Monday, December 17, 2012

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles...

It's the holiday season!  Which means it's time for lots of baking and COOKIES!  Combine that with eggnog, and what could be better?

I have several great cookie recipes that I usually use for cookie exchanges, but I wanted to try something new this year.  So I turned to my best buddy Pinterest to see what caught my eye.  

Well, lookie lookie!  Stained glass cookies!  Made by dropping crushed up hard candies into the centers of sugar cookies, which then melt as they bake.  I could do that!  Let's see, which shapes and colors do I want to use...


Looking good!



Wow, so pretty!



OK, now they're just showing off...



"Yeah, I could make those!" I thought to myself.  "They would impress the socks off my Mom's Group when I bring them for our cookie exchange!"

But I forgot the one big rule of baking - don't make something new for a cookie exchange without trying it out on your family ahead of time.



So here they are, all set to go into the oven and become beautiful stained glass cookies!


Though I followed the directions exactly, removing these cookies was not a success...


So I thought, "Maybe I need to try a different shape?  Perhaps those pointy stars are doomed to snap apart?"


Nope.  It's not the shape that's the problem!


Not willing to toss out a perfectly good dough AND all of my backbreaking work crushing those hard candies, I thought I'd try sprinkling the candies on top of the cookies before baking.


 Great, now it looks like a murder scene on my cookie sheet.  Both alien and human lives were lost...



Because I am stubborn brilliant, I finally just mixed the crushed hard candies straight into the dough and cut cookies out of that.  You can see the little bits of candy sprinkled throughout the cookies below...  They were "ok", but not spectacular.  

Of course, everything looks (and tastes!) better with frosting!  So a generous helping of cookie icing from the grocery store helped to finish these cookies off and kept them from being a complete embarrassment at my cookie exchange.  


But what a far cry these were from the stained glass cookies they were supposed to be!


Needless to say, I will not be making these particular cookies when my in-laws visit in a few weeks.  But I don't want to give up on them completely because I still think they're beautiful!  I just need to figure out what to do differently.  Which brings me to...


I followed the directions in the stained glass cookie recipe here perfectly, but they just didn't hold up.  Those candy centers kept sticking straight to the pan, though it was very generously greased each time.  Do you bakers out there have any suggestions?

So I'll be using a more tried-and-true cookie recipe for my in-laws' upcoming visit... these holiday CookieKins with their faces on the edible icing transfers!  (Click HERE for my previous blog with CookieKins how-to directions).  Ah yes, my never-fail sugar cookies with royal icing and a CookieKins edible transfer on top are guaranteed to please.


Oh my, these are almost too cute to eat!  ALMOST...
Grandaddy and Grams IRL (In Real Life)



And really, how can I go possibly wrong with pre-made sugar cookie dough?  



Oh dear, I just had to ask...

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Doodlekins Tutorial Part II: Choosing Your Products!

You are well on your way to some amazing Doodlekins products! If you are anything like me, you had a great time creating your Doodles, and now have to figure out just which products to order... So, here's what you need to know:

Once your Doodle(s) are created, your shopping card should be similar to this:

It will list the details for all of your created Doodles. 

Next, you'll want to click on "Step 2: Next, Order Products to Put Them On!" in the yellow link at the top of the page: 


A drop down menu will appear. Choose the product you'd like. (I'm choosing "Gifts and Home Decor") A page will appear with each of the products in that category. Again, I am going to choose "Personalized Pitcher" (because I really, really want one!) 


Once you click on the product of your choice, you will be brought to a page where you can add final personalization details (background colors, order of Doodles, etc) There are typically a few different pictures of some completed products. Be sure to check them out- these are often great inspiration pieces!


Fill in the information as clearly as possible. There is a line for special requests- Remember, Doodlekins is such a tremendous company which prides itself on it's outstanding customer service. They will work hard to make sure your product is exactly what you want! When you're happy with your choice, click "Add to Cart" at the bottom of the page. 

Voila! You've made it! You can go ahead and shop and shop and shop. Add as many products as you wish! You can add all of your doodles or even just one of them to the products by assigning them on the product's order page. (Where it says "Assign Doodles".)

Hopefully this tutorial made the design and ordering process a bit easier... It's a whole lot of fun! And remember, if at any point the process becomes confusing or tricky, NEVER hesitate to ask for help! The Doodlekins team is a great support, whether it be choosing a
 background, coordinating colors, or other general questions. Don't be afraid to ask! After all, my endless questions started up a great friendship with the staff... and here I am today... blogging for them! 

Good luck... and happy shopping!



Live simply. Love generously.

Care deeply. Speak kindly. 





Doodlekins Tutorial Part I: Creating your Doodles!

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!
 
