Tuesday, December 11, 2012

AROMA OF CHRISTMAS

There's nothing better than the aroma coming from a kitchen where cookies are cooling on a rack. That is what greets you when you enter my daughter's home bakery, Shirley Anne's Bake Shoppe. And, I am so lucky.... I live next door. Hey, girl, fan a little of that sweet smell over my way!!

Year long she is busy baking but Christmas is the best time of all. There are trays of candy canes, gaily decorated trees and sugar sprinkled stars. Don't they look yummy?
 
These gingerbread houses are waiting to be picked up by happy customers. Inside each house a Christmas tree stands in the center with tiny candy packages surrounding it.

This house has the tree outside and pretty wreaths on the windows.

In September Shirley had a two week internship with Martha Stewart Omnimedia in Martha's test kitchens in New York City. This photograph was taken during her stay there.
 
Some of the recipes she tested were featured in December's issue of Martha Stewart Living.

A page  from the magazine. There are her bears (by the way, that girl hates real live bears but I think these were no threat), gingerbread leaves, reindeer and mushrooms.

She had a wonderful time but now she is back home and busy baking for the holidays. I think I will meander over and snitch a candy cane cookie. Wanna come along?
 

12 comments:

  1. Hi Latane, I admire Shirley for all she does in her bake shop! She always has such neat looking cookies, cakes and etc. To be in one of Martha Stewart's kitchens must have been remarkable! Shirley looks right at home there. I'm glad you get to sneak a cookie here and there. They look delicious!

    Susannah

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  2. Mmmmm. I'm sure I can smell the sweet aroma. :)

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  3. It wouldn't do for ME to be her mother living next door!!! I've never met a cookie I didn't like:) These all look super yummy! Shirley is very pretty..must have gotten her beauty from her mother!
    Merry Christmas!

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  4. The cookies and houses are absolutely wonderful!
    Yes, I'd like to visit with you!

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  5. Ooooh....we just may need to take a trip just a little bit west of us!

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  6. WOW--you have a very talented daughter, Latane. She obviously is doing well with her business... That's neat...

    We are enjoying the beach in beautiful Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. I will think (or thought) of you today at 12 minutes and 12 seconds after 12 noon on 12/12/11.... Unbelievable.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. The cookies and ginger bread houses look beautiful and amazing.... you're blessed to have your daughter next door!
    If I lived next to your daughter I'd weigh a lot more than I do now... too much temptation!

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  8. Talk about location, location! You're in the prime spot Latane. And kudos to your daughter for her sweet work. I'm sure that she got a lot out of the time in the Martha Stewart test kitchens. That's one thing I admire about Martha's magazine. The articles are so well researched and easy to follow directions. I'll get my friend's copy of the mag tomorrow and will look for your daughter's work.

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  9. Hi Latane, Shirley is a very talented hard working Mom but then she is YOUR daughter! I wish computers were 3 dimensional and I could get to smell that aroma wafting around.
    I wish you a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and New year in case I am not on here again before Christmas.

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  10. Wow is that a Christmas dream come true!! What a beautiful and talented daughter you have...those cookies look incredible. Cookies are definitely my weakness as far as sweet stuff goes.

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