Je t'aime♥

One day this past week I played..in the kitchen..I had just gone through Ina's book Make It Ahead and I read she was excited when she tested things in the kitchen.
I am the same way.
Trying new things in the kitchen on beautiful sunny freezing days..or even grey days...just makes me happy.
I should be a product tester..meaning cute cutters..molds etc:)
Not so much meats ;)
I sipped a travel mug full of Paris Tea to keep it warm..It is undeniably one of my fave Harney teas..It needs nothing at all to make it so delicious.Not to mention the darling tin.I keep my Harney's tea tins..Keepers.
I am posting Valentine's a bit early..because for actual Valentine's Day..I am making a carrot cake..my 41 yr old recipe..and kiddie cupcakes that are not really Valentinesy so I'll share those later..

I  had another cup of that tea  later in the day when I made the Hello Kitty cookies.

So getting back to trying things in the kitchen..I made the cutout sugar cookies from my book..Sprinkle Bakes.That girl really makes her desserts oh so pretty..like many of you do..but it's her book I have:)
I bought the book Nov 2013..I like looking through it a lot..very creative ideas.
Feel free to use any sugar cookie that holds it's shape well and you are all set to cut out perfect hearts.I again put my tray of cookies in our screened in porch for the dough to firm up before ovening them.
Some little hearts I left plain w/ just the lacy indent the Ebay plunger cookie cutters leave.
Others..I covered in fondant (purchased)..and then added a lovely toile wafer paper ..you can get these papers at Fancy Flours..on Etsy..Ebay..most places carry them now.
You need to make sure your cookies are nice and flat..no air bubbles..you can either flood w/ icing..let dry..and then apply w/ some piping gel..then the wafer paper..or a thin layer of rolled out fondant..and again your wafer paper.The piping gel..makes everything adhere.
Wafer paper is edible..I have some plain sheets that I stamp w/ stamps that have been painted w/ edible food coloring.
The other cookie I wanted to try because they are so surprise like cute.are what the author called:"pinata cookies"..you can see her snowman snowglobe tutorial here..and that's what I did ..but with hearts~.
Think of the possibilities:)♥
I had to paint a cookie of course..I cannot resist a canvas to have fun..
I used royal icing to pipe around..(the internet abounds with recipes and videos)..and flood filled the interior..let them dry overnight and then painted..the heart..is a stamp..that I coated with edible food coloring.The words were reminded to me by Sarah's cute cute Valentine's post~
The Hello Kitty..I made two..at the $ store they had a kit..the cutter..the noses..and the black and red gel coloring..I had to try..I love that cat:)
I will give them to Giu..the only girl here.
You know I have to say..I don't eat these..I make them as add-ons..cause they are so darn fun..but I don't like icing on a cookie;)
Give me a plain shortbread..or an oatmeal choco chip..I like my cookies..unadorned.
But to look at? Fun to play.
Let me just add my kitchen is a MESS when I finish playing and I love a sparkly kitchen..so it takes quite a few hours to get set up..bake..create..CLEANUP.
All worth it though~

And then.. outdoor love~

I love snowshoeing and x-country skiing..
Believe it ot not..the feeling is quite like walking on a beautiful beach...barefoot..
The beauty of it all..the wonder of it all.
Feels so clean and fresh and crisp.
A winter wonderland this past week~
Other little Valentine day ideas can be found here..and here..here..here..here..here..here..here..here..
here..I'll stop..I am going through posts remembering years gone by.
Love that about our blogs..we can see and feel what is different..what's not..who we have met along the way..who is gone..if only for a while..How our tastes change..etc.
Have a great weekend and week~