably didn't have a ten year old and eight year old helping her either.

I finally found some sanding sugar in Orem (I went to 6 different stores, SIX!), and also found some small chocolate jimmies made by Guittard that tasted SO good --they were pure dark chocolate -I'm convinced. We also had our usual white non-pariels.

I also sent away to Amazon for a cookie decorating how-to book, and a new set of snowflake cutters that have the neat insert cutter pieces , so that was a fun new twist (until Ari made a whole batch of miniscule flakes that ended up driving me crazy to decorate).

All in all, it was a fun -but hectic- time. We did a marathon session Saturday from 9:00am- to midnight, and finally finished. Nothing has gotten me in the Christmas spirit like that though (really.). I was in the kitchen working with Tia and Ari up until their bedtime, and we're snitching pieces of dough, listening to Christmas carols on the radio (that "shmaltzy Christmas music" my Dad's so fond of --Jeff had to leave the room), smelling those good cloves and spices --I ground my own cloves this year- what a difference, and looking at these beautiful things we were creating while the snow really fell in Mapleton for the first time this year. We even had the fireplace going most of the day. Idyllic. This is what I dreamed of when I told my Aunt lynn I "just wanted to be a mom that made cookies with my kids". We used the rolling pin, and cookie recipes she gave me for my wedding present.

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Halfaway there.

This is why I'm not posting. All the dough and icing is made, half the cookies are baked (hopefully, I did have a couple casualties I may have to replace), and none are decorated. WHIRL WHIRL WHIRL!

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Gingerbread kit

Well we did our traditional "cheap gingerbread house kit from Wal-Mart". After a big argument about how we did it last year (I maintained we decorated the pieces first and then put it together, as this only makes sense, and Tia insisted we put it together first --Tia won-- that's what the box says), the kids got going and managed to put it all together before taking it apart again and eating it. By the time I got home from my hair appointment (thank you thank you Sadie --what a miracle worker you are! I was grey grey grey), it was completely gone. Jeff maintains he threw it away, but I looked in the trash (so what? I was curious!) and the only thing there was the base. I think Jeff ate the remains!

OK this little guy looks like he's been through 'Nam. My favorite kind of gingerbread guy.

You can see Kai probably didn't get his fair share of helping time. My girls are a little OCD about baking stuff. Kai still had a little fun I think.

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Why real photographers use a tripod.

I was thinking it would be fun to show you how my tree turned out, with thanks to Stacy's idea of the 7.00 Costco ribbon, but then I reallized I was a little short on equipment to take the pictures properly. I wanted to show you how everything really looked with the lights off, and the tree and Christmas village lights turned on, but that needs a longer exposure time, during which I am prone to breathe. Anyway, Here are some artistically blurry pictures of this year's Christmas decor.

Because it takes a village.... I was really dreading setting this up, but after setting up buffet/catering tables all year, the village was actually a piece of cake. (Mmmmm. Cake.)

If you look close, you can see the lights are small wiggly lines (that's when I breathed I guess).

Pretty cool eh? Nothing like the Robert's craft store trees, but then I didn't spend 27 hundred thousand dollars on it either. Jeff WAS right though, it doesn't quite fit with the star. I had to squash it on there, and the top point is scraping the ceiling.

See? Not so impressive with the flash, but at least it isn't blurry.

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Neat advent idea.

My friend Lesa brought this over for a neighbor gift yesterday (actually it was her whole family -they even sang to us when I hassled them a little!) and I thought it was a cool idea. You burn a section of the candle everyday (maybe when it's family scripture time) until it's Christmas.

Of course there IS the ever-present "little boys and fire" issue....

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Cooking cookies

I really thought I did a pretty good job on my cookies last year, and was looking around for some new ideas for this year's cookies. I'm afraid I found the goddesses of cookie decorating. Too bad for me. I thought Martha with her entourage was worthy of emulating, but these people have got some real talent. Jocelyn of Kuidaore is located in Singapore and teaches classes at Shermay's Cooking School . The Mad baker is also located in Singapore and really does some impressive stuff. The pictures I chose from her blog are only the tip of the iceberg.

Mad Baker

Kuidaore

Kuidaore

Kuidaore

Kuidaore

Mad Baker

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