Kentucky Derby! Mint Julep Tea, Peach Pecan Spritz Cookies, & Barbie's Hat...

The Kentucky Derby is today at 6:45-ish, are you watching? May I suggest a little something smooth to sip on... This Mint Julep Tea was very nice:@) I've added my son's recommendation for a bourbon, and even a friendly little betting game if your crowd is into that sort of thing...

Maybe you'd prefer a cup of hot tea and nice little cookie... These Pecan Spritz Cookies with Peach and Bourbon Icing were very good, and look oh-so-fancy:@)

And if ~anyone~ wants to get dressed up and wear an extravagant hat, it would be Barbie:@) I found a pack of spotted craft feathers at the thrift store and thought they would be the perfect embellishment. I started with a crochet hat, added a small cluster of feathers anchored by a sheer organza ribbon bow, and of course, we have to have at least one satin rose for this race.

My picture tutorial for how to make a Barbie dress from 6" square of fabric can be found here. And Barbie says every southern lady should have at least one string of pearls... How to make a Barbie necklace here.

📌My Pinterest Boards here.

Enjoy the race, and 

Have a Happy Day😉

Easy Football Party Treats-Super Bowl! Candy, Cookies, Brownies, Marshmallows, etc...

If you've been around Pig In Mud for a while you know I love football theme'd foods and party ideas. And I'm especially fond of ~easy~ snacks for any occasion... So I thought we'd do a quick round-up of the easiest ways to bring a little fun to your Super Bowl Party. I'll start off with a no-brainer, purchased team color candy. And to help keep us on budget this year, both teams just happen to be red and yellow/gold:@)

My Dollar Tree Candy:

I like to cut these in half, 

making them bite size.

Does your store have Easter candy yet? Party City may also have some of these foil wrapped sports balls. Perfect little treats to add to charcuterie boards or serving bowls. 

These sprinkles are in the cake decorating section of Walmart. For some reason the red looks maroon and pink in this pic, they are a true red. The sprinkles can decorate baked goods, or you can dip pretzels, marshmallows, or purchased cookies, into melted chocolate, or candy melts, and then into the sprinkles.

Candy Coated Marshmallows with Sprinkles

or colored sugar.

A few more snack ideas:

Football Cupcake Decoration using store bought Icing ~ Football Spritz Cookies ~ Football Shaped Peanut Butter Dip ~ Football Shaped Large Brownie

So there we have just a few ideas to help make the party festive. I really don't have a team to root for this year, so I'll be watching for the E-Trade babies commercial and hoping I win a quarter in my office block pool:@) 

🏈Happy Super Bowl Weekend Everyone,

Have a Great Day:@)

♥Heart♥ Ideas... Barbie Valentine's Candy, Spritz Cookies, Crochet Ornaments, and...

For my Saturday ReView this week I thought I'd share a few ideas for heart shaped items. Time is flying and we're less than two weeks from Valentine's Day, amazing. I'd like to start with a little craft from foam cut-outs and beads. I happened to get brown beads in a grab bag from the thrift store, but anything would work to give the illusion of this Heart Shaped Box of Valentine's Day Candy for Barbie:@) Especially if you wrap some fun shapes in foil, nobody will know what color the original bead was.

I started with a 1 3/4" heart that was cut from 1/4" thick foam for the box, and a smaller 1 1/4" heart cut from thinner foam for the lid. I dug some of the foam out of the center of the larger heart. Then added Elmers Glue, placed some brown beads inside for candy and kept pressing them down so the lid would lay flat on top. Walmart has the foam heart shapes again this year.

A sparkly closed box of Valentine's candy...

Barbie says every girl likes to get candy on Valentine's Day😉 

How to make a gold dipped rose here.

I love the look! 

And I always encourage folks to keep their Spritz Cookie Press handy... Every set comes with a heart shaped disc. Pick your favorite recipe, add a little red sugar and wa-la, we have a quick seasonal treat:@)

My Spritz Pinterest Board Here.

