The shop is still enjoying these last few days of Autumn! We will be closed on Wednesday, November 23rd as we work hard to transform the shop into a winter wonderland. Kathleen of Faded Charm will be setting up her pop-up shop full of vintage and antique Christmas goodies. It's going to be such a fun weekend! More details to come.....
xoxo-Darci
Soft Ginger Bread Cookies || a winter treat
I have tried numerous ginger bread cookie recipes over the years. I finally found a keeper!! I promise, you will love these cookies! You might even do a happy dance when you realize how easy they are!
Last night I baked the cookies while we enjoyed spending time with my in-laws. This morning, both girls were up earlier than usual, so we decided to frost and decorate the rest of our gingerbread cookies.
When we move, I will definitely miss our huge island! It's the perfect spot for both girls to sit and help in the kitchen.
I have really been working on letting go of the inner-perfectionist in me, at least when it comes to activities with the girls. I don't want them to feel like they can never measure up. I want them to be brave, and try new things, even if at first, they fail. And I definitely want to be their biggest cheer-leader, not a nagging voice in their ear!
I want them to enjoy spending time with me, and doing activities with me.
So, when it comes to working in the kitchen, I give Addilyn her own cookies to decorate, or bread to roll into a ball, or her own cheese to grade. She enjoys helping in the kitchen, and I can relax and not hover over her the entire time. It's a win-win ;-)
So, back to the cookies.
We baked them last night and frosted a hand full of them after they had completely cooled. That's the trick, don't try to frost them when they are still warm, I promise you will be disappointed and maybe even frustrated (I know that from personal experience).
I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk.
Although, in the morning, I am sure I will prefer my little gingerbread man with a hot cup of coffee!
The frosting has a hint of lemon, a perfect accompaniment to the gingerbread.
These can be made any time of year, but they sure make the best little gingerbread men!!
Ingredients
Lemon Frosting ~ Add the juice of one lemon, and 1 tsp. of lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Add 3-4 cups of powered sugar and mix (with a mixer) until the frosting is smooth. Add more powered sugar to achieve the desired consistency.
Directions
.Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days….and enjoy!!!
Matt is working on a remodel for a sweet couple outside of Dayton. After his first meeting with them at their property {they just bought the home}, Matt started to convince me that we needed acreage. {wink} Their setting is really neat....private and surrounded by farms. The front of their property is full of Christmas trees.....
And they were gracious enough to allow us to cut our tree {s} from their property. Friday {after Thanksgiving} we headed over to pick out our Christmas tree, Addilyn even got her own darling little tree for her bedroom.
Aren't those trees beautiful?
Now, having grown up on a Christmas tree farm, it was never a big deal for our family to get a tree. My mom would usually just grab one, while my dad was gone at work.
No big deal.
But, since our little family of 4 doesn't live on a Christmas tree farm, it's fun to make a big deal of it! You know....loud Christmas music, hot chocolate and cookies......
Can you believe it has taken us over 4 days to decorate our tree? And we still are not done! See that rogue baby under the tree? She is one of the reasons it takes so long to decorate ;-)
And there she is again, under the tree skirt.....
Addilyn and I made a paper chain for the tree. A 10' tree requires a lot of paper chain!!
Our beautiful tree provided extra fresh greens for a little decorating around the house.
I actually snagged the cedar from our of our Cedar trees. I love fresh cedar!!
A wood crate filled with greens {and a few magnolia sprigs}, flameless candles and a white bird.
A basket filled with greens, books and birds for our outside dining table.
Window boxes filled with greens and ornaments {on Matt's wood shop}.
And a few greens for the front porch!
I have a feeling it may take me all month to decorate for Christmas.....but that is part of the fun!!
Owners of MD Haney & Co., Matt and Darci Haney, are a husband and wife team who love architecture and beautiful spaces. They have a passion for what they do and believe that is evident in all of their projects. MD Haney & Co. is a design/build company that specializes in design, renovating homes, custom cabinetry and furniture re-finishing. MD Haney & Co. is also a Chalk Paint® decorative paint, and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint stockist. Besides refinishing and repurposing worn out pieces, they sell decorative paint, re-purposed furniture and offer monthly painting and creative workshops.
