MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Island Cookies

These cookies were made by another new friend of mine, Misty.  She has two almost teenage girls and is super sweet!  Thank you, Misty, for baking up these wonderful cookies and sharing your recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) Butter, softened
3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 large Egg
1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate Morsels
1 cup Flaked Coconut
1 cup Choppped Pecans
3/4 cup Cranberries (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix all dry ingredents together first.  Then mix in wet ingredients. Add in morsels, coconut, pecans, and cranberries.  Mix well. Drop tablespoon size dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at  375 degrees for 8-11 minutes.

Carletta's Creamy Apple Cookies

These cookies were created by a new friend of mine, Carletta.  She is such a sweetheart and has the most adorable little girl.   I have recently tried a couple more of her recipes and am now trying to convince her to start a blog of her own.  AWESOME COOK/BAKER! Thank you Carletta for sharing your recipe with me to post on my blog and I hope you don't mind me posting your intro... 

"Hello Cookie Lovers!!!! Here is the recipe for Carletta's Creamy Apple Cookies. Now so you all know my kitchen was a mess trying to come up with this, I started trying to make the dough and everything from scratch (so old school). Then I realized that a long time ago someone did all this work for me and came up with canned goods and ready to bake dough's, it doesn't make us any less of a Baker right?!?!?! LOL Enjoy my creation & Happy Holidays!!!


INGREDIENTS:
6 Pepperidge Farms Pastry Sheets (I suppose any brand would work just don’t purchase the ones that are in many layers-too much work!!) (Puff Pastry sheets)
1 21oz can of Apple Pie Filling
2 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2 cups of Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
1 1/2 Tbs Cinnamon
1 cup of All purpose Flour (for sprinkling on cooking surface. Not for filling.)


INSTRUCTIONS:
Make sure you follow the thawing directions on the pastry sheets!!!!
PreHeat oven to 400

In a large mixing bowl mix the Apple Pie Filling, cream cheese, conf. sugar and Cinnamon. (A small hand held elec. mixer is fine)

Mix until the apples are no longer large chunks. Set aside.

Sprinkle a fine layer of flour on your cooking surface to lay out the pastry sheets.

Lay out the pastry sheets.

Use a cookie cutter (circle) or a glass. Cover the ring of the glass or cookie cutter in flour.

cut out as many circles as possible-Do not be afraid to get them too close together-the goal is to not have too much pastry sheet left over

Place your circles on a ungreased baking sheet 1-2inchs from each other.

If you have any left over dough just ball it up sprinkle a little more flour on your prep surface and roll it back out to get in a few more cookies-Only repeat this 2 times because the dough will become hard from the flour on your prep surface.

After all your cookies are cut out and placed on baking sheets use your fingers and pinch the sides in on the cookies to form a bowl-like Tostitos scoops!?!

Use a teaspoon and fill each cookie with the filling you mixed earlier.

For decor I sprinkled a little cinnamon on the top.

Place in the oven for 15-20 min

The filling will puff up while in the oven but when you bring it out to cool it will flatten back out to make it look more like a cookie.

YIELD: about 4 dozen

Chocolate Mint Truffles

This recipe is what I made for the cookie exchange.  It was so quick and easy...I actually made mine very last minute.  This recipe originated from a Nestle cookbook.  I made mine with the Baking Cocoa for the coating and I actually suggest you don't use the cocoa unless you like the taste of straight baking cocoa.  I would suggest that you use Powdered Sugar or Chopped nuts for the coating of the truffles.

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups (11.5 oz package) Milk Chocolate Morsels
1 cup (6 oz) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Peppermint Extract
1 1/2 cups Baking Cocoa or Chopped Walnuts or Powdered Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
Line baking sheet with wax paper.  Place milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate morsels in large bowl.  Heat cream to a gentle boil in small saucepan; pour over morsels.  Let stand for 1 minute; stir until smooth.  Stir in peppermint extract. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 35 to 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir just until color lightens slightly.  (Do not overmix or truffles will be grainy) Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared baking sheet; refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Shape into balls; roll in nuts, cocoa, or powdered sugar.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

YIELD: makes about 48 truffles.

Deeeaaar Santa...

Santa: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

Me: {a little shy walking to sit on Santa's lap}

Santa: And what is your name young lady?

Me:  Angela.

Santa:  Have you been a good girl this year?

Me:  I like to think so.

Santa:  What would you like for Christmas this year?

Me {thinking}: Man... he just opened a big can of worms... didn't he?

Well....

Pretty much anything made by Moda... OF COURSE! 

and I will pretty much take anything by Sweetwater, Bonnie and Camille, and BasicGrey.

These by David Walker...

Oh... and I must not forget about these...

As for patterns...

Oh... and I would love to have all the patterns designed by Izzy and Ivy Designs.
I think that would do.

I promise, Santa, I have been a VERY GOOD GIRL!

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

This Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Thank you Amy Tyler for allowing me to share your recipe on my blog.  Amy is a very good friend of mine and a wonderful mother.  She just started sewing about a year ago {her hubby bought her her first sewing machine for Christmas last year} and is having a blast.  Amy has two little ones about the same ages as my kids and they love playing with each other.  Amy... Thank you for being such a cherished friend!

Okay... on to the Recipe....

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

3/4 cup packed Light Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1  teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips

1 cup chopped Nuts (pecans)

1 (4 oz) package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Blend butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.  Mix until creamy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Stir in gradually flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir in vanilla pudding mix.  Blend together well.  Add chocolate chips and pecans.

3. Drop teaspoon of mix onto ungreased cookie sheet. 

BAKE 12-13 minutes or until edges are slightly brown

YIELD:

A little over  3 1/2 dozen cookies.

A Cookie Exchange... Kate Spain style.

