Twisted Cookie Exchange: Gingerbread people, complete with missing parts

In real life, there’s nothing funny about amputation. It’s just… wrong. The rules on funny bend a little bit, though, when applied to the lives of cookies. If you live in a household like mine, with a mind like anyone in my small family possesses, it’s extremely telling when you look at which part of the gingerbread person (we respect their privacy and don’t refer to them in any gender-specific manner) gets gobbled up first. With my daughter, it’s usually the head. She’s merciful for a preschooler. My husband prefers the legs (so they can’t run away). Me? I go for whatever is sticking out, because it’s a cookie.

When I saw these cookie cutters on Baking Bites, I knew these would be an awesome addition to our holiday cookie exchange. Instead of waiting for your child to horrify friends and relatives, you can make your own, pre-bitten, twisted cookies and decorate accordingly. It may not be for the faint of heart, but if you have some fans of the horror genre, or just some sick little puppies in your circle of friends, these are a perfect gift. Just be sure to include a nice recipe (if you’re at a loss for a recipe, try Baking Bite’s Gingerbread recipe) with them, so that gingerbread people can be made and shared immediately.

Posted on 10 Dec 2007 by Tina V.

Assorted Brownie Tray

My birthday is speeding into reality very soon. I know my family loves me. And as a mother and wife, but if I want a birthday cake, I am probably gonna have to bake it myself. Now I like cake, but I don’t love it. So I rarely bother. My family makes a big enough celebration without the cake.

Posted on 6 Sep 2006 by Anne W.

Plate Caddy

We had a BBQ last night at my house and took out the Plate Caddies for everyone to use. They were such a hit that I wanted you all to know what a wonderful and useful product this is. I can’t tell you how many parties I’ve been to where I have to try and juggle (and this is truly what you do when that drink starts to fall) my plate, silverware, a napkin and eat all at the same time. Well, at my house, you will never have to do this again, because we have the Plate Caddy at your service!! The caddies come with a hole to put your silverware, napkin, and even a little colored tee that identifies that plate as yours! Very clever!

Posted on 1 Aug 2006 by Anne B.

FresherLonger Miracle Food Storage

Well Summer is here and it always reminds me of the huge garden that we planted every year when I was a teenager living on the farm. I crave fresh vegetables, the kind of freshness that you just can’t get in the grocery stores. Oh they try, but the vegetables and fruit are all picked unripe and shipped so they will “ripenâ€? in-transit. But usually they arrive less than their full beauty. So I eagerly await the new growing season and I make jaunts to the Farmer’s Market for the freshest fruits and vegetables available. But once you have them at home, how do you keep them fresh? And this question really extends to all food at home.

Posted on 21 Jun 2006 by Anne W.

Hey I am still on vacation, and as such, I am only thinking about yummy things to eat. So here’s one for all your popcorn lovers and chocolate lovers all rolled up in one.

Posted on 24 May 2006 by Anne W.

Dinner My Way

Happy Mother’s Day to all those moms out there reading this. I wish I’d gotten this entry in before today, but being a mom myself of two small children, life and its exercises often get away from me. But Dinner My Way is a company and concept that saved my life after my son was born in February, and if your husband forgot to honor you, as a mother, today, then let him read this entry SOON!

Posted on 14 May 2006 by Anne B.

Cup-A-Cake cupcake holder

I like to bake, though I’m not, by any means, a baker extraordinaire. I can do a few things well, like muffins, cookies and cupcakes. The one problem I usually have is transporting baked goods to friends. Cookies and muffins are fine—they can be schlepped into a basket or artfully arranged on a plate and then covered with foil or plastic-wrap. Cupcakes, however, are a problem.

Posted on 29 Apr 2006 by Tina V.

Vincci Wine Opener

As a part-time wine connoisseur, albeit still a novice one at that, I look around at all the various wine paraphernalia in great wonder. My kitchen drawer contents consist of three different wine openers. And its become apparent that without any awareness of it, I have been on the great search for a new and unique wine opener.

Posted on 25 Apr 2006 by Anne W.

All in One Kitchen Garden

The other day my kids and I planted a window garden. We purchased some seeds with the idea of learning about plants and how they grow. As many of you know I am an avid gardener, but I live in a rental home in Southern California. My current home has only a few beds in the back yard and the rest of the yard is beautiful concrete. The backyard is very nice, but not at all conducive to the kind of gardening I would like to do. I love both flowers and vegetable gardens, but I miss my herbs the most.

Posted on 12 Apr 2006 by Anne W.