NOW is the time to place those orders.  Have you seen all the AMAZING new products Doodlekins is offering? Every time I check out the website- there is something new and exciting to add to my personal wishlist! Pitchers, glasses, pillows, t-shirts… all in addition to the great stationery products and labels they’ve always offered!
 
Speaking of the website, if you are a long-time Doodlekins fan, you’ve probably already noticed the website has undergone quite the facelift. The ordering process is new (and much easier- I promise!) I thought it might be helpful to set up a quick tutorial, guiding you through the design and ordering process. So… grab yourself a snack… and settle in.
First and foremost, head over to the website:
On the homepage, the picture in the center changes, showing off LOTS of the awesome-ness that Doodlekins offers. If you haven’t been following along on Facebook, I encourage you to take a few seconds and check out some of the newest and coolest products!
When you’re ready, scroll over the yellow bar on top of photo.


When you bring your mouse over the “Step 1: First, customize the fun cartoon doodles!” a drop-down menu will appear. Choose the category of your first Doodle. I'm going to put my dear family on a product (don't worry -you don't need to decide which one JUST yet!) I'm going to start with myself, so I chose "Female Youth-Adult." 
Now here comes the fun part....
 
You will be brought to a page with all the possible Doodle choices, features, etc. 
As you roll your mouse over each of the little Doodle's heads, it pops up with a larger preview, so you can more clearly see hairstyles and facial features. Find the Doodle that you think most closely resembles you- and click on it. A small, blue box should appear around your chosen Doodle: 


Next, you type in the name you want printed under your Doodle. Think about this one carefully. Depending on the product, your name selection may vary. If you're making address labels, you might just want to use your first name. If you are creating one of those cool pitcher and tumbler sets, you might want to use something more "family friendly" such as "mom." Heck, you might even be working on a lunch bag for your kid's teacher (a FANTASTIC teacher gift idea, by the way!) and Mrs. Salmon would be more appropriate. I'm going to play it safe, and just type in "mom." If I change my mind later, I am always given the opportunity to edit before placing my order... 

OK. Here's my absolute favorite part: personalizing your Doodle. This is your opportunity to make sure that your Doodle(s) best represent you and your family and friends. Take your time here! Play with it. Have fun trying on different features, etc. 

* First and foremost, you need to pick the size of your Doodle. Again, take time to think about the finished product. I know I plan to add my entire family to this project, and I also know I don't want to be represented as the LARGEST person in my family (we'll save that honor for my husband!) so I am going to select "Medium Adult" from the drop down menu. 
* Skin Color:  Doodlekins does an amazing job of including many, many skin tone choices. Pick the one that's closest to you! Again, your selection should appear with a blue box around it. 

* Hair Color: Here's your chance to be the blonde bombshell you always wanted! OK, maybe now is not the time... but again, lots of choices... including "none," a great option for those without any hair! 

* Head Accessory: Lots of fun choices here, too. Santa hats are a fun addition to Christmas projects. Headbands, hair bows, and flowers are a fun accessory to "dress" up a plain hairstyle. Please note, however, that hats do not fit hair styled in up-do's, pigtails, or ponytails. You CAN add bows, though! And again, a hair accessory is certainly not necessary. If you'd rather have a plain head, just select "none." **This might be a great time to point out that if/when you choose "none" for any of the accessory options, NO BLUE box appears around that choice. By NOT making a selection, it will default to "none." **

* Head Accessory Color: Any selected head accessory that reads "color me" when selected will need to be colored in. My favorite color is red, so I am choosing that for my headband. 

* Neck Accessory: Again, Doodlekins gives you lots of fun choices here. I'm going with a pearl necklace!

* Neck Accessory Color: Any selected neck accessory that reads "color me" when selected will need to be colored in. Even if I want to leave my pearls white, I still need to choose that as a "color." 

* Mouth Accessory: Big, full lips? Of course! Remember, if you want to change your "lip" color, you'll want to add the lips "accessory," even if your preview Doodle has lips on it. 

* Mouth Accessory Color: Here's your chance! Pick your lip color. Please be conscious  however, of the colors you have already chosen for your hair and/or neck accessory, especially if you are adding other family members or a background (that will come later!) The more colors you add, the "busier" your product will look. Try to limit the amount of colors, or at least chose colors that compliment one another. 

* Eye Accessories: Do you wear glasses? Here's your chance to add them! I LOVE that Doodlekins gives us several shapes of glasses to choose from!

* Special Requests: If you've ever ordered before, you know that Doodlekins strives for 110% customer satisfaction. They are hard workers, bustling around in the Doodlekins factory in their little orange jumpsuits, working very hard to make sure your order is EXACTLY what you want. If there's something you want to see represented on your Doodle that doesn't appear in the options listed above, here's your chance to make that request! 

* Once you've made all of your selections, click on "Add to Cart." It will bring you to a page that looks like this: 


If you are like me, you are a little sad that you don't get to see a preview of your newly created Doodle, but don't fret. That part is coming up! 
 
