Bachelorette Cookies

Nadine was organizing her sister's bachelorette party and together we came up with this set for the party - heels and diamonds in the wedding colours of navy and silver.  Much happiness to Elise and Chad for their upcoming nuptuals!

Angry Birds Cookies

Another great set!  Angry Birds for a 3rd birthday celebration.

Minion Cookies

I've been waiting for an opportunity to make these cute cookies, and so I was thrilled when I got asked to do them for Chanelle's 9th birthday!

Oscar Cookies

I am introducing a new Sweet Handmade feature. I am calling it "My Friday Fix". Every Friday (schedule permitting) I will have a limited number of cookies available for pickup. The design will be unpredictable and the price point will be low. Watch for My Friday Fix in this space each week until the Farmers' Market starts in May - your best bet however would be to join my mailing list (->). 

So this is what I am offering for this week's Friday Fix. In honour of this Sunday night's Academy Awards, I created Oscar Statue cookies. They are an elegant and delightful way to enhance your Oscar viewing plans.

I have a limited number of boxes available. Each box is $20 and contains 6 lovely cookies!

Contact me right away by emailing me at sweethandmade@rocketmail.com to claim your box. Pickup is available tonight between 6pm and 9pm and tomorrow between 10am and noon.

Alphabet Block Cookies

This set was created for a family who wanted cookies just because.  I ended up spelling all of their names in alphabet block cookies.  I'm actually quite crazy about this design and I am quite taken with the colour combo combined with the sparkly sugar at the edges.  

Celebrating with Hockey Jersey Cookies

Yesterday was pretty special all across Canada.  I am not sure the whole country has ever woken up at 7am on a Sunday, but we all did because Canada was playing for gold medal in men's hockey at the Sochi Olympics.  Our team did not disappoint, they dominated the entire game and came away with that beautiful gold.  I like to think my Olympic Hockey Jersey cookies brought the team luck!  One of my customers sent me this picture of her family enjoying their cookies as they watched and cheered on the game.  I love these pictures!!

Snowflake Cookies

The snowflakes keep coming down so hard that after shovelling the driveway, I could truthfully start all over again.  It's one of those days and one of those winters.  These snowflake cookies are the only snowflakes I like anymore.

Repost - Family Day Cookies

A wonderful mid-winter holiday for residents of Ontario is as good an excuse as any to celebrate with cookies.

Love this set with the pregnant mom!

I love this one because of dad's tie and the daughter's pom poms.

Glasses and skates make me smile with this family.

Guitar and two daughters - this family would most closely represent mine.

Family Day is officially celebrated today in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, but is actually something to celebrate all day, every day!

Team Canada Hockey Jersey Cookies

The whole country of Canada is on edge as Team Canada takes to the ice for their first game in Sochi!  Go Canada!!

Cookie Packaging

Here is a video of me packaging cookies.  A special shout-out to Needham Promotions!

Curling Cookies for the American Olympic Team

These cookies were made for Erika - an American who happens to live in Canada.  She also has a very kind and generous friend who got her these cookies to help here celebrate her trip to Sochi to compete with the American curling team!  Good luck Erika!!

Flower Cookies for all Occasions

Sometimes edible flowers are a nice way to celebrate and they make a wonderful gift for all occasions - birthdays, anniversaries or any event the requires congratulations!  These cookies were made for a charity event.

Flower Cookies for all Occasions

Sometimes edible flowers are a nice way to celebrate and they make a wonderful gift for all occasions - birthdays, anniversaries or any event the requires congratulations!  These cookies were made for a charity event.

Olympic Cookie Countdown - today is the big day!

Well, this is it.  After years, months and weeks of anticipation, today is the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics.  It is a special time and in my family, we always seem to take a moment and reflect on our changes since the last Olympics.  The 2010 Olympics were especially incredible for us because not only were they on Canadian soil, we actually had the Olympic torch pass through our town, an event we witnessed!