Little Crochet Hearts start with a magic circle and come together fairly quickly (even for those of us that aren't that skilled at crochet). I love them because they make great ornaments for a seasonal tree, cute bunting, napkin ring toppers for tablescapes, and of course fun pillows or an easy handbag for Barbie:@)

And finally, if you can swing it, 

please treat yourself to some pretty flowers...

You deserve it:@)

💗Make something just for fun and 

Have a Happy Day💕

Spice Gumdrop Gingerbread Spritz Cookies

I've made many variations of spritz cookies through the years but haven't found a recipe I really liked for gingerbread. So I'm working on my own:@) These Spice Gumdrop Gingerbread Spritz are robustly flavored and the piece of gumdrop not only adds an extra burst of spice, but a chewy element too. And I think it would be pretty on a cookie tray... I combined bits and pieces from a few different recipes, and adjusted to taste. They ended up pretty darn good! But that doesn't mean I won't keep tweaking...

Gorgeous using a flower disc.

I believe this is the sunflower disc from my Oxo set.

I have a vanilla version with fruit gumdrops here.

My Pinterest Spritz Cookie Board here.

Spice Gumdrop Gingerbread Spritz

1 C brown sugar

1 C salted butter, softened

1 egg

1/4 C molasses

2 Tblsp milk
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg-I'll try more next time

3 C A/P flour

Spiced gumdrops cut onto three pieces horizontally

1. Cream brown sugar and butter.
2. Beat in egg well.
3. Mix in molasses well. 
4. Mix in milk.
5. Mix in spices.
6. Mix in flour.
7. Fill press and press cookies onto ungreased, not non-stick cookie sheets. 
8. Press 1/3 gumdrop into center of each cookie. Prettiest cookies use the sugared ends of gumdrop.
9. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until done.
10. Remove to a cooling rack.

Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

ReView: Heart Shaped Food Round-Up & Heart Suspenders for Ken (Barbie)

Wow, we're down to single digit days before Valentine's Day folks, so I thought I'd add a Heart Shaped Food Round-Up from the archives. Ideas for main meal, deviled eggs, cookies, cake, pie, and fudge, a little something for everyone:@)

I saw some cute red and pink 98¢ party favor bracelets at Walmart and thought they might be fun for a little Valentine's Day Barbie crafting. The first thing that came to mind was suspenders for Ken, and I love the perfect scale. They can be attached with buttons or sewn directly onto to pants. While he may choose to not get super dressed up for the occasion, there is no denying Ken did put thought into Valentine's Day! Barbie's smitten:@)

✂What I did:

1. Super simple, just sew a few small buttons onto any pair of Ken pants.
2. Cut the bracelet apart at bottom of heart at bend in bracelet, and loop the hole in the bracelet over the button. The top bend from the packaging naturally falls at his shoulder.
3. You'll need to trim a couple hearts off of the back, then loop a hole through buttons on the back of the pants.

My inspiration:

Make something just for fun,

and have a happy day💗

Wilton Color Mist Sprayed Spritz Cookies -And a Spritz Tip...

I wanted to share a cute idea for easily decorating Spritz Cookies with Wilton Color Mist Spray. I found red and green at Ollies (a close out discount store) for 99¢ each, yep, home they came:@) Next I picked a disc that would work with both colors, the star from the Oxo Holiday Disc Set. Simply bake up a batch of your favorite spritz, let cool, then spray with the colors. You can make them as light or vibrant as you'd like. Might even be fun to try to spray the centers, letting the color fade a bit towards the edges...

The Color Mist Spray I used:

And don't hesitate to get the kids involved folks,

they'll get a kick out of "spray painting" the cookies:@)

My tip:

If using a disc with a very detailed design,

it's best to choose a recipe that uses powdered sugar.

Like this Shortbread Spritz here.

That way the rough edges of the sugar won't clog the disc openings.

Learned this the hard way making these cookies with the 

Oxo star disc from the Holiday Set. 

Wanted to share...

My Spritz Cookies for All Seasons Pinterest Board HERE.

