Monogrammed Birthday Sugar Cookies

Monogrammed lunch boxes, monogrammed backpacks, monogrammed pencil cases. Why not monogrammed birthday cookies? This year for their April birthday’s I made my kids monogrammed sugar cookies to share with their classmates. It was especially a thrill for my son who has food allergies. His birthday is the one day a year when he can eat the same treat everyone else is having for the birthday celebration. His friends ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the way the letter “L” was arranged to look like a maze. My daughter also proudly passed out her personalized, pink creations to her pals. And since the recipe was dairy, egg, and nut free, all her friends (with food allergies or not) could eat them without worries.

As a life-long lover of sugar cookies and after spending years searching for the perfect recipe I have finally found it! My hero, and fellow food allergy mom, Kelly Rudnicki, has an amazing web site that shares delectable recipes she’s created called www.foodallergymama.com.

She has also published a new cook book titled “The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book”, which can be purchased on Amazon.com.

My favorite aspect of this recipe is how the dough rolls so smoothly, without extensive cracking or falling apart. The cookies keep their shape after baking and when using parchment paper, have just the right amount of crunch and color. Most importantly, these cookies taste fantastic! The applesauce and vanilla blend so sweetly together that it’s tough to eat just one.

Since vanilla is such an essential flavor for this cookie, it is worth it to buy the best available. I used what Kelly recommended (as well as a staple on the Martha Stewart Show): Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, made by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. It is a little pricey, but worth the purchase after you’ve tasted it’s exceptional flavor. I bought my bottle at Whole Foods, but William Sonoma offers it as well. Also, Kelly uses Crisco shortening for the recipe, but I used Spectrum’s Organic All Vegetable Shortening, which works well too. Since we avoid artificial colors (due to their link in causing hyperactivity) I used India Tree Natural Decorating Colors derived from vegetables (available at Whole Foods) for the icing. I found my alphabet cookie cutters in a large tin at William Sonoma years ago, but Sur la Table sells them now individually.

EGG, DAIRY, and NUT FREE

Kelly Rudnicki’s

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Egg, Dairy, Nut Free Apple Tarragon Chicken Salad

    As the weather gets warmer, I try to minimize the meals called for heating up the oven. The solar heat gain from our large, glass windows battles the cool air enough without a hot oven aiding and abetting. 

This sweet, chicken salad recipe is just the thing to reduce the heat. 

It makes an excellent lunch or light dinner that is sure to please all the taste buds in your house. Making the extra effort to use fresh tarragon will pay off by delivering a crisp, clean flavor. I use organic apples and dried cranberries as well, since they are both considered to have high levels of pesticide residue that remain on their skin. Pink Lady apples are sweet and delicious, or Fuji apples may be substituted instead... whichever are more readily available. Whole Foods sells the Pavich brand of dried, organic cranberries, which cost only a few cents more than the ubiquitous Craisins, but will give you peace of mind knowing you’re doing something healthier for your family and your planet.

   For those interested in avoiding eggs, I use a mayonnaise called Veganaise (also found at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section). 

This tasty alternative to regular mayo is cholesterol free and made with canola oil, filtered water, brown rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy protein, sea salt, mustard flour and lemon juice concentrate. Other brands of egg-less mayo work well too, or if eggs are not an issue regular mayonnaise may also be used.

EGG, DAIRY, NUT and GLUTEN FREE

serves 4-6 (depending on portion size)

1 pound organic boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 apple cored and chopped 

freshly squeezed juice from half of a lemon 

(or 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

1/2 cup egg-less mayo

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Generously add sea salt and pepper to a medium sized pot of boiling water and poach chicken until thoroughly cooked (about 15 minutes for fresh chicken, 30 minutes for frozen chicken). Remove pot from burner and let chicken cool slightly in the water (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, core and chop apple leaving skin intact. In a small bowl, sprinkle the apple with lemon juice to thwart oxidation. Coarsely chop chicken. Combine all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl finishing with additional sea salt and pepper to taste. 

2010 © tricia barry biagi

Whimsical Bunny Mask

“Here comes Peter Cottontail... hopping down the bunny trail...” words that, for better or worse, continually ring in my mind this time of year. Create your own “Cottontail” with this playful bunny mask made from a paper plate. While there are lots of paper plate ideas on the internet, this one is unique in its use of simple shapes and sturdy materials. Props like this also provide an excellent opportunity for kids to engage imaginative play. Perhaps acting out the classic Beatrix Potter story of Peter Rabbit or inventing their own bunny tale? Either way, this bunny mask will send them hopping (with a little help from all the handfuls of jelly beans).

Supplies

sturdy, white paper plate (found at party supply stores)

8.5" x 11" white, pink card stock

gray construction paper (or brown paper bag)

15" long, 2" wide ribbon (I used a sheer, turquoise color)

2.5" circle cutter

pinking shears

scalloped edge scissors

1" heart punch (I used Martha Stewart’s brand)

X-acto craft knife

self-healing cutting mat

glue stick

paint-stirrer stick (free at most hardware stores)

Bunny face template

outer ear template

inner ear template

1. Download templates above.

2. Print bunny face template and outer ear template on white card stock. Print inner ear template on pink card stock.

3. Using regular scissors, trim bunny face template out.

Cut eye holes with x-acto knife.

4. Center bunny face template on the front of the paper plate

and trace eye holes with a pencil.

5. Use x-acto knife to cut eye holes from paper plate.

6. Using circle cutter, cut two circles from gray (or brown bag) paper.

7. Trim edges of circles with scalloped scissors.

8. Cut outer and inner bunny ears with pinking shears.

9. Punch heart from pink card stock (to be used for the nose).

10. With glue stick, adhere gray circles and heart nose on the front of the paper plate as shown in the photos.

11. Glue pink inner ear onto white outer ear.

12. Flip the paper plate over — using glue stick, paste ears at the top of the paper plate, pressing hard and holding until secure.

Set aside to dry for a few minutes.

13. While paper plate is still flipped face down, position paint-stirrer stick in the center the plate and paste with glue stick, pressing firmly until secure. Set aside to dry for a few minutes.

14. Flip paper plate to view front of face and add a bow tie on the stick at the base of the plate.

Velum Easter Cards

I love to make handmade cards for the holidays. It’s that little “extra” that lets someone know you took the time to create something beautiful in honor of them. Here are two Easter designs I created when my daughter was a baby — simple, clean and iconic. The translucent velum creates a softness of color when layered upon the pastel card stock. The added details of adhesive jeweled eyes, tightly tied bows, glittered chick feet, dimensional beak, and cotton tail provides finishing touches of thoughtfulness. 

Supplies

8.5" x 11" yellow, pink, orange card stock

translucent velum

Martha Stewart orange glass glitter 

10 inch long, 1/4 inch wide ribbon

Martha Stewart adhesive jewels

scalloped edged scissors

cotton ball

Martha Stewart glitter glue

fine-tipped Sharpie markers in bright, pastel colors

Chick and Bunny template

X-acto craft knife

metal ruler

self-healing cutting mat

Japanese hole punch

1. Download chick and bunny template and print on velum paper.

2. Trim bunny and chick out of velum with X-acto craft knife. 

3. Measure, cut pink or yellow 8.5" x 11" card stock into four 4.25" x 5.5" rectangles using metal ruler, x-acto knife and cutting mat.

4. Trim 4.25" x 5.5" rectangles with scalloped edge scissors.

5. Align and center velum chick or bunny over card stock rectangle.

6. Use Japanese hole punch to make holes at the “x” on the template.

7. String ribbon through holes, tie in a bow, trimming ends until even.

8. Adhere jeweled eyes.

9. Using glitter glue, add cotton tail on rabbit.

For chick: 

10. Use glitter glue to draw feet and sprinkle with glitter.

11. Trace beak template on orange card stock; cut and score with X-acto knife; fold and glue on the top of the chick card.

12. Finish with message written with fine-tip Sharpie markers.