Welcome to my Kitchen

So, my kitchen was featured over at Life Made Lovely.   I was looking for the post here, because, well, I just figured I posted it here. Instead, I found it in my drafts box. Patiently waiting to be published.  So here you have it. About a year late. (I have probably rearranged a million times since these pictures were taken.)


Hello!  My name is Kellee and I blog  over at Let it be Done.
  

I have always enjoyed reading Heather's blog and  I love checking out all her great pins on Pinterest.  My sister actually submitted my name to be featured here and I am excited to share my kitchen with all of you!

My kitchen is actually a fairly small space but it is filled with things that I love.  Most of the items that decorate the shelves and the walls are handmade by me with things that have been passed down from our family members. It is bright and cheery and everywhere I turn there are little memories of people that I love. It is not too often that all five of us are in the kitchen at the same time, fortunately, but since it opens to the dining room it is a really decent sized space.

I found  a great dresser to serve as an island. I added a vintage metal tabletop to the back to finish it off. The table top is off a table that was probably the first table I had in college and was given to me by my mom. I attached a towel bar to the end and store all my kitchen utensils, dish towels and storage containers in the drawers.  My sister made the cute paper bunting  that hangs on the front because she knows how much I love buntings.

My grandmother was a great cook.  She loved to serve anyone and everyone and going to her house was such a treat.  This shelf sat in her attic and held lots of toys and books that we could play with. When my mom was little  she said this shelf hung over their dining room table and held all their glassware. It currently holds part of my collection of vintage glassware and melamine.  I love all the color it brings to the room and I don't mind letting the girls use the cups and plates for a tea party if necessary!

The Pyrex print was a gift from my sisters. It came from this Etsy store.

I made the hankie wreath and hoops with the dish towels.They were  from my mother-in-law and having these things on display is such a pleasant reminder of her and how wonderful she was.  

I also collect Pyrex.  I love the Butterprint pattern because it was a pattern my grandmother had but my favorite pattern is the Friendship.  Thanks to my wonderful family and incredible friends, I am starting to run out of room to keep it all!  

As I write this, I am realizing that I probably love way too many things.  I grew up on a farm and spent a few summers raising chickens. So now, I have a hard time resisting chickens in their vintage forms.

 

Practically everything on my bulletin board was thrifted. The painting on felt at the top was a whopping 50 cents as was the pillowcase in the hoop that reads "I rule the rooster."  ( I don't really rule the rooster, just FYI.)  The Pyrex potholder is in perfect condition and the embroidered mixer cover says "I'm a good mixer."  It's true, I am a good mixer.   I have  a party planning/catering/cookie baking business with the best friend anyone could ask for and we do alot of mixing.  

You can find vintage tablecloths and aprons in a few different places in my kitchen.   I love the color combinations and the graphics on so many of the old tablecloths.  Most of them are too small for my table but I do fold them up and use them as a runner on my island.  

The elf cookie jar is pretty creepy. No one really likes him but I wanted a cookie jar so badly and he looked so lonely at that garage sale...

 

This little arrangement sits directly next to the coffee pot making it my favorite place in the kitchen.     My husband throws his change in here when he gets home from work, the girls sift through the dishes searching for bobby pins or pieces of gum and the little girl hollers for a pink straw every time she needs one.  I love it because it is filled with little reminders of all of us that share this home and memories of those who don't live here but have contributed to our family with their gifts, their kind gestures and their daily prayers.

Giant Ginger Cookies

Sometimes called brown cookies at our house, these cookies are a family favorite. So much so that they made an appearance on the milk and cookies bar at my sister's wedding last week.  And to no one's surprise, they were quite popular and enjoyed by all.

Photo from BHG

Here is the recipe for you to enjoy as well! From Better Homes and Gardens.

4 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until softened.  Gradually add the 2 cups of sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and molasses, beat well. Add half of the flour mixture, beat until combined.  Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. (I never do this. I just add it in and overwork my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer.)

Using a 1/4 inch ice cream scoop, shape dough into 2 inch balls. (I used the large Pampered Chef scoop.)
Roll in the coarse sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart.

Bake in a 350 oven  for 12 to 14 minutes until cookies are light brown and puffed.  DO NOT overbake!
Let stand for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.  Cool.

Makes 25 4 inch cookies. (Again, giant.) 

This Week in Cookies

Technically, these aren't all from this week. Since I finally got my computer repaired, I am playing catch up and am happy to report that all my stuff, whatever that is, is still on my computer. Hooray!

Quilted Coin Purses, thanks to the great tutorial from Sweet Sugar Belle

Guitars for a little girl 's birthday party.

