I wish you a Very...

Snow-globes... Done just Under the wire!

We've got Snow-globe cookies to decorate and there isn't a minute to waste!

Because it's New Year's Eve and I said I would

accomplish this cute Cookie project this year!

Look at that! Red, White and Blue! Just another detail

about these snow-globe cookies for this Army Mom to love!

In the magazine, how-to they don't outline first. I do because I like

to stick with what I know. And, outlining before Flooding is what I know!

After piping my outlines I always add what is left over

in the Pastry bag back into the icing I thin down to flood

I flood like this!

Because when I follow Bridget's

decorating Tips, it always works!

This is just like Glittering craft paper!

Except sanding sugar Tastes much better!

Not that I've tasted much Glitter! Or glue. Just for the

record, I wasn't one of the paste eaters in Kindergarten

Look at that!

I wanted to experiment with writing on top of the Red

sugar... So I thought of a Number. Can you guess what it is?

You're so smart! I dressed up our 2010 with a bit of fine sanding

sugar so now it looks like there is a little Electricity behind it! Who

needs Times Square and that glittery ball they drop any way?

Now for our Snow mountain outline...

After I flood-iced the mountain I poured Nonpareils over the wet icing 

Looks like Snow covered mountains in snow-globes to me!

What about you?

Now to outline and flood our Globe sky...

After you flood your globe Sky, add your snow-globe

decorations. I am using these little Santa sugar figures

that came with my cookie Cutter set because I couldn't find

the Gingerbread people shown in the magazine... Darn!

A few Hearts and some snowflakes should do it!

And to finish, fine Sanding sugar!

I don't know about you, but this fine Sugar just isn't

giving me the chunky Crystal look I was hoping for...

Wait! I have some White crystal sugar I bought in Georgia the last time

we visited our Army Ranger at Ft. Benning - Let's see how that looks!

Yup! This crystal sugar is Much better!

These sugar Snowmen that came as part of my snow-Globe cookie

cutter set are cute, but they're much too big for my Snow-globes. You

can bet I'll be on the Look-out for some of those gingerbread people

like the ones Dani Fiori used on her snow-globe cookies for Martha!

Monica thought my buying these tiny cookie Easels was pretty

funny... But they work! So now my snow-globe Cookies are done!

Just under the Wire of 2009 too!

I love them all!

But I must admit that I do have a Favorite today...

And, it's This one!

Last cookies of the Year!

They came out of the Oven looking so perfect,

there's almost no reason to Decorate them!

Still, we decorate Snow-globes like Dani Fiori

did on the Martha Stewart show tomorrow!

Finally... Snow-globe Cookies!

What you see here is the beginning of my Last cookie project of the year!

And it's just too Cute for words!

(click any photo once to enlarge)

The moment my December issue of Martha Stewart Living

arrived, I vowed to create these snow-globe cookies designed
by the talented and beautiful, Dani Fiori... Then I got

busy with Thanksgiving and forgot all about them!

Then, Dani featured a, How-to segment on them during one of her

cookie-week shows the week before Christmas and I ordered This

Then I got busy with Christmas and forgot about them again!

Thankfully, I'm back on track now. Because I will not allow my year

to end without having some of these Snow-globe cookies to show you!

Linguine with Clams

Obviously, this is not Linguine. Nor is it

clams... What this is though is dessert! Courtesy of

our dear, dear friends over at Whole Foods!

These are my little chatty Clams - Night

two! Soon to be his Linguine with clams...

First we need to prepare our Linguine... I boil mine for four minutes

under the package directions since the Pasta will continue to cook a

little in the white wine and Garlic sauce I use to cook the clams 

Speaking of clams... They're still mocking me from

over there on the plate, which I find Fascinating!

By the way, I'm baking some Cookies this week! It's a design

featured during one of Martha's cookie-week shows just

before Christmas. Here's a little hint for you... Can you guess?

Back to our Clams... After the butter Melts into

the olive oil, I add a small bottle of Chardonnay

And then, the Clams!

I'm pretty sure this is Not where the

phrase, Happy as a Clam comes from!

Although I admit they do kinda Look like they're smiling...

He just came into the Kitchen and said this looks

more like Screaming to him. I stand corrected!

After the clams scream or Smile, depending on your point of view on such

matters, it's time to add the slightly underdone Pasta to the clam broth. To that,

add a pinch of coarse kosher Salt and a few turns of the Pepper grinder

And broccoli, because that was his Request of me this evening

Add the clams back into the pan to Warm them through, and then...

Plate it!

Finished with a squeeze of Lemon and some freshly grated parmesan

You guessed it... Clams night two and I'm sticking with my chicken!

Tonight it's garlic-Basil chicken...

Because I prefer not to be Mocked by my dinner!