Mornings on island..

The sky here looks so big, and so close compared to the mainland. I'm sure it has something to do with bring at sea level or the atmosphere or something... Either way its epic!

I'm not exactly Better Crocker, but I try lol

Aloha!

I wanted to share two awesome holiday cookie recipes in case you have the inkling to try some new baking ideas. They are delicious!

Let me know if you try one! J

Always,

Amber

Cardamom Sugar Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen 2″ cookies

Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cardamom
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water

Cookie toppings.

Optional cookie toppings:

Sanding sugars
Candy pearls
Crushed chocolate
Chopped nuts
Jam

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sea salt and cardamom. Separately, whisk together the butter and sugar, either by hand or with an electric mixer. When the mix has been creamed, beat in the egg and vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until thoroughly combined. Knead, if necessary, to mix ingredients. Separate into two balls and freeze for about one half hour, but be careful to not freeze the dough entirely.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove dough from freezer, and let stand a few minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8″. Grease a large baking sheet and keep it on hand. Dip your cookie cutter into the flour and cut the cookies. Arrange on baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, checking after about ten minutes to make sure they’re not browning. While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze by whisking the water into the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Set aside until ready to use. Allow the cookies to cool before brushing the glaze on. Once the glaze is on, sprinkle with desired toppings and let the cookies sit for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Rosemary Cookies

Yield: About 5 dozen  cookies

Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cornmeal

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons rosemary

2 teaspoons orange zest

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

Combine flour, cornmeal, rosemary, orange zest and salt in a mixing bowl. Separately, whisk together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.

Divide dough in half and shape into 5-inch disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. May also be chilled overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll dough to thickness of 1/8 inch. Use 1 or 1.5 in round cookie cutters to cut dough into rounds. Dip the cookie cutters in flour if dough sticks.

Grease an 11x17 baking sheet and arrange cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through. Cookies will be ready when the edges have browned. Keep an eye on them – they’ll go from perfect to burned pretty quickly~

Small Business Saturday - Support Your Local Shops!

With all the talk about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I almost overlooked the fact that right in between these two isSmall Business Saturday, on November 26th, 2011. Small Business Saturday is a day when we all try to “shop small” – a time of coming together to celebrate America’s small businesses.

This short video about Small Business Saturday (by American Express), which explains it much better than I can.

Small businesses also include your local Etsy artisans. Did you know there is a simple way to find Etsy sellers in your area? Just go to the Etsy website and click the Shop Local link found in the left navigation menu. (If you’ve never heard of Etsy, you have to try it out. It is one of the largest online marketplaces for handmade products, in the world! I have been on Etsy with my adalia studios shop since January, and I really love the global audience it affords. And as a shopper, I totally love all the fabulous and unique handmade products I can find, at very reasonable prices.)

If you’ve never used the Shop Local feature on Etsy, here are a few visual aids to get you started. As an Etsy seller, I also love using this feature to find other Etsy sellers in my area. It’s pretty cool to find so many other creative people around me, that I never knew were there!

I hope you’ll consider supporting your local small businesses this weekend. I know that we all will appreciate that, since it is really tough for many small businesses to survive in this economy. If you’d like to shop with Bagalicious this weekend, make sure to grab the coupon code SMBIZSATURDAY for 25% off your entire order!

Do you have any local Etsy businesses that you use? I’d love to hear about it. Just post a reply in the comments area below.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

DIY kit as gifts for my nieces and nephews?? Hmm..

I currently hold the status of favorite Tia (auntie in mex. spanish). Hee hee, and I want to continue being the favorite! I love my little babies!

Caleb...Izabella...Addie...Mackers...David...Izzy... and Sebastian

My hearts! I love them all to bits!

So I was thinking, they are all various ages but I hate the idea of video games, action figures and DVDs. I want something to stretch their brain, spark a little creativity and problem solving. While still being fun and entertaining.

Gee, I don't ask for much do I haha...

Well I searched Etsy (of course) and came up with some cool ideas!

Now some of these are pretty simple and basic, but there are a few that really caught my eye!

A Rhythm Box Kit seems like a really cool way to entertain with music and still have a puzzle aspect to it!

I also like the idea of using take-out style cartons for a custom Craft Kit for girls or boys. You can look at what they like... face painting, beads, paper dolls, picture frame with bling, etc. Use fun labels and stickers and full with some goodies for a project.

I also like the idea of a project they can do with mom and dad, it's times like this I wish I wasn't 3000 miles away so that Auntie could craft with them! Thank Heavens for Skype LOL!

DIY Java Tote Bag

If they are a little older, they will have the patience for something crazy like an Origami Frog!

It's AWESOME being green!

.

I know I'm the crazy globe-trotting hippie auntie, but that's what makes me fun! Just some things I was pondering. Not sure what things people will be looking at this holiday for their little ones?

onward and upward :-)

amber jean

Buenos noches from Hawaii nei

No matter the day, good or bad, Hawaii always puts me to bed with her finest work of art!