Frugal Luxuries : Classics
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while nursing a verrry pesky cold...
As you may recall, this is not the first time I've written about
shared my secrets on how to...
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This past weekend...
while nursing a verrry pesky cold...
and drinking copious amounts of tea...
I spent my time resting and browsing through old issues of the little newsletter we once published (years ago) called...
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Keeping in mind the advent of Advent
Autumn 2001.
Frugal Luxuries (these later became the genesis of our Frugal Luxuries book series)!
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Keeping in mind the advent of Advent
and the approaching Holidays...
I sought classic ideas from my newsletters to remind me
of ways I had Simplified my Holiday Baking in the past.
It was there that I came upon this article from our regular food feature...
Autumn 2001.
Please click on any image to enlarge.
As you may recall, this is not the first time I've written about
my grandmother's Swedish Butter Cookies !
If you look very closely,
you will see the newsletter in the image below...
along with extra rolls of the ambrosial butter~cookie~dough
with which I stock the freezer
for simple & easy gift~giving...
...like this!!
~~~~~
shared my secrets on how to...
Create 5 different Cookies from One Dough Recipe!
(Please click on image to enlarge.)
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After a time,
I was more than ready to turn my mind to some fresh reading
(not my own thoughts ;) so...
I turned to the stack of mail Mike had brought in earlier.
Imagine then, my surprise, when I found this...
The December issue of Real Simple magazine!!
I quietly rejoiced.
As a long~time fan of the magazine,
I poured a fresh cup of tea and prepared myself for a treat.
Still very much in the holiday spirit...
and more than a little bit hungry after reading about cookies all afternoon...
I turned immediately to the Food section
where my eyes lit up as I spied their Quick Takes feature:
10 Ideas for: Sugar Cookie Dough [!!}
Now, I've always recognized the Real Simple folks as being kindred spirits...
and the magazine has often been an inspirational breath of fresh air (so to speak)...
but this was serendipitous!!
As well...
the magazine inspired several new ideas for simplifying this years' holiday baking!
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Just look at these cookies...
and all from
ONE BATCH OF SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH !!
Photo: Real Simple
Simple sugar cookie cut~outs...
Photo: Real Simple
Traditional cutouts with colored sugar sprinkles...
Photo: Real Simple
Chocolate Hazelnut sandwich cookies (use the Nutella in your pantry as filling)...
Photo: Real Simple
Cherry Almond Jumbles
(trail mix would work nicely in these and no cookie cutters needed~
they're drop cookies made from sugar cookie dough!)...
Photo: Real Simple
Orange glazed cookies (now I know how to use up that last drizzle of orange juice!)...
Photo: Real Simple
Jam Thumb Prints
(mine will be purple plum jam thumbs...to use up that huge batch of jam I made last year!)...
Photo: Real Simple
easy chocolate peppermint wafers
(I'm planning to melt Halloween candy bars for dipping and
crushed candy canes for the peppermint sprinkles)...
Photo: Real Simple
Cinnamon pinwheels (I think I might give these to a neighbor along with a vintage tea cup and a box or tin of nice tea) .
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I am always a champion of simple ideas
that look as if they cost more money and time that they actually do...
and all of these inspirational ideas from Real Simple do just that!
However... this is just the tip of the iceberg:
their magazine and blog are very rich in information and inspiration.
I found an abundance of holiday ideas (with photographs like these) on the
Real Simple website.
(But be warned, I've already gone over my computer~time budget by visiting their site alone!!)
All of these cookies look festive, fancy and delicious to eat and/or share.
I am definitely going to start with the
the pinwheels, chocolate peppermint and the jumbles !!
Oh...
one more reason I'm so excited is that
I plan to make a variety of these and similar cookies to give as...
Photo: Real Simple
Frugally Luxurious...Really Simple...Gifts !
Also...
I don't want to forget about the
Cookie Exchange!!