Color Mist Sprayed Spritz Cookies

1. Bake, cool, spray, let mist air dry, store cookies in air tight container.
2. That's it folks:@)

Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day🎅

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Spritz Cookies

A couple years ago I made some almond spritz with jam centers , and they were a big hit with my crew. But these Peanut Butter and Jelly Spritz Cookies have been on my mind ever since... As you might think, it's a match made in heaven:@) And the best part? You can split the dough up and make some plain peanut butter cookies, some with jam, and maybe even some with chocolate in the center. An easy way to help fill your holiday cookie tray.

Tip: Try to fish the bits of fruit out of the jam,

that will make the centers extra chewy.

I used my old Mirro cookie press and the swirled disc.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Spritz Cookies
1/2 C shortening (I use 1/4 C shortening, 1/4 C butter)
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp salt-can just add a pinch
1/8 tsp baking powder

Jam, a red flavor will hold up best to the peanut butter-I used strawberry

1. Cream shortening/butter, peanut butter and sugars. 
2. Mix in egg and vanilla.
3. Sift dry into wet, mix well.
4. Load press and form cookies on cool, ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Lightly indent the center of each cookie, add a small amount of jam.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges.
7. Makes approximately 70 cookies.

Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

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Peeps Easter Spritz Cookies -Down the Rabbit Hole -No Cookie Press Required

Oh these Down the Rabbit Hole Spritz Cookies with Peeps Bunnies turned out so cute, love this idea folks! And the best part, no cookie press is required. I used a disposable icing bag, fancy decorator tip is optional. And of course, sprinkles add to the fun... The Peeps are added to the cookie with some Candy Melts, your favorite chocolate is another option. There is no right or wrong, just have fun with it:@) I also used the white candy melts to add the little tails.

Bunny Butts!!!

If you want to play (or have the patience), 

you could create feet for the bunny butts from chocolate too.

The cookies are simple ovals, use your fingers to help shape as desired:

One thing I will mention though...

These cookies are ~sweet~.

There's a lot of candy going on here,

but Easter is a holiday after all:@)

Use your favorite spritz cookie dough.

More varieties can be found on my Spritz Cookie Pinterest Board here.

Basic Vanilla Spritz-came with my old metal Mirro Cookie Press 
1 C shortening and/or butter-any combo of the two, I used all butter this time
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 C A/P flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt-I used salted butter instead
1/4 tsp baking powder

1. Cream shortening/butter and sugar well. 
2. Beat in egg and vanilla. 
3. Gradually blend in dry ingredients which have been sifted together.
4. Fill disposable icing bag and form ovals on ungreased (not non-stick) cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
6. Let sit on cookie sheet for a couple minutes once out of the oven, remove to cooling rack.
7. Cut Peeps in half (don't worry, they won't feel a thing:@)
8. Add candy melts to disposable icing bag, microwave until melted. Cut tip off, one cookie at a time-drizzle cookies, add sprinkles and top with peep. Add tail.
9. Allow candy to dry and set. Store in air tight container.
10. Plan on approximately 40-44 cookies from one full batch of dough.

My tip: A good spritz cookie dough will feel like soft Play Dough, you should be able to easily pick it up and form it into a log to insert it into the press. 

🐰Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

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♥Nutty for You♥ -Nutella Filled Spritz Sandwich Cookies

Believe it or not folks, I've never had Nutella... I know, right??? Well, I found one of those little stocking stuffer size jars after Christmas and picked it up for 24¢. Turns out, it's pretty good stuff:@) I used it to make some Nutella Filled Spritz Sandwich Cookies. While that itty jar only made about seven cookies, it was enough for us to try a few with Sunday dinner, and we all declared this a winner! 

I chose the heart disc for Valentine's Day,

and used the tie dyed technique HERE with white, pink and red dough:@)

Nutella Filled Spritz Sandwich Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

Nutella for the centers

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.
2. Add egg and vanilla, mix well.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt, mix well.
4. If using tie dye technique divide dough as described here.
5. Fill a cookie press with dough and press out shapes onto a cool, non-greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
7. Cool cookies on rack, spread flat side (bottom) of one with Nutella, top with second cookie.

Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

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Italian Cornmeal Spritz Cookies

These Italian Cornmeal Spritz Cookies were written-up as Christmas Cookies but I thought the cornmeal made them great for Thanksgiving too. Wow, I love these cookies, this is a different recipe! You will notice the cornmeal flavor, and the light almond is nice. It's also a cookie that isn't as sweet as others, which lends itself nicely to some colored sanding sugar if desired. And my favorite part is, the cornmeal makes them a tad crunchy with a little chew. I'll be adding this recipe to my yearly holiday baking. Don't hesitate to try this one folks, it gets my 'darn good' label and, if you like cornmeal, I think you will be pleased.

If you've ever cursed your cookie press (and yes, we've all been there),

you will find this a sticky wetter dough that sticks to the baking sheets well.

I do recommend using a good amount of cherry, we liked a half cherry for each cookie.

Italian Cornmeal Spritz Cookies-from Taste of Home

2/3 C butter, softened

1/2 C sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 C A/P flour

2/3 C yellow cornmeal

Red candied cherries, cut to desired size

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and extracts.
2. Add dry, mix well. Let dough sit for a few minutes so it hydrates a bit if you have the time...
3. Load cookie press with dough using desired disc (a flower or star would be traditional). This will be a sticky dough.
4. Press onto ungreased, cool cookie sheets 1" apart. Place a quarter half of a red candied cherry in the center of each cookie.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until set. Mine took a good 8-10 minutes more, until bottoms began to get golden.
6. Remove to wire rack to cool.

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Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

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4th Annual Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange

Whole Wheat Spritz Cookies -Witch Fingers for Halloween -No Sugar Option

The beauty of spritz cookies is, you can make them any time of year, and decorate them for any holiday or occasion:@) I've had the recipe for these Whole Wheat, No Sugar Option, Spritz Cookies, tucked away for a long time. I knew the whole wheat might bake up a little darker than A/P flour, so I added a couple drops of green food coloring, and here we have some very spooky looking Halloween Witch Fingers! Another great thing about this idea, while it's a spritz cookie, no cookie press is needed... Just fill a disposable icing bag, snip the tip, and pipe out some logs for fingers. 

I will admit, the nuts fell off when the cookies cooled folks, yep.

But I do recommend baking the cookies with the almonds for two reasons:

1. It creates an indent so we can stick it back on with candy melts or chocolate.

2. Toasted nuts just taste better:@)

As for those horrifying cuticles -eeeekk...

If you happen to have orange or purple candy melts,

Well, that would just add to the fun!

A word about whole wheat flour:

The consistency can be a bit like fine cornmeal with a little bite, and it bakes up with a nice nutty flavor.

This particular recipe is not very sweet as written, and may be more suited to an adult's taste. 

Although you could certainly add more sugar if desired.

Whole Wheat Spritz Cookies-from Paper, Ribbon & Ink

1 C butter, softened

1/2 C sugar or sugar substitute of equal value

1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter, tiny pinch if salted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 egg*

A few drops of green food coloring

2 C whole wheat flour

Almonds for finger nails

Candy melts or chocolate

*It takes a little longer for whole wheat flour to hydrate, I felt mine was staying too dry and crumbly. I made a half batch and did end up using the whole egg. You want dough that's the consistency of Play Dough.

1. Cream butter and sugar/substitute.
2. Mix in extracts, egg and food coloring.
3. Add flour until just mixed in.
4. Fill piping bag (or cookie press). Cut hole in bag, mine was about 3/4" long.
5. Squeeze or press out shapes onto ungreased, cool, cookie sheet.
6. Press almond into tip of each finger.
7. With butter knife press knuckle lines into fingers.
8. Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden on bottom.
9. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, remove to cooling rack.
10. Stick fingernails on with a little melted candy melts or chocolate.

This is a fun project that kids will love, 

don't hesitate to make the fingers using any spritz recipe your crew likes.

🎃Enjoy a spooky treat and have a happy day:@)

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Saturday Thoughts: On Blogging & A New Season!