If you are using only this Doodle for project, you can go ahead and click on Step 2 at the top of the page. This will allow you to begin selecting products to add your Doodle to. If you need to create more Doodles, you will need to re-select "Step 1" at the top and choose the appropriate Doodle to add, following the steps outlined above. 


Just a few things to point out here:  
 
* While there is an option for baby/toddler Doodles, older children are created under the Female/Male Youth-Adult tab where we created the mom and dad Doodles. You can make them appear as "children" by selecting the appropriate size from the "Size" drop down menu. If you have several "small" children, there is also a "size" option in the baby/toddler Doodle option. 
* Don't forget your pets! Doodlekins has TONS of animal options to add your furry family members to your products,too!
*Check out the "Storymaker Icons" options. These are fun pictures that help tell your family's "story." Flags, sports equipment, new house, party supplies. Have an idea that's not listed? Use the "special requests" box and watch Doodlekins work their magic! 

When you are finished adding Doodles, your "cart" will look similar to the photo above, with details listed for each of your created Doodles. Although there still is not a "preview" of your created Doodles, this is a great time to look over the details, such as names, etc and check for spelling errors. Clicking on the "Edit Item Quantity and Details" link at the bottom of each summary will allow you to edit these details. 

Hopefully this answered and/or helped you through the Doodle "creation" process. In the next step (blog post- part 2!) I will help you add these amazing Doodles to the project of your choice! And remember, the staff at Doodlekins is AMAZING! They are more than willing to help- don't ever be afraid to ask them for help along the way! 


Live simply. Love generously.


Care deeply. Speak kindly. 







Friday, November 23, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving! Black Friday through Cyber Monday Special!



Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for YOU!

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Deal
10% off your entire order and free shipping with any purchase of $39.95 or more!*

ornaments

pitcherset

home_slide_lunch


Holiday, Wedding, Baby and Family Labels
Holiday, Wedding & Family Labels

cards
Holiday, Wedding & Family Cards

business cards
Business Cards & Mommy Calling Cards

canisters
Personalized Kitchen Canisters

mugs
Personalized Acrylic Mugs

car decals
Personalized FULL COLOR Car Decals

T-shirts, Sweatshirts & More
Tshirts adult-infant, dog bandanas too!

Dry erase easel
Dry Erase Easels with changeable inserts

totebottleset1
Personalized Totebags, Lunch Bags & Bottles



*Minimum purchase of $39.95 excludes shipping and tax. Use coupon THANKS2012. Economy shipping, within the USA. 

For all other countries, the discount will work with the coupon, but we'll manually refund 50% of your shipping fee after order is placed.

Offer expires when the clock strikes midnight Eastern time, Tuesday 11/27/12! Not valid with other offers or prizes.



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Monday, November 19, 2012

Thankful for Brunch!

"BRUNCH - Breakfast without an alarm clock."

I love brunch.  

And really, what's not to love?  It's all the deliciousness of breakfast, but later in the morning!  

However, because I have two small children who don't let me sleep past 6:30 a.m., I rarely get to enjoy a true brunch.  You know- a morning meal that doesn't take place at 6:31 a.m.

But I recently had a visit from out-of-state family which spurred me on to actually make brunch at "brunch time".  (I also took advantage of the opportunity to use some cool new Doodlekins products for my brunch!)

I began by stirring up the anticipation with Le Menu...  



OK, I have to stop for a moment and tell you that this Doodlekins Family Dry Erase Easel is sweeeet.  It comes with six different cards which display six different messages (of your choosing), and a dry erase marker that wipes off perfectly with even just a finger.  (More info at http://www.doodlekins.com/personalized-dry-erase-easel/
My Kindergarten son is in love with it too, writing notes to us constantly as he proudly checks off his name at the top.  So I just couldn't resist using this adorable easel as a menu display for my special brunch!


My little daughter enjoyed preparing the main brunch dish with me the night before.  We made French Toast Casserole!  I rarely bake this dish because it makes a ton of food.  And the leftovers are then staring at me in the refrigerator for the next several days, tempting me to eat them for every meal until they're gone.  But if I've got extra people to feed, I jump at the chance to make this sweet excellence.

I probably have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone you've ever met, which is probably why I love the French Toast Casserole so much.  But I also know that sweet should be balanced with salty in a brunch menu, so I cooked up some turkey sausages and eggs for my family too.  Add some fresh fruits to the menu, and there were only empty plates with full bellies at the end of our big brunch!




