It's a GIRL!

Congratulations to Carlene and Josh! Today is their big baby shower for their baby on the way!

Carlene and Josh were pretty confident that they were having a boy... so they were pretty surprised when the ultrasound showed their pretty princess instead! Their good friends are hosting a "Barbie" themed baby shower to help them get used to the idea of all things girly!





These cookies coordinate with the invitations and were a fun way to mix baby and grown-up designs. Although, I did go slightly (more) batty switching back and forth from precise polka-dots to totally random zebra-stripes. ;^)    


I tried one in pink too... This pink zebra was done with a slightly different technique too. The traditional zebra-stripes are created on a completely dry white-iced cookie. I was very concerned about the black bleeding on to the white. This worked really well.

This pink zebra test cookie was done with a wet-on-wet technique, where I laid down the white base and then flooded the pink icing into the wet white icing. It seemed to work pretty well too. It was WAY faster. However, you can see that it did bleed a little bit, and it is a little more tricky to manage exactly where the lines end up.

I was also a little concerned because these cookies were traveling a long way, and due to the customer's travel schedule, she needed to pick up her cookies five days before the party, which meant that I was baking and decorating them more than a week before they would be eaten. I made sure that the cookies were done in time to be SUPER dry and then packed them tightly in a smaller bakery box, so that they wouldn't shift around during travel. I gave Sandra cookie care instructions: Do not leave them in the car. Do not put them in the fridge or freezer... And I saved one for myself to taste this morning, and sure enough, they were still delicious! Yippee!! I hope everyone at the party LOVED them! ;^)

This is the special extra cookie that I made for my friend Sandra, who placed this order. Sandra and Jason to celebrate their third wedding anniversary, so they still in the super-sweet-newlywed phase, but I cracked myself up wondering if she still loves him enough to share her cookie! ;^)

Cheers and Best Wishes! 

Sarah

Are you Curious about Allergies? Just Ask!

Good Morning Sweet Shoppe Friends!

Do you have a loved one with food allergies?  Is it hard to find the perfect treat for him/her?  Are you "Curious" about whether Sarah's Sweet Shoppe can help?  Just Ask!

As a home-based bakery, we to do NOT have the protections in place to be able to accommodate a SERIOUS allergy.  That said, I am happy to speak with the customer (I would prefer to also speak with the person with the allergy or their parent) to see if I can make treats that are safe for you or your child.

Dairy-Free Curious George Cookie and Personalized Man with the Yellow Hat Special Extra

For example, I recently, was asked to make a dairy-free cake and cookies for a sweet little boy's 2nd Birthday Party.  While it was a little challenging, to learn what would be safe for him to eat, I was able to create both, with only a small added expense for special supplies.  The cookies didn't taste exactly like my standard cookies, but they were still adorable and delicious.  Because the birthday boy was small enough not to be helping himself, with the Mom's "blessing," I was even able to put the dairy and non-dairy cookies in the same box.

Dairy-Free Cookies are Marked with the Birthday Boy's Name "Tate"

For these dairy-free cookies, I was able to use "Earth Balance" as a butter substitute.  (I found it at the Walmart Supercenter, for about $5.) It worked pretty well. The cookies were not quite as soft and fluffy as they usually are.  They were more the consistency of a thick pie crust and flakey.  They also had a bit of a "nutty" taste to them, however several taste-testers said that they were yummy! ;^)

However, a preschool asked me about baking nut-free cookies for their graduation program, because several kiddos had serious nut allergies.  I had to decline this opportunity, because I do have nuts and nut products in my kitchen.  I also usually use pure Almond extract in my cookies.  Without being able to speak directly to the person with the allergies, I would not be comfortable labeling my cookies as nut-free for a buffet line.

Dairy-Free Curious George Cake~
Dark Chocolate with Dark Chocolate and Caramel Frosting
& Royal Icing Transfer Eyes

That said, a mother ordered "nut-free" cookies for a preschool class party last fall.  No one in the class had an allergy, they just had to be nut-free to meet the requirements of the school's nut-free policy.  I made those cookies with  vanilla extract, and they were OK for that class.  So, it really is an order-by-order deal.