Cole's 1st Birthday mustaches

Yo, Adriane, sorry your party got cancelled but glad you liked the cookies.

Plain Ole' Chocolate Chip

I don't always make chocolate chip cookies, but when I do, I cool them on old WSJ with articles about Pinterest in them.

I added some red and white sprinkles for Valentine's Day. Awwww.

And since I moved to this higher altitude, I always use this recipe.
It comes from the High Altitude Baking site and they turn out perfect every time!

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

© 1999 Letty Flatt CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL

ThreeForks Book/Falcon Publishing

This home-size recipe from Letty Halloran Flatt’s recipe book CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL,
is altitude-adjusted for 3500 feet altitude and above; over 9,000 feet, you can cut 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter.
Yield: 12 jumbo (4-inch) or 24 medium cookies.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Preheat oven to 325°F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, then scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix them into the creamed butter. Scrape bowl. Stir in chocolate.
Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment or oil lightly with canola oil. To make jumbo cookies, scoop dough into twelve (1/3 cup) mounds, 4 to a sheet, 3 inches apart, or scoop smaller cookies by the tablespoon. Bake until cookies are flat and light golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending upon size.

Valentine's Day + Cookies = Love

  

Especially these little cuties! 

 

 

 

If you would like to order any of these  cookie treats for Valentine's Day, please send us a message and we can work out all the details!  The coffee cups and cookies can be shipped, the three tiered stands, probably not :)

1 coffee cup + 6 heart or star cookies = $15
(a variety of cups and cookie colors)

Valentine Cupcake Cookies = $3 each

3 tiered cookie stands with mini cookie treats = $15 each

Cookies are made of butter and love.  ~Norwegian Proverb

Happy Valentine's Day 

*Special thanks to Jan for taking all the pictures. 

A little game called Cookie Catch Up

I bake a lot of cookies. I take a lot of pictures.  I ask my friends to take pictures.  I send the cookies to my family and friends. I send the pictures, well, lots of places. 

So today I am taking a minute to catch up on my cookie pictures on this blog.

I have one big unorganized mess of these two particular items so if you've seen these before or already, sorry.  My attempt to get caught up is so I can post some more pictures later of the Valentines cookies I have been working on! 

Happy Birthday little Willa!

Happy Birthday Jackson!

These cuties were late for their own party.

For Tight Line Adventures.  Thanks again Sarah!

And thanks to Katie too!  These we so fun to make!

I

Primary mixing bowls anyone?

These were fun too! 

Thanks Linda for letting me make these!

And thanks to Mom for feeding my desire to experiment! These turned out so cute.

Happy Happy Birthday

I really need to get caught up on a few things  because it has been busy around here!  Since I may or may not have some OCD tendencies, I will start from the very beginning. A very good place to start. 

After we wrapped up birthday and anniversary celebrations  at our house, we moved on to celebrate with some of our friends.

Here are the pictures from the surprise 80th birthday we helped out with. Special thanks to my mother for making the mini pies.  She is the best!

Best cheese spread ever.  Maybe Laura will share the recipe with us :)

Another one of Laura's famous recipes. Harvest Munch.

 

We wrapped October up with a Reformation Celebration at ULC in Boulder.  It is always good  to see Pastor Burhop and feed the students there.  

 

 Maybe before the week is over  I will be up to date.  I still have another million things to put up here. Stay tuned...

You can't go wrong with Chocolate Chip

Well, actually you can.  Like when you move from the Midwest to the mountains and all your recipes flop because of this thing called altitude. 

Well, all your baking recipes anyway!  

Thank goodness for the people who have lived here all their lives!  Here is my new favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies from highaltitudebaking.com 

Just in time for National Chocolate Chip Day!

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

© 1999 Letty Flatt CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL

ThreeForks Book/Falcon Publishing

This home-size recipe from Letty Halloran Flatt’s recipe book CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL, is altitude-adjusted for 3500 feet altitude and above; over 9,000 feet, you can cut 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter.
 

Yield: 12 jumbo (4-inch) or 24 medium cookies.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 325°F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, then scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix them into the creamed butter. Scrape bowl. Stir in chocolate.

Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment or oil lightly with canola oil. To make jumbo cookies, scoop dough into twelve (1/3 cup) mounds, 4 to a sheet, 3 inches apart, or scoop smaller cookies by the tablespoon. Bake until cookies are flat and light golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending upon size.

Christmas Cookies and Food Gifts for all your friends!

 

We  love Christmas.  We  love baking and decorating.

We  love making gifts and thinking and planning the perfect thing for each and everyone on our gift list.

We  also know that there are so many of you  who enjoy all of these things as well but don’t necessarily have the time it takes to get them all done. 

