The Colors of Summer

Summer cookies are so much fun to decorate!  The bold, bright colors make each design "our most favorite yet!"

We received an email from my nephew's wife, who was coordinating a family reunion being held in our County at a local beach.   We don't get a chance to see this young family very often since they moved to Oregon, and we were delighted when she asked us to bake some cookies decorated in a beach theme.  She suggested sandcastles and any other 'beachy' thing we might come up with.  

These were the li'l creations we made.  We had no cutters for these, so it took a while to design a castle we liked; one that would hold its own in a bag of goodies for the guests.   Add a few sea creatures, some sugar 'sand' and a splash of the Pacific along the bottom and they were ready to go.

Once the sandcastle design was finished, we brainstormed about other similarly themed ideas.   It seemed obvious.  You can't make a sandcastle without a pail and shovel, so we rounded out the order with the cutest little pails!  These were seriously so much fun to work on.  Again, we had no cutter, so they took a bit longer (okay maybe more than a 'bit'), but the bright colors kept us smiling the whole time.

And of course, the photo shoot!  One of my joys!

Thank you Nikki, for allowing us to be part of your family's reunion.  We hope everyone enjoyed the cookies and that memories of good times will bring you and your family back again soon!

'Love you!

Sheree and Kimi

XOXO Cookies

I'll have s'more, please.

It seems you can't have a campfire without enjoying fireside treats affectionately known as S'mores!   We've been treating ourselves to a number of these decadent desserts lately!  Family get-togethers in backyards, evenings at the beach, or celebrating a new deck project - 'seems I have several smoke-scented articles of clothing in my laundry hamper!

It got me thinking about a less smelly version of a family favorite.  So I hunted through my recipes and came up with this cupcake.  We had a couple occasions for treats last week which provided a great excuse for experimenting.  

The chocolate cake was scrumptious and I could have stopped right there and been happy.  Especially since I wasn't so sure about 'torching' the tops of my pretty treasures.   But I pressed on, and had some good laughs in the meantime, considering what my cupcakes might look like if the hubster's blow torch got out of hand.  Swiss meringue and marshmallow cream all over kitchen!

But, as pictures indicate, all is well.  A few trial runs on the torch proved to be quite helpful and in the end, not a cupcake was lost.    

A Hershey's square garnish was added, but I held back on putting the graham cracker cookies on top.   I was afraid they might get soggy.  (This 'learn by doing it wrong' household has taught me a few things.) So I decided to just serve the cookies alongside the cupcake.   I'm glad I had people to share these with, because I was definitely wanting s'more.

Happy Belated Birthday to my Bestie, Patty!

  

And Leah, you are one lucky granddaughter! We trust your upcoming trip to Costa Rica provides you all with some amazing memories together. 

Buen viaje from XOXO Cookies!

Stop to Smell the Roses

... And Eat the Cookies!

July is probably my favorite month.  So many friends and family members celebrate July birthdays!  And I forgot to take pictures of some of the fun treats we tried.  The cheesecake pops were a taste hit, but we're still perfecting them, so future pictures of those are a given.

One of my favorite cookie designs for celebrating a birthday is the cupcake, since you can mix it up with multiple colors every time you make them!  And no matter what colors we choose, they just sing of happiness!

We happened to have some beautiful yellow roses in bloom this particular day, and while I was decorating, the hubster was out cutting a small bouquet.  I love the ruffled edges of these petals.

My friend at work was celebrating her birthday on this warm summer day.  Normally, we urge each other to take a walking break sometime during the course of the day, and lately we've found our way down the hill to a fully blooming rose garden.  We slow our strides to smell the roses (literally!) before heading back to our "office on the hill." 

So this blog is dedicated to a walking buddy of mine who reminds me (by her sterling example) to look on the bright side.  We actually skipped walking on this day in favor of a trip downtown to enjoy a fast, but fun lunch away from the office.

I hope her next trip around the sun brings her nothing but sunshiny smiles! 

Birthday wishes from Sheree

and

XOXO Cookies