Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

I love these lemon poppy seed cookies! My cousin gave me this recipe in a recipe scrap book for my wedding. I am not sure where she got the original recipe from. They are perfect for a brunch or shower... or just to munch on! This recipe makes 1-2 dozen depending on cookie size.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. lemon peel 
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Directions: 

• Cookies: Beat sugar & butter in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in egg & lemon peel. Combine flour, baking soda & salt; add to butter mixture. Beat in poppy seeds. Plot desired size of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 11-12 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes.
• Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice & melted butter. pour over cooled cookies and let set. 
• Enjoy!

What is your go-to cookie recipe when planning a brunch? I'd love to gather up more ideas!

4th of July Hair Bow

This 4th of July we will be spending time with my husband's entire family. That means my little one will get to see all 10 of her cousins (all under the age of 8!) There are 8 girls. I decided they all needed matching hair bows to mark the occasion.

What you need to make the hair bow: 

• plain barrette 
• wooden 1/2-inch dowel rod (I used 3 wooden skewers)
• clothes pins
• 3 colors of ribbon (1/2-inch thick)
• 3 inch long (not curled ribbon)
• needle and thread
• hot glue gun
• oven

First get out your ribbon and secure it to one end  of the dowel rod with clothes pin and wrap it around. Secure the bottom end with one more clothes pin. (repeat for all ribbons you plan to use)

Place in the oven at 220 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Once cooled down, unwrap ribbon. 

Cut it into 3-4 inch pieces.

Collect 3 of each color, curled ribbon and stack them, so they are flared. 

Use needle and thread to sew the center, so all the pieces stick together.

Use the 3 inch long ribbon and hot glue one end where you just stitched.

Wrap it around and secure with more hot glue.

Place a drop of hot glue on the center of the barrette and attach the center of the bow. 

Wrap the straight ribbon one more time, this time including the barrette. 

Secure with hot glue. 

Let cool!

Here are all 8 of them:

Have a happy 4th of July and enjoy the fireworks!