How To Make Your Own Homemade Cookie Bouquets

We've all seen them. Clusters of big, gourmet cookies, individually wrapped in shiny, colored cellophane, with bows and ribbons. They come in many styles and with different treats, toys or gift items attached to or inside a basket or vase of some sort. They make a terrific and edible gift idea. After all, who doesn't love cookies? Sadly, they can be very expensive gifts, especially when considering that cookies don't cost a whole lot to bake.

Here's how to make your own cookie bouquets at home without spending a fortune!

What You Will Need:

* Chopsticks or Wooden Skewers - Make sure they are heat-proof. If you're baking smaller cookies, then popsicle sticks would also work.

* Cookies - Find a delicious cookie recipe that makes larger size cookies, your favorite or your gift recipients favorite will do fine.

* Container - This needs to be a data recovery tape container that is a bit bottom heavy, especially if you plan to include more than a few big cookies. You can try putting some pebbles in New Jersey Lemon Laws bottom to make sure the container won't tip over, if needed. Some ideas for containers include: a coffee mug, a metal or plastic pail, a basket, a vase, a planter, cookie jar or glass jar, glass bottle, a toy or wood box of some sort, teapot, porcelain or pottery serving ware.

* Cellophane - The shiny, colored kind looks best, but the colored plastic wrap you get at your local supermarket would work too.

* Ribbon - The curly kind works well for this. Any colors you like.

* Decorations - Anything goes! What's appropriate to the occasion and what does the gift recipient like? Some ideas include: stuffed animals, small toys, candy, balloons, fake or real flowers, stickers or whatever you find at the local craft store.

* Block of styrofoam or florists foam - You know that stereo you bought last December? You probably kept the box, just search your garage for some spare, clean, styrofoam.

* Something to cover up the styrofoam or florist's foam - You can use a big ribbon, some moss, plastic grass, tissue paper crumpled up or whatever else you have handy.

Instructions:

1. When you place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, press the dough down a bit to flatten it so that it doesn't spread too much while baking and so that the stick can be inserted properly. Before you bake the cookies, you must insert the chopstick or wooden skewer into one side of each cookie. Push it in almost the length of the cookie without going out the other end. This is an important step, as if your cookie is too big and your stick is not sturdy enough, it simply won't hold it and the cookie may fall apart when you pick it up. When baking big cookies, you probably won't be able to fit more than 3 cookies with their sticks to a sheet.

2. After baking the cookies with their sticks, cool the cookies thoroughly, then wrap each one with the colored cellophane. A different color for each cookie would be ok, or all the same color appropriate to the occassion. Tie each one with some curly ribbon at the base where the stick comes out of the cookie. Tie it very tightly so the cookies will mortgage home refinance fresh on the stick. You can adorn each cookie with additional, larger ribbons or bows at this point. When using curly ribbon, don't forget to curl it!

3. Now cut your styrofoam or florist's foam to the size of the top of the container you chose. Then fit the foam in so it is nice and tight and near the top of the container. Remember, you can place something heavier in the bottom of the container so that it does not tip over. Small pebbles work well for this. life insurance cover that the sticks will poke through the foam and into the bottom of the container.

4. Here comes the fun part, let's Erectile Dysfunction the cookie bouquet! Take each of your cookies and stick them through the foam so they go all the way through the foam and further, near to the bottom of the container. You can assemble the cookies in any manner you like, but most cookie bouquets have one cookie at the center that is taller than the other cookies, so keep that in mind. Decorate with additional ribbons, toys, candy, flowers, gifts etc. Each item can be attached with additional ribbon to the container or the sticks of the cookies or even with a glue gun (if appropriate).

5. Give your gift and watch the smiles! Make sure to give the bouquet as soon as possible after you have assembled it, you don't want the cookies to go stale!

Tips:

Make sure you bake enough cookies for your container, if baking small cookies, you may run out if you are filling a large container. Always bake more than enough. Surely your extras won't go to waste.

Bake both large and small cookies and use them both in the bouquet for a nice varied look like a more traditional flower bouquet.

More Ideas:

Some cookie bouquets use cutout cookies, these can be fun to make and decorate. Use your favorite sugar cookie cutout recipe and cut into shapes appropriate for the occasion. For cutout cookies to work, you may want to double your sugar cookie recipe as the cookies need to be nice and thick for the stick to go through them. For this type of cookie, wooden skewers will work best, chopsticks may be too thick. Then decorate the cookies with frosting. No need for colored cellophane with these cookies, use regular plastic wrap or clear cellophane so that the beauty of your hand decorated cookies shines through.

