by kathilipp | Dec 9, 2009 | Christmas |
Men…they can be difficult to shop for. You can only buy so many ties or golf themed ideas.
Sylvia writes:
Hi…do you have any wonderful ideas for the hubbys ? I am always looking for the special thing for Jim ! Usually he loves anything…but come on…there must be something guys just love ! I AM getting him a massage ! That is one good thing ! And he asked for a new watch & wallet..(done !)…hmmm….not a wire letter…for him ! lol
The biggest hits with Roger have been:
He loved it – $199 at Best Buy.
Tivo High Def Recorder.
HP Mini Computer – my son loved it!
A space heater (because that is as close to curling up next to a fire as Roger can get at our fireplaceless house…
I don’t know if Jim is a techie, but if so, Wired magazine is great and if he is a tinkerer, then Maker magazine rocks.
….and a guy can never have too many Leathermans.
From Sylvia:
Hi…do you have any wonderful ideas for the hubbys ? I am always looking for the special thing for JIm ! Usually he loves anything…but come on…there must be something guys just love ! I AM getting him a massage ! That is one good thing ! And he asked for a new watch & wallet..(done !)…hmmm….not a wire letter…for him ! lol
My answer:
The biggest hits with roger have been: Logitech Remote (loved it). Tivo High Def recorder. HP mini computer (for my son, loved it). I am getting Roger a personal heater this year because he LOVES curling up by a fire. Don’t know if Jim is a techie, but if so Wired magazine is great and if he is a tinkerer, then Maker magazine rocks. and a guy can never have too many Leathermans.
by kathilipp | Dec 8, 2009 | Christmas |
Wednesday – For the Person Who is Having a Hard time Making Ends Meet
Let’s face it. This is a rough economy. “They” keep saying the recession is over. Try telling that to people with no jobs or who are behind on their bills. Movie tickets are fun or a gift certificate for a manicure is nice, but sometimes, practical gifts are more appreciated and necessary. What good are movie tickets if you have no gas to get to the theater? That manicure might actually stay nice for a long time when there’s no food to prepare, but well, you get the point.
Consider a Safeway Gift Card
Picture of steaks
Link to OpenSpaceMeats.com
Let’s face it. This is a rough economy. “They” keep saying the recession is over. Try telling that to people with no jobs or who are behind on their bills. Movie tickets are fun or a gift certificate for a manicure is nice, but sometimes, practical gifts are more appreciated and necessary. What good are movie tickets if you have no gas to get to the theater? That manicure might actually stay nice for a long time when there’s no food to prepare, but well, you get the point.
Consider a Safeway Gift Card
. This enables your gift recipient to choose just what they want, which might be simply what they need.
Another idea is one of my favorite sites, featured on my blog before.
Grass fed beef. Yum. Practical, nutritious, delicious. You meet a practical need by providing some food, but you are meeting that “you-are-awesome-here’s-a-really-cool-gift” target as well. My favorite place to buy? Open Space Meats.
How about you? Do you have any enjoyable gifts that can also meet a need?
by kathilipp | Dec 7, 2009 | Christmas |
UESDAY For the Person who has absolutely everything.
World Vision Goat
Grab a picture of a goat and the world vision logo off their site. I will write up something about how last year my kids gave me a goat.
Congratulations to Susan, the winner of the Cookie Dough Exchange Kit! Susan, please email Kimberly with your info, and she will get this out to you. Thanks to everyone for the great new recipes!
What do you get that person who has everything? Or maybe she doesn’t have everything, but she has the means to buy for herself what she wants. How do you choose something original and meaningful, that’s in your budget, yet she wouldn’t go out and just buy for herself?
How about a goat?
Last year, my kids gave a goat to a child in need, on my behalf. Really, I didn’t need another blouse, new slippers or even those really cool earring I had my eye on. When it’s in the right perspective of how much we really have, when there are people struggling for basic necessities, I was so thankful for the gift they gave. (and come on, what mother wouldn’t be proud of her offspring for making such a philanthropic choice that of course, she somehow had a part in through their upbringing!)
Here is a lesser known option that I only recently become aware of through my home church, Church on the Hill in San Jose. Two of our pastors, Scott and Elliot, traveled to Nicaragua to visit some sites where Compassion International is active, and where many of our church members have sponsored children. On that trip, they were introduced to a forgotten community, Bonete 7, left by the government to fend for themselves in an extremely remote area. (you can see more photos and information here on the page) Our church is raising money so they can build a well with clean drinking water.
This is their current well. It’s a little below ground level, and has no cover. There are people and animals that live here. This area is prone to flooding, and when it does, everything “left” by them is washed into the well. The water is far from clean.
This is a photo of a well that would provide clean water to the village: 
If you’d like to buy a part of a well for someone, you can give online, and choose “Bonete 7” in the drop down menu.
