Saturday, February 29, 2020

PERSONALIZED PLACECARDS

Posted on 4:30 AM by Now That You Are Home...

Consider this the 101 of Lettering on Cookies class. Part One. Simple lettering and spacing. If you can write, you can letter onto cookies. Simple. How special it could be to sit down to a dinner table with an edible personalized place card? Your name, your guest's, your monogram. How fun. And you can eat it after dinner... but make sure you take a picture first!

This is what you will need-

Gift Tag Cookie Cutter...Link here.

Edible Food Marker...Link here.

Sponge
Parchment Paper
Straight Pin
Printed/Hand Drawn Paper with Fonts/or Names/or Monograms

Shortbread Cookie-
1 C. + 3 Tbs. Unsalted butter
1 C. Powdered Sugar
2 Tbs. Vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour

Piping-
2 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 Egg White

1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 T. French Vanilla Non-Dairy Creamer (Liquid Form)

Flooding-

3 C. Powdered Sugar

2 Egg Whites

1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

2 Tbs. French Vanilla Non-Dairy Creamer (Liquid Form)

Use shortbread recipe to make dough. Refrigerate dough for two hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out and cut with tag cookie cutter.

Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Use a plastic straw to make a hole at the top of the cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges just turn golden.

For detailed directions (and visuals) on piping and flooding go to nowthatyourarehome.blogspot.com and search "Rainy Day Cloud Cookies". It makes decorating cookies so easy.

Once the cookies have cooled, outline each cookie with piping frosting with a number 3 tip.

Fill the cookies in with the flooding frosting using a plastic squeeze bottle. You may have to "tap" the cookie on the counter after flooding to even out the frosting or to remove air bubbles.

Let cookies dry two days. The frosting needs to harden. You can place them in a air tight plastic container/bag or lay out overnight and cover with a cloth, then place in an airtight plastic bag.

Again, make frosting for piping.

Print out names or monograms. You can also free hand letters if you like.

Place the letter/name on top of a sponge.

Place a layer of parchment paper on top of letter.

Use a straight pin to make holes in the parchment, following the lines.

Remove parchment paper from sponge, center and place on top of cookie.

Run the edible marker over the holes.

Remove parchment paper.

Pipe with a number 3 or 4 tip over the dots on the cookie.

Print or freehand names and pipe names on cookies. The nice thing about printing the names to use, it will give you perfect spacing between and perfect height for all the letters. You can choose any font you like!

One for everyone......

Tie with a ribbon and attach to a napkin...

A sweet welcome to your table, an unforgettable moment...

Saturday, February 15, 2020

TRANSITIONAL WREATH

Posted on 4:27 AM by Now That You Are Home...

Just as soon as the Christmas decorations come down it is time to replace the wreath on the front door. New year means a new wreath. My Christmas wreath is always the last one switched out in my neighborhood. Truth, I just took it down yesterday. A tiny bit overdue. But no worries, there is always another one ready and waiting. Just kidding. I sometimes have trouble with the idea of constantly changing my wreaths. I usually love the current one and I just don’t ever want to take it down. Good thing my neighborhood Rules and Regulations committee never gets around to politely asking me to abide with regulation 326.7b (holiday decorations must be removed 30 days after the event). So, my 2020 New Year’s resolution (solution) is make one wreath that is neutral (but still amazing) and just simply switch out the decoration or ribbon. Like every month or when there is something I just want to celebrate. A personal challenge for self improvement. How's that for a New Year's resolution? Lots and lots of fresh interesting celebrations on my door! Doable. Take a look at a few of my favorites and hobbies and see if you are up for this challenge too. They say the front door is all about curb appeal, starting with the wreath. Just one wreath.

A blank canvas...

Start with a simple grapevine wreath. They will last for years and years. And a spray can of Kilz paint.

Spray wreath lightly from a distance of 2 to 3 feet. Both front and back.

The outcome is a soft speckled light gray patina.

The brown grapevine turns slightly gray. Gray is a perfect backdrop for almost all colors...except when paired with chocolate brown (personal opinion).

Now the fun begins. Find things to add to your wreath that makes you happy. You would be surprised to see all the things you probably already have at home that you could use. Sometimes looking at everyday objects with a "different" eye can make a very creative point of interest for your wreath. Just switching to a new color ribbon could be all you need to refresh the wreath. Your ideas do not have to be complicated. Simple is always best in my book. I love a good wreath. Fun to come home to. And to open the door to.

Here is an afternoon of just looking around my home and sharing a few ideas.