Christmas cookies and a Coloring contest

♥

I started baking Christmas cookies yesterday. I'm planning to bake an assortment of Christmas cookies in the coming days to give to my cousins. My nieces enjoyed snacking on them while they were having fun with their coloring books. I decided to hold a coloring contest just for fun.

The contestants

Their masterpieces

The panel of overacting judges lol! ( Sis and cousins)

The winner with her winning entry

Chicken Lo mein

❤

This is a chinese dish made with egg noodles. You can substitute ramen or spaghetti noodles. Add any veggies you desire and meat of your choice.

Ingredients:

Lo Mein noodles
1 chiken breast cut into strips
oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp canola oil
shitake mushroom
carrots
snow peas
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Marinate chicken strips in 2 tbsps oyster sauce for 30 minutes
2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3.sautee garlic and onion, add chicken and stir fry until brown.
4. add the mushrooms carrots and snowpeas. Cook until tender crisp.
5. Remove from pan and set aside.
6. mix 1 cup chicken broth and 2 tsps cornstarch. Bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Add sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsps oyster sauce.
7. Stir in noodles and simmer for 3 minutes
8. stir in chicken and vegetables and drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil. Toss the mixture well.



This is delicious and full of flavor. You can mix in a lot of different ingredients.

Blogging for friendship award and Thank you for blogging award

Thank you for blogging award



This award is from a great friend Jenny. Thank you for remembering me and being so kind to pass this on to me.



Blogging for friendship award


This is another award from a wonderful friend Bluedreamer. Thank you so much! I appreciate the gesture.

True friendship is something very special. Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought or sold. I'm very thankful I've met so many friends through blogging. I treasure our friendship though we have only met online that's why I'm passing this onto all of you!

Cupcake bouquet, Fresh fruit skewers and Photos from Ykaie's Dora- Garden themed birthday party

I assembled this cupcake bouquet for Ykaie's garden themed party. I didn't use buttercream frosting for the cupcakes coz I was afraid it will melt and fall apart due to the hot weather. I used melted chocolate and colorful sprinkles. It set quickly and perfectly!

I used a glue gun to attach the styrofoam ball into the embellished terracotta pot. I then glued some strips of green japanese paper all over the styro so it will not be visible and for a grassy effect.

I inserted bamboo skewers into the styrofoam ball and attached the cupcakes all the way around.

-------------------------------------------------Fresh Fruit Skewers------------------------------------------------

I was also planning to arrange the fruit skewers into a terracotta pot but I saw this picket fence planter box and thought it was cute. I used a floral foam for the base and embellished the planter box with vines and a ladybug.

Cookie cutters I used to cut out shapes.

Ain't they pretty?

-------------------------------------Some photos from the party------------------------------------

This is the candy buffet I set up. The kids as well as the adults had fun filling up their loot bags!

Cheese fountain

Ykaie's Dirt cake with gummy worms. I cooked chocolate pudding and alternately layered it with crushed oreo cookies.




The birthday girl ready to blow out the candle.

You can check out Blowing peachkisses for more photos and The Peachkitchen for the close up photos of the foods we served.

Cinnamon sugar cookies ( Insect/ bug and flower shaped cookies)

I baked these last night for Ykaie's Dora- garden themed party tomorrow. I used Americolor electric food coloring. They came out really bright and colorful.

Ready to decorate the cookies



Snail, butterfly, flower, bee, dragonfly and caterpillar sugar cookies.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder ( you can add more if you want)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
6 tbsp water
1/2 tsp almond extract
food coloring

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon powder and salt.
3. Beat in eggs
4. Stir in the flour and baking powder.
5. Chill for 1-2 hours
6.On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of your choice.
7.Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Royal icing:
At medium speed, beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, almond extract and water for 5 minutes. Add water a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.
Tint icing with desired food coloring.