Happy Shopping!
by kathilipp | Dec 6, 2009 | Christmas |
For this week on the blog, I am sharing some of the “different” places I will be shopping this Christmas. Trying to stay on a budg
et, but get something cool for the people I love is always a challenge. Here are some of the thin
gs that I love.
I met Kristine at a retreat I did in Lake Tahoe – she was that creative genius that put together all of the hands-on worship experiences. (If you are ever planning an event, she is a great person to steal ideas from. I had seen some of her large-scale sculptures online, and even got to see on up close and personal at their church in N.Ca, but didn’t know that she did custom orders for smaller, more “at home pieces”.
So these are something that I have asked for for Christmas (the letters K&R) Love them. And if Santa doesn’t bring them, I am breaking into a piggy bank come January.
I asked Kristine to share about how she got into wire art:
My wire sculptures are a result of inspired amusement, creative exploration, and experimentation. My work with wire began about 15 or more years ago as I was inspired by the idea of transforming a straight line into something of volume. My main creative focus involves creating large-scale sculptures of the human form. Small pieces like the ones listed in my gift shop came from simply playing around and keeping my hands busy when resting from work on my bigger pieces. About two years ago I had a dream that I wanted to sprinkle little bits of my work all over the world. As a result I spent more time making smaller pieces that were affordable and easy to ship.You can see my large scale pieces on my website.
by kathilipp | Dec 4, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Ashley sent me a link to Gourmet Mom On The Go who is a woman with a lot of creativity (and maybe some extra time on her hands) who has wrapped cookie dough in the cutest way I have ever seen.
If you have a Martha Stewart complex, this is for you.
(OK, I am just bitter that I am not this creative.)
Thanks Ashley!
by kathilipp | Dec 3, 2009 | Uncategorized |
We’re almost there! Have you tried any of the cookies yet (or maybe just the dough)? Are you inspired to start mixing? If you have started freezing doughs, you may want to wrap them in foil or something else opaque, and label your freezer bags with words such as, “Broccoli” or “Brussels Sprouts Surprise”. This will ensure that you actually have said cookie dough when you need it. 
I have one more recipe for you, courtesy of my assistant, Tonya Walter. She loves gingersnaps and worked at perfecting this one to get just the right punch for die hard ginger lovers. Oh, and she wants to insist that these are good year round, not just during winter!
Triple Ginger Molasses Crisps
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. dark molasses (only for the stronger flavor – any kind will work)
1 egg white
1 T fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. candied ginger, chopped (if you prefer a milder ginger flavor, simply leave this out)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-2 c. turbinado sugar for rolling dough in.
Beat butter and gradually add sugar and molasses. Beat until fluffy.
Add egg white, gingers, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Blend well.
Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk together.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture on low until combined. Drop rounded tsp. of dough into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Freeze at this point. You can also roll into logs and slice. If you do this, refrigerate the dough for at least 1/2 hour. Then roll into logs and then roll the log into the sugar before freezing.
To bake, preheat oven to 350F. Place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a for 9-11 minutes.
This is the last day to comment for our giveaway! Comment and share your favorite cookie dough recipe by 5 p.m. Friday, 12/4, and you will be entered to win a Cookie Dough Exchange kit. Drawing will include all comments through the week and will be announced next Monday, 12/7.
If you want to know more about participating or even hosting a cookie dough exchange party, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter.
Triple Ginger Molasses Crisps – Tonya Walter
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. dark molasses (only for the stronger flavor – any kind will work)
1 egg white
1 T fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. candied ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
Beat butter and gradually add sugar and molasses. beat until fluffy.
Add egg white, gingers, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Blend well. Combine
flour and baking soda in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to
butter mixture on low until combined. Drop rounded tsp. of dough into
granulated sugar and roll to coat. Place dough balls on ungreased cookie
sheet and bake at 350* for 9-11 minutes.
by kathilipp | Dec 2, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Welcome to any and all Rants and Ramblings Readers – as you can see we are delving into really deep topics round these part – Cookies that is. So take a break from the sometimes heartbreaking world of publishing and have a cookie on me. You’ll feel better. I promise.
Today’s cookie is the Ivy League Choco-Chunk Cookies.
“But Kathi” you might be thinking, “you just gave us the BEST Chocolate Chip cookie recipe ever! Why a repeat?” Well, dear readers, a girl’s gotta have options, and this is no ordinary Chocolate Chip Cookie! It’s sweet, it’s got texture, and a melding offlavors I wouldn’t naturally put together, but believe me, it works! So without further adieu…
Ivy League Choco-Chunk Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons each: baking powder and ground cinnamon
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugars in large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.
Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Gradually stir it into creamed mixture to make a smooth batter. Stir in oats, chocolate and walnuts until thoroughly incorporated. Drop mounds of batter, each equivalent to 2 tablespoons, 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake until cooked through in the center and light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 3 dozen.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. light brown sugar (packed)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 T vanilla extract
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks separated in half (you can substitute a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a microwave safe container, melt 1/2 of the chocolate chunks in the microwave until smooth. (do this for 10-15 sec. bursts at a time, stirring in between until done)
Cream butter and sugars in large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Add in melted chocolate and mix well. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, add together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix well with a whisk.
Gradually stir dry mixture into creamed mixture to make a smooth batter. Stir in oats and chocolate chunks until thoroughly incorporated.
Drop mounds of batter, about 2 tablespoons full, 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Flash freeze.
To bake, preheat oven to 350F. Bake until cooked through in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 3 dozen.
by kathilipp | Dec 1, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Remember – this week’s giveaway! If you leave a comment and share your favorite cookie dough recipe, you will be entered to win a Cookie Dough Exchange kit. Drawing will include all comments through the week and will be announced next Monday, 12/7.
If you want to know more about participating or even hosting a cookie dough exchange party, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. There you will learn of my undying love for all things Cookie Dough and why a Cookie Dough Exchange is far superior to a plain ol’ cookie exchange
Mmmmmmm. Chocolate. There actually used to be a woman at our church who didn’t like chocolate. Can you imagine?
If you don’t like chocolate, this is still a fabulous recipe to have in your CDE arsenal, because chances are, the other 99% of the attendees, friends and family love it!
Homemade Brownies
For this recipe, you will need a disposable 8×8 foil pan for each batch of brownies you are making, if using for a Cookie Dough Exchange (or freezing ahead)
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Grease 8x8x2″ pan.
In a medium bowl, mix butter, sugar and vanilla.
Beat in eggs with a spoon until combined.
In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips). Add to first bowl and mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add in chocolate chips. (you can reserve a few to sprinkle on the top if you want).
Bake 40-45 min in a preheated 350F oven, until brownies start to pul away from pan.
Remember – this week’s giveaway! If you leave a comment and share your favorite cookie dough recipe, you will be entered to win a Cookie Dough Exchange kit. Drawing will include all comments through the week and will be announced next Monday, 12/7.
If you want to know more about participating or even hosting a cookie dough exchange party, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. There you will learn of my undying love for all things Cookie Dough and why a Cookie Dough Exchange is far superior to a plain ol’ cookie exchange
by kathilipp | Nov 30, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Wedding Cakes, Tea Cakes – whatever you call them, the Cookie Dough Exchange madness continues!
Remember – this week’s giveaway! If you leave a comment and share your favorite cookie dough recipe, you will be entered to win a Cookie Dough Exchange kit. Drawing will include all comments through the week and will be announced next Monday, 12/7.
If you want to know more about participating or even hosting a cookie dough exchange party, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. There you will learn of my undying love for all things Cookie Dough and why a Cookie Dough Exchange is far superior to a plain ol’ cookie exchange.
This is another family favorite, and a Christmas tradition you might often see. They aren’t really cakes, but they are delicious.
Makes about 48
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar
In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (This is where you should flash freeze the cookies) When ready to bake, reheat oven to 325 F. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly and roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely and reroll in powdered sugar. (go ahead – when you’re all done, you can lick your fingers)
by kathilipp | Nov 29, 2009 | Uncategorized |
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! My family had eight pie.
EIGHT PIES.
One pie for every 1.4 people.
We are a sick, sick bunch.
This week on my blog, I will be posting our family favorite cookie recipes. (Yes, the sickness continues…)
If you want to know more about participating or even hosting a cookie dough exchange party, you can go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. There you will learn of my undying love for all things Cookie Dough and why a Cookie Dough Exchange is far superior to a plain ol’ cookie exchange.
This week’s giveaway! If you leave a comment and share your favorite cookie dough recipe, you will be entered to win a Cookie Dough Exchange kit. Drawing will include all comments through the week and will be announced next Monday, 12/7. The winner of last week’s 11/24 Project 20, for the Post-It Pack is Heidi! Please e-mail kimber@kathilipp.com and she will get it right out to you!
The following recipe is by far the best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe we have ever made at home. There is something about that blended up oatmeal that makes these cookies about the mositest (is that even a word?) and chewiest CCC I have ever had the delight of eating. Oh, and the dough freezes perfectly!
On to the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!
(Recipe may be halved):
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts.
Decide if you want to freeze into pre-scooped balls, or ready to slice logs.
Flash freeze scooped balls on a cookie sheet before packaging it. It will make it easier to handle and keep its shape better if you are freezing a lot of packages on top of it. For logs, wrap in plastic wrap and form into a log about 2″ around.
I package my dough in large Ziploc bags. Put the dough in the bag and write the baking instructions on the bag. I like to experiment with the cookies and find out what the baking time and temp is for frozen dough as well as thawed dough.
Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies
