The Decorated Cookie

Shabby Apple $75 GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-05-16T18:47:45Z

This has absolutely nothing to do with cookies or marshmallows, but when Shabby Apple asked if I wanted to give one of you 75 bucks for their shop, how could I refuse? I heart Shabby Apple. My favorite go-to dress that I wore all Spring with knee-high boots and now into Summer with flip flops is from Shabby Apple. I love this dress so much that when I accidentally forgot to remove the name tag sticker from an event at my daughter’s school, and then I ran the dress through the washer, then I ran the dress through the dryer, leaving not only permanent sticker remnants but my actual name from the marker on my dress, I couldn’t bear the thought of not having this dress anymore. So I made some big, fabric flowers to stick on top of the offending marks. By the way this is the dress, only mine is gray. And mine has flowers on the front now.

And they have way more than dresses and clothing. You’ll also find jewelry, hair accessories, bags, aprons, swimwear, kid’s clothing, artwork and gifts.

THE GIVEAWAY

So want a chance to win $75 to shop at Shabby Apple??

Here’s what you do:

First, head to the Shabby Apple facebook page and “Like” them.

Second, head to the Shabby Apple shop and pick out something that strikes your fancy.

Then come back here and leave a comment assuring me you Liked them AND letting me know what your favorite item in the shop (please leave only one comment).

Enter before Monday May 21st, midnight EST.

One winner will be randomly chosen to win:

$75 to shop at Shabby Apple

You must have a US address.

Limit one comment/entry per person.

Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

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some strawberry truffles and a GIVEAWAY!! Amy Atlas’s Sweet Designs

2012-05-14T16:55:20Z

I just got a second copy of Amy Atlas’s crazy fantastic book, Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It, and since I give and give and give, I’m giving it to one of you. If you don’t already have this 300-plus page book o’ party design fabulousness from dessert stylist pro Amy Atlas, then I’m guessing it’s on your wish list.

Want to learn more about what’s inside? I yak on at length about Sweet Designs in this review HERE.

And here’s one more glimpse, at a yummy recipe for Strawberry Truffles, found on p. 153, part of the oh-so-pretty-in-pink “Darling Dots” party. I whipped up a batch in no time. Easy, quick, tasty and make-ahead. So perfect for a dessert table.

how to make Strawberry Truffles

from Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It, by Amy Atlas, Hyperion Books 2012, p. 153

2 2/3 cups white chocolate chips, melted

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, softened

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

1 cup pink sanding sugar or pink dusting sugar

1. Stir the softened butter and strawberry preserves into the melted chocolate until combined. Cover in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to scoop, about 1 hour. (Note by me: I accidentally fell asleep and chilled mine for 4 hours, but I just let the mixture sit at room temp until easily scoopable.)

2. Scoop flat tablespoons of the truffle mixture and, using your hands, roll the truffles into balls. Place on the baking sheet and chill again until firm.

3. Put the sanding sugar on a dinner plate. Roll the chilled truffles in the sugar. Arrange the truffles in a bowl and place on the table.

Makes about 30.

And now… THE GIVEAWAY!!

For a chance to win a copy of Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas,

leave a comment here before Thursday, May 17, midnight EST

telling me a party theme (any!) you’ve thrown or want to throw.

For a 2nd entry (optional!), follow me on facebook OR twitter OR pinterest, your choice, and come back and leave a comment telling me.

If you already follow me on all three, mom, you can’t enter. (Or for the other person who follows me on all three, just leave a 2nd comment saying you already follow me so you get your 2nd chance, too.)

Winner chosen by random.org.

Winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is drawn.

Contest worldwide.

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strawberry spread with pie chips

2012-05-12T14:46:10Z

I’m not usually one for straight dessert recipes. Nah, I usually like stuff on a stick, shaped funny or drawn on. But I made an exception, just for DOLE. And for Foodie. And for Craft Gossip. Because these three elements combined in kind of confusing ways to compel me to come up with a recipe for the DOLE® California Cook-Off Contest. And one of the most important rules of the contest is to prepare your recipe on a grill or stove-top. Yikes! I bake!

But after many hours in the kitchen messing around with chocolate and strawberries and blueberries and lollipop sticks and butter and salt and so many different things to the point that I did nothing but eat desserts all day, I came up with this simple, easy, super yummy strawberry spread and pie chips. YUM. So so melt-in-your-mouth good.

For the full recipe with step-by-step photos, click HERE to go to Foodie. To learn more about the DOLE California Cook-Off contest, click HERE. And to see my post at Edible Crafts, click HERE.

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Sweet Treat Friday: the results!

2012-05-11T11:43:56Z

Thank you so much to all of you for submitting to Sweet Treats Friday!! I love these glimpses into other crafty types’ kitchens. Check out everyone’s submissions HERE.

And the winner is (chosen by random.org, by the way, since I could never pick a winner myself), Number 30, better known as the incredible Cameo Cookies by Lila Loa! Woo hoo to you!!! She wins a copy of Sugarlicious and the Sugarlicious apron, oven mitt and spatula.

Aren’t these meringue tulips on this cake gorgeous? By Bird on a Cake. How about some daffodil muffins? by Mega Crafty. Can you believe these daisies are actually pastry? By Hungry Happenings. And wow, the detail on this flower basket cake by “Sweet” Hobby is stunning.

There are some serious cake pop skills, too. Like these beautiful roses by Cake Fixation. And these clever flower pot cake pops by Nadia Bakes.

Note to self: Make cotton candy mousse. By In Katrina’s Kitchen. I’m pretty sure these castle cookies were made for my daughter. By The Partiologist. More with the intricate details: “embroidered” bird cookies by Sugar Dot Cookies. Even as a child, I was smitten with Delft. The Cookies are by Lorraine.

A tray. A tray made out of candy by Sugartown Sweets. So. Very. Awesome. These field of flowers cupcakes by My Little Slice of the Orange may be too pretty to eat.

Thank you again for submitting! I’ll be back in the future with more Sweet Treat Fridays and more giveaways, so stay tuned!!

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more cookies for mom

2012-05-10T12:05:54Z

Just to give you one more option for the bite-size, mason jar, I heart you mom cookies… You can also fill your jars with mini daisies. So super easy to make, too. I make dot daisies a lot, since they are handy to have around for parties, too.

Find the original how-tos to make dot daisy cookies HERE.

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