Cookie Tutorial

Want to make cookies like these:

Heres how!

Supplies:

Your favorite cookie dough recipe

Royal Icing

Flood Icing

Piping bag and tip

Condiment bottles

Toothpicks

First start by making your cookies. Here is a recipe I like:

1 cup Sugar

2 sticks Salted Butter

1 Egg

3/4 tsp Vanilla extract

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 1/2- 3 cups flour

These cookies were made using a paper pattern that I set on top of the dough and cut out using a paring knife.

Make your Royal Icing next. I use meringue powder instead of eggs so I don't have to worry about making anyone sick. Here's the recipe I like:

4 tbsp Meringue powder

1/2 Scant cup water

1 lb powdered sugar

1/2-1 tsp light corn syrup

Clear extract flavoring. I like to use orange

Make your icing nice and stiff to use for piping. Your icing is ready when stiff peaks that don't fall over form. Separate what you will use for piping and what you will use to "flood" your cookies.

Once your cookies have cooled load up your piping bag and pipe your outline or details on your cookies. Let this dry and harden for 15-30 Minutes

To make flood icing take the remainder of your royal icing and water down 1/2 tsp at a time until it is no longer stiff. CAUTION: do not get your icing too thin or it will never dry!

Your "flood" icing when drizzled in your bowl with a spoon should take 1-2 seconds to settle back into the bowl of icing and should easily pour off of a spoon. Separate and color your icing whatever colors you need it (I like Americolor dye) and put into condiment bottles.

Next you will "flood" your cookie with your flood icing and spread out with a toothpick. Don't be chintzy with the icing or it will appear to be dented when dry.

If you have 2 colors meeting together you can take a toothpick and swirl the icing together while still wet.

Let your cookies dry for a few hours before you stack them so that your icing won't dent. I'm just sayin', dented cookies are no good after all the work you went to!

Please e-mail or post any questions!

g.g.

Froggy on my mind

Want a cute animal hat like this for your kiddos? This is the froggy but I also make a Raccoon and an owl.E-mail me if you are interested in purchasing! I give discounts for purchasing multiple hats:

25$ for one

23$ a piece for two

20$ a piece for three or more

My e-mail is thegengal@gmail.com. I can also send you pictures of the owl and the raccoon hat if you are interested in those. Let me know!

g.g.

Winners! And my favorite cheese bread.

Cassel Family and Allyson congrats! You are the winners! Please e-mail your address to thegengal@gmail.com by this Wednesday the 2nd so I can mail your flowers to you!

Next up: my favorite cheese bread. Warning: this bread is extremely delicious and very good for your figure...uh...minus the good for your figure part.

Here is what you will need:

Your favorite bread

Chef Tony's garlic cheese spread... this is a necessity!!! I get mine at Harmons.

Your favorite cheese. I like Colby Jack

Next spread a thin layer (yes a thin layer will do) of Tony's spread. Then sprinkle with cheese

and put on pan.

Stick this under your broiler until the cheese is bubbling and browning and your bread is looking toasted. Enjoy alone or with a meal!

g.g.

Reminiscing....

My hubby and I were just looking through some old pictures and thinking..... man we look young! It makes me wonder what I'm going to be thinking in 5 years from now when I look at old photos. Its funny that looking back now it sure seems like those days were care free! It also seems like I was a whole lot thinner back then... can anyone sympathize?

g.g.

Is it blooming Spring yet? Peony flower GIVEAWAY and tutorial

I don't know about all of you but I'm sure ready for spring! I thought I would make some pretty flowers to help me out with the winter time blues! Here is how you make them:

Supplies:

Fabric 1 yard would make about 18 of these

Needle

Thread

Sewing machine

Cutting mat

Rotary blade

Felt

Hot glue gun

Fabric button making kit (or use regular buttons)

First start by cutting a strip of fabric about 2 inches by 44 inches.

Next sew a straight line down one side of your strip leaving about a 1/2 inch allowance. You can use a sewing machine (this is much quicker) or if you don't have one, a needle and thread. Helpful hint: The smaller your stitches the more tight and fluffy your flower will be. I usually use between a 3 and a 2 on my sewing machine.

Only back stitch the beginning of your strip of fabric. Do not back stitch to finish off.

Once you have finished sewing hold on to one of the pieces of thread and pull fabric back on itself, giving it a ruffle. Pull as tight or loose as you would like. The tighter you pull the tighter the flower.

The strip of fabric will naturally start to coil on itself and form a flower shape.

Wind the fabric on itself until it is in a shape you would like.

Do not cut off left over piece of long thread.

Use needle to pull thread through center of flower. On the backside make at least 6 or 7 stitches through the fabric in the center to hold flower together. Stitch until it feels stable. Tie off and leave thread attached.

Pull thread back through center of flower to the front of flower.

Next use your fabric button making kit (these can be found at any craft store or even Walmart) to make a button.

Use the thread you pulled back to the front and stitch button on several times. You can also use hot glue to attach the button if you would like.

You could also pull the fabric very tight and leave the button off.

You can trim any threads from the fabric that are too long. I like to leave a few for character!

Last but not least cut 2 pieces of felt for the back of the flower.

Hot glue one onto the back of the flower to hold everything together.

Attach second piece of felt only on two sides (opposite each other) to allow for a space to attach a hair clip or head band.

You could also attach a pin so that you can wear on clothing or attach to a purse or a pillow for your bed or couch!

Enjoy your fabric Peony flower!

Leave a comment and tell me what you would like a flower for..... Your hair, purse etc.... And win a flower! No entries after noon Saturday January 29th. Two winners will be announced on Saturday evening!

g.g.

Vinyly a Silhouette

I love the look of a silhouette but wanted to do something a little more colorful and different than just your average silhouette. Here is what I came up with!


Like it? Here is how you make one:



Your supplies:
Any size frame. I went with a larger frame. 12x12
Vinyl, you can buy at almost any craft store or online.
Transfer paper. (I didn't use it but you could use it if you wanted to)
Xacto Knife
Pencil
Cricut. If you don't have one find a friend that does or you can special order your letters. Here is a place that will do it for you: http://www.etsy.com/shop/vinylexpress
Fabric. I just used a fat quarter. Its cheap and you don't need more than that unless you are using a gimungo frame.

First create your silhouette. I used photoshop to create mine using a profile shot of my son, but, if you don't have photoshop or don't know how to create a silhouette on photoshop there is another way! Take a profile shot of your subject. Make a copy of that photo or print it off. Outline the profile with a dark colored marker. Then cut out your outline or photoshop image. Trace the outline of your photoshop image onto the BACK side of the vinyl. Use an Xacto knife to cut out the silhouette. Wala! You have your silhouette!

Next plan out what size of letters and font you would like to use. I used letters that were about 1 inch to about 1 3/4 inches.
It helps to cut out an example first before you actually cut the vinyl.

If you would like to put the vinyl on the inside of the glass (thats what I did) you will need to flip your letters. The advantage of having the letters on the inside is that they won't get dusty and peel. The disadvantage is that you might see some tiny bubbles that are difficult to get out. You could try one letter on the inside to see if thats the look for you.

Apply your vinyl silhouette and letters to the glass.

Take the backing to the frame and with a pencil trace the outline of it onto the backside of the fabric.

Cut around your tracing leaving about an inch of additional space. Fit the fabric against the glass and put the back in the frame.

Please email me at thegengal@gmail.com or post if you have any questions!

g.g.