Today's cookie celebrates my favourite Olympic sport - speed skating!  My loyalties will be divided as I cheer for both the Canadians and the Dutch!  A really special sport in my eyes, because speed skating can trace its history back to the Netherlands as well as Scandinavia and Northern Europe. (for a lesson on the Dutch/Holland/Netherlands confusion, click here).  It is the winter sport my parents talked most about and their love of the sport was certainly inherited by me!

The speed skating events begin today and finish on the 22nd.  All 12 events are taking place at the Adler Arena in Sochi and the only country that has an athlete in each of the events is the Netherlands.  Hup Holland!!

Olympic Cookie Countdown - tomorrow is the big day!

Snowboarding Slopestyle is an Olympic event that had its qualifying rounds today (you might have heard some results on the news already).  The goal is to perform the most difficult tricks while getting the highest amplitude off jumps, with an emphasis on performing different types of tricks instead on doing on great trick repeatedly.  It is one of the most popular events at the Winter X Games and this is the first time it is an Olympic event.  All of the snowboarding events will be held at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park and the finals will take place Saturday and Sunday.

Olympic Cookies Countdown - Two More Days!

With just three days to go until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, today we are celebrating ski jumping!  After going down the take-off ramp, the skiers jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below.  In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style.  The first of the four ski jumping events will begin on Friday and will be taking place at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  Of the four events, women will be competing in just one and it will be the first time women are competing at the Olympics in ski jumping.

Olympic Cookie Countdown

With just three days until the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, today's cookie celebrates the skeleton.  It is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down.  Athletes can experience forces up to 5g!  Equipment includes helmets with a chin guard, a skin-tight racing speedsuit, spiked shoes, goggles and the sled.  At the Olympics, the events will be held at the Sliding Center Sanki near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  The events will be held from February 13-15.

Olympic Cookie Countdown

Today's cookie is representing short track speed skating.  An official olympic sport since 1992, this event has multiple athletes (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track.  The most distinctive part of this sport for me is the way the skaters put their hands down onto the ice as they turn the corners and it almost defies logic how far they are leaning.  The gloves they wear help prevent injuries from skates.  I find this sport incredibly impressive.  The eight different events will be held at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia from February 10th until the 21st.

Harry Potter Cookies

The first book came out and the world's love affair with Harry Potter had begun before I even became a mother.  I heard a snippet or two about the books, learned enough to know they were the fantasy genre and thought "not for me!"  My girls turned out to be ferocious readers.  We would make a trip to the book store and they would finish books before we drove home.  We read book series after book series, but none of them took very long.  It was a frustrating exercise.  My girls were about 9 and 11 when I  finally considered all those people who loved the Harry Potter series might be onto something after all.  I bought the first book and we all started reading.  Before long we had invested in the entire set and we borrowed a second set from my girlfriend.  The three of us couldn't put the books down and as soon as all three of us finished one of the books we would rent the movie (I am a true believer that you should read the book before the movie!)  I will never forget during the first movie when Professor Snape made his first appearance on screen.  The three of us looked at each other and yelled "Snape!"  I am not sure an actor ever embodied a character better!  It took us a couple of months to read all the books, one of us finishing a book first and being anxious for someone else to catch up so we could discuss the excitement or the sadness.  It really was a magical time for my girls and I and we have never had a book or series since that has brought us closer together.  

I was thrilled when Debbie called me and asked for Harry Potter cookies for her nephew.  He is a huge HP fan (I can relate!) and he probably has every piece of memorabilia out there, except custom cookies!  I hope he shared.  

Olympic Cookie Countdown!

Today's cookie celebrates the parallel giant slalom, a snowboarding event that involves head-to-head racing.  The parallel giant slalom has been an official olympic event since 2002.  At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, all the snowboarding events are taking place at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 19th and 22nd.