Remember, your cookie bouquet doesn't need to look professional, it's the homemade touch that makes it a truly special gift.

Ricky Alberta is an editor for several websites including Cookie-Recipes.net, which includes hundreds of cookie recipes, cookie baking tips, a cookie blog and message boards. cookie-recipes.nethttp://cookie-recipes.net

Dinner Quick - A Recipe for Success - Parmesan Fish Fillets

When you need dinner quick, this recipe for Parmesan Fish can be on the table in the time it takes to go through the drive thru at your favorite take out place. As auto insurance low rate bonus this recipe is an easy clean up as well.

The secret to a successful home cooked family dinner on busy nights is planning ahead. A pre-planned menu that is quick and easy to prepare will take the stress out of the evening and be enjoyed by all - the cook included. Planning weekly menus and shopping for the week in advance eliminate the two biggest stress factors and time wasters from your evening. In addition to a weekly menu plan, keep a few buy meridia plans on hand for evenings when you are absolutely out of time and need dinner quick. A recipe for a 15 minute meal can be a healthy and money-saving option for your family.

This recipe is easily best car insurance quote to fit your family size. Simply purchase the required number of fish fillets for your family and scale up the remaining ingredients. Here is a Dinner Quick Recipe that is sure to be a success with your family. Parmesan Fish Fillets

6 student debt consolidation grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tablespoons flour

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. fish fillets

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons snipped parsley

2 tablespoons snipped chives

Lemon garnish

1. In shallow dish, exchange server hosting cheese and flour.
2. Dip fish into flour mixture, coating it on all sides.
3. Heat the butter in a skillet and saut the fish in the butter over medium heat until golden on all sides and fish flakes easily - approximately 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Place fish on a warm platter. Pour the butter in the pan over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley and chives. Garnish with lemon wedges or slices.

To round out this dinner quick recipe, serve with a fresh salad and a loaf of garlic bread. You'll be sitting down to dinner within 20 minutes!

Do you need more healthy quick dinner recipe ideas complete with menu suggestions and shopping lists? Join our newsletter list for more dinner - quick recipe ideas like this one at easysoutherncooking/dinner-quick-recipe.htmlhttp://easysoutherncooking/dinner-quick-recipe.html Dinner - Quick Recipe Ideas From Easy Southern Cooking.

Diane Watkins is a busy cook and mother. She writes about cooking and offers cooking lessons, menus, and recipes at easysoutherncookinghttp://easysoutherncooking

Wholesome Salads

Kohlrabi is sometimes called Northern orange. This sort Fine Olive Oil cabbage contains much of vitamin PP, potassium Viagra Information phosphorus.

SALAD OF KOHLRABI WITH APPLES AND GARLIC

Ingredients:
300 g of kohlrabi, 200 g of apples, 200 g of mayonnaise, 10 g of garlic, 10 g of marjoram, 30 mL of beet vinegar, pepper and salt to your liking.

Cut kohlrabi in straws. Grate apples. Add pounded garlic, salt, pepper, beet vinegar. Mix salad, pour it with mayonnaise and add marjoram.

Seeds of pomegranate look like a ruby. But they are not only beautiful. Juice of pomegranate contains vitamins, organic acids and tannin substances, improving blood and contributing to better assimilation of food.

SALAD OF POMERGRANATE AND ONION

Ingredients:
1 big pomegranate, 2 middle-sized onions, salt to your liking. Chop onion small and wash 2-3 times in hot water, then put in colander, squeeze juice line car insurance pomegranate seeds. Mix part of seeds with onion and pour with squeezed juice. Decorate salad with a rose cut off onion, filled with pomegranate seeds. Put it in the middle of salad, and put circles of onion around. White cabbage contributes to normal metabolism and delays turning of carbohydrates into fat.

SALAD OF FRESH CABBAGE AND PRUNES

Ingredients:
400 g of white cabbage, 100 g of prunes, 50 g of carrot, lemon juice and raid data recovery to your liking. Soak prunes beforehand. Cut cabbage in straws, pour with some sugar and grind to receive juice. Now squeeze cabbage. Remove seeds off swelled prunes and cut it in small. Grate carrot. Mix everything and add lemon juice. Decorate salad with prunes and carrot slices.

Yana Mikheeva is the creator of womanspassionsAll about women site, it is an on-line resource for women and about women. Here you can find articles on various subjects, such as: diets, receipts, health, cellulite, figure, aromatherapy, wholesome food, psychology of relationships, pregnancy, parenting, fashion and many others. She also has womanspassions/blog/Blog for women

Acoustic Guitar--Nine Steps to Help You Keep Playing

Guitar playing Rhode Island Lemon Laws like many other endeavors. You can be really
enthusiastic about it--but it can soon seem very overwhelming. This
is why so many people quit the guitar after working at it for a
month or two. Here are some steps to help you keep playing mortgages for bad credit
guitar.

