pictures....of pictures! and more pictures (sorry about that)

detail of male quail

almost finished

okey then, here is some of what i've been working on......i have an eye infection so things have slowed down a bit- bernie's new job slowed me down as well, since he's working (for now) 7pm to 3 am..... 

and then of course.... our little quail visitors took some times up..... so in retaliation, i painted them.

meanwhile it's cold here....got more snow today too. i am trying to settle in to painting daily again.

i have some odds and ends to mail to folks, as soon as i can get it together, there are all sorts of odds and ends paperwork and phone calls i've also had to be doing. 

beginnings

cookies

so with this post i figured i would show you some of the paintings as well as bernie's cookies (the recipe was the other day HERE) these are simple to just drop on the cookie tray as you can see.... i make the dough and then bernie can bake them when he wants them.

i also took a photo of bernie adding sugar to the tops of his cookies so you can see what they look like..it really is that simple....and the dough does get better after a few days in the fridge.

 
 here they are during the sugar part.... we use a rainbow mix now of decorator sugar, i love how festive these cookies look, and i love the almost sponge texture of them after baking. one of my friends baked them with anise and she said they liked them that way, which is something bernie and i were talking about doing with the next batch maybe.....i was also thinking of maybe lemon zest and lavender buds too for spring.

so there you have the cookies....and the paintings ......and what all is going on....i couldn't post the knitting (still working on vinelace in blue) as it got so long.....but still not finished, i am thinking it's going to be about 6' long when i'm done..... depending on how i block it out

ok folks.....til next time

before i forget......

first off i want to wish you all the very happiest of holiday seasons

then i want to tell you how to make one of my favorite cookies
(it makes a LOT..... either freeze half or use this as a holiday tray cookie)

i make the dough, and keep it in the fridge.....it keeps about a week in the fridge
it rarely lasts that long with bernie around

thoroughly cream 1 cup of sweet unsalted butter
use the high speed on the mixer
then add 8oz of cream cheese and thoroughly cream that with the butter
add 2 and 3/4 cups of white sugar... scrap down the sides of the bowl and keep that mixer going at high speed
add 4 duck eggs (or 5 jumbo chicken eggs) and beat that batter within an inch of it's life
add 1 tablespoon each of vanilla (remember when i told you how to make it?) and almond extract
and continue to beat it until it's fluffy and smooth and almost looks like frosting

meanwhile sift 5 and 1/2 cups of flour with 4 teaspoons cream of tartar, and 2 teaspoons of baking SODA...... mix this all up very well you can add some salt....maybe 1/8 teaspoon

then stir it into the wet ingredients.... be careful not to over mix.... you can use the mixer on low/med
and stop often to scrap the sides down

DO NOT OVER MIX THIS PART

chill for about an hour

drop by tablespoonfulls on a cookie sheet -
sprinkle some multi colored sanding sugar or sprinkles on the top
and bake between 10 and 14 mins at 350 degrees
until the edges are medium brown

let cool on the tray about 3 minutes then move them to a cooling rack

ok now the variations

you can add some ground cardamon to the dry ingredients
and or some lemon or orange zest
about a teaspoon measure
you can add chips to the finished dough (or part of the finished dough)
or nuts
or sprinkle chopped nuts on top
raisins soaked in liquid can be added to the dough before dropping on the cookie sheet
or cranraisins...... or sweetened dried cherries, or blueberries....crushed toffee.....

or bake without and then ice or glaze later
( i like lemon icing on these just FYI)

we do however make these all year round... they are not just for christmas.

now just a fast update on other stuff.....i have a layout on the board for a nest with quail....
we'll see how that goes
i have the quail in a better/larger/ more quail comfortable arrangement now in the basement, after doing research with google and also quail breeders here.. one got out and was flying around in the duck room but we got it back and they are both fine, nestled together in the alfalfa hay part of their new pen...they also have sand/oyster shell to dust themselves with, and i ground the pellets into crumble for them, and added some bird seed too..........
in knitting news i have about 40 inches of vine lace on that scarf i'm working on......it looks like i also have another 200 yards or so left of the skein so i am going to keep knitting.

bernie starts his new job tomorrow night..... he's met some of the guys when he brought his tool box up to the new shop.

ok i think you folks are all caught up....now tomorrow (this will post monday so for tuesday's post) i have a funny story...... i am liking reposting the archive stories that are funny..... i hope you folks are enjoying them too.
and again i can't say this enough, i wish you all the most wonderful of holiday seasons