Ah, I see you're admiring my Doodlekins glasses on the brunch spread too!  Aren't they adorable?  And no one fights over their glasses anymore!  (More info at http://www.doodlekins.com/gifts-home-decor/)  
My two year old daughter has fun playing with these sturdy acrylic family glasses in her dollhouse as well, which is just so hilariously cute!  But really- who can blame her?   ;)



And of course with any special meal, you need a little table decor to match the occasion.  My children and I had collected pinecones from a local park, and we displayed our pumpkin patch treasures with them too.  Yes- those were the perfect finishing touches for our post-Halloween/pre-Thanksgiving brunch, and will be easily altered for winter holiday brunches too!


So I have a question for YOU now...


You've learned about my insatiable sweet tooth, but what is YOUR favorite brunch dish to make?  In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season and more brunches for more family, I would love to learn about a few new brunch dishes that are "tried and true" for you!

Until next time, enjoy sweet dreams of breakfast and lunch marrying into one delicious meal called BRUNCH.  

And I hope you don't wake from that dream until 8:00 a.m.  At the very earliest....




Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Happy Endings...

A few weekends ago, our family drove to Minnesota to celebrate my sister-in-law's baby shower. I wanted to do something special, but living over four hours away made it difficult to help with the planning. Then... it hit me. I had the most PERFECT idea! 

COOKIEKINS personalized edible transfers, of course!


I filled out the order page for the baby cookie design I wanted, and within a day or two, they emailed me back my proof. They are simply AMAZING, I tell you (but you already knew that, didn't you?) 

The transfers arrived within a few days by Priority Mail, and they were so cute! I got mine customized a little, this design normally has the baby's announcement info.


In the middle of the-week-from-you-know-where, I set to work. Put the kids to bed, pulled out my favorite sugar cookie recipe, and got ready to mix. My plan was to make the dough, chill it overnight, then roll it out, cut, bake, and frost the following evening. HA. HA. HA. First, I realized I didn't have enough butter for the recipe. No problem! I threw on some shoes, drove a few blocks to the grocery store, and.... realized butter is as expensive as gold. I stood there for a few moments... my head turning from the freakishly expensive butter to the almost-as-expensive-but-much-more-convenient pre-made cookie dough in the very next cooler. Hmmmm.... I love to bake. But it WAS after 8 pm on a weeknight. And heck, if pre-made cookie dough is good enough for our Teacha Rita, it's good enough for me! 

A few dollars in pre-made dough later, I was back at home, rolling those cookies out and tossing them in the oven. I made the mistake of leaving the baking part to my husband while I took a quick spin on the treadmill. (I may or may not have had a tiny bit of guilt over all of the cookie dough I sampled while I was rolling out the cookies...) Up from the basement, I found several sheets of cookies cooling. HUGE cookies, I might add. Gah! I forgot to tell my darling husband that we had to re-cut the cookies before they cooled to attain that "perfect circle." (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, see Teacha Rita's incredible tutorial here ) 

At this point, it was after 9:30. I debated whether or not to start again, or just wait until the next evening, knowing I would have to do ALL the steps the next night in order for the cookies to be set up enough to package them before our drive to MN. I was tired from the treadmill... and did I mention it was in the middle of one of the craziest weeks of my life? I went to bed. 

The next day, somewhere in the middle of my 12 hour work day (I was stuck at work until after 8pm for parent-teacher conferences) I remembered I still had cookies to buy. And bake. And frost. It was going to be a long night. 

On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store, grabbed a few packages of "break-apart" pre-made cookie dough, and headed home. Before I even changed out of my work clothes, I had those babies on a cookie sheet and in the oven. Once again, I left hubby in charge of baking as I changed, kissed my sleeping babies, and checked my email. Once I got back to the kitchen, I knew we had a problem. While "break-apart" dough is exceptionally convenient, it makes teeny-tiny cookies. These just wouldn't work. It was about this point I *almost* had a nervous breakdown. 

God bless my husband. Without hesitation, he threw on some shoes, and headed out to the grocery store... all decked out in a spit-up stained sweatshirt and his orange mermaid pajama pants that the girls bought him last year for Christmas. (That, in itself, was enough to bring a smile back to my face!) He returned with a few more rolls of cookie dough and a package of peanut butter cups. He's a good man, I tell you. 

It was a long night.... but man, so worth it! The cookies turned out simply AMAZING. All craziness aside (which was all my fault..... ) the cookie decals really were simple and easy to use. You freeze the sheets of decals a day ahead, or as little as an hour if your kitchen is cold and low on humidity, and gently peel them off. (If they don't come up easy, you have to freeze them longer.) Just lay them down on the frosting, and adjust their positions really quick if you need to. That's it! Make sure your frosting area is wider than the decals so they adhere well. (They can't adhere to cookie, only frosting.)


The finished product? Well, I'll let you be the judge.... 


If you're not a baker, there is always the option of using the decals on store-bought cupcakes with frosting, or better yet, ordering your Cookiekins pre-baked and decorated! Check out all the Cookiekins awesomeness here.

Good luck and happy cookie- making!

Live simply. Love generously.

Care deeply. Speak kindly.