Groundhog Day Cookie - Good News and Bad News

Oh, the news is bad.  This is the worst winter we have experienced in a very long while; a lot of snow, ice, frostquakes and freezing cold temperatures.  Days and days of not leaving the house, children not being allowed outside for recess at school, dogs being kept awake in fear of the loud booms in the night (the frostquakes) and the shovelling just never ends!

And this morning, Wiarton Willie predicted six more weeks of winter!

But the news is also good.  Today we heard the statistic that Wiarton Willie has been right only 37% of the time.  With that lousy track record, we can hope that he is wrong with his horrible prediction.

Olympic Cookie Countdown - Six Days Left!

Just six days left until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics!  Today's cookie celebrates moguls.  Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers display tricks, jumps and turning abilities on a mogul slope.  The moguls (a series of bumps on a trail) are either formed naturally or are constructed.  Skiers absorb the impact of the bumps by bending at the knees and hips.  In a good run, shoulders should remain parallel to the finish line, turns should be quick and short and skis should not leave the snow surface.

Moguls and all the other freestyle skiing events will take place at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  The events are scheduled for February 6, 8 and 10th.  I will be watching!

Olympic Cookie Countdown!

One week from today is the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics.  I plan an evening with snacks and cuddling on the couch to watch (even though I will be taping it earlier in the day and not watching it live because the actual ceremony takes place at 10am our time).  

Today we are highlighting the sport of luge, which is a small one- or two-person sled on which the athlete lays supine (face up) and feet-first.  Steering is done by flexing of the calves or exerting shoulder pressure.  The luge can reach speeds of 140 km per hour and because the sport is timed to a thousandth of a second, it is one of the most precisely timed sports in the world!

The luge events will be held at the Sliding Center Sanki near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  There are four events and they are scheduled for February 8-13.

Kung Hei Fat Choy - Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year - Kung Hei Fat Choy!  2014 is the year of the horse!  I hope it is a wonderful year for all!

The Olympic Cookie Countdown Continues

Today, with only 9 days until the start of the Olympics, we are celebrating hockey!!  Officially it is called "Ice Hockey", but of course in Canada the "ice" part is a given.  The competitions will be played at two venues located 300 meters from each other in the Olympic Park.  The Bolshoy Ice Dome will resemble a Fabergé egg.  The Shayba Arena is a moveable structure that will be used after the Olympics in another Russian city.  Both arenas are international sized as opposed to the North American size used in Vancouver in 2010.  Twelve teams will compete in the men's tournament, eight in the women's.  The Ice Hockey events will begin on February 8th and conclude on the 23rd.  I know most of my Canadian friends will be watching these events - will you?  Go Canada!

5-Minute Chocolate Craving Cake!

Through some research, I have discovered the original recipe for this 5-minute cake came from the website seriouseats.com but by the time I found it through a link on twitter, it had already changed somewhat.  Here is my version, enjoy and try it yourself.  I'd love to know how you make out!

Sweet Handmade's Olympic Cookie Countdown

With only 10 days to go until the start of the Winter Olympics (!) we are celebrating the beautiful sport of figure skating.  The events will be held at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia.  There are the traditional pairs, ice dance, ladies single and mens single events and for the first time a team event in figure skating will be held as well.  In fact, the team event will start a day before the Opening ceremony on February 6th and the figure skating will wrap up on February 22.  This is one sport I love to watch at the Olympics - what about you?

The Cookie Countdown to the 2014 Olympics Continues

Today's cookie is dedicated to Half-Pipe Skiing which is making it's official Winter Olympic debut in Sochi!  Competitors perform tricks while riding snow skis on a half-pipe.  A sport considered more dangerous than traditional ski events, helmets are a requirement during competitions and some practice facilities have airbags on the side of the pipe during practice runs.  Look for the half-pipe men's competition on February 18th and the women's on February 20th taking place at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia!

