Toodles 2012...you have been great!

 

 

So....2012 is coming to an end..and 2013 is upon us.

 

Is it just me, or did this year just

fly by?

 

 

I mean really....it seemed like just yesterday,

I was celebrating Valentines day?

 

I think time moves faster as you get older.

 

I remember when I was younger,

 

Summer Vacation lasted FOREVER,

now...you blink and it is over!

 

And the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas,

 

oh my...they say it was 4 weeks this year,

personally...I think it was 4 days...but whatever!

 

 

I baked and decorated TONS of cookies this year.

 

Not a lot compared to some of the great cookiers out there,

 

but all of these cookies were done while

working a full time job.

 

And...I only have 3 hours each night to work on cookies,

because my lovely son, Collin, closes the kitchen and cookie room at

9 pm...SHARP from Sunday-Thursday.

 

He is STRICT

Friday and Saturday I can work late into the night, or till early in the morning,

but other then those two night..

 

HE SHUTS ME DOWN!

 

No matter how many cookies I have to do, or

how far behind I am.....9 PM....no exceptions!

 

 

So....no matter how the volume of cookies coming out of my

kitchen compares to others,

 

I am pretty proud of what I can do in a limited

amount of time!

 

So...I put together some collages of some of my

favorite cookies of 2012 for you

 

 

Lets take a look, shall we?

 

 



 

So, there you have it

 

my 2012 in cookies!

 

I would like to be able to tell you that great and wonderful

things are in store next year for The Cookie Puzzle,

but that would be a lie.

 

I plan on keep doing what I am doing....

 

simple cookies

 

simple blog

 

simple person

 

it does not take much to make this gal happy!

 

Hopefully though

 

I will post more

 

push my self more

 

maybe do a tutorial here and there

 

but mostly...I just want to be true to me

 

and hopefully that is good enough to make

a few people happy,

that would make me happy!

 

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed

2013

 

 

until next time,

 

Hugs

Kim

I KISSed a Pirate Cookie...and I liked it!

What up ya'll?

I am sorry I have been MIA for awhile, I have been crazy busy here...and blogging has been pushed down the "must do " list a little...but I promise that will change soon. 

Be on the look out for a new "feel" at the The Cookie Puzzle....I think it is time to make a few minor changes here...to GET REAL....to KEEP IT REAL...and DO WHAT I LOVE TO DO!  I think I have been trying to be something I am not...and trying to that, has put too much stress on me and my family...so later this week....prepare for the new Cookie Puzzle...it will not be a huge change...but it will be ME....the Real Me...Raw...and Un-Filtered....and I am excited!


So....What's with the Title of this post?

Well....I am glad you asked....

Two of my favorite cookie decorators Melissa from Simply Sweets by Honeybee and Stephanie from Ellie Bite's Decorated Cookies, join together each and every month for an Inspiration Challenge...this month the theme is

PIRATES

 

 

I have had the pleasure of doing two sets of pirate cookies recently....And I see more Pirate theme cookies in my future....you see...the mascot of the neighboring town is Pirates...So Pirates are pretty big around here.

 

 

For these two Pirate cookies...I did what I do best....KISS!

 

Have you ever heard the term KISS?

 

When I first heard it...I totally thought of the Rock Group KISS....you know the hard rock band...with the face paint...and the black outfits....remember them? 

 

 

Nope...this KISS, I am talking about is a term that alot of my cookier friends us often

 

 

Keep It Simple Stupid

 

 

For me...that is a term that I have come to LOVE...because...I am all about the simple cookie!

 

 

So...how do you make a Pirate cookies....and KISS it?

 

Glad you asked....for me...it is simple adding a "cross-bone" to an image!

 

 

Wanna see?

 

 

I had a last minute request for Baby Shower Cookies...the theme...Pirates!

 

 

I could of went all crazy with elaborate cookies...needing lots of colors and lots of details....when means lots of time needed...but NOPE...I KISSED THEM!

 

 

 

 

Onesie cookie shape...with a "bottle and cross-bones" on it....Pirate Theme Baby Shower Cookies!

 

 

See...wasn't that simple....Yep...sure was!

 

 

 

THEN.....a  the coach of the local Volleyball team, saw the the Baby Onesie cookies...and asked it I could do something similar, for her team to celebrate their first Volleyball match.

 

 

Yep...I could do that!  See....KISS THEM!

 

 

 

 

See...I think they turned out great...I KISSed them...and I loved them...and more importantly, so did the customer and her team!  Score for THE COOKIE PUZZLE!

 

 

 

So...the moral of the story is:  Don't stress over  a cookie design....just KEEP IT SIMPLE!   You will be surprised at how easy it is....how fun it is...and how much it will remove the stress in your cookie designs....making you a happy person...and happy people...make happy cookies!

