Author Archives: Ann

Bunny Boy “Buddy”

My little girl bunny needed a little buddy at her side, and here he is.  His official name is “Boy Bunny with a piebald patch”, and he was designed by Julie Williams, whose patterns for these adorable softies are available on Ravelry.  I knitted him using Blue Sky Alpacas Sport weight yarn…very soft and slightly […]

Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Baking cakes from scratch is not usually a process I embrace, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve baked some pretty tasty cakes by “doctoring” a Duncan Hines mix.  So why did I decide to give this recipe a try?  Pinterest (where I spend waaay too much time).  I saw it there and, since […]

Some Bunny to Love

                                                                I wish I could explain exactly what possessed me when I hit the “buy it now” button for this Ravelry pattern.  Knitting toys is just not my thing…or so I thought.  And then I discovered “Bunny girl in a dotty dress” by Julie Williams.  Love at first sight.  Was […]

Valentine’s Sugar Cookies

Thanks to one-too-many snow days, I was able to find enough time to make a batch of Valentine’s sugar cookies. I’ve been trying for a long long time to perfect the sugar cookie baking and decorating process, and I’ve spent way too much time collecting recipes, buying books and reading blog after blog for all […]

Elsa and Olaf Frozen-inspired Hats

Frozen-mania continues to create excitement with children, and themed merchandise appears just about everywhere we shop (including the Dollar stores!).  And there were more little Elsa trick-or-treaters this past Halloween than I could even count.  So when I came across this adorable pattern on Ravelry a few months back, I took a deep breath, made […]

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas cookie-baking is in full swing at my house, and this is a new recipe that everyone is just lovin’.  You’ll need one can of Solo Almond filling: and one can of Solo Raspberry Cake & Pastry Filling: Both of these items should be available in the cake-mix aisle at your grocery store. Print RASPBERRY […]

Sweet Newborn Crocheted Hat and Cardigan

Before anyone gets too excited…. Yes.  My son married a wonderful woman this past May, but this set was not crocheted with them in mind.  Instead, there is another happy couple expecting their second daughter next month, who I am hoping will wear this sweet little hat and sweater when she heads home with her […]

Black Magic (has me in its spell)

The recipe for Black Magic cake has been around forever and is, understandably, favored by many.  It is incredibly moist and soft, has a deep, rich chocolate taste and is nearly impossible (at least for me) to resist. The recipe I use comes from Allrecipes, where  lots of folks have LOTS to say, so the […]

Wedding Dress Sugar Cookies

The past three months have whizzed by quickly, and I’ve been knee-deep in preparations for my son’s wedding on May 10.  Aside from searching for a dress, and trying to starve myself a size smaller*, I managed to make these wedding dress cookies as a favor for the recent bridal shower.  With the help of […]

Brownie Crunch

I had originally intended to kick-off the new year with a great-tasting, low-fat recipe for who knows what.  Like countless others, I turn the calendar to January, and I make resolutions about exercise and weight loss that last about a heartbeat.  This year (predictably) is no different.  Instead of Weight Watchers and a gym membership, […]

Gingerbread Snowflakes

As the snow was falling from the sky yesterday, these gingerbread snowflakes were adorning my kitchen table.  I sat there for hours, my pastry bag filled with royal icing, having too much fun decorating each and every one.  I had baked the cookies a couple of weeks ago, and stored them (undecorated) in the freezer.  […]

Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

A very snowy Saturday found me in the kitchen yesterday…alone…for my annual baking marathon.  “Little a” was planning to join me, but the doom-and-gloom weather forecast kept her home.  I was sad, but a marathon is a marathon and I was moving forward. I’ve made this chocolate biscotti before, but never with Andes Peppermint Crunch […]

Raspberry White Chocolate Bars

This is one of my all-time favorite holiday cookies.  The recipe for this heavenly bar cookie comes from Land o Lakes.  Seedless raspberry jam, white chips and a shortbread crumble are sprinkled atop a partially baked shortbread base, and then the pan is returned to the oven for final baking.   The directions specify using […]

Chocolate-Dipped Stamped Shortbread

I know…I know.  I’m leap-frogging right over Thanksgiving and making a beeline for Christmas.  Couldn’t help it, though, because I’m anxious to share my first 2014 Christmas cookie.  It’s a deliciously crisp and buttery shortbread cookie with a thin layer of dark chocolate beneath. I bought this Birkmann cookie stamp a few weeks ago at […]

Emerald Cardigan

Some months ago, way back at the beginning of 2013, I learned that emerald is the “color of the year”.  Prior to this, I’m not sure I ever even realized that there WAS a “color of the year”.  And, being a “love-everything-pink” person, I could not imagine myself becoming enamored with any shade of green. […]