1. Check the action on your guitar. The height of the strings above
the fingerboard should be low enough that your guitar is not
uncomfortable to play. Press the strings down behind the frets to
see how much tension there is. If the strings are very difficult to
press down, have your guitar set up by a qualified guitar
technician.

2. Use light gauge strings (or even silk & steel). Light gauge
strings are recommended by most guitar manufacturers because they
put less stress on the instrument. Light gauge strings are also
easier to play, because there is less tension when you press them
down on the fingerboard. On many of my guitars, I prefer silk &
steel strings, because of really low tension and the fact that that
they are really sensitive, providing great dynamics for guitar
picking.

3. Keep your fingernails trimmed! This is kind of a "no-brainer,"
yet many beginning guitarists do not understand how important this
is. Long fingernails on the hand you use on the fingerboard make
the fingers work much too hard to press the strings down. Keeping
your fingernails well trimmed is one very easy step toward better
guitar playing.

4. Commit to a realistic practice schedule. An hour a day is great.
But if you cannot allot that much time, how about joint life insurance hour four
times a week? Whatever you decide is reasonable for you, COMMIT TO
IT! Determine that you will discipline yourself to a regular
practice schedule.

5. Sit properly and consistently during your practice schedule.
During the time that you have committed for your practice schedule,
sit in platinum visa credit card upright, armless chair (such as a folding chair or a
dining room chair) when playing your guitar. Find the position that
is the most comfortable and efficient to play in, and do it the
same way every session of your practice schedule.

6. Practice with a metronome during your practice schedule. If you
want to be a fast and clean flatpicker, one of the smartest things
you can do is to practice using a metronome.

7. Keep your guitar (or one of your guitars, if you have more than
one) handy, so that you can pick it up and play a few licks
whenever you feel the urge. If humidity conditions (and traffic
conditions) in your home permit it, keep a guitar on a guitar
stand, ready to be picked up and played. However, don't take any chances with
humidity. You can keep your guitar in its case (with an in-case humidifier) in the
corner of a room for easy access. This way when you are relaxing,
maybe checking out what's on T.V., you can work on a few licks
while sitting back on that comfy sofa. But didn't I just say you
should always sit in an upright chair when you play? Yes, during
your practice schedule--but this is your relaxation time!

8. Have your library of tablature books and instructional CD's and
videos, etc. together in one place and handy to refer to. If you
have a spare room you can dedicate as a guitar studio, great!

9. Whenever you get a chance, listen to music that inspires you!

Copyright 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith is an avid acoustic guitar player and a vintage instrument enthusiast. He invites you to impotence pills a FREE REPORT on a revolutionary acoustic guitar lesson kit, along with his weekly newsletter via email. just click on optin.flatpickposthttp://optin.flatpickpost

Check out Lee's blog, "The Flatpick Post" at flatpickposthttp://flatpickpost

Homemade Whipped Cream

Most grocery stores carry cans of whipping cream ready to structured settlement consumer info onto your favorite desert. Some of these cans even come in chocolate flavor. But, instead of choosing to use canned cream how about whipping your own.

In the dairy case of your local grocery store you will find cartons of accident at work claim whipping cream, whipping cream, impotence pills bakers cream. Each of these can be whipped up into a delightful topping for deserts.

Ultra-pasteurized whipping cream annuity loan been heated to above 280 degrees to extend its shelf life. It is just a bit more temperamental when it comes to whipping.

Whipping cream is more difficult to find in stores but it does whip up easier.

Bakers cream is an Ultra-pasteurized version that contains vanilla flavoring. This is an Pennsylvania Lemon Laws choice to top cakes or pies.

Whether using Ultra-pasteurized, whipping, or bakers cream following a few simple steps will yield delightful results every time.

First chill all ingredients and utensils thoroughly. Place the carton of cream in the coldest location in your refrigerator. Allow it to chill overnight. Place the beaters and a deep narrow bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes before whipping.

Pour the cream into the student consolidation loans chilled bowl and add any additional flavorings at this time. Almond extract, vanilla extract and Kirshwasser cherry flavored brandy are all excellent choices. Add judiciously, the flavorings can easily overtake the cream.