 

 

Make sure you head to Simply Sweets by Honeybee and Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies, to see the amazing cookies that Melissa and Stephanie did, you will be amazed!

 

And if you have made Pirate theme cookies, Melissa is hosting a link party, for you to share your cookies at...isn't she just the nicest?  She is...she really is...I know...I might just cyber-talk to here, one or twenty times a day..but who is counting?

 

 

And...next month's challenge is HALLOWEEN CANDY!  So start thinking about that theme...I know I will...and you can bet that I will be giving them a big ole The Cookie Puzzle KISS!

 

Until next time....

 

 

Hugs

Kim







White on White Cookies!

So....Friday was my sisters birthday...and because I am the little sister, and it is my job to pretty much embarrass my big sister...and because I have a blog, that I can put anything I want on, and because, I am her "friend" on Facebook, which means I can "borrow" her pictures, today, I wanted to share a little bit about my Wonderful sister Susan.

My sister, Susan, is pretty much the bestest big sister ever...really she is...and I am not just saying that because she is the only sister I have, but because she is.

She is pretty special...now when we were growing up, I thought she was super cool, because there is NOTHING more cool, then being in the 6th grade, and have a sister who is a Senior...I mean really, I got to ride to school with her, in her smoking cool little blue car, instead of riding the bus, like a looser...and because I had the inside scoop....I got invited to ALL the cool parties...I got to hang out with the older group...and hang with her peeps...because I was the cool little sister, she and her friends treated me like I was one of them...it was sooo cool...really it was.


Ok...ok...that is not true...pretty much none of it is..because the last thing you want to do when you are a Senior is hang out with your bratty little sister.  The truth of the matter is...while we were bestest friends in the house...once out the door..I was NOT to talk to her, or even tell anyone I was related to her..because, I wore a retainer....and my mom still picked out all my clothes...and I was NOT COOL...not even a little...I was pretty much invisible to her.


BUT...guess what happened...I grew up...and she grew up...and even though we are pretty different...she is my bestest friend..because now...we are both cool...we are the cool sisters!

Anyhoo...enough talk about the past...let's talk about now...remember when I told you that Friday was my sister's birthday, well, I made her cookies, because I am a great sister...and I make cookies all the time...and well...I just HAD to make cookies for her.

Now, let's take a minute to talk about Susan shall we...Susan is one of those  "I like what I like" type of persons...you know those people, she is one of those people who would rather die of thirst then drink a Diet Pepsi...because Diet Coke is her drink of choice.  You know when you go to a restaurant and you ask for s Diet Coke, and then the waitress says "Is Diet Pepsi OK"...and you way "Yes"..oh no...not Susan she will say "NO, I will have water"....she is one of those people...which is great...because you always know what she wants.

So...when she "found" out I was making her cookies....she voiced her opinion...."White...I want White Cookies, and not too big...and round"

So..there you go...I wanted to make Susan Round White Cookies!

But what kind  of white cookies....oh...I know...I will make her white cookies with filigree on them..and maybe some pretty scrolls...that is the ticket...then I baked the cookies...and base coated them white.  The next day, I went to put on the details....and it hit me..I know...I know what to put on them..and it is NOT scrolls and filigree...NOPE....not for  My Sister...I put what she loves on the cookies..and what does Susan LOVE

The Kansas City Royals!

So that is what I made her!

I could not stop at the Royals....because Susan is also a

Mizzou Tiger Super Fan!

So....Happy Birthday Susan...I hope you had a great day...and I hope you are not

too mad at me after seeing this....I only did it because I LOVE YOU!

 





Hugs
Kim

Babies, Babies, Babies

So...I have been decorating cookies for almost a year and a half....wanna know how many orders I have had for Baby Shower Cookies?   Go ahead.....guess!

Did you say 12?   NOPE!

6?  NOPE!

2!   Ding Ding Ding Ding!  Two.....in a year and a half, I have done Baby Shower Cookies twice....isn't that sad?

I am not sure why....I know people are having babies....I just think the people hosting the baby showers just never think of cookies...Baby Showers are usually all about cake, cupcakes and petit fours.

So...when I got the chance to do Baby Shower Cookies....I was super excited!


My first set was for a little boy.  The theme was "Little All-Star" and the colors were blue and brown.

Wanna see them?  Great...because I too a million pictures!

The second set that I did was for a little Girl!  How great that I got one of each!

The Theme was "Little Cowgirl" and the colors were Pink and Brown....with a little Bling!

Again, I too several pictures.....ready!



So, there you go...two sets of Baby Shower Cookies...I can not wait to be able to do some more

Hugs

Kim