This morning, during my trip to Aldi’s, I saw these cute cookie cutout kits at the checkout.
Ninjabread Cookie Cutouts!!
This kit caught my eye, it is soooo cute! I love gingerbread cookies. I don’t need a kit to make cookies, but I would buy it to have the cookie cutters for the future. I am hoping they have some kits left after Christmas so I can get one marked down.
Ugly Sweater Cookie Cutouts!!
One year, my cookie-making partner/sister got one of these kits through a fundraiser from a friend. They didn’t make a lot of cookies, but they were super fun to decorate. Also, again, now she has the cookie cutter to make as many ugly sweater cutouts she desires.
I don’t think I got any cutouts made last year. DD and I did some Spritz cookies and some toffee (I think). I have no idea what I will get done this year. I can’t seem to get my head truly into Christmas this year. Maybe some Ninjabread cutouts can help!
I have been yearning to add to my blog for many months. As I write this, my naughty little baby is taking a much-needed LONG nap. So, I quick cut out and baked up some sugar cookies out of dough that has been in the refrigerator all week. As I was cutting little mitten cookies out, I thought, “If the naughty baby stays asleep after I get these cookies done, I am going to write. TODAY!” Here I am. A blog post! 🙂
The baby is awake, and I am off again!
It was nice to drop in and chat. I will do it again really soon.
I am not very upset that Hostess has gone out of business. It has been years since I have purchased a Twinkie, HoHo, Fruit Pie, or Zinger. I really like to bake our snacks and treats. It is healthier, cheaper, and I always learn new things when I work in my kitchen.
I have been collecting recipes for years. I have a cupboard filled with cookbooks and notebooks shoved with clipped out recipes from newspapers and magazines. I also have a good number of recipes inherited from my Mom and Grandma. I have probably made 25% of the recipes in my possession, but I enjoy sorting through them once or twice a year and discovering something that I could make in the next menu lineup. I also love the mishmash of color and texture of the pieces of paper I have collected.
Part of my Recipe Collection
One of the best cookie-bar recipes I have been using is the Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe from the Gold Medal unbleached flour package. There’s a good amount of fiber in these cookies, they are soft, and they taste great. I have been making them into bars. We freeze half of the bars immediately after they cool. We enjoy the other half of the bars for dessert and in lunches for three days. When they thaw out later, they are perfect!
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip BarsOatmeal-Chocolate Chip Bars ready for freezer
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or hand mix with wooden spoon. Add oats, flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded spoonful 2 inches apart.
Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden. Cool for one minute on cookie sheets then place on cooling racks.
These also make GREAT bars and are even faster to make!
Instead of dropping into cookies, spread into a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.