I have also been asked about glutten-free cookies.  I have not tried them yet... but would be happy to if I had a customer who needed them.  Again, it helps me to talk to the person with the allergy challenge, so that I can save time (and expense) in researching what products work and do not work for the particular customer.  I do also have to add a small fee to cover my additional expenses, since I do not buy allergy-free products in bulk.

Dairy-Free "Tate" Cookie (right) with "Regular" cookie (left)

I have heard that it is difficult to get gluten-free cookies to taste good, but truthfully, even cardboard cutouts would decorate-up super fun! And everything tastes better with icing!  ;^)

Please do not hesitate to ask!

Cheers!
Sarah

St. Patrick's Day Musings...

A Trinity Cross

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Actually, we don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a big way at our house.  We will wear green shirts.  We will eat green shamrock pancakes, because it is fun.  On a good year, we might even go to a parade, if it doesn't make mommy tired just thinking about it.  We won't really talk about Leprechauns (except to remind our girls that they are just fun imaginary characters) or chase after their pot of gold...  We don't believe in luck... so there isn't much to say about that.

Before I mixed up my green icing...
I just used white and covered it with green sprinkles.

One thing, that we will definitely do though, is talk about who the real St. Patrick was and why we celebrate his day.  He was a real person.  He did not believe in God.  He was captured by bandits and taken to Ireland.  He was a slave and a sheep herder.  He was alone and afraid, and he prayed to God to save him.  God did!  Then, Patrick studied the Bible and soon he wanted to go back to Ireland to tell the people there about Jesus.  He was the first missionary to Ireland.

We will talk about the symbol of the Trinity on the crosses (above) and how there is no beginning and no end to their design, just like God, who is infinite,  and has been from eternity past and will be for into eternity future.  (Thank you to Anne at the Flour Box Bakery for the inspiration for these crosses.  You really should go see it... Her cross is AMAZING!)

We will talk about the shamrock and how it is also a symbol of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).

We will talk about the daffodil and how flowers are a symbol of death (when you plant the dead looking old bulb in the Fall) and new life (when it blooms as a beautiful new creation in the Spring).




 We will talk about how we are all like sheep and are prone to go our own way, but Jesus, the Good Shepherd, watches over us and takes care of us.  (Thank you to Callye at Sugarbelle and Marian from Sweetopia for sharing the guest post on how to make these cuties!  I guess if I had actually read the whole post, I wouldn't have ended up with the great big pile of icing in the middle... oh well!  They still tasted good and looked cute.)  

We will talk about rainbows and the beautiful symbol of God's covenant love that they represent.

We will have lots of fun things to talk about...
We might even eat a cookie that looks like a funny green hat. ;^)


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cheers!
Sarah

Reader R's cookies - She is becoming quite the decorator!

P.S. - I did have fun decorating cookies with my oldest daughter,  Reader R.!  She says "I love FLOOD!"  Too cute!  Her cookies turned out great too!

Here are our pancakes too!  Reader R. and Lil' L. were so excited.  Curious K. was not too excited about the green breakfast that looked strangely like broccoli.

Curious K Turns Four - Curious George Style!

My darling daughter, Curious K, turned FOUR earlier this YEAR.  For this big birthday, she wanted all things Curious George... Surprise!




Cute cookies for her preschool class.



With her birthday so near to the holidays, we often end up having multiple celebrations, so here is a peak into the myriad of treats I cooked up for my curious girl!



Cupcakes for her family dinner.



The big "Happy Birthday Hat"
is a special family tradition.



My big girl and her cake!



Happy Birthday,

Curious K!

I love you!

Momma

On the Twelfth Day of Cookie Christmas...

Sweet Sarah gave to me, 14 cookies baked into a wreath...

And a random sampling of all of the ones I missed...

