*Holly Bake*

These cookies are good, not too sweet so you can eat lots...

Sugar Oat Hearts

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. old fashion oats (grinded)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/3 c. sugar for sanding

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In mixing bowl beat butter and shortening on high for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 c. sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in remaining dry ingredients. Use heaping teaspoonful of dough roll place on cookie sheet and flatten and form into heart shape. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Thrifting

I hit a local church rummage sale this past week and found some great stuff. I paid $10.00 total for all of these things...which I think is a great deal. I walked out of there a very happy girl. Not picture is a large wooden frame and a white, milk glass like, flower pot. I have seen the flower pots at Goodwill and they have been price from $6-7 so I was thrilled to find one.

I love these prints, don't know if they are worth anything put the colors are amazing. I plan to remove them from the frame and matting and hopefully find some thrifted frames for them. They will go in my bedroom.


I am a huge fan of enamelware and have a very small collection which this pot with lid will fit in quite nicely. I love to crochet so when I can find a different size hooks I always will pick them up.
Also have recently started collecting vintage linens, I use some of them for my bedding and also made an apron out of another. The flower stem/centers are for my friend who makes flower headbands. I just loved the little glass jar.
So I know these are a little random but I want to spray paint the boards and then put a cute saying on them. I'll post a final picture of that when I finish. Also the original stickers are still on these boards and are marked as $16.95 each!!
I'm always looking for old cookbooks and especially love "fundraiser" cookbooks, you can find some great recipes. I already have the Good Housekeeping cookbook and I love it so this one will be a gift. I also like old children's books with great graphics. I use them for decoupage projects.


Here is an example of the pictures in the book...aren't they cute?! So not bad for 10 bucks!!!

*Holly Bake*

I (and a little help from the kids) have been busy making yummy, Valentine's treats. I love the colors for Valentine's, which is a little weird since I hate the color RED but all of the pinks make up for the red! I made sugar cookies and they came out super-soft, not sure what happened to the dough but the are really yummy. Also made chocolate - M&M's - pretzels...my favorite. Also another personal favorite Marshmallow cookies, I think I could eat the whole batch.

Here's the Chocolate-M&M's-Pretzels The are so easy to make. Just lay the pretzels on a cookie sheet Place a Candy melt (I use Wilton Brand) on each pretzels Put in a 375 degree oven for 3 minutes Press a M&M in the center of the melted chocolate Let cool or place in refrigerator to cool faster. The eat...eat..eat... I love to make these for all of the holiday's.

Marshmallow Cookies are a favorite of mine and good for holiday's since you can use seasonal sprinkles. You can use chopped walnuts on the top for non-holiday cookies.

Marshmallow Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts or sprinkles
22 large marshmallows, cut in half

Combine shortening, sugar, egg, milk & vanilla and mix until blended. Add cocoa, flour, salt and baking soda, mix until combined. Drop 1 tablespoon dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove and top each cookie with marshmallow and return to oven for 2 minutes. Flatten marshmallow. Cool and frost with Chocolate frosting, decorate with nuts or sprinkles.
Chocolate frosting
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. milk
Melt butter, stir in cocoa, powdered sugar and milk beating until spreading consistency.

*Holly Bake*

I am always looking for a good Chocolate chip recipe and I found this one that I am now a fan of...so chewy and full of flavor...I think I ate 1/2 the batch by myself. The only thing is you have to make them and then let the dough chill for 24 hours which is not an easy task...since it was so tempting to take a sample of dough every time I was in the fridge!
I found the recipe here. I am going to again soon without chilling the dough and see how it works. If it turns out just as good I will be hooked on this recipe.

*Holly Crochet*

I finished up a couple more crochet projects. All patterns are from the Ravelry website. The orange one is for my sister-in-law who loves the color orange. This is the broomstick lace pattern. It took awhile to figure out the technique but I really like the way it turned out.


I had a little extra orange yarn so I made a headband with a flower on it. I just made it up as I went, then made a little flower, added a button and finished it off with some elastic. My daughter wasn't really interested in wearing it for pictures so I only got one shot and you really can't see it...sorry. I think it was cute and plan on making more with scrap yarn.
Here's a horrible picture of me in a hat I made for a friend. I don't know how to take a picture without a shadow in the background (it is driving me crazy). This is Woman's Granny Hat" which I added a big flower to the front. The pattern is here.
The gray scarf was a gift. Apparently it is a design that one of the character in the Harry Potter's series wears but I thought it was a great design. Go here for the pattern. Turned out cute.