Conversation Heart Cookies…

How cute are these Conversation Heart Cookies by Martha Stewart

You can find the recipe and instructions on her website here.

Here is another recipe for rolled sugar cookies that is very good and easy to make:

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), then add to butter/sugar mixture. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). This step is important, because the dough has to be well chilled in order to firm enough to roll and cut.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface (I use powdered sugar instead of flour) 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with your choice of cookie cutter. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (Tip: line cookie sheets with parchment paper – The parchment helps keep the bottoms of the cookies from getting too dark and allows you to remove the cookies from the sheet by simply sliding the parchment carefully off the cookie sheet.  This is especially helpful if you are making a large batch of cookies)
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Decorate cookies with Royal Icing.

Just a little history on the Conversation Heart candies (information obtained from manufacture’s website):

Sweethearts Conversation Hearts is today’s best-selling Valentine candy.  The pastel sugar hearts with the quirky sayings are manufactured by the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO).  They produce over 8 billion hearts each year to keep up with consumer demand.  These little candies have been enjoyed by decades of Americans, and are still enjoyed by today’s children.

The concept behind Conversation Hearts got its start when Abraham Lincoln was still President.  Although the design of the candy has changed, the original candies were a small crisp candy made of sugar and flour formed in the shape of a cockle or scallop shell. The mottoes were printed on thin colored paper and rolled up and placed inside each candy.  In 1860 NECCO began printing sayings on the candy.  The present day Sweethearts® Conversation Heart dates back to 1902.  Click here to see how they are made.

In the early 1990′s NECCO began updating the sayings each year and retire some of the old ones to keep up with the changing times.  Conversation Hearts have been used in various ingenious ways over the years– to propose marriage, to teach children statistics and reading, to decorate cakes, and as borders for frames. They are happy to accept suggestions for sayings from their consumers. If you have a saying you would like to submit, you can either e-mail your suggestion or mail it to Sweethearts, NECCO, 135 American Legion Highway, Revere, MA 02151

Here is a Sweet iPhone app.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries…

Here is an easy recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberries…

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Directions

Place the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with about 2 or 3 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the water starts to boil , turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. This should take only a few minutes.   You can also do this in the microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.  Stir chocolate until smooth.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Hold the strawberry by the stem (if your strawberries do not have a stem, hold by the leaves, dip each fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and turn slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Place strawberries on paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remainder of the strawberries. To decorate, dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Should take about 30 minutes.

Valentine’s Dinner for Two

Valentine’s Day is 14 days away, no matter what you are planning to do…now is the time to start making plans if you have not done so already.

If you are deciding on ditching the restaurant crowds and waiting lists by cooking at home, here are a few sites that will help your in your planning…

Here are some recipes from your favorite TV Chefs on the Food Network.

All Recipes has put together a collection of recipes starting with breakfast in bed to a romantic dinner for two, ending with an assortment of desserts to satisfy your sweethearts sweet tooth.

Southern Living has a variety of rich, decadent dishes and romantic desserts are the perfect indulgence for your Valentine’s Day dinner.

Paper or Electronic

Paper or Electronic

Getting a new calendar (organizer refill) is always a chore for me every year. It has taken me several years to find the organizer that fits me and my needs. Unfortunately for me Franklin Covey decides every year to change their organizer systems…usually discontinuing a line and starting a new design. Which completely throws me off!

What works for me is the two page per day. I like the ability to write my appointments on one side and the right side is usually were I write my notes and things to do and basically just about anything else that went on that day that I need to take note of. My creative site of me desires stimulating designs, plain and simple just does not do it for me.

I have even toyed around with the idea of going completely electronic.  I tried it when I first got my Blackberry, but  I quickly realized that I just could not cut out the paper. I tend to remember more when I write it down – mental notes, mind snapshots. My Christmas gift to me this year was to upgrade my Blackberry to an iPhone, which I just LOVE! There are so many cool apps that are really helping to keep me organized and on track!

So for me I would have to say both. Tell me, what works for you Paper, Electronic or Both? What do you do to stay organized?

~Z~