Be Back Soon!

Just wanted to say "Hey" and let you all know that I'm still here. If you live in Oregon or Washington then you know all about the weather we've had. Yikes! We were without power for several days. You don't realize how nice lights and warm water are until you do without. If you are somewhat addicted to your sewing machine like I am than it's even worse!

My husband is out of town with my camera and all of our beautiful snow pictures. I promise I will post several times in the next week or so.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas...

Talk to you soon
Laurie

Winning Recipes and Pictures

In my last post of the cookie exchange I was so sad because I hadn't taken many pictures. Just after publishing the post, I received an e-mail from Julie Martin with 70 gorgeous pictures and permission to use them! Thanks Julie!!! I will link you to her website and slide show in a few minutes. But first I want to share a few of the pictures and recipes...

Below are pictures of the winning Carrot Cookies by Natalie Anderson...

These cookies were fabulous! They were so good that you are going to get the recipe! I recommend you try these at home...

Carrot Cookies
2/3 c butter1 c sugar1 egg2 ½ c flour2 tsp baking powder1/3 tsp salt3 T orange juice (freshly squeezed)1 c carrots (boiled and mashed)1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter, then add sugar and egg. Beat well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add orange juice, carrots, and vanilla. Mix well.Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Orange Icing
2T butter½ c orange juice3T orange rind4 c powder sugar
Mix ingredients together well. Add more powder sugar or orange juice, if needed.

These are the winning Toffee Bar Cookies by Shawna Danberg...


and the recipe...

Toffee Bar Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar * 2 sticks margarine softened* 1 egg* 1 tsp. vanilla * 2 cups flour *6-ounce package chocolate chips* 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Blend together margarine and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with 6-ounce package of chocolate chips. Let melt and spread over over. Sprinkle chopped nuts. Makes about 3 dozen.

Faith's winning display (did I mention that Faith is my 9 year old niece) didn't she do a great job...

Julies winning diplay...

Brittany's winning display...


Beautiful pictures of beautiful people...

If you want to see more go to Julie's slide show, click on client proofing and enter the password cookie exchange. Don't forget to include a space between cookie and exchange or it won't load. Julie graciously gave us these pictures and has given permission to you cookie exchanger's to download any you want and use for your enjoyment. They are not for sale, they are a gift! The pictures are beautiful, it's worth the trip! Click on the link to see the slide show... http://www.moderndayphotography.net/

Cookie Exchange 2008

Welcome to my home and the 2008 ANNUAL COOKIE EXCHANGE...

This past Saturday was the big event! A great time was had by all. There was champagne and sparkling cider, appetizers and cookies. Oh the cookies. FABULOUS!!!

There were about 32 bakers who participated this year and everyone outdid themselves! I heard over and over how hard it was to make a decision. Good job everyone!!!

Pictured below is a sampling of the Best Tasting winners... (They were boxed up, sent home and half eaten by the time my camera got to them)!

AND THE WINNERS ARE... In the under 18 yr. old group: Best tasting chocolate was won by Jessica Melberg for her creamy and delicious chocolate fudge, also tied for first was Savannah Smith for her Red Velvet Cookies, Best Tasting Non-Chocolate went to Jenna Reed for her Peppermint Meltaways, Best Presentation and Best Recipe card both went to Faith Burton! Congratulations girls!!!

Faith, Hope, Hannah and Sam...

In the over 18 group the coveted wins went to: Best tasting chocolate - Shawna Danberg for her divine Toffee Bar Cookies , Best Tasting Non-Chocolate went to Natalie Anderson for her fabulous Carrot Cookies, there was a tie for Best Presentation - the deserving winners are Brittany Birnel and Julie Martin..., Julie also won for Best Recipe Card. Congratulaions everyone!!!

This is my mother-in-law Carolyn, and my niece Brittany who won for Best Presentation...

This is Julie who also won for best presentation and best recipe card...

more beautiful cookies...

Somewhere in this post I have to make a confession... things got so crazy I completely forgot about my camera! I have great before and after pictures, but not many during... I hope you can still get the idea...

What I do have are great pictures of what went on to make the cookie exchange so beautiful.

Meet my Mom and Aunt Susie, they came over and spent an afternoon decorating and putting together these beautiful boxes for everyone to take their cookies home in...

My husband and son climbed up and down this ladder many times. Blake told me that he's never getting married, it's too much work! I told him I'm training him for his future wife!

With the help of my husband, son, mom, aunt, niece Kelly, sister-in-law Debbie, father and mother-in-law, friends Natalie and Joe everything looked great and went off without a hitch. Thanks you guys!!!

The cookie exchange is a great way to start off the holiday season. Thanks for being a part of it...

I'll give you some of the winning recipes in my next post!

Cookie Exchange 2008

For the past seven years, my daughter, sister and I have hosted a cookie exchange. It all started innocently enough, just some fun and holiday cheer with friends and family... It became more interesting when we decided to give a grand prize for the best tasting cookie. The coveted trophy our first year was a copy of the re-issued Betty Crocker Cooky Book. It was the cook book Sis and I cut our Christmas Cookie Baking teeth on...

Things have grown wildly out of control since that innocent first year and we love it! Wow! These women are competitive! The competition is what makes it so much fun! I mean you have to spend time going through cookbooks, looking up recipes online. Innocently asking people what they are making this year in hopes that they will slip and actually tell you (some people just aren't as generous as you thought they were, it's so disappointing)...

No one will tell what they are making. I was recently harrassed in several text messages by a freinds husband (you know who you are Jeff). He said he would take $1000 in small bills for his wife's winning recipe or $500 for a small taste...

Another year, I went over to my mother-in-laws house the day before the cookie exchange. I barely had one foot in the door and she cries out, "just a minute" and throws a towel over her cookies so I couldn't see what she made!!! They were fabulous by the way Carolyn...

One year my sister-in-law (you know who you are Nancy) tried 11 recipes before she decided on one. We gave her a prize for the greatest effort!

This year's Best Presentation will be going to my niece Kelly and my sister-in-law (Kelly's mom) Debbie. They both gave their time and talent to help me decorate. Everything is so sparkly and beautiful. Thanks you guys...

The table looks a little empty because that's where all the cookies will go. This is how it works; each person brings 6 dozen cookies and then a bunch of little bite sized samples. When they come in their cookies go on the table and a number is put on the display. Later everyone comes through with a voting card and votes for their favorites in these categories... Best Tasting Chocolate, Best Tasting Non-Chocolate, Best Presentation and Best Recipe Card... we also do the same thing for the girls who are 18 and younger.

It's really fun but you have to go in shifts because a sugar coma will set in if you sample everything at once!

We serve these fabulous chicken legs my sister makes and other protein to balance out the coma! People even voted for the chicken the first year Sis made it. If it's okay with her I'll share the recipe in the next post. They are easy and delicous!!!

After all the voting is done and the very deserving winners have collected their prizes, everyone goes home with a beautiful box full of gorgeous cookies.

Here are a few more pictures of the pre-cookie exchange decorating...

Yes we wrapped all of the pictures in my dining room like presents and hot glued those ceramic trees to the candles stands (it's all a bit neurotic but we had so much fun and doesn't it look great?)...

This is only the dining room, I'll share more later...

For each new morning with its light,For rest and shelter of the night,For health and food, for love and friends,For everything Thy goodness sends.~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Christmas Inspiration

It's amazing what can be done with a book...


and a little fabric...



some ribbon and wool beads...



put it all together...


and you have a beautiful finished product...




Inspiration can come from anywhere. I hope this inspires you...