Thursday, December 24, 2009

Cookie Swap 2.0

Not surprisingly, people take their cookies seriously. In the midst of planning our cookie extravaganza, I was delighted with the cookie feedback I received via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Deliciousness via social networking? Who knew?

So here's a quick roundup of recipes. My oven is about to get a work out.
Christmas Wreaths: I know the green food coloring can be a bit off-putting, but once you get past that, (or just go au naturale and forgo the food coloring altogether) these treats are deee-lish. Recipe here. Photo provided by a trusty college pal who is THE authority on all things Christmas.
(Top) Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars & (Bottom) Sunny's Crunchy Peanut Butter S'more Bites: submitted by the one and only Heather Crabtree of Outstanding Occasions fame. I have not tried either recipe. Yet. But I know Heather and according to her Twitter page, she has cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner by herself, which I consider a serious feat. So I will henceforth trust any recommendation she may have when it comes to cooking. Oh, and she's also a doll.
Recipes here and here.
Magic Toffee Bars: My mom has a habit of digging up the most addictive sweet treat recipes during the holiday season. She calls these Magic Toffee Bars. I call them Crack on a Saltine. Plan on making several batches. You'll thank me later. Recipe here.
I am throwing these last two selections in because A) I have made them myself, 2) they are relatively simple recipes and C) they taste good no matter how bad they look.
Raspberry Pinwheels: I found this recipe last year and the cookies looked so pretty and relatively easy to make. A fair warning - unless you bake on a regular basis, your cookies probably won't look this pretty. But pop one in your mouth and SWEET MOTHER OF GOD ARE THEY DELICIOUS! I considered burning this recipe out of fear I would bake them every week and end up on one of those horrible TLC exposes. Half Ton Designer. So use this recipe with some discretion. Find it here.
Best Ever Butter Cookies: This is my best kept baking secret, are you ready? The best Christmas cookie recipe is not passed down from generation to generation, it's found on the back of a Land-O-Lakes butter container. My mother-in-law introduced me to this wizardry when my husband and I first started dating and I have made these babies every year since. I add a little extra orange juice to the dough. Splash some into the frosting recipe, too. This is where I'll start tomorrow - simple, basic and so insanely delicious. I can barely contain my excitement! Find it here.
Peace, Love & Cookies, peeps! Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 21, 2009

I Heart Cookies

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed this little gem last week:
I'm making good on my tweet. I won't bake cookies until December 24th. Maybe even the 25th. In the meantime, I've been perusing my favorite magazines and websites for ideas and recipes for my cookie extravaganza. I'll post the top contenders this week.
But my inquiring mind wants to know – what is your favorite cookie recipe? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email – info@kellyashworthdesign.com – and I'll post your deliciousness for all the blogosphere to see. We'll call it "Cookie Swap 2.0". Yum.
{ image from Sweet and Saucy Shop. Did you gasp at this gorgeousness like I did? }

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Pretty Floral Gifts

Have you heard of Olive and Cocoa? I received their catalog the other day, and now want everything they sell. This is what I want the most:
Snow arrangement, $108 right here.
In addition to some lovely floral prettiness, they also offer an amazing array of gift ideas. I'm somewhat averse to the idea of sending food (it seems a bit overdone, no?) but their packaging is so pretty and if you're a business owner you can have it customized with your logo. Swoon.
PS - Olive and Cocoa has not paid me for this post. They just put out a lovely catalog and I felt the need to share.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Holiday Design Promotion Reminder

Just a quick reminder that my Holiday Design Promotion will expire this Friday, December 11. Book me for any design service and you will receive 25 Free Holiday Greetings cards from my new line! It's not too late! Email info@kellyashworthdesign.com to get the ball rolling.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Slipper Love

Hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving! I am in the thick of Holiday Card Season and loving every minute of it. But if I ever get around to designing my own cards remains to be seen. C'est la Vie.
When I picked up the mail on Monday, I found a new LL Bean Catalog and nearly tossed it. But then these cuties caught my eye and I just had to share. Say hello to the newest additions to my Christmas list. Santa, are you listening? I'm a 10.5.
Hearthside Beaded Moccasin, $39.95 and Hearthside Slipper, $34.95 right here.