 

"J" is for Jesus!



These cookies remind me of my three girls... 

Reader R. would obediently have her cookie tucked under her wing for safekeeping. 
Curious K. would be caught nibbling, "Just a taste."

Little L. would just be standing there, all adorable,
with a sticky grin and a look that said "What candy cane?"

 

Amazing "Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream"   I wish I could remember where I found the reciepe. (When I do, I will add credits and a link, here.)  I topped the real ones, for Christmas, with a chunck of chocolate/peppermint bark.  These I decorated to look like my family: His, Hers, 3 little girls!  

I am such a cheeseball!



My sweet Little L!  She is the best helper!
She got this adorable apron for Christmas!



 Well,  there you have it.  Christmas... finally over.  Actually, we just exchanged our last presents last night, so I guess it is time to take down the tree and put the Christmas cookie cutters away until next year. 

Merry Cookie Christmas!

Sarah

Kid's Cookie Bake Cookies!



P.S. - Lessons learned: No one wants to see Christmas cookies in January, not even me.   All of my cookie friends have TOTALLY moved on to Valentine's Day.  Plus, this all would have worked out a little better if I had PLANNED what I would post on each of the 12 Days BEFORE I started.  (And, I should have made a "Wise Men" cookie or something for tomorrow, but I didn't.) Oh well...  MERRY COOKIE CHRISTMAS, anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving! 

(Really, I am in favor of any National Eating Holiday...)

No, seriously, it is just a good solid holiday filled with quality things: gratitude, family, history, patriotism, parades, food..., err uhm, I mean a bountiful harvest and so much more.

We have so many blessings for which to be thankful. 

Among many other things, this year, I am thankful for the Sweet Shoppe and the opportunities that it is providing for me and my girls to grow, to learn, to have fun together in the kitchen, and for the relationships that I am building with you, my friends and customers, and with other small business owners and cookie bakers. 

So, this Thanksgiving I am wishing you blessings too many to count!

Have a

Happy Thanksgiving...

And Gobble 'til you Wobble!

Pumpkin Pie Sugar Cookie

A special "Thank You" to Ali Bee's Bake Shop
for the tutorial on pie cookies on Sweet Sugarbelle's Blog.  Curious K. could not even wait for this Pumpkin Pie cookie to dry before she gobbled it down!  (I had to crop her hand reaching for the fork out of the photo!)

Sarah's Sweet Shoppe is now closed for Thanksgiving and will reopen on Monday, November 28, ready with my first batch of Christmas cookies and some pinkalious birthday cookies for a sweet 5 year old!

Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!

I love how busy little squirrels run around and prepare for winter.  I feel their excitement as I prepare for the holiday baking season.  I am stocking up on all my basic supplies (flour, sugar, powdered sugar, parchment), and searching for all those fun special touches too... SPRINKLES, luster dust, fancy candies, and of course, all of the best holiday cookie cutters!  Scurry, scurry, scurry. 

I have also been busy confirming my December cookie orders.  Last year, I baked 21 dozen cookies between Thanksgiving and Christmas for friends, family, class parties, etc.  Right now, I have a feeling I will make at least that many this year... I do only have room for a couple more orders though, so if you were thinking of ordering cookies for something special next month, now (well, actually, Monday morning) is the time to get that booked. ;^)

"Who Cooks for You?" 
Sarah would be happy to!

(Note: This was last week's post, but I was too sick to bake. Not tragically sick, just uncomfortable and  inconvenient sick. It made me kinda silly for complaining, since I know two families that have been battling REAL sickness, tragic sickness, for several YEARS, and made me really grateful for the overall good health of my family.  So, now that I have stopped coughing and sneezing, I am happy to say that I am back in the kitchen again... less grouchy and more grateful.)

Scurry, scurry, scurry.

Life is a "Zoo" Sometimes

These are some special treats I made for a trip to the zoo with a good friend from high school and her son.  Thanks for the fun, Square and Mr. T!