A Sugar Buzz Christmas

(See above for photos of actual event.) Maybe its because we're on a sugar buzz high here at The Factory, but we kinda see things differently than most.

We believe that pink is the new red for the holiday so instead of the traditional red & green this year, we are celebrating with a holiday cake done in mint green fondant with silk mint green poinsettas and trimmed with real pink ornaments.

Because this cake is going to be way too beautiful to hack up, we're serving little pink & mint green christmas ornaments made of cake, and pink & mint green sugar cookies cut into christmas lights.

And there you have it: all of the ingredients for a Sugar Buzz Holiday!

My All Time Favorite is . . .

Home baked chocolate chip cookies with loads of black walnuts mixed in. I made up a double batch of these yummy goodies and sent them to my friend's house Saturday night.

And I saved a plate for me. Ha!

I Know! I Know! I Know!

I know that I've been lax with my postings and haven't kept you up to date with all the latest Altoona, PA baking news. But I'm back! And I brought pictures of the yummies direct from our new hand-crafted stone patio.

This picture just makes me want to break out the cider and bob for apples.

Where have I been the past month? In the garden & in the woods, getting inspired. Do you see that pumpkin and gourds pictured above? Well, we grew them.

The Sugar Buzz Gang has been doing a lot of hiking out in the woods, particularly on the old railroad beds on Wopsy & Blandburg Mountains and I have been getting a lot of inspiration for fall cookies from Mother Nature as we stroll under the canopies of brilliantly diverse colors.

In the vegetable garden it was harvest time for the gourds & sunflower heads & we have been pulling down the corn shocks to put the garden to bed for the winter--which is right around the corner!

I spoke to a little old lady from the 28th Street Church of the Brethren today who requested a Key Lime pie & fall sugar cookies for the bake sale table at their fundraiser on Election Day a.k.a. MY birthday.

No problem. Mother.

The cool weather makes my mouth water for warm chocolate chip cookies made with black walnuts anyway, so while I'm at it . . .

Stay tuned for more pictures of Fall Sugar Cookies as the batches just keep coming this fall. I am truely amazed at how brilliant the fall colors really are.