Olympic Cookie Countdown

Just 12 days are remaining until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi!  Today's cookie represents the sport of Bobsleigh.  It has been a part of the Winter Games since 1924, with the exception of the 1960 games in Squaw Valley when the organizing committee decided not to build a track in order to reduce expenses!  The 2014 events will be held at the Sliding Center Sanki near Krasnaya Polyana, Russia from February 16-23 and will include 2-man, 4-man and 2-woman events.

The Continuing Countdown to the Olympics in Cookies

Aerials first became an official Olympic event in the 1994 games.  It is one of a number of disciplines of freestyle skiing, including the more traditional events which includes moguls and aerials and the newer branch called "new school" which includes halfpipe, big air, slopestyle and big mountain or free-skiing.

For aerials, the athletes ski off 2-4 meter jumps built out of snow and get propelled up to 6 meters into the air.  Once in the air, they perform multiple somersaults and twists before landing.  Amazing!

Beginning on February 14th, the competition will be held to the West of the Rosa Khutor plateau at "Rosa Khutor" Extreme Park.

And to get you even more excited, just 13 days until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi!!

The Olympic Cookie Countdown!

There are multiple events under the category of Cross Country Skiing at the Winter Olympics.  They include the skiathlon, free sprint, 10k & 15k classical, 5k & 10k relays and the 30k & 50k.  The events will be held at the Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex near Krasnaya Polyana in Russia and will begin on February 8th and continue until February 23.

Fifteen days until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics!

The 2014 Winter Olympic Cookie Countdown!

During the 1992 Winter Olympics my husband and I were living in our first apartment.  The TV Guide (a weekly magazine that had the television listings in it) had a feature article on the Olympics and I distinctly remember the cover had pictures of Canadian figure skating pair Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler on it along with other Canadian athletes.  We loved watching the events and when it was all over it was a bit of a let down.  I didn't even want to throw out the "Guide" because it seemed so magical and my husband made a comment about how old we would be during the next Olympics - it was hard to imagine being four years older!

Twenty-two years later (and older), my entire family has enjoyed many winter and summer Olympics together.  We gather to watch the opening ceremonies and our favourite events.  "When do the Olympics start?" is a common refrain in our house.  To help with that, here is the official Sweet Handmade Olympic Cookie Countdown!

Today it is 16 days until the start of the Olympics and today we are celebrating the Olympic sport of curling.  Curling has only been an official Olympic event since 1998 but has been a part of the Canadian sporting culture since as early as 1807!!  The events will be taking place at the "Ice Cube" and the curling will take place from February 10 - 21!

1300 Facebook Likes

I am so thankful for the support of my friends and fans.  My facebook page has reached 1300 likes.

Arsenal Football (Soccer) Cookies

This set of cookies dedicated to the Arsenal Football Club was the perfect Christmas gift for a die-hard fan!

Christening Cookies

Celebrating their beautiful son Nikolas, Jason and Christina wanted some Sweet Handmade cookies to make his Christening celebration even better.  Little 4 month old Nikolas and I go way back - all the way to his baby shower last year!

In addition to a beautiful platter of cookies at the venue, Villa Risi, Christina plans on saving one of each cookie as a keepsake to remember the day.  God Bless you Nikolas!

Lizy B Bakes - thanks for the inspiration!

Here is a more casual picture of the cookies on a platter before dropping them off at the event.  Christina left me a lovely message telling me the cookies were "delicious and a hit" and that all of her guests loved them.  I am so happy to have satisfied customers and look forward to working with Christina soon!

Tricks of the Trade

I make a lot of dough each week and use a lot of flour.  Anyone who bakes knows adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients can be a dusty experience!  This is what I do to make to make adding the dry ingredients less messy:  I add all of my dry ingredients to the wet at once and cover my trusty Kitchenaid mixer with a towel.  I turn the mixer on to low and know the dough is fully mixed by the sound the mixer makes.  I used to count to 20 to know the mixing was complete but I am often counting out the next batch of ingredients and would lose track of what I was counting!  The mixer makes a distinctly different sound when the dough is fully mixed.  :)  

Queen's University Hockey Jersey Cookies

Kelly's son, a Queen's University student, hockey player and soon-to-be 21 year old was coming home to celebrate his birthday.  Kelly wanted something special to commemorate this special birthday so these custom hockey jersey cookies in Queen's University colours it was!  Happy 21st birthday, Matt!

