Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Mock Lofthouse Cookie Recipe



Last bit of Fall's Delights

This post is to share with you one of my (and many family and friends) favorite desserts.
I found this recipe when I Googled 'Lofthouse Cookie Recipe.'
I think there are a couple different ones but this is the one I found and
tried and stuck with. Because they are sooooo yummy!
I had also found an awesome frosting recipe too but I lost it and can't seem to
find it again. So, if you continue reading, you will see what kind of frosting I use as an alternate.
In my opinion it's perfect, and it's a time saver. (Especially when you
have to make 180 cookies.)
So here is the recipe and feel free to copy it. I have added changes and
little side notes that have helped me perfect it.
Enjoy!

  • 1 Cup of butter 
  • 2 Cups of sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp. of vanilla
  • 1 tsp. of baking soda
  • 1 tsp. of baking powder
  • 1 1/2 Cups of sour cream (it's best with sour cream that is NOT non/or low fat)
  • 5-6 Cups of sifted flour (Start with 5 1/4 cups, until it's not super sticky, a little tacky is ok, because you will be adding flour when rolling your dough out) Too much flour makes for a harder cookie and the dough is not nice when rolling and cutting.
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and sour cream.
Then mix in the dry ingredients. I started with 5 1/4 cups of flour and used the rest when I actually rolled them out. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. This makes the dough easy to roll out and cut. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle your cutting board (or other rolling surface) liberally with flour. With a well-floured rolling pin, roll out the cookie dough to about 3/8 inch thickness and use floured cookie cutters to cut your shapes. (I separate the dough in about four big clumps, when rolling them out). I put them on cookie sheets and bake them for exactly 8 minutes. ( When I have to make a lot of cookies, I will roll my dough thinner and then heat oven to 400 and bake for 10 minutes. Depending on your oven. If I make them too thick and keep it at 425 sometimes they have browned on outside edges and have not been fully cooked in center. Again, depends on your oven.)

After dough has been refrigerated, your ready to roll and cut! You will fall in love with the feel of this dough! It's such a wonderful texture!
This is just showing the the thickness of the cookie before it's been baked!

I had a hard time finding a turkey cookie cutter, but Michaels came through for me!!!!
Some cutters are bigger than others, but this was a medium size one and I was able to 
bake 20 at a time. And it yielded about 180 cookies!(doubling the recipe)







I actually completed cutting and baking cookies in less than 2 hours. Including clean up!
Here they are! A bunch of lil' turkeys, not realizing they're day is up!!! Heehee
By the way, my family likes them even without icing. They are not overly sweet, but just enough to where you can just 'gobble' them up. (no pun intended) 
:0D












This next step, I added myself. By accident but now I do it know matter what, because it makes the cookies even softer and more moist. After the cookies have cooled, I place them in Ziplock bags. Don't put too many in because they can get too moist and start sticking together. (By the way, you can also freeze 
      these cookies at this point and they will taste as fresh as the day you baked them.)
I put abut 25 of these lil' guys in one 1 gallon Ziplock baggie.


This is the icing that I like to use. Caution: It does NOT harden! It stays soft, so you CANNOT
stack them.
To save money I used pint size Ziplock bags to use for my frosting colors. 
To fill each bag I place the bag over a tall drinking cup, fill it, and then remove it, zip it and wha-lah!
I'm ready to frost!
As you can see, I used four colors. And used the Wilton brand colors.
 Another wonderful thing about this icing, it lasts forever if you keep it in the refrigerator.


The eyeballs I used are found in the cake decorating section at JoAnnes. I'm sure
Michaels carries them too. (I thought they were perfect because they kind of made 
the turkey look scared!!!!)

Anyway, I do hope you give this recipe a try, because it will definitely be a big
hit by all!!! And you can have so much fun with it too!
I hope all of you here in the US, enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday!

Now,..... time to get ready for Christmas!

God Bless you 
and 
Thank You!

