Dalahästar and Disco Dust

Bet most of you have NO clue what Dalahästar are! Here's the Wikipedia description:

A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse (Swedish: Dalahäst) is a traditional carved and painted wooden statuette of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the old days the Dala horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna as well as Sweden in general. Several different types of Dala horses are made, with distinguishing features common to the locality of the site where they are produced. One particular style has, however, become much more common and widespread than others. It is stoutly carved and painted bright red with details and a harness in white, green, yellow and blue.

(If you want to see what they look like, HERE is a picture of the world's largest Dalahäst)

A few weeks ago, we had a Mom's night in at a friend's house. Eight Swedish women chatting it up for a few hours. Tons of fun. It turns out almost all pf us are going home in July/Aug to visit family. Most of them to Stockholm area, and a few of us to the southern parts. Anyways, I wanted to impress surprise them with some home made cookies. For Ann, the hostess, I made some tulip cookies. I made them into pops, the fake way. I.e. taped the stick to the plastic bag instead of sticking the stick into the actual cookie. Used disco dust for the edges of the flowers. That dust is some messy stuff! I was glittery all night!

Tulips, in all their glitteryness:

 

And, the horses:

Ann posted a picture of the horse cookies on Facebook, and another Swedish lady, who wasn't at the party asked where Ann had bought these. I guess they look nice enough to pay for ;)

Cookies with 'enemy' bags (or tags)

So I work for a huge reatil chain here in Vegas. We opened in Oct 2007, and quite a few of us are still there. However, last week, one of my sales associated left us for another big retail store, also here in Vegas. I'm pretty sure you can guess which one. I wanted to send her off in style, and hope my baking skills will bring her back to us! 

The cupcakes are lemon-flavored and have buttercream frosting and yellow sprinkles on top. The shopping bags are made of Royal Icing. I drew rectangle shapes on the back of parchment paper and used a small circle for the handles. I forgot to use shortening on the parchment paper on the first bags, but they came off the paper anyways. I wrote the name of the store with an edible foodmarker.

 

I was clever enough to assemble them at work. The frosting 'ate' the yellow bags after a while, so I'm glad I waited to add those.

 

My co-worker was very happy with them, and brought several home after her shift.

Care packages for friends!

A while ago, I came across some adorable cookies, on Loren's blog The Baking Sheet. I shouldn't say I have waited for someone to get sick, so I could bake them, but you know what I mean. A guy at work got sick, and I promised him cookies. But, by the time I had made the cookies, decorated them properly and all, he was well again. Then another online mama friend seemed to need them. Her hubby had a stroke, and had his gall bladder removed within two weeks, so she's getting part of the batch. The 'left-overs' went to my co-worker, as an 'in-case-you-get-sick-again-care-package'. It was much appreciated. :) Today I have to send off the bigger package to Denver. I hope they'll survive. If not, I'll send her before-pictures!

Prescription sheets, band-aids and Tylenol PM. The word Tylenol is written with AmeriColor's Food Writers.

I need to practice on straight lines, and corners. My hand is pretty shaky when I pipe, but practice makes perfect, right.

All wrapped up and ready to go! I think she'll like the window box too!

Here's the care-package for my co-worker Martin

Disclaimer, T, if you for some reason read this, pretend you never saw the cookies, and act surprised when they arrive in the mail! ;)