Create Christmas memories with these homemade gifts. Let us do the making, you do the giving!  Place your order and cross that off your to do list. 

 

Nothing says Christmas like a batch of iced sugar cookies! 

Choose from Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas

or Happy New Year.

$25 per set.

 

Need a cute gift for that friend or neighbor that loves to bake? 

Try a vintage sifter stuffed with a

Cranberry Buttermilk  Muffin Mix!

$15 each.

 

Here is the perfect pick–me-up gift!  Grab a bottled beverage and

top it with one of these handmade cookie collars!

Collar comes with a cranberry orange white chocolate 

cookie tucked inside. 

$3 each. (beverage not included)

 

Give the gift of a  simmering Christmas Aroma. 

Oranges, lemons and Christmas spices all wrapped up in a

vintage enamelware pan! 

$15 each.

 

Little kids and big kids would love to have  these

Christmas Brownie Pops  in their stockings this year! 

Homemade brownies dipped in dark or white chocolate,

wrapped up and tied  with a decorative tag.

$1.50 each or $15 per dozen.

 

Place your order by calling

Kellee at 970-744-0913 or Laura at 970-481-2191

or email us at letitbe.done@yahoo.com

Information regarding delivery or shipping will be discussed  when your order is placed.

Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.

Martin Luther

Bar Cookies are great for Parties!

If you are planning more than one party at a time…(we know a little about that), or planning a party that requires travel of food…(one hour away or in the mail; we know about this too!), or if you need to make food a couple of weeks before the party…(because you have too many other things to do)…a Bar Cookie is the perfect dessert! Two of our favorite recipes did double duty this past month.
The French Caramel Pecan Bars is a recipe that I cut out of a newspaper YEARS ago. It is easy to make and freezes well. The Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars is a Taste of Home recipe I found while looking for something “very chocolate”. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks!

French Caramel Pecan Bars surrounded by Brownie Pops at Tasha’s Graduation Party



Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars featured with Mini Pies at Shelby’s graduation Party



Both are served along with Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and Frosted Brownies at Dick & Cindy’s Wedding Reception

Recipes:

French Caramel Pecan Bars

¾ cup butter, melted
1 pkg Moist Supreme French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 egg
2 ½ cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 can coconut pecan frosting
1 (12 oz) pkg (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350⁰ F. Spray a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Place melted butter in large bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the cake mix; set aside.
Add remaining cake mix to the butter; blend well. Add egg; mix well. Stir in oats.
Press 2/3 of cake mix mixture (about 2 ½ cups) in bottom of sprayed pan.
Place frosting in medium microwave bowl; microwave on high for 1 minute. Add reserved 3 tablespoons cake mix; stir until large lumps disappear.
Drizzle half of frosting mixture over cake mix mixture in pan; spread evenly.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle with remaining frosting mixture.
Crumble remaining cake mix mixture over frosting mixture.
Bake at 350⁰ F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbly. Cool completely.
Cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.
• Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer. Remove to a wire rack. Using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows evenly over top. Cool completely.
• For topping, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until blended. Remove from the heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars immediately. Chill. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Cookie Cupcakes!

My 18-year-old daughter Tasha, asked me to make her 2 dozen cupcakes to take to school for a friends birthday.
Kellee is jealous, because in the public grade school you are not allowed to send home-made treats. There are no rules like that when you get to High School.
So of course, I saw this as an opportunity to try yet another one of Martha Stewarts cupcakes. I did not make the tops look like a peanut butter cookie as the recipe suggested, but I topped them with chopped peanuts. These were so good, I have already been asked to make them again…soon! I recommend pairing this cupcake with a large glass of milk. Enjoy!

Dessert, Quickly!

Finally after the holidays, (oh, did they end a month ago?), we are back to Thursday Night Women’s Bible Study and Dessert. Thursday’s seem to come quickly and with no time to plan ahead, I happened to have these 3 things in my cupboard. Carr’s Whole Wheat Biscuits, Marshmallow Fluff and Semi-Sweet Chocolate. The recipe called for Bittersweet chocolate, but Kellee’s substitution dictionary told us semi-sweet would work. Add a little vegetable oil and carefully follow directions…because the chilling part IS essential, and within 30 dessert for the ladies. And they were very good! The recipe comes from the Dessert Express Cookbook.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

12 Carr’s Whole Wheat Biscuits
1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Put the biscuits on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Top each biscuit with a rounded heaping tablespoon of fluff. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
2. Combine the chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stir until smooth. Spoon some chocolate over each biscuit to coat completely.
3. Return the baking sheet to the freezer for another 10 minutes, until chocolate is set. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours, until ready to serve.