It's Fair Time!

  Fair time is always an exciting time of the year! This is my daughter, Alisha's entry in this years fair, pen and ink category. Her angel art, won a first place, blue ribbon! Congratulation's Alisha! You've got talent! Now it needs a pretty frame!

Opening day of our local fair is always a fun time! I love to be one of the first in the door on opening day of the exhibits. Not only to see if I have won any ribbons, but to also enjoy all of the exhibits. Especially the baked goods, while they still look the best. This is a photo, of some of the pickles, jams, jellies and preserves and some of the canned vegetables at the Salem, Va. Fair. Ribbons everywhere!

 My pumpkin whoopie pies won a blue ribbon, champion ribbon and best in show ribbon again! That's two years in a row! This year I changed the flavoring in the filling. All I have to say, is...WHOOOPIEEEE ! Please visit my twin sister's new blog, for some of her winning recipes Denise's Country Basket

Amish Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2 cups pumpkin

2 egg yolks

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup oil

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~Mix flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda.

~In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, egg yolks, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. gradually add dry ingredients, beating well.

~Drop by teaspoonfuls (I used a tablespoon) onto lightly greased baking sheet.

~Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes, taking care not to burn.

~Let cool one minute on cookie sheet, then remove to wire cooling rack.

Filling:

~Beat 1/2 cup soft butter, 8-oz. soft cream cheese, and 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla butternut flavoring.

~Gradually add in one pound of confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy.

~Spread generously between 2 cookies.

~Makes 2-1/2 -3 dozen 2-1/2 inch sandwich cookies.

It's Fair Time!

Things were a little overwhelming for me this year during the Salem, Va. Fair. I only entered 2 baked items, one was my pumpkin whoopie pies and a peanut butter cookie. When I visited the fair on opening day, I did not see a ribbon on my peanut butter cookies. So I just thought they did not place. But I received a Salem Fair envelope in the mail today. Inside, was the exhibitor's tag for my peanut butter cookies and attached to the tag....a blue ribbon. So my peanut butter cookies did place! I received a 1st place blue ribbon. A special thanks to Melissa Bassett de Pineda, the Salem Fair exhibits coordinator, for taking the time to mail me my ribbon. She does a wonderful job seeing that everything involving the fair exhibits, runs as smoothly as possible. Just want to let her know, how much I appreciate all of her hard work! This made my day Melissa! I love surprises!

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 
1 cup white sugar 
½ cup shortening 
½ cup butter, softened 
1 cup peanut butter 
½ teaspoon salt 
2 eggs 
2 teaspoon vanilla 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 ¼ cups flour 

The directions to this recipe can be found here  http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-best-peanut-butter-cookies.html

Recipe Source: Lou Lou Girls Blogspot

2014 Salem, Va. Fair. Some of the candy, cake and cookie entries. Look at all of those ribbons! I think it's fun to see the exhibitor's reaction, when they first realize, that their entry, won a ribbon. I've heard quite a few squeals and saw some happy dances!

It's Fair Time!

My granddaughter Savannah's art work, 
received the gold award ribbon at the 2014 Salem Fair! 

Way to go Savannah!

Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #2 

Here is my entry for the Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #2 ~ Shapes, on Cookie Connection.
In this challenge, we were required to take the five shapes shown above, and create a coordinating set of cookies.
To see all of the entries for this challenge, click on the link below.
Cookie Connection's Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #2 ~ Shapes
For this set, I used my own designs and my new toy, I mean my new KopyKake. The KopyKake is a projector that projects the image, onto a cookie or cake. For this set of cookies, I outlined and flooded, each cookie with royal icing, allowed them to dry overnight and then handpainted each cookie with a mixture of gel paste food coloring and water. I titled this set, Backyard Bird Sanctuary.

This photo , shows, my cookie photo frame and the original patterns/templates I used to create my cookie project.

The results for the Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #1, have been posted, along with a recap of the challenge and all of the entries! Read all about it here... 
http://cookieconnection.juliausher.com/blog/saturday-spotlight-practice-bakes-perfect-challenge-1
I was featured in the Saturday Spotlight on Cookie Connection! All entries were worthy of the spotlight! Julia Usher, the founder of Cookie Connection was gracious, in allowing those who were featured in the Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge, to add the pretty, I was featured on Cookie Connection, badge to our blogs (shown in the column to the right) Clicking on the badge, gives you a direct link to the Practice Bakes Perfect recap.
Congratulations to everyone who submitted their cookie creations in this challenge! It was a pleasure to see all of the beautiful and very creative entries! A special congratulations to Tami, who won the lovely apron! Thank you Rebecca you joining the contributors on Cookie Connection and overseeing the very first, Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge! I look forward the next monthly challenge!  

Wanted to share my first ever decorated cookie. I made this cookie picture frame for a challenge on Cookie Connection, called Practice Bakes Perfect - Inspirational Challenge #1 - Funky Seventies Mother's Day. It is a challenge to encourage cookie decorating and practicing cookie decorating skills. For more about this challenge click here ->http://cookieconnection.juliausher.com/blog/practice-bakes-perfect-challenge1
Making this cookie was definitely a challenge for me, and it's not perfect, but I enjoyed making it and will continue practicing my cookie decorating skills. This cookie has six pieces, the back, the stand and the four pieces of the frame. It is decorated and held together with royal icing. I titled this cookie, Mom's dress, repurposed. The idea is that, the mom in the photo, made a fabric covered picture frame with the dress she wore in the photo. Deadline for this contest is May 31st, 2014 the random draw winner will receive a wonderful embroidered apron, straight from Genoa, Italy. Wish me luck!

Beautiful cookies, decorated by Kari, of Yankee Girl Yummies.

Here is link to Kari's web site.

www.yankeegirlyummies.com/ 

Hi everyone! I am a member, on Cookie Connection. Cookie Connection is a place where people from all over the world get together to share their decorated cookies or cookie art. It's a great place to visit, hang out for awhile, or become a member yourself, at no cost and take advantage of all the great features that Cookie Connection has to offer. 
Although I have not started decorating cookies, yet. I enjoy learning from the many talented people, who share photos of their amazing cookie art and are always willing to answer any questions I have, as well as share decorating tips, recipes and resources for cookie decorating supplies. 
One special feature on Cookie Connection, is by Kari, of Yankee Girl Yummies, called, How Would You Cookie This? Kari, uses ideas, such as art or images, that others send to her, and if chosen, Kari then does a tutorial, showing the step-by-step process of decorating the cookie using the image or art provided. Below is the photo of a bunny, I drew, and emailed to Kari. And the beautiful set of cookies she decorated using the bunny image (shown above).
Thank you Kari! The cookies are awesome! Kari was even generous enough to send me the finished cookies!!! I appreciated her doing that for me, so much! Here is the link to the her tutorial on Cookie Connection 
http://cookieconnection.juliausher.com/blog/dear-yankee-girl-how-would-you-cookie-this 
Kari is very talented and creative! Please visit Cookie Connection for this tutorial and more, and enjoy all of her wonderful cookie art!

This is my bunny art, that Kari of Yankee Girl Yummies used to create the beautiful set of cookies above.