the glittered nest

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Holidays everyone!  I just wanted to share a wonderful recipe that I learned at one of my fabulous AtTable cooking lessons.  A couple of weeks ago I went to a dessert and breads cooking class with Laura Arnold and I'm absolutely hooked on baking!  I'm ready to run off to Paris and dive into pastry school!  Ok maybe just dream about it.  I bought a wonderful pastry book from the French Culinary Institute and will be teaching myself new techniques and blogging about my results on another blog...Sweet Nest.  I'll let you know when it is up and running!

Laura was kind enough to let me share the recipe...please if you are in the Austin area, look into her classes...you won't regret it!

 
 Download Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a fun way to give a gift.  I love the rustic colors and your recipient can reuse the jar when the cookies are all gone. You can find these jars at your local grocery or the Container Store. I tied them with ivory tulle and fabric roses.  Wouldn't these be great wedding or party favors!

Teacher Christmas Gifts

Just wanted to share some pics of the gifts my girls are giving their teachers.  They came up with both of these ideas since this is what they love to do!

Madi my little baker worked hard on fudge and gingersnaps.  I made the macarons for her!

These are in little cupcake liners in cupcake box(we had some left over from our bakesale in October).

Remember the cute tags I had made for Madi's baking birthday party. Now her gift is personalized from her kitchen.  You can find those cute tags here:   doodle pad designs

The striped tags are from target.  We added the label from Rainbow Froggy's Bake Shop!

My daughter Abby loves to paint so she painted little 8x 10 canvases we bought from Walmart for 4 dollars for a pack of three!

 
  She painted her and her teacher!  This proves you don't have to spend a lot to give a great gift.  Just put a little heart and love into and it will turn out wonderfully.  Have a great holiday season.

Find the gingersnap recipe here

Chocolate Macarons

Dear Santa, please bring mommy some more chocolate so she can bake some more of these yummies!

Macaron Recipe: just use 1/2 cup of almond flour instead of 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup dutch cocoa. 

I told my girls we were going to put out chocolate macarons for Santa this year....their response:

"Mom, I'm not sure if Santa is going to like fancy french cookies...he's a chocolate chip cookie kind of guy!" 

I'll have to remember that one for when my girls have their own children and they are putting out the macarons for their children!

How about adding some chocolate macarons to a basket of comfort.  I love giving baskets of goodies at Christmas time.  The holidays can be stressful so wouldn't it be nice to receive a gift like this to help wind down?  I think I might just keep it...he he he  You can find this basket with the raffia and a little tag all for 5.99 at World Market!

Here's a little wreath I added to the front from the Pretty Petals Blog

 These tags are free printables on giverslog.com

The cute little clothespin girl can be purchased on tinkeredtreasures.blogspot.com

Vintage Holiday Wreath

You are going to love this project.  I immediately ran out and got the materials and loved the result. 

 

People have been using wreaths as decorations for hundreds and hundreds of years. It is the symbol of eternal life... there is no beginning and no end.

The Christmas bells announce the joyful news of the birth of baby Jesus!

and of course, the doves are our sweet little messengers of eternal peace and love.

The wreath is made from tea staining tiny baking cups.  This project is available to purchase on prettypetals.typepad.com Heather is very talented and creative and you will love her blog.  Her wreath looks ten times better with the darker stained ribbon.  I am going to make a few of these for gifts for family.  I love to collect and make treasures that will become family heirlooms for my children. My daughter Abby has already asked if she could make her own to keep.  This wreath is so delicate and sweet with tea stained ribbon and glittered doves. 

The best part of this wreath is the meaning of it.

Some of the materials I used....the roses will be used for packages.  I will post a flower tutorial next  post.  You will love them.  You use white sheeting and tea or coffee stain them.

 My mantle might need one of the sweet wreaths hanging from it...don't you think?

 
Happy Holiday Crafting and please visit Heather's blog...you will be so happy you did! My girls and I have decided we will make one every year with a little variation and date them. 

   

Favorite Ornaments

I love birds and nests...so why not put them on the tree?  You can find these little birds at Hobby Lobby in the wedding section and my little green mushroom at Luxe Apothetique!  I cannot pass up unique ornaments every Christmas and just love adding to my tree every year.  Of course the best ornaments are the ones your kiddos make.  My kids each have a tree in their rooms with their own ornaments!

Don't you just love these little house ornaments?  You must go to Gatherings in Georgetown, Tx.  They have the most beautiful tree decorated for the holidays. I found this little house their along with the following ornament:

 
  
I found this cute little bird at Walmart for only a dollar! Happy Decorating and stay warm!

It makes a package so much more special to add a cute little ornament to it.  This one is from Anthropologie.  They have very unique and girly ornaments.

Here's a little ornament I am secretly wishing santa will drop in my stocking this year:

Anthropologie

I know...I'm really just a kid in a 37 year old body! I refuse to grow up!

Blondie Brownies

Oh my goodness!  If you want to talk buttery comfort in a brownie...you must try this recipe!

I bought the new Country Living Holiday issue with 100 cookie recipes to find some new ones for holiday baking.  This brownie will definitely make the cookie tins this year.

Recipe(Country Living 2009)

2 cups packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup sliced almonds(I left these off)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan;set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth.  Cool slightly.  Add eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool slightly in pan or on a wire rack.  While warm, cut into bars.  Makes 36 bars.

These are very quick and easy to make!  Happy Holidays!

 

 

Wedding Style!

We have been so busy around here getting ready for my brother n law's wedding.  Take a look at our fun week:

We (my girls and I) made the wedding favors: white boxes with a little cupcake liner with toasted coconut and three jordan almonds tied with a green bow.

They were so much fun to make.

First, toast the coconut under a broiler and remember to constantly move it around to avoid burning:

Next I chose dark brown cupcake liners to look like little nests.  You can find them online at Bakeitpretty.com or you can use unbleached liners from Whole Foods or Central Market.

Here they are all 200 of them! 

There are little strips of paper inserted into the bow that says "Two human hearts makes one divine".
Here are some pics from the wedding.  My girls were the flower girls and my son was the ring bearer.

 
 
 We had a little accident but no stitches needed! Whew!
 My brother n law is a fireman so they rode off on his station's fire truck.

Here's Brock about to give my new sister n law a really wet smooch!