For the love of Michigan...Pure Michigan...The ONLY Mitten.

There is actually a story behind these cookies.

A couple weeks back, there was a big HUGE article CONTROVERSY about the state of Wisconsin trying to use the "mitten" to describe their state and promote winter tourism.

Michiganders, all over the state, came UNGLUED!

THERE IS ONLY "ONE" MITTEN!

And it is NOT Wisconsin.

It is MICHIGAN!

This was so huge...it made the front page of Michigan newspapers all over the state.

It was all over Facebook, Twitter, EVERYWHERE.

You don't MESS with THE MITTEN.

The ONLY mitten!

And let's face it...if you showed even a preschooler, a picture of the map of the United States and asked them to point to the mitten...they'd point to Michigan.

There was even a joke/cartoon going around of an x-ray of a hand with a mitten on it, showing Michigan...and then Wisonsin next to it...showing and describing Wisconsin as a "mitten", yet looked more like a hand shriveled with arthritis.

It was pretty funny.

So that is where and how I got the inspiration for these cookies.

Out of my love for Michigan.

There are plenty of things I don't like that go on in our state.

But the state of Michigan in general...is BEAUTIFUL, rich with history, and I love it.

And so I had some fun with these cookies and all the sayings I put on them.

No disrespect at all to our Wisconsin neighbors...just pure fun.

I tried a new recipe as well.

My three guys get really tired of sugar cookies from all my decorating/practicing.

So I tried a chocolate chip cut-out recipe.

And it turned out REALLY yummy!

And so...dear MICHIGAN...the ONLY mitten...we love you.

Don't MESS with the mitten!

If I Never See Another Sugar Cookie...It Might Be Too Soon...J/K...

Done.

I have completed all of my "customer" orders for December.

CUSTOMER?

Did I just say that?

It sounds so weird, because I NEVER DREAMED that I would EVER have "customers" for my baking adventure!  But, I do!  And I thought I'd share a few of the orders that were placed, plus a few of my own cookies that I did just for fun.

The Santas and Snowmen that you see were done for a holiday class party for a special little girl...my friend's daughter.

I hear the snowmen went REALLY fast, LOL!

Funny, I fancied the Santas being the more popular ones, LOL!

Go figure.

Can't figure out kiddos, LOL!

These stars are just some I did on my own for fun.

I just wanted to use some non-traditional colors.

Just playing around.

I kinda like them.

Nothing "typical" about them, as far as "Christmas" goes.

These were some I just did for "extras".

Some went into baskets for teachers and bus drivers of my sons'.

I found cute little "baskets" with Christmas/winter themes on them at Target.

Placed a little tissue in them.

And then bagged up cookies, white chocolate dipped pretzels, and cake truffles and filled the baskets.

I hope the teachers and bus drivers like them.

I always wonder how teachers/staff feel about homemade baked goods, LOL!

Being such a "germ-a-phobe" I always wonder things like this, LOL!

These trees, I did again in non-traditional colors.

I thought they were kinda cool.

And more for the teachers and drivers.

I feel like I've been baking sugar cookies NON-STOP.

I don't think my oven has seen so much action in it's entire life, as it has the past week!

LOL!

And the last of the sugar cookies...

Some will probably go down to my family's house when we celebrate Christmas.

Some will be for Santa.

These are nothing special, LOL...just using up the remaining icing...so nothing has any real rhyme or reason, LOL!

Lastly, a few "different" treats I made...

My husband LOVES white chocolate dipped pretzels...

So I had to sneak in some of those for him.

And then I did a few cake truffles as well for the teachers.

I am done with the "decorative" baking for the season (I think, LOL!)...

Next up is the tried & true family favorites.

Butter Balls, Magic Cookie Bars, etc.

Thinking of maybe even cranking out some mini holiday cupcakes...

You just never know about 'ol Sweet Ivy, LOL!

Polka Dot/Spiral/Bow Birthday Cake

This was my second ever attempt at a "totally" covered fondant cake.

I've worked with fondant three times.

But only two of the three were "totally" covered cakes...the other just had fondant decor.

This was ordered for a Sweet 16 birthday party by a friend of my son's.

It was a french vanilla cake, with classic buttercream icing/filling, and marshmallow fondant.

This was the first time I ever attempted a bow and spirals.

Thankfully I asked my baking advice group if I should make them ahead of time...because I had no clue.

And I got a resounding "YES".

So I made the topper (bow, spirals) several days out so they had time to dry/harden into their shape.

I had no idea they wouldn't hold shape without drying.

Again...SO GLAD I asked ahead of time, LOL!

Overall I think it turned out pretty good and I felt pretty happy about it.

There are things I still need to improve on.

But for my second ever attempt...

I thought it was A-OK.

The birthday girl was happy...

And as I always say...

If the client is happy...then I'm happy too!

School Themed Cookie Pop Bouquet

Ever have one of those baking projects that feels cursed literally from start to finish?

Yeah.

That was this bouquet.

Even though I was pleased with the end result...for the most part...

It was one of those projects, where...

Literally everything that COULD go wrong, DID go wrong.

Right down to not having the right cookie cutters and having to hand cut most of the cookies...

To issues with the icing not drying properly...

To problems with arranging the bouquet...

To packaging issues...

IT WAS A NIGHTMARE!

I am pleased with how it turned out in the end though.

The client said that the person she gave it to "raved" about it and "loved" it.

So in the end...

That is all that matters!

A happy customer...is a happy baker!

Simply Snowflakes!

I LOVE SNOWFLAKES!

I don't know what it is...

But I think they are beautiful.

And I have always been obsessed with their shapes...

And the way the light catches them and sometimes looks iridescent.

I even sit and draw them sometimes.

With my pens...

With sidewalk chalk with the kids...

With crayons...

It's kind of a silly obsession.

But I think they're gorgeous.

Which is why I had so much fun with these cookies.

They're not as beautiful as my other baking buddies' snowflakes.

But it was fun making each one different.

Because that is the beauty of a snowflake...

That each one is different...

No two are created by God alike.

Just like us...

You'll Never Guess What These Are Made Of...Ok, Maybe You Will...GUESS!

Did ya guess?

This recipe is courtesy of my sister Jessica.

I think she may have been afraid to tell us what was in it the first time we tried them.

I think she might have thought we wouldn't eat them if we knew.

Have you guessed?

Well, I promise...it's nothing gross.

Unusual, maybe.

The original name for these, according to my sister was "Zastrow Delights".

"Zastrow" was the last name of some of my brother-in-law's family and they introduced these so the name stuck.

Since no one else knows who they are...

I have been calling them "Peanut Butter Delights", LOL!

I don't share too many recipes on this blog, but thought I'd share this one because they're so yummy and a Christmas time favorite in our house!

1 box of Wheat Thins (YES!  That's right!  Wheat Thins!)

1 jar of peanut butter

1 block of chocolate almond bark

Spread peanut butter on Wheat Thin and "sandwich" it with another.

Do this to the entire box of Wheat Thins, creating little peanut butter sandwiches.

Melt your almond bark in a bowl in the microwave.

Dip each peanut butter sandwich into the melted chocolate and lay on a sheet of wax paper.

I always put these in the frig and chill them.

And that's it!
I hope your family enjoys them as much as we do!

And thanks Jess!