 :0)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

In Everything,....GIVE THANKS! and Free Tom Turkey Pattern

Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!!!

This is just gonna be a quick lil' Thanksgiving post!
I wanted to do something for this holiday, (only because it gets forgotten
by so many, because of all the shopping that needs to be done for
the, VERY, special holiday, CHRISTMAS)
Nonetheless, Thanksgiving is special too!


This is my first attempt at  (a somewhat) 3D quilling! I tried to keep this a little toned down and humble looking. And not add glitz. It was hard, (I like glitz)!


 TOM TURKEY

This next one, my 5 year old, quilled!!!
I tore the pieces, he quilled and pinched the shapes, and then I helped him glue them down!!
(I though it came out pretty good.)
It was so cute, I thought I would share my pattern with everyone!

Tom Turkey that my 5 year old made!

Free, Tom Turkey Pattern. (it was a last minute creation, so I apologize if you have a hard time reading it!)
Go ahead and print it out if you'd like!
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message, and I will get back to you!

Again, I'm wishing you all a 
very
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!


Please, .....share something you're thankful for!

I am thankful for my family, my faith, my friends, and my gift of creating! Thank you, Lord!!




:0)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

HAWAIIAN CHRISTMAS TREE



"Oh, Hawaiian Christmas Tree, 
Oh, Hawaiian Christmas Tree, 
Forever Colorful Your Branches!!!"


This was a fun and different piece for me to do!
I'm not much of a 'tropical, ocean, or beachy, kind of gal,
so this was totally inspired by a good friend of mine!
Jan goes to Hawaii every year!
It is her favorite place to vacation.
She also is a collector of Christmas trees.
And a true Christian!
Therefore, this is my Tropical, Hawaiian Christmas Tree!



As you can see, I first started out with a canvas.
(Now, after the experience I had with this canvas, I know that I must paint my canvases first.
I used chalks to create this picture. But once I had colored it, I realized,
the canvas had invisible glue splotches, or something. They didn't show up until I applied the colors. Bummer!!!! So, I think, I could have avoided this if I had painted it white first!)
I was, basically, looking for background coloring to enhance
my quilling design.


This was an 8x10 canvas. Then I cut silver glittered scrap booking paper to set behind that. And then I used wrapping paper to cover my 11x14 cardboard to go beneath that.


If you look, I have Jesus Christ's name in here.
There is also a Palm Tree in the center.
For decorations (ornaments), I made small Plumaria flowers.
I tried to lay out the colors like a sunset over the ocean waves!
And then to top it off, I put the North star at the very top of the tree.
To represent the star that three Wise Men followed to find baby Jesus!


The shadowbox frame that I used is  11x14.
I then added real shells inside the shadowbox, so that they could move freely
inside the box. I placed the really large shell on the outside of the box.
(I haven't glued it down yet, because I'm not too sure I like it there!) :0/
Anyway, you're input would be much appreciated!


I had to finish this before next month, because the friend I did this
for has a birthday coming up, and I wanted to give it to her then.
I sure hope she likes it!

(I do hope to do something for Thanksgiving! I don't want to rush right into
Christmas, like the rest of the world, and forget Thanksgiving. It is, also,
a very important holiday!)

ALOHA!

:0)








Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Dainty Tulip, and Daisy Cross




 "Amber Divine"

That is the name I have given this cross.
Design by me Annette Carlo


I made this cross for a niece on my husband's side of the family, for her birthday!
The thing I love most about quilling gifts for people, is that,
their likes and interests are my inspiration! 
Things I would probably never choose on my own, to do, 
I now bring them into my work.
I asked Amber what she would like.
She wanted a cross, and said her colors in her house are 
burgundy and browns. I wanted to add something more personal
to it, so I asked her what her favorite flower was.
Her answer was tulips and daisies!

And so it became,
"Amber Divine"

I hope she likes it!

:0) 


Please, any input would be appreciated. I do love constructive criticism too. My goal is to quill with perfection!