Just wanted to share some smiles with another photo I took recently of adorable Baby Eva!
How could Santa resist this little sweetie waiting under the Christmas tree?!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Christmas
Not Your Momma’s Cookie Exchange Party
Remember those aprons I shared yesterday that I made for my daughter-in-law’s cookie swap party?
Well – here we are doing the Whip Bake Bake at the party!
I am so excited to share some photos of the amazing party my even more amazing daughter-in-law (third from the left back row – next to me) threw.
This is not your momma’s cookie exchange like we did back in the day!
Check out the amazing drink station where Colleen served Hot Chocolate with all the fixings and add ins as well as gin and tonics and wine. All the makings for a “spirited” cookie swap!
There were cozy Christmas socks on a festively-decorated antique child’s chair for anyone whose piggies got cold,
and a well-equipped cookie packaging station for us to box, wrap, clip, tag, and/or plate our cookies to take home.
We all brought enough cookies to share tastes that evening and enough for everyone to pack up 5 or 6 dozen to take home and share with our families and friends and for our own parties. Colleen made little labeled tags for each type of cookie so we knew what we were sampling and so we could vote on the “Most Delicious,” “Most Unique,” and Most Attractive.” And boy were they ever!
Katie rocked “Most Unique” with these adorable and absolutely luscious cherry snowmen cake balls.
Michelle’s Apple Delights were a slam dunk for the “Most Attractive!” Aren’t the awesome?
And Alaine’s Pistachio Cherry Cookies had us all swooning for “Most Delicious,”
though they truly were ALL delicious and beautiful and unique and made with “lovin from the oven.”
And……. two of the young ladies actually had some “lovin in their ovens!” Jen is in her first trimester and Jessica is due any day!
How cute is this sign that went with Colleen’s Grinch cookies (green crinkle cookies with teeny tiny hearts?
And check out these Inside Out S’more Cookies! (and the little polka-dot wooden spoons to stir your cocoa)
She even had prizes!
Before we ate cookies…. Well – we pretty much ate cookies the whole evening… Colleen made some fabulous food including the most amazing Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Party Sliders,
and Hassleback potatoes,
as well as plenty of veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, spreads, and and adorable cheese and olive wreath.
We even played some fun and silly games like teaming up to make the best reindeer antlers out of balloons stuffed in panty hose!
It was the most fun, most unique, most delicious cookie swap party I’ve ever been part of! I am so proud of my beautiful, generous, creative daughter-in-law, and I thank her for kindly allowing me share this with all of you.
Hope you are enjoying this festive holiday time however you choose to celebrate!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Watch me Whip – Watch me Bake Bake
I’m guessing most of you are familiar with the current party dance song if you’ve been to a wedding or holiday party recently or listen to the radio: Whip Nae Nae! (I dare you not to wiggle when you hear this song!)
So taking on this twist, I made 12 aprons for a Holiday Cookie Swap my daughter-in-law hosted last night. ( and I can’t wait to share more on the amazing party she threw when I get a chance!)
For now, gotta BOP BOP BOP to wear off those cookies! 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Christmas Apricot Kolache Cookies
Holiday baking continues this week.
The other day I shared Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread and told you how that is one recipe I bake for “me.”
Well…. Hubby, who reads my blog daily, mentioned it is one of HIS faves too.
These little treats I’m sharing today – Apricot Kolaches – however, I make for him! I know this is one of his favorites, and that is why I make them.
Yep – Grandma made these too, and I shared this recipe last year around this time also, but I just had to share again since they are such a part of our holidaying.
I cannot believe Christmas Eve is only a week away. For some reason, I am as excited as a child this year. Not sure why… Not really fussing more than usual…. Nothing particularly unusual going on….. Just feeling happy….. Just cherishing the moments…
Hope you are too! Amidst all the “stuff” we all deal with (and we ALL have “stuff”- me included) – I hope you are taking time to “cherish the moments.”
They really are precious, and they bring such joy.
It might just be a smile from a stranger, the realization of timing that protected you from a “near accident,” the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset, the sound of a bird chirping or the laughter of a child or of a senior, the taste of that first sip of coffee in the morning, the warmth of a fire, the twinkling of Christmas lights, a lick from a dog, a purr from a cat, a kiss hello or a kiss good-bye, an “I love you,” a card in the mail, a “like” on your Facebook page, an email from your boss that says “perfect,” singing a Christmas carol or a favorite hymn, the softness of your pillow, the thirst-quenching of a tall glass of fresh water.
You see – we all have an abundance of moments to cherish each day.
I cherish each one of you reading this. Thank you for giving me some “moments” of your day.
Christmas Apricot Kolache Cookies
2 8-oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups apricot preserves or apricot filling (I use Baker’s)
1 Egg, beaten
Confectioner’s (Powdered) Sugar, for dusting
Beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed of stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer on low, and gradually mix in the flour until a smooth dough forms.
Knead dough on lightly floured work surface, and gently form a ball. Divide dough into fourths, flatten, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet or baking stone with parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time (after bringing back to room temperature from refrigeration), roll out to approximately 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Trim edges and cut dough into 2 inch squares.
Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of apricot filling into the center of each square.
Fold one corner into the center, dab with the beaten egg, then bring the opposite corner into the center and press firmly to seal.
Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 10 minutes.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar and cool on wire rack.
These cookies freeze well and thaw quickly.
This recipe makes about a million …. or at least feels like it when you are making them!
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread
It’s not officially Christmas baking time until I make Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.
And that is exactly what I did this past Sunday.
