A Little Bit of Gingerbread

Oh yes... it is Gingerbread Cookie time once again.

For years I've been trying and tweaking every gingerbread cookie recipe I can find working toward the perfect not too crunchy, not too spicy, gingerbread cookie. Over the past two Christmases we have agreed on just the right combination. Two of my three boys, if left unattended, would eat a whole batch of these.

Here's the recipe:

6 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling dough)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 - 3 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
2 eggs
1 cup unsulfered molasses

1) Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine, set aside. Make sure you spooned your flour into the measuring cup then level the top off to prevent adding too much flour.

2) Cream softened butter and brown sugar for a minute or two on medium speed with an electric mixer, until well blended. Add eggs, blend. Add molasses and continue mix on medium speed for one minute.

3) Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.

4) You can refrigerate your dough for an hour to make it a little easier to roll out but I'm not big on patience so I roll mine out right away.

5) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness between 1/8 and 1/4 inch depending on your preference. If you find the dough to be a little soft, keep adding flour as you are kneading and rolling out until you have the right consistency. Cut into desired shapes and place on a baking sheet leaving an inch between cookies.

6) Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to brown on the bottom. Increase time for a crunchier cookie.

7) Let cookies cool on wire racks.

8) These are delicious as is or with a drizzle of royal icing. These freeze beautifully if you want to keep an un-frosted batch in your freezer to dress up later on your holiday cookie trays. Layer with waxed or parchment paper and store in an airtight container.

This little guy spent his first Christmas season milling around the oven saying "Gingerbread comin'?" He's my number one little helper.

Blessings to you and yours! Enjoy your cookies : )

Twirly Mama Itsy Bitsy Gift Bags

Make these fun and easy little bags up in batches and stuff them with anything from candy to candles, hand sanitizer to nail polish. Finished bags measure 5 ½ inches long, and about 4 and ¼ inches wide.

You will need:

2 6”x 8” pieces of fabric (bag front and back)
1 yard of ribbon, ¼ inch wide or thinner
Scissors
Seam ripper
Small safety pin


1) Working on the top of each piece of fabric, iron a ¼ inch fold (see top part of photo), then, turn over a 1 ½ inch fold toward the wrong side of fabric (see bottom part of photo.) This is the top of your bag.

2) Open the 1 ½ inch fold on the front and back pieces, now match the front and back pieces to each other, right sides together. Using a ½ inch seam allowance, baste front and back of bag together sewing side seams and the bottom of the bag; leaving the top open.

3) Working with the bag inside out, press side seams open as far down as you can. It is not necessary to press the bottom seam. *Option: at this point you may want to baste the seams down to make it easier to insert your ribbon later.

4) Fold the top of your bag down to the 1 ½ inch line you pressed earlier; folding toward the wrong side of fabric. Press into place.

 5) Now turn your bag right side out. Open the bag and place the bottom of the folded edge under the presser foot of your machine. Baste all the way around the bag staying close to the folded edge.

6) Sew around the bag a second time approximately ½ inch above the first seam (about an inch from the top of the bag.) This will form a casing for the ribbon ties.

  7) Open the casing just slightly by pulling out 2 to 3 stitches on the sides of the bag between the seams you sewed around the bag.

8) There are two options for the ribbon ties on this bag A) Ribbon that comes out of and ties on one side or B) Ribbon that comes out of both sides and ties in the front of the bag. (See pictures on the top of page one, Christmas bags are done with Option A, the brown bag is finished with Option B.)

9) Option A: You will only need to open the casing on one side of your bag. Attach at least 20” of ribbon to a safety pin and glide it through the casing until the safety pin and ribbon come out of the opening in the casing. Tie your ribbon in a knot and cinch up your adorable little gift bag. Tie a bow and you’re done!

10) Option B: Make 2 openings in your casing, one on each side of the bag. Attach at least 16” of ribbon to a safety pin and feed it through the opening on the right side until it comes back out of the right side. Tie the two ends of the ribbon together. Now repeat this step looping your ribbon through the left side of the bag, then tie the ribbon ends together. This will form two loops, one on each side of the bag. Pull the loops tightly to close the bag then tie in a knot or bow. Great job- you did it!

Send a comment if you have questions or email gotwirlymama@gmail.com.

You Can Sew and Sew You Should

I meet so many ladies who have sewing machines collecting dust in a closet or garage who say "I don't even know where to start!" Start by dusting that machine off and learn to thread it. You can search the make of your machine and likely find a tutorial. I would encourage you to dive in. Once you sew that first straight line, the possibilities are limitless and your skill level and confidence only increase with each project.

Take on something simple to start, I would recommend a throw pillow because it's so straight forward.

Supplies:

1/2 Yard of the fabric of your choice (knit not recommended for this project)

Needle for hand-sewing open seam

Thread

Your newly dusted machine

A good, sharp pair of scissors

1 bag of fiber filling/stuffing*

* Here's a link to show you what to look for- buy any brand you like http://www.joann.com/search/_stuffing/

1) Cut your fabric into two, 14" squares (go bigger if you like.)

2) Place those fabrics right sides together (this means the pretty sides face each other,) you will be sewing on the wrong side.

3) Seam Allowance- this is the distance between your needle and the edge or your fabric. Go with at least 1/4 seam allowance up to 5/8 seam allowance. You will notice on most machines there is a little guide just to the right of your needle & presser foot (that's the guy that holds the fabric flat.)

4) Begin at a corner and sew down an entire side of your pillow.

5) When you are almost to the end of your first side, leave the needle down into the fabric, lift presser foot and turn the pillow. You've just navigated a corner. Now continue sewing two more sides.

6) The fourth side. You will need to leave about a 3" opening at the end of this side. When you get to the end of the line you are sewing, press your backstitch button. This will add durability to the area where you'll be working to stuff the pillow.

7) So now we have three sides of our pillow completely sewn, and a fourth side with about an 11" seam and a 3" opening.

8) Turn your pillow inside out. Wow! It's so pretty! Ok, now, press the pillow, smoothing out the sides.

9) About that opening, tuck the fabric into the pillow so that it lines up with the other seams and press into place.

10) PS- if you are new to sewing, let me tell you now that you will be ironing A LOT! It's just impossible to put a solid piece together without pressing every step of the way.

11) Now stuff that stuffing into your pillow. Really fill it up or you'll be lumpy.

12) Take that needle for manual sewing, thread it and stitch your open edge. When you are done stitching, tie a knot 2 or 3 times, doing your best to hide it between the two layers of fabric.

13) I'm so proud of you! You did it!!!

Just FYI- as you progress there are many ways to improve upon your pillow making such as adding a zipper, working with a pillow form, adding cording, tassels or embellishment. Now that you've got the concept though, you are rocking and rolling!

Stay tuned because we'll talk more about some of the basics.

Let's Sew Together!