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Icing Color Theory and a Color Chart

I want to tell you something about mixing colors. And I've got a tiny little angel in my arms right now. And some Builder Guys knocking out walls in the back room of my house. And I have to pick up my son from school in about 20 minutes. So let's just get right to it, shall we? ** Because I love you all, I'm going to start at the beginning. And by "beginning" I mean "the primary colors." And those would be Red, Yellow, and Blue. They are the colors that make up all the other colors. For example, if you mix red and yellow together... you get orange. If you mix yellow and blue together, you'll find yourself looking at green. And what happens when you mix red and blue together? That's right... you get purple. Or violet. Or aubergine. You can call it whatever you want to... but if you mix red and blue together, you're going to come up with a color that lies somewhere between them on our color scale. And since we have purple on BOT

Celebrate Life

I want to tell you about someone. Actually, I want to tell you about TWO someones. The first person you might already know. Her name is Anita. Sweet Hope Anita . She's a giver. She gives her time to make cookies to raise funds and awareness for ALS in honor of her brother Randy. She gives support to anyone she's ever met because she pretty much has the biggest heart on the planet. And not in an unhealthy-something's-got-to-give kind of way. More like a seeing-into-your-soul-truly-loving-a-person kind of way. She gives sprinkles and sanding sugar to a certain cookie decorator who lived in South Korea and had no way of acquiring said sugar products. She gives giant helium balloons to children. She gives of all that she has to those who don't have the same. Actually, I'm pretty sure she would give to people who even had more if she thought it would make them happy or brighten their day. And she does it all without a reason. Without needing applause or reco

Can You Save Overmixed Icing? -- Quick Tip Tuesday

Jack Handey is a smart guy. He knows what he's talking about. I'm pretty sure he said something similar about icing... I over-mixed both of these icings. The icing on the left was a thinner, flood consistency icing when I started. After 3 days, it still wasn't dry. It was sticky and tacky and completely bendable. The icing on the right was a thicker, piping consistency icing. It dried as fast as it normally does, but was brittle and crumbly. And I dropped some of it and it completely shattered. And that is *not* what you want to put on your cookies. What should you do if you think you might have over mixed your icing? -- Plop some down on a plate or wax paper and let it dry for 4 hours. Is it still really wet and not at all drying? Is it tacky? Or is it over dry and brittle? You've beaten your icing too much. Sorry. Toss it. There's no coming back. Just let it go.

Spring Butterfly Cookies

I love spring. I love the way you think it's getting warmer again "for real this time" and then it snows for 3 days straight. I love that my children think that if they can see the sun and the grass at the same time that they can wear shorts and sandals and ride their bikes around the neighborhood until 10pm. I love that they legitimately think it's a good idea. I love looking out the window and seeing the sun shining through the flecks of green that are new leaves budding on the trees and the feeling that you just *have* to go outside and enjoy the world and feel those rays of sun on your skin and then the icy blast of the wind knocks you back inside the second you actually open the door. I love that it never stops me from opening that door and just hoping it won't happen again.   I love that hope. Spring IS hope. I love spring. You know what I don't love? When I delete pictures that I actually wanted to keep. I really wanted

Keep your letters clean and sharp -- Quick Tip Tuesday

Cookie Friend That I Adore : You know what I hate? When you are piping letters and the "e" just melts all together and you end up with a dot and a tail instead of an actual letter. Or the "a" or the "p" or the "g" or basically any letter that wants to. If I make my icing much thicker, then it won't smooth out and look pretty. So I have to choose between sloppy, melted letters, or stiff, rough looking letters. That is what I do not want to have happen. Is it possible to live in a world where this doesn't happen? Me : I'm so glad you asked. I have just the trick for you. When you pipe a word, leave off all the cross bars and hooks and curly parts until the end.   Then come back and fill them in. It gives the original part of the letter just barely enough time to form a super thin crust so the two parts don't join forces and create a tidal wave of melty letter destruction on your cookie. PS : Ameliorate means