Baby Shower Cookies - In the Pink!

Bev is a very lucky lady whose family is in the midst of a baby boom.  There are a number of grandbabies on the way!  Her son and his wife are expecting a little girl and Bev told me for this baby shower all pink would be suitable - so I created this adorable set.  Congratulations to Bev and her entire family!

Winnie the Pooh Cookies

After a very long and extended Christmas vacation, my family is finally getting back to routine.  Bad weather cancelled school busses and closed the school for the first two days of this week.  My girls were so ready to head back to class!  Having taken the Christmas holidays off, I stayed out of the Sweet Kitchen an extra two days too (I'll be making up for it later in the week!)  I puttered around doing laundry and cleaning and working on Farmers' Market things...  My girls are now off to school and I am officially back to work too.  I've decided it is just too late to post my Christmas cookies, but I will post some other (non-Christmas styles) that I worked on the last few weeks.

Here are some Winnie the Pooh cookies - simply cute!!

Road Bike Cookies

Ann asked me to create cookies for her road cycling group.  Riding together must be therapeutic for them as they jokingly refer to the group as "Cycle Therapy" (say that out loud to get the full effect :) ).

New Year's Resolutions

As another year comes to a close, most of us are spending some time thinking about their resolutions for next year.  I certainly entertain some every year, not that I am very good at keeping them.

This year I have created some resolutions for Sweet Handmade.  Here is what I am trying to make better for the year ahead.

1.  I will buy no cookie cutters in 2014.  Okay, this one is about as achievable as resolving to never eat chocolate again, but I am setting my goals high.

2.  I will be a better blogger.  I love to tell stories, but I admit I tend to neglect this blog, resorting to Facebook for the every day stuff.

3.  Post more often (on all of my social media accounts - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and this blog), especially the behind the scenes stuff that seems to get the most response.

4.  Learn to turn it off - the computer, that is!  I have the terrible problem of "procrastination" and I admit to spending time on useless things online and then having to work into the evening to finish orders.

5.  Ask for help when needed - this is probably my biggest challenge.  There are times help is the only way I can finish an order, whether it is hiring someone to help in the Sweet Handmade kitchen or asking my family to pitch in with meals and household chores, I have to improve this area!

I hope you are successful in any resolutions you make.  I am going to go out this morning and enjoy one last workout at the gym before it becomes packed with those who put "exercise" on their resolutions list!  Happy New Year!

Bahamas Bound Wedding Cookies

This set of wedding/beach themed cookies were created as a wedding gift for a Bahamas-bound couple.  Packed in their suitcase, they will be enjoyed in the tropical paradise after the "I Do's"!

Snowman Families - Stocking Stuffers and Table Decorations

I love these snow families - snowmoms, snowdads, snowbrothers, snowsisters and snowbabies!! Perfect stocking stuffers or Christmas dinner table decorations!  

Sold individually - $4 for the mom/dad size, $3.75 for the brother/sister size and $3.50 for the baby size.  No minimums required, just tell me how many of each styles you like and if you have colour preferences - Merry Christmas!  (Last day for pickup is December 22).

Mom styles - toque or ear muffs

Dad styles - top hat or santa hat

Sister styles - ear muffs or crown

Brother styles - ear flap hat or toque

Baby styles - cute or cute!!

National Cookie Day

Smack dab between Thanksgiving and Christmas is National Cookie Day.  Did you know the word "cookie" comes from the Dutch word "koekje", which means little cake.  The Dutch connection is very fitting, in my opinion!  Remember, it doesn't have to be National Cookie Day for you to enjoy a Sweet Handmade Cookie, but today is a lovely day to celebrate with this collage of some of my more recent cookies.