Unlike most of the things I bake, this recipe is for me.
Measuring the flour with my favorite antique tin measuring cup from Grandma,
snipping the apricots just like she did with kitchen shears,
mixing with old-time Christmas music playing like we did when I helped her as a child…
Remembering how she smelled, remembering how her hands looked and felt, remembering her voice, remembering her love.
Baking this bread every year at this time just takes me back – makes me smile – allows me to remember – fills me with love.
The smell of this bread baking is one of my very favorite smells in the entire universe. (In fact, sometimes I go outside for a couple of minutes, so that I can come back in and be HIT by the smell!)
The taste of this bread…
not too sweet – a bit dry – densely filled with bursts of tart apricot chunks and crunchy walnuts….
For me – this bread is love – it is memories of childhood – memories of a grandma’s heart.
Do you have a recipe that does this to you?
I wonder if Grandma is why I often express my love for people by baking?
Thanks for the memories, Grandma. Thanks for the love. You are my Stella Star!
You can find the recipe for my all-time favorite thing to bake here – Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread where I shared it last year.
Hope you are enjoying the season. I’m going to go have a slice and a cuppa!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Christmas Pittsburgh-Style Thumbprint Cookies
Christmas baking time is in full swing around here.
And those of us that live in and around Pittsburgh make thumbprints our own special way. With icing! and Sprinkles!
So for my Cookie Swap Party this coming weekend, Christmas Pittsburgh Thumbprints it is!
If you’d like to give them a try and share something different with your family and friends, try a few new thumbprints – like last week’s Twix Chocolate Caramel Shortbread version and these tasty Pittsburgh favorites.
Christmas Pittsburgh Thumbprint Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour and salt. Once it is mostly incorporated, slowly increase the speed back to medium-high and beat for another minute or so until a dough forms.
- Form tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the sprinkles. If dough is a bit dry, you can add a little bit of milk or cream or put on your hands when rolling the balls to allow sprinkles to stick.
- Place on baking stone about 1 – 1/2 inches apart. Make a slight indentation with your thumb or finger on the tops of all the cookies.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then make a deeper indentation in the middle, and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes. The cookies should not brown much at all around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Icing:
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp corn syrup
- 3 Tbsp milk or cream
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp butter, room temperature
- Food coloring
Stir together all ingredients until smooth, then drop a spoonful into each cooled cookie.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Last Paper Players Guest Design Team Post
It is my last week as a Paper Players Guest Design Team Member.
For this week’s color challenge, I decided to watercolor some Christmasy mittens and hang them from some greenery and red button “berries.”
The sentiment is from StampinUp’s Endless Wishes stamp set. The greenery is cut from a Pine Needle Gina Marie die, and I simply mixed and matched some cherry red buttons to use as berries.
I hope you will continue to follow and participate in the Paper Players Challenges.
It has been a fun six months, and I so enjoyed challenging myself, sharing with all of you, and the wonderful ladies of the Paper Players Design team! Thank you all! It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of your team.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Twix Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
It’s Christmas cookie baking time, and I always like to try cookies that are a little different, a little more decadent, a little fancier, a bit more festive than usual for holiday baking.
I think I am on a chocolate caramel kick (Rolo Hot Chocolate Recipe Monday)!
I found a ton of different cookies with these ingredients, but ended up trying one posted by The Recipe Critic and tweaking it very slightly.
If you are a fan of Twix Candy Bars, you are going to go BONKERS over these awesome thumbprint cookies.
Twix Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
Shortbread Layer:
- 4 sticks (1 lb) Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 Eggs (yolks only)
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel Filling:
- 2 11 oz. bags Kraft Caramels
- 9 T. heavy cream
Chocolate Topping:
- 12 oz. Wilton Light Candy Cocoa Melts or your favorite milk chocolate chips
Directions:
- Shortbread Cookies: With electric mixer, combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour, and beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
- After dough has chilled, shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets or baking stone. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb or end of wooden spoon handle. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely.
- Caramel filling: Melt the caramel and cream in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until fully melted. Using a teaspoon fill each indentation with the caramel.
- Chocolate: Melt the chocolate in the microwave stirring 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Spoon into a ziploc bag. Cut a tiny snip in the corner of the baggie to pipe the chocolate onto the cookies.
I bet these would taste wonderful with a steaming mug of Rolo Hot Chocolate! Can you even imagine!?! ‘Tis the season!
Cheers & Holiday Hugs,
Jodi
Charlie’s Christmas List
Dear Santa –
Charlie here.
I am soooo excited for Christmas!
I have been a very good boy this year – my first year of life.
(Well – most of the time anyway!)
I would be so happy if I could have the following things for Christmas
(and everyday if it’s not too much to ask).
Most of these things cost no money – they just require a little time and love.
I hope you will make my Christmas wish list come true.
May I please have:
12 sticks to chew on
11 games of tug
10 games of fetch
9 belly rubs
8 ear scratches
7 naps in the sunshine
6 zoomie runs around the house
5 GOLDEN BONES
4 scraps to fall on the kitchen floor
3 doggie treats
2 walks per day
and
1 warm, happy, loving home to live in.
Thank you, Santa, for whatever you can provide.
Sincerely and with much love,
Charlie
PS My mom says this reminds her of another Christmas song….
In the Meadow we can Build a Snowman
In the meadow we can build a snowman…
and pretend that he’s a circus clown.
Or if there is no snow in the meadow,
we can paint on paper
as a playful caper
and be just as happy all around.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
(Are you singing with me?)
the creative life in between 