Sometimes I see on blogs, "I've been doing this for a long time" or "after so many years...". It's true folks, I've been at this for a while. 11 1/2 years, two broken point and shoot cameras, thousands of posts, tons of kitchen toys, some great food, some really bad bloggy bloopers, enough Jello to fill a bathtub, and a partridge in a pear tree, or two... I keep posting because this has proven to be the one hobby that still holds my interest. And I hope, your interest too:@)

Yo-Yo Pumpkins picture tutorial.

I've tried lots of new things, and new blogs, picked a schedule, and attempted themes... And I'll continue to reevaluate and try to create an inspirational spot for you to stop by for a brief visit. One of my favorite reader comments came way back in the early years, she said "you've created a safe space here"... That meant a lot to me, and I took it to heart. I want PIM to be a place you can come to and not have to worry about real life for a couple minutes. And if the kids happen to peek over your shoulder, well, the worst that should happen is they want a cookie:@)

Peanut Butter Spritz Cookies

I'm sure you've noticed full Barbie posts are back. Honestly, it was just too much for me to maintain two blogs while working full time. And I do truly enjoy creating things for my little Barbie world. So Pig In Mud's content will go back to being more eclectic, kinda anything goes. Life's too short to not do things that make you happy!

5 Minute Chef Hat and Apron from Ruffle

🍁I look forward to the warm flavors and crafts of fall and the holiday season...

And I hope you'll join me!☕

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Thank you for taking the time to stop by, 

it truly makes me smile:@)

Saturday ReView: St. Patrick's Day Cookies, Candy, Popcorn and more...

I thought I'd pop in with a few last minute Treat Ideas for St. Patrick's Day, they all make a nice snack or fun little gift to share. I hope everyone has a festive week, and don't forget to wear your green! We'll be having our corned beef and cabbage this Sunday, a meal we all look forward to every year:@)

Irish Flag Pizzelles

Shamrock Kisses

Cute, tasty, and they come together in minutes.

Irish Potatoes Candy

Cream cheese and coconut candy rolled in cinnamon

Green and Gold Dyed Popcorn

Add a fun gift tag: "Popping in to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day".

And of course... Spritz Cookies

Any recipe or flavor that sounds good.

And don't forget Barbie likes St. Patrick's Day fun too!

How to make doll size shamrocks from pipe cleaners:

Simply wrap a pipe cleaner around a pencil (or pen, or knitting needle) three times.

Scrunch them together and twist the straight strands together creating the stem. 

Slide off of the pencil.

Turn the loops facing forward, creating circles.

Wa-la, shamrocks😎

🍀Have a great weekend and Happy St. Patrick's Day Planning:@)

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Cinnamon Heart Spritz Cookies (or any disc shape)

Don't put the cookie press away folks! How about whipping up some Cinnamon Heart Spritz Cookies for Valentine's Day this year. This is a very nice cookie, a crisp shortbread consistency, and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. You'll most likely notice the almond extract when first baked, but then as they have a day or two to sit the cinnamon will shine through:@) I used the Oxo heart disc with my Kuhn Rikon press, that really does seem to be my favorite cookie press. 

• This turned out to be a pretty thick batter, I did add 1/2 tsp warm water, aim for it feel more like Play Dough. 
• It held it's shape well and didn't spread much.
• I added about 7 drops of red food coloring for a half batch.
• I might let the dough be it's natural color and just use a pretty pink sanding sugar with the red candy center next time.

Double Cinnamon Heart Spritz Cookies

2 1/2 C sifted A/P flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 C butter, softened

1 1/4 C sifted powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

few drops red food coloring

*optional if necessary, I did add a tsp warm water 

red cinnamon candy, can use Red Hots, I had cinnamon imperials baking decorations

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in egg yolk, cinnamon, extracts and food coloring. 
3. Add flour and salt, mixture will be thick. I did have to add 1 tsp hot water to help with consistency.
4. Fill cookie press, and using desired shape disc press onto cool, ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake at 350 degrees 6-12 (ovens vary) minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown around edges.
6. Remove cookies to rack and cool completely.
7. Store in air tight container.

Enjoy and cookie and have a happy day:@)