Kids and cookies -

Just a little video of the kids decorating the cookies we made out here today.

They do a good job. 

Sometimes...

I even make myself say "Awww"

I found three copper "animal cracker" cookie cutters at TJMaxx one day.

I finally used them. Decided to make them look like Keebler Frosted Animal cookies. The girls used to love those things. 

Tools -

My friend, Kathy, called me and said she had a present for me and could I stop by and pick it up on my way home. I did and it was these amazing tool shaped cookie cutters.

 So of course I had to make a batch of dough tonight and play with them.

 They were cute even unfrosted. I took a little round one and made some screws to complete the set.

Finished product. 

It's a Secret - Birthday Cookies -

I can't be in Montana for Dani's wedding or for the Big 80th Birthday Picnic they are having for Dad and Mom. So not only did I decide to do cookies for Dani and Josh, I also agreed to do some for the family picnic as a surprise. Dad and Mom both turn 80 this year and that is a milestone worth celebrating. They have also spent a lot of their lives in travel. So...when I was trying to decide what to do for the birthday cookies I was on a bus traveling on I-80 and a lightbulb went off in my head and I thought "Interstate 80 - 80 years old, lots of travel and a journey together." I designed the cookies right then and there on the bus.

When I got home from the tour I made a cookie cutter the shape that I needed. 

Baked the cookies and added a stick so they really looked like signs. Put them in the freezer to wait for the day I would decorate them. That day was today. When I had tried my sample cookies I struggled the most with making the big numbers consistent so I came up with this idea last night.

I printed out 40 - 8s and 0s from the printer in the size I needed and used parchment paper over them, then made icing for piping and went to town making my numbers all the exact same size. I let those dry overnight and then gently put them all in two separate bowls.

To say I was thrilled is an understatement.

I used the same white piping and outlined the cookies and let that dry for about an hour this morning.

 I had made my blue and red icing yesterday because, in case you didn't know, the color develops with time.

 I flooded the blue area and added the numbers while it was very wet.

p.s. I had the TV on Sponge-Bob Square Pants while I did this, because it is entertaining and he makes me laugh.

 I allowed the blue to dry for about an hour then came in with the red and a #1 tip on the piping bag and did the final part of the cookie.

43 cookies done, drying and waiting to be packaged.

Finished product.

Now for some facts 

{for no reason except I would be so curious, so I inform}

The violet cookies each took about 2 minutes to decorate. 

100 = 200 minutes = approx. 3 hours and 20 minutes

The sunflower cookies each took about 7 minutes to decorate. 

100 = 700 minutes = approx. 11 hours and 40 minutes plus about 1 hour to package.

Each sign cookie took about  4 minutes to decorate. 

43 = 172 minutes = approx. 3 hours plus about 1& 1/2 hours to package. 

Not included in these times is making the dough, cutting out the cookies, baking them, cooling them, making the frosting, coloring it, putting it into the little bottles to use...ANYWAY...all worth the effort and time. 

Congratulations to Dani and Josh and Happy Birthday to my dad and mom {who don't know about this blog so I have no worries that they will see this}

Sunflower Sugar Cookies-

You know the drill: Sketch, Bake, Decorate

Bryan likes unfrosted sugar cookies and last night I had just baked the last dozen of these that I needed. 

He walked by picked one up and said "Is it ok if I eat this?" FINE. 

Fortunately I only needed 11 to finish out the numbers.

All 100 are baked and now I am decorating 25 at a time.

So first I did the centers and let those dry for about an hour.

 Next I did the darker yellow outline. Let that dry while I went back to the start and added the darker by the center, added the yellow and used a toothpick to drag the darker yellow into the lighter one.

Here are the first 25. I'm exhausted already. :-)

And here is how they will look all packaged up for the wedding.

Found those bee stickers {3D with a black jewel for the head} and thought they would make a cute addition to the cookie bag.

And I still have 40 Road Signs to decorate. I am insane. Oh well, at least I enjoy it.

Violets for Danica -

 My sketches of ideally how they should look...

Fell up the stairs 4 days ago and am now in a wrist brace 

{left hand, fortunately} but still a hindrance.

I am satisfied with the results. 

 This doesn't look like that many but it is 100 of the little 1"x1&1/4" cookies.

{2 layers}

Hopefully Danica will like them. Now on to the larger more fun sunflowers. 

But that's for tomorrow...

Tip #2 about cleaning tips!

These!

They are great for getting down into the tiny ends of the smallest tips and cleaning out any possible dried Royal Icing in it. They are only about $3 for the pack of 15 and since they have a little cap on each one they last quite awhile.