Cookie Bouquet Tutorial!

Yummy Valentine Bouquet!

 Materials: Cookies for flowers, Skewers, Jelly candies, Pot or something to hold cookie flowers (I got my pot from the dollar store), Instant chocolate pudding and Oreo cookies (generic brand works just as good.) 
* For the flowers store bought cookies with a hole work great. Homemade cookies are yummy too, but because they are soft they may crack when putting skewer through the center.
Note: Amounts depend on size of pot and size of bouquet.
 1.  To make the dirt cake for the bouquet, ground up oreos to look like dirt. Put about 1-2 inches in bottom of pot.

 2. Make pudding to the pudding pie directions on package. Pour into pot on top of ground cookies. Put another 2 inches of ground oreos on top of pudding or fill almost to rim of pot. Place dirt cake in the refrigerator to set and chill.

                                                   Next are the flowers!

3. Poke a skewer through the center of a jelly candy and then through the center of a cookie. Top with another jelly candy.

 4. Poke Flowers into the dirt cake and tie a ribbon around your pot if you desire.

                Now you have a beautiful bouquet of sweets to give to someone!

Love!

 Valentine's Day is coming up! I posted a few good finds that I have come across over the years. These all have to do with LOVE!

This is a 2 minute video that gave me a desire to be and do better! It is a message from Thomas S. Monson on What Matters Most!

   
  If you want a short read, this book is perfect! This is a cute little book that was given to me years ago. F. Burton Howard uses a real life parable from his experience to share how special marriage is.

 Here is a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley
               
               True love is not so much a matter of romance 
                              as it is a matter of concern 
                     for the well-being of one's companion. 

Flower Clip Tutorial! Clip It Anywhere!

Flower Clip!

Materials needed:  felt, fabric glue (I used Fabri-Tac), bobby pin
 1. Cut a felt circle (my circle is about 1 1/4" round)       2. Cut the circle in a spiral.

 3. Start rolling felt from the outside in.
 4.Glue the end to the side of roll. This will hold the circle.  It will look like a little cinnamon bun.  Make 7 little rolls. You will have 6 petals and 1 center. Optional: attach a bead to the center

5.Cut 2 felt circle for back, mine is about 1 3/8".  Glue center on 1 felt back and then glue petals around. 

                                                  You should have a flower!

6. Put the second felt back inside of the bobby pin. Put glue on the back. Make sure the flat side of bobby pin is on the bottom. Attach it to the bottom back of flower and let dry. Next time I would make the flower a bit larger to hide the bobby pin.

  Wear It Everywhere!!

Ruffle Shirt Tutorial! Create A New Look!

  Valentine's Day is coming up!!  What are you doing for the sweeties in your life?  The next few days I will add some fun and easy gift ideas that even the youngster can make!  With a few adjustments these ideas can be for anytime of year!

       Ruffle Shirt!

         Fix up a shirt that is hanging in the closet or add some flare to an old shirt! Cover up stains! My daughter had a hammy down shirt from her big sister that she hardly wore. If you like ruffles here is a simple makeover! I decided to add ruffles in the front to cover the heart design that was on the old shirt. The ruffles give the shirt a vintage feel.  I love it and she loves it! 

* The ruffles on this shirt cover about a 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" area. Note that the size of your background fabric and ruffles may need to be different depending on the area you need covered on your shirt.
1. Cut a 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of fabric that matches or contrasts the fabric for the ruffles. Fabric for the background is needed to hide the old design on shirt. Pin and sew rectangle to the shirt. Sew 1/4" from edge.

 2. Cut 7 strips from the fabric of choice.  Each one 1/2" wide and 10" long.

 4. Sew a basting stitch (or the biggest stitch) down the center of each strip.  Gently pull on the bottom thread to make it ruffle. Bunch it up to about 5 inches long.  Turn under the top and bottom of ruffle about 1/4 " and pin the ruffle on the background fabric.  Do the same to the other 6 strips. I pinned a ruffle about every 1/4" Starting 1/4" from the edge. I left the edge of the ruffles raw because I like the frayed look.

 5.Sew down the center of each ruffle. Remember to back stitch and cut thread tails. Simple as that!!  Out with the old and in with the new!  You can be even be more creative and make designs.  Have fun!!!

                       Dress up for Valentine's Day with a new shirt!

Simple Homemade Icecream Sandwiches!

     Everyone in my house loves sweets! Especially homemade sweets! Most of the time ice cream can be found in our freezer. I also like to bake, which doesn't help the sweet cravings. My children are always ready to help with the baking! I have always tried to find a good combination for ice cream sandwiches. I know there are a lot of different variations on how to make good ice cream sandwiches and that it all depends on ones preference. I tried cake mix cookies for ice cream sandwiches yesterday. They were sweet and simple.  Perfect for my little helping hands! Perfect for our sweet cravings!  Perfect for ice cream sandwiches!  Here is a recipe that I got from my mother for cake mix cookies.  Kids can make this with little help. This recipe may even be out there somewhere.
Sweet & Simple Baking!

1 box of cake mix
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp water

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake mix, shortening, egg and water in a medium bowl.  Blend with a mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are completely wet. When you first start to mix it will look dry and powder like.  Keep mixing until it resembles cookie dough.

Roll dough into tablespoon size balls and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for about 9 minutes.  Be careful not to over cook. We want them to be extra soft, not crunchy!

 

They will look puffy, soft and gooey.  Remove from oven, but leave cookies on cookie sheet for 1 more minute before removing to a cooling rack.

After the cookies have cooled completely, put your favorite ice cream in the middle of two of the cookies.   

                                      EAT it up! Yum Yum!!
  There are many options when making the cake mix cookies.  You can add chocolate chips, nuts or whatever suits your taste!  *Ice cream sandwiches can be made ahead of time and stored in freezer.  Just remember the cookie may harden and you may want to take them out for a few minutes to soften before eating.