A very good friend of mine and I hosted a cookie exchange yesterday afternoon and it was delicious!

We used plates and napkins from Target designed by the very talented Kate Spain.

A cookie exchange kit from Target. {LOVE this store!}

And we had the MOST DELICIOUS cookies EVER! 

Cream Cheese Apple Cookies {I have to say these were my absolute favorite cookies. I go for pretty much anything with apples... YUMMM!}

Island Cookies... another delicious cookie

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies... my husbands favorite!  {Thanks Amy! ;)}

Chocolate Mint Truffles... mmmm.

Not to mention the yummy chocolates that hung about.

For their Christmas gift/party favor... a decorated travel mug that we all used for our Hot Chocolates and Coffee during the party.

Thank you so much girls for coming!  I had a wonderful, relaxing time sharing cookies with you all.  It was just what I needed in this stressful time of year. :)

Check back this week for the recipes to the wonderful cookies shared by my friends.

Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls

My mom came up with this idea and shared it with me.  It was such an ingenious idea, that I just had to share it with all of you!  I hope you like it!

Ingredients... one can of Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls

Instructions:

Step 1... Pop open the package and place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet.

Step 2... Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into fourths.

Step 3... Split the now cut rolls apart and space evenly on your cookie sheet. 

Step 4... Using the specified baking time listed on the package, BAKE.  Because they are much smaller rolls now than originally packaged, the baking time is now cut in half.  For example, if the package says to Bake for 30 minutes, only bake for 15 minutes.  Each oven is going to cook differently so be sure to adjust as neccessary.

Step 5... Remove rolls from oven and apply frosting.  You may need to gently push the little tree rolls back together before frosting.

For a little more sparkle, sprinkle with little green crystal sprinkles to give your trees some color.

An Easy and Perfect treat for Christmas Breakfast... enjoy!

MAKE something!

I have made my list and checked it twice...

What are you going to MAKE for Christmas Gifts?

Get your FREE Christmas MAKE List on Moda's website... here.  Just click on the homepage image to download a PDF of the list.

Sock Monkey Shirt Tutorial

I came up with this applique last year when I decided to make my kids sock monkey shirts. They loved them so much that I had to make them new ones this year along with some matching PJ bottoms with sock monkeys all over them.  So... in the spirit of giving, here is a free tutorial and applique pattern to make your very own sock monkey shirts.

Supplies Needed:

1 shirt for each person.  I like to use, red, white, or brown colored shirts so they coordinate with the monkey.

1 package of Red Heel Socks size medium

{The package comes with two sets of socks... you will need 1 sock for each shirt.  Each package will yield 4 shirts or 2 shirts and 1 sock monkey doll. Bonus... free sock monkey doll pattern included in pack of socks}

1/4 yd of Fusible Interfacing... I used Pellon SF-101

1/4 yd of Fusible Webbing... I used Pellon Wonder-Under

Scrap pieces of fabric for your monkey's lips, hat puff, and bow.  Charm Squares work perfectly for these pieces.

Sock Monkey Applique pieces... click here.

2 brown or black buttons for eyes for each shirt. 

Coordinating thread {cream and red}

Instructions:

Step 1...

Cut the sock in half lengthwise down the front of the sock.

Step 2...
Iron-on one side of the fusible web (wonder-under) to the inside part of the sock.

Apply the wonder under to the back side of your scrap pieces of fabric as well for your lips, bow, and/or hat puff.

Step 3...
Print out the Sock Monkey Applique pieces and cut out.

Step 4...
Trace your applique pieces upside down onto your sock and scrap pieces that have been fused with the wonder-under.  Cut the pieces out once you have traced them.

Step 5...
You should now have all your pieces fused with the paper backing still attached and cut out. Lay out your pieces to make the face of the sock monkey.

Step 6...
Remove the paper backing from the brown face and ears and place on the middle front of your shirt.  I like to dry fit with all the pieces on the shirt, then remove everything but the face and ears to make sure I have proper placement.  Iron in place.

Step 7...
Flip your shirt inside out with the backside of the front of the shirt facing up.

Cut out a piece of Fusible Interfacing 8" x 8" square. Lay your interfacing fusible side down centered on your monkey's face.  This will keep the shirt from stretching when you machine applique your pieces.  It will also help stabilize the shirt when washing over and over again.

Step 8...
Using a zig-zag stitch, machine applique your pieces onto your shirt.

Step 9...
Remove the paper backing from all the other pieces and iron in place.  If you are making the boy monkey, leave the red puff off this step.  This will be added later.

Step 10...
Using the zig-zag stitch again, machine applique all the pieces except for the lips in place.

Step 11...
Your shirts should now look like this...

Step 12...
If you are making a boy monkey, now is the time to iron on the red puff in place.
Change your top thread to red. The bobbin thread can stay a cream color.

Still using the zig-zag stitch, machine applique your monkey's lips and hat puff in place.

Step 13...
All you pieces are now appliqued on. Your shirts should look like this...

Step 14...

Hand stitch your button eyes in place to complete the shirt.  The size of the buttons is up to you... you can make them tiny beady eyes your large button eyes... this is where the personality of your monkey comes out.

You now have a classic Sock Monkey Shirt for each of your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, etc.

To make a complete outfit... I made some PJ Bottoms using a Moda brushed cotton fabric, Funky Monkey by Erin Michael and the Slumber Buns Pajama Bottoms pattern by The Paisley Pincushion.

Oh... and did I mention that the package of Red Heel Socks comes with a free pattern to make your very own sock monkey doll?  One package of socks will allow you to make two shirts and one monkey doll.

Just think of all the things you can add a little sock monkey applique!

I would love to see your creations you made using my tutorial. Email me a link to your post, flickr, or send me pics!