Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Flowery Bouquets, Browned Butter & Rosemary Shortbread...and a Sweet Gift

Good evening, all!  Hope this mid-December day has been beautiful and bright--and productive!  We're getting VERY near Christmas, aren't we?! 

A few things to share with you today...the first two are not very Christmas-y, but sometimes it's refreshing to have a little change!  I felt very flowery today!  Here are a couple of projects I made with Crafty Secrets' Vintage Postcard Kits:


This image is from the "Best Buds" kit--six beautiful floral images, ready to embellish to your heart's content!    Love the glittery bauble I found a while back...just hanging from the bottom.  Real silver shavings glitter all around and a couple of crystal rhinestones for just a BIT more shimmer!


A bit of a closer view...

This one comes from the "Family" kit--love this one!


Just look at those fat & fabulous roses!  Glittered them all up a bit, too!


...more silver glitter along the edge...



"Families Bloom with Love"...yes, they do!!!

Speaking of families, my sister Becky--who loves cooking & baking as much as I do!--sent me this delicious recipe yesterday...had to bake it today, it looked so tempting!



Browned Butter & Rosemary Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (pull the leaves off the stems)
1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

In a small saucepan, heat the butter until it melts, foams and then starts to turn brown and smell nutty.  Pour into a mixing bowl, scraping out any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the sugar, rosemary and honey or maple syrup into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well mulched; the mixture will look like wet sand.  Add to the browned butter and mix well.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir just until well blended.

Chill the dough for half an hour or so to make it workable, then roll into walnut-sized balls, palce them on a baking sheet and press down on them with the bottom of a glass or a cookie stamp, or divide the dough in half and press each into the bottom of a 9" cake pan, and press around the edges with the tines of a fork.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes (for cookies) or 255 minutes (for wedges), or until pale golden around the edges.  If you used cake pans, cut into wedges while still warm.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen shortbread cookies.


Oh, my!  These are SOOOO delicious--I can't even describe the flavor to you--very sweet, savory and nutty--the rosemary is just scrumptious in them! 

I went with the brown sugar/maple syrup combination--turned out just beautifully!  Topped them with some raw sugar--love the way it looks!  Hope you like these--thanks, Becky!!!

Another dear blogging friend surprised me with a lovely gift yesterday...Hanne of Limogglitter is an amazing artist!  The first time I visited her blog, I just fell in love with her style!  You feel like you know her as soon as you see her beautiful profile photo--her personality just shines through!  I was so stunned when I opened her package and found these treasures:



Just look at this beautiful card! This would have been such an exquisite gift all on it's own! She does beautifully painted backgrounds on a board...I need to learn how she does this--it's simply luminous!


I was just stunned when I saw this sweet beauty!  What a lovely framed piece!  Hanne--you have such a beautiful style!


...and look at this beautiful lace! Beautiful wooden bobbins wound in string...I didn't even ask her if she made the lace herself...wouldn't surprise me!

Hanne,thank-you for these beautiful, generous gifts...you have certainly touched my life...thank-you!  Please stop by and see her lovely creations for yourselves!

In closing...I've been thinking so much about how fast time's flying by...about my daughters...my husband and myself...hard to believe how quickly it all goes!  I found this sweet Christmas picture of my daughters from 2000--almost 10 years ago already!


Chelsea, my oldest, comes home from college tomorrow--we just can't wait to get her! I think I'll  take a similar photo of them this year...just to see! They are much taller, so much more gorgeous, their teeth are much straighter...but the twinkle in each of their eyes is EXACTLY the same!

Hope you have a wonderful night with your families...Sweet Dreams!

15 comments:

  1. 133 HOLY snot.... (too close?)! Glad Chels will be home tomorrow, then Christmas can really start. I remember waiting for you to get home from school, that was the best feeling having everyone under one roof together! Miss those times. Love you!

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  2. Love the flowery card. you did an amazing job on it. You come up with the best designs. I know you will enjoy your daughters visit. They do grow up so fast. I bought the most amazing vintage French fashion book. We will need to brainstorm for some really cool things to do with some of the illistrations. Have a great week. Charlene

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  3. Wow Julie, I don't know where to begin! Your girls are so cute! I'm so glad you get to spend some time with your oldest. Those cookies look fantastic. So unusual and pretty! I love those postcard kits. The first one is my favorite, it's beautiful! I loved the sweet gifts sent to you by Hanne. Those bobbins and lace are awesome. I love stuff like that. I hope you have a wonderful week! Twyla

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  4. Julie, I loved everything here today, but most of all I loved the picture of your three girls. How adorable. I can't wait to see a picture of them now and how much they have grown! Those cookies/biscuits look fabulous. I bet they would be just wonderful with some rich cheddar cheese on the side! And those pressies you received. How fabulous. I love the lace and bobbins! Wonder how you will use them. Something beautiful and very creative I am guessing! As for the new cards, how very beautiful!! Your creativity amazes me, it truly does. Sweet dreams dear friend! (I bet you can't wait to see your daughter. My youngest son is arriving home tomorrow from bootcamp for a Christmas break. I wish it was my home he was coming to, but alas it is not. He'll be going to his dad's, but I can call him there, so that will be great!) Love ya! XXOO

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  5. Wow Julie! Everything is just gorgeous! The recipe looks yummy and I've got rosemary in my garden so will try that. Your vintage postcard artwork is stunning. You're also lucky to receive such a gorgeous gift.
    Hope you have a lovely time with the family (will be missing my eldest as she's in Japan and not home for Christmas)at Christmas if I don't speak to you again before.
    Fliss xx

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  6. Hi Julie,

    I am so glad that you liked the gift!
    Your projects are so beautiful and the cookies..."Nam, nam" as we say in norwegian.

    Have a wonderful day!
    Hugs Hanne

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  7. I love rosemary cookies and will try your version soon -- they do look yummy and will be so good with tea!

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  8. Those cookies look so, so good! I also love the projects that you made as well. The pink rose one is beautiful!

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  9. Oh Julie, I just don't know how you do it! You have to know I absolutely LOVE the beautiful cards you made - did you hang them on your tree? LOVELY!! And the cookies? YUM! I know you are going to have a wonderful day with your daughter coming home. Can't wait to see your updated picture!
    XO
    Kerry

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  10. Oh my! Now I must go find a cookie! ☺

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  11. 2000 10 years ago?!?!?! *faint* LOL

    I am so in love with your work - both the crafty and edible kind! lol I love that lace and bobbins!

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  12. Those are lovely floral postcard ornaments you created. So dainty looking. The cookies are now on my to do list. How sweet of Hanne to share such lovely gifts with you. The photo of your children is precious, and so happy your oldest will be home well in advance of the holiday...more fabulous mommy/daughter time.
    Maureen

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  13. Gorgeous postcards! I just love that group of cards/images.

    Your cookies look yummy. I love shortbread.

    Gorgeous gift. I love bobbin lace, tho, I've never done it. It's so delicate. I watched a woman do it in Venice once while visiting my sister. Her hand just flew. It was a wonder she knew which bobbin to pick-up each time!

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  14. What wonderful creations and such a beautiful array of gifts from Hanne. I love shortbread and this sounds like I very interesting one. Must try one day. I think I am taking a short break from baking at the moment. Enjoy time with your family. What a great idea to take a similar photo of the girls as you all gather together. Blessing to you and yours, Tammy

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  15. What a sweet post. I loved your photo of the girls. I would love to see them now in a similar pose. How fun to watch them grow. It is bittersweet.
    Have a wonderful time with your family this Christmas!
    Tammy

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