Garden Bouquet of Cookies for Easter from Gifts by Delivery

When people think about sending something to a family member or friend for Easter, most people’s thoughts go directly to flowers or chocolate bunnies. However, I always want to find that gift that is away from the norm, but still shows that I care about the gift recipient. I can always find that at Gifts By Delivery. This year for Easter, I’m going to stay away from the flowers and go for the stomach with the Garden Bouquet of Cookies, one of many gourmet gifts from http://www.giftsbydelivery.com. These incredible gourmet treats are shipped the same day they are baked and come in an adorable tin that exemplifies Spring. I know that my family and friends will appreciate the thought and the food as they celebrate the new life of the season.

Posted on 3 Apr 2006 by Anne B.

Sky Rocket Caffeinated Syrups

I’m a caffeine junky of the highest degree and will take it any way I can get it. Coffee, tea, chocolate, caffeinated water, caffeinated mints, anything. I was pretty happy to find that Think Geek caters to my habit with a shop full of caffeinated products. It was at Think Geek’s caffeine shop that I found Sky Rocket Caffeinated Syrups.

Posted on 25 Mar 2006 by Tina V.

Display Tea: Adagio Teas

As much as I love coffee, I have a soft spot for tea. I grew up in a household where coffee was taboo for kids, but tea was perfectly alright for underage consumption, leaving me with an appreciation for the leafy water. That’s why I was thrilled when my buddy Chris sent me a gift certificate to Adagio Teas, where I found these beautiful display teas. Don’t be fooled by the name, display teas are meant to be consumed. They’re just prettier to drink. Imagine dropping a non-descript wad of tea into hot water, only to be greeted by an unfurling blossom in your cup. That’s display tea. It’s a beautiful drink and a party trick, all rolled into one.

Posted on 24 Feb 2006 by Tina V.

Back To Basics Egg N’ Muffin

I’m not really a breakfast person. My idea of breakfast is a cup of yoghurt or a muffin along with a strong cup of coffee. When I was in college, it was coffee and nacho chips, or whatever else was in our apartment’s pantry. My husband, on the other hand, is a sucker for the egg sandwich. He’ll stop at the closest fast-food chain to get his fix, but the Back to Basics TEM500 Egg & Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher may actually make his artery-clogging routine change.

Posted on 21 Feb 2006 by Tina V.

Chocolate-Covered Java Drops

I’m a bit of a coffee freak. I just can’t get enough of the stuff: I drink it, cook with it, and sometimes I’ve even been known to eat the beans… covered in a little chocolate. Dean’s Beans’ chocolate-covered Java Drops are one of those chocolate-covered luxuries that make regular chocolate seem a little inferior.

Posted on 3 Feb 2006 by Tina V.

Super Bowl Party To Go

Its Super Bowl time! We love to have people over for football games and especially for the Super Bowl. We have a Super Bowl party every year, inviting as many people as we can fit comfortably in our home. So every year, it falls to me to produce enough food to feed 10 to 25 people in my home. I love to cook so I can enjoy the challenge, but I have young children too, so time can become an issue too.

Posted on 30 Jan 2006 by Anne W.

Valentine’s Keepsake Wine

I found these delightful personalized keepsake wines, perfect for your special someone for Valentines Day. I had a friend who was an avid wine imbiber, quite the connoisseur. She had traveled the California and French wine country extensively. Her small wine cellar was filled with a small number of wines, of which she knew the exact details of when and where each was acquired. Now there aren’t that many true connoisseurs, but for special occasions, you really should remember the wine. What a better way to remember the wine, than to have the bottle forever?

Posted on 28 Jan 2006 by Anne W.

Southern Breakfast Basket

I’ve been a Southerner for most of my life, and food is a way of life in the South. Southern cooking and meals are staples of the culture of the South. And, having moved around to various parts of the country, I can honestly say that I missed the Southern foods that sometimes were not available elsewhere.

Posted on 21 Jan 2006 by Anne B.

Decade Box or Classic Collection Box

Raise your hand if you’ve run out of those unique gifts that are sure to dazzle your parents, friends, or colleagues …. Well, look no further because www.hometownfavorites.com has the perfect distinctive gift for under $50: either the Decade Box or Classic Collection Gift Box. These boxes from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s are packed full of food and candy from the appropriate decade, remaining true to the time period—the tops of the boxes even say that you are not to open the box unless you were a child of the respective decade!

Posted on 18 Jan 2006 by Anne B.

Aveda Comforting Tea

If you’re looking for a unique gift that will lift both the body and spirit of a man or woman, one great place to peruse is the Aveda.com website. Aveda is a line of hair, skin, and body products that centers around a philosophy that includes the integration of the environment and the body, as well as the use of natural ingredients in their products and methods of salon work. Of their 11 “beliefsâ€? that are found with their mission statement, the one I’m focusing on here is number 5: “We believe in inspiring and educating people to integrate wellness and beauty in their lives.â€?

Posted on 11 Jan 2006 by Anne B.