But the payoff is the next step. Both the rolled sugar cookies and the Amish sugar cookies are palettes and the next step appeals to my inner child: The Decorating!
This year I discovered a product that made ALL the difference in the world. I used to use decorator icing bags, tips, and try to keep the tops closed and the tips where they belonged, and decorate the cookies. It was fun, but Whoa, Nellie! There is a better way!
Frosting Doodle Professional Icing! The label states: "the cookie writer and decorator!" I would further that to include "the keeper of Joy's sanity, good mood, and patience." These are brightly colored, have flat lids so they can store upside down and the "ink" is always ready to be squeezed onto your masterpiece! They were roughly $1.69-$2.00 apiece depending on where and when I bought them.
I sent out an email to the kids that Second Friday this month would be the First Annual Second Friday Cookie Decorating Extravaganza.....Karen, her best girlfriend TiJae, TiJae's awesome son (Karen's godson), Paul (classmate of Karen), Laurie and Billy Boyfriend all joined us.
Some masterpieces were made, and a lot of fun was had. I dragged the picnic table in from the back porch, moved the kitchen table into the adjoining den, and we spread out all over. We had Christmas carols playing and we laughed, and caught up with each other's news, and revelled in the fun of being a little kid for the night. We had normal looking cookies, and we had unusual looking cookies. We even had Combat Walrus! (A spur of the moment creation of Paul, Karen's very creative friend)
Cage made some really cool cookies. At one point he stopped me in my tracks, and I just absorbed the wonder that is a child's mind. He took a circular cookie and painstakingly cut it in half. I asked him what he was going to make with it, and he looked at me like "Duh!" and said politely, "the moon!" He had several star cookies beside him and as he worked, he sang "Twinkle Twinkle" for me. I enjoyed every minute.
Of course, there was no way to get through something like this without someone getting the idea to decorate someone else.
I don't know who started it (I suspect "Laurie Lu Lovebucket"), but Billy and Laurie got icing on each other's faces.
It went downhill from there. Laurie has met her match. Billy had her down in no time and persuaded her to say something approximating "uncle!"
And then Billy invited Sadie to lick Laurie's face. Look closely, she's doing just that with that little pink tongue!
All forgiven!!
Everyone left with some cookies they had created. Laurie took some to Mr. Patrick who had hurt his back and was at home trying to rest it a bit.....We missed him, but hope to see him for Christmas.
Another high point of the evening was when Karen just could not stand it any more and gave TiJae a preview of the Top Secret Quilt, which is her Christmas present for TiJae. This quilt is constructed of plaid flannels and Karen wanted it to say "comfortable flannel shirt" and "warm hug" when TiJae saw it.....Both girls love flannel shirts and when TiJae walked in wearing one, Karen could not stand it any longer and told TiJae to turn around and not peek while she got out her Christmas present for her.
TiJae waited and Karen walked up and gently wrapped her in the quilt (which is pinned and only half-way machine quilted, hence you will see white batting along the edges) and let her open her eyes. TiJae loved it. She grabbed her son Cage and sat right down with it, wrapped up and grinning! That's exactly how Karen had pictured her gift being used, hugging two of her favorite people while they snuggled together reading or enjoying time together!
Sigh. I love quilts and what they can express!
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