Cookies, buttons & sewing - not a bad week so far :)

Have actually had time this week to do some stuff I really like namely cooking & sewing :)

Monday's task was to make the boys some of the favourite choc chip cookies -

Chocolate Chip Cookies Millies style

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
100g light brown soft sugar
125g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
200g chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
2. Cream butter and sugars, once creamed, combine in the egg and vanilla.
3. Sift in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips.
4. Roll into walnut size balls, for a more homemade look, or roll into a long, thick sausage shape and slice to make neater looking cookies.
5. Place on ungreased baking paper. If you want to have the real Millies experience then bake for just 7 minutes, till the cookies are just setting - the cookies will be really doughy and delicious. Otherwise cook for 10 minutes until just golden round the edges.
6. Take out of the oven and leave to harden for a minute before transferring to a wire cooling rack. These are great warm, and they also store well, if they don't all get eaten straight away!

They don't last long - especially with 2 growing boys!

Today I tried Floss's Ginger Biscuit receipe from  here - an instant hit. I made these before I left for work late morning and the house still smelt of ginger welcomeness when I came home at 4 o'clock. Verdict from the boys - really scrummy and can we have them again! (BTW the receipe makes far more than just the few that posed for photos ;) ).

Apart from the baking, I've been busy starting to make things for the swaps I'm taking part in via Blogland and also the Not-so-Secret Santa swap I do with my sisters & brother each year. There are 7 of us in total so it makes life easier if we just buy for one person rather than 6!

Anyhow it meant a trip to see my friend in her pretty pink haberdashery shop so I could buy more button supplies;

Last but not least I've started on my stocking for the swap - here's a sneak preview ;)

I guess it still needs a bit of work but I've finally decided what is going on there and have got all the supplies to do it.

Am so excited to be taking part in my first 2 swaps - seems such a lovely idea to make & buy something for a person you've never met in RL and only through blogland :)

Off back to my cutting and sewing.

xx