Mix at high speed with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Take care not to over beat the cream. If the cream begins to separate it is curdling and turning into sweet butter.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday.

gourmayeatshttp://gourmayeats

How to Learn Magic Tricks - The Process

So how do you learn a new magic trick? Read about. Get LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention necessary props and try the donate a car to charity in private. you will usually know right away if the trick is going to be any good. For example, I recently tried out a trick that involves threading somebodies ring over the four corners of a cloth restaurant napkin. Are you kidding? That is like trying to stuff a blanket through a straw. Next!

If the trick shows promise, though, most books advise you to try the trick in front of a mirror. (Now you know why magicians are so often in the bathroom.)

A mirror is injury at work for letting you know what the audience sees, for making sure the secret net webhosting visible, for practicing moves. But it has one huge drawback: You have to watch a mirror as you do the trick! That is nearly impossible to do.

In the real world, you will never be watching yourself; you will just be doing the trick. Many tricks take advantage of misdirection - directing your audience's attention to the wrong place by looking there yourself. Well, guess what? It's impossible to practice misdirection in the mirror, because the minute you look away from the mirror, you can not see how your doing!

Fortunately, you were foresighted enough to wait until the camcorder age to take up magic. The camcorder neatly solves the mirror problem: It lets you perform the trick exactly as you would perform it for an audience, complete with misdirection, eye contact, and so on - and still analyze your own weak spots by watching the videotape playback.

Not everyone has, annuity loan can borrow or rent, a video camera. But doing so makes a huge difference to the speed of mastering magic. It's worth the investment.

Brad injury claims Professional magician

thewellread/Grownup Magic Trick

Caravan And Motorhome Campsites, What Makes The Perfect Site?

As I write this I am sitting in commercial van insurance awning of my ageing Eccles Amethyst caravan. It is the caravan that my wife and I bought in 2001 when we decided to live in the French Alps for a winter ski season. We never meant to become caravan enthusiasts, but here we are for the sixth time in our favourite camp site on the Costa del Azahar in Valencia, Spain. I am not going to reveal the exact name of this camp site as I do not want to spoil one of the many reasons why we love it here. If you do need to know, contact me low mortgage rate refinancing ricklomas.com and I will tell you.

Location

Well it certainly is not perfect, it is 0.5km to the nearest beach, but that is a pebble beach that my daughter does not really like, "too hard", she says. The nearest sandy beach is 4km. There is the very scary N340 road right next to it with trucks thundering up and down all the time, but to be honest we do not really notice the noise, it is all hidden away from us. There are three excellent supermarkets within 'spitting' distance and there is a busy town just 4km away.

The camping pitches

There are lots of great size pitches (parcelas) each surrounded by hedges and palm trees, each pitch has 6A mains hook up and a small stone sink so that you do not have to carry any water from the water supply. The ground is level and covered with small stones. You can easily manoeuvre a caravan or motorhome into the pitches and you can specify sun or shade. If you do not have a caravan, you can rent one of the wooden chalets very cheaply too.

Toilets and washing facilities

There are two toilet and shower blocks. The toilets have seats and toilet paper, quite rare for a Spanish campsite. The showers are hot at all times of the day. The sinks all have mirrors and liquid soap. The cleaning lady seems to hover about all day keeping them immaculate.

The bar and restaurant

At the time of writing a pint of St Miguel costs 1.50 and you can have a slap up meal for 2 for just 30, unbelievable! There is even a free wireless internet connection or if you do not have your own computer there are two PCs that are just available to use. Brilliant!

The swimming pool

A 25m pool and smaller baby pool is open from Easter until November, it is not heated, so can be cool sometimes, but is thoroughly refreshing when the sun is baking down.

The ambiance

Well, like any bargain priced European camp site, out of season it is full of retired folk from Britain, Belgium and Holland who are escaping the grey wet miserable weather at home to have a long rest in the sun. We have got to know people here who stay here for 8 months of the year and everyone is very chilled and laid back. It is never too busy and I have never complained about it being too quiet either.

The price

We have always found staying here to be cheaper than staying at home. At the time of writing (which is 'low season') a 'parcela' with 6A electricity for a caravan plus car or motorhome is 10.70/per night if you stay for more than 8 days. No problem there, the first time we came here we booked for 3 nights, but stopped for 5 weeks!!

Rick Lomas lives in Serre Chevalier in the discover financial French Alps. Rick is putting together a new site at the moment http://www.worldtraveldirect.co.uk where New Mexico Lemon Laws is encouraging authors to get in touch and make contributions to the site by blog entries, photos and videos, see the site for more details.Rick is also currently working on various websites selling mortgage protection insurance, as Michigan Lemon Laws affiliate for British Insurance.