Thanks to hurricane Irene, we lost power for three days. Not nearly as bad as others have experienced, I know, but bad enough. I never really know what to do with myself when the power goes out. Clean a closet? Uh…no. Organize stuff? Right. Plant myself on the sofa with some yarn and knitting needles? […]
Irene has made a crazy person of me. Three straight days of hurricane-doom-and-gloom has turned me into a potential contestant for “Survivor”. My list? Buy gallons of drinking water. Check. Canned foods, peanut butter and loads of non-perishables. Check Oil lamps, candles and matches. Check. Gas up my car. Check. Haunt my kids in an […]
Includes recipes for Bethy’s Pink Cookies, Pignoli Cookies, Chocolate Macaroons, Rainbow Cookies, Spritz Cookies, Chocolate Espresso Balls, Double Coconut Biscotti, Mexican Tea Cakes, Raspberry White Chocolate Bars, No-Fail Sugar Cookie Hearts, Neapolitan Sugar Cookies, Almond Diamonds
I can’t help myself. Whenever there is a celebration and some baking to be done, I’m raising my hand, shouting “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!!”. And Jill’s bridal shower gave me the perfect opportunity to use my Wilton’s Giant Cupcake pan to create a pretty centerpiece for the dessert table. The table had a […]
Guess where I spent two glorious days? Yes…that’s the Empire State Building and, I say it loudly and proudly, “I LOVE NEW YORK”!! My friend, Lisa, and I decided to lose ourselves in the frenzy of the city and we hit the pavement running. This photo was taken as we stepped outside our hotel, the […]
Rainbow cookies are deliciously moist and rich tri-color cookies that are usually found at Italian bakeries. They have an intense almond flavor and are held together with thin layers of either raspberry or apricot jam (or orange marmalade) and a layer of melted chocolate tops them off. They are a fussy and time-consuming cookie to […]
I LOVE these cookies. REALLY love ’em. They are a soft version of the ever-popular Italian iced cookies and, once you start, you can’t stop eating them. They are exclusive to my friend Bethy and, quite honestly, nobody makes them like she does. We spent a day together baking cookies for an upcoming wedding shower, […]
Last summer, when we vacationed in gorgeous Nova Scotia, I visited a local yarn shop, met the lovely owner, and purchased this beautiful yarn as part of a kit. I tried desperately to knit the shawl for which this yarn was intended but, no can do. After several failed attempts and more than a bit […]
I’m going to a picnic today, and I’ve heard there will be LOTS of kids there. Since I volunteered to bring a dessert, I thought “brownie pops” would be a great choice…easy to transport, not too messy, and easy to eat! I really do have a treasured brownie recipe that I make from scratch, but […]
I’m going to keep working on these. Eventually, (HOPEfully), I’ll master the consistency of the royal icing, and all will be “right” in my cookie-making world 😉 Wishing you all a sparkler-filled, happy July 4th!! “A”
Tonight is our “Bayberry Babes” birthday girls night out but, as you can see, I did not bake the cake. Instead, I made these high heel sugar cookies as a take-home favor for each of the gals. I’m really getting into this cut-out-and-decorate sugar cookie thing…although, I’m not sure exactly WHY. The baking and the […]
The daycare kids are in love with the PBS show “The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That“, so it seemed like the perfect theme for our end-of-the-year party. I found most of the party supplies at Birthday Express, and I had some luck with a display that I found at Michaels. Instead […]
We’re going out for dinner tonight to celebrate Father’s Day with dear friends. As I thought about a small gift for the dads, I couldn’t think of a single thing (within my budget 😉 that might thrill them. And then, as Oprah would say, my “aha” moment. Why not bake them some man-hearty cookies! It […]
Our dear little friend, Addison, turned “3” this month and, upon receiving an invitation to celebrate the occasion, I began to think about a special gift. Since she has a beautiful playroom with toys aplenty and a huge girly wardrobe, I thought I’d make her a custom tote bag for take-along arts and crafts. I […]
Michael is my dear, sweet 7-year old nephew who has a smile that lights a room, and who received his first holy communion on Saturday. He was oh so handsome and oh so happy as he journeyed down the long church aisle with his fellow communicants…each little girl glowing in her stunning white dress, and […]