With the Holiday Season is upon us, we all tend to get a little bit “frazzled” with all the things that have to be done. I have found an excellent article that has already helped me with my Holiday baking and I think you’ll want to not only read the article, but print it and keep it in your recipe book for future reference!!

Quick And Easy Ways To Store Cookies

By S. Denise Hoyle

Whether baking cookies for the Holidays, family reunions, or for bake sales, it is sometimes more convenient to “bake ahead” rather than feel the stress and pressure of trying to get it all done the day before the big event. We will give you a variety of ways you can get all your cookies made stress-free!!

When cookies are stored, make sure soft cookies remain soft, crisp cookies keep crisp. The two types cannot be stored together!

Store soft cookies in a container with a tight cover. Bar cookies may be stored right in the baking pan, tightly covered. Tuck in an apple wedge if they begin drying out.

Crisp cookies should be stored in a container with a loose-fitting cover. If they soften – as they tend to do in humid weather, pop them in a pre-heated 300 degree over for five minutes before serving.

Most cookies freeze well, either baked or unbaked, but freezing the dough is considered simpler and requires less freezer space. You can get more cookies “made” if you just make the cookie dough for several different kinds of cookies today and stick them in the freezer. You can then more easily bring out one batch at a time to bake while you’re doing other household chores.

BAKED COOKIES: Bake as usual, cool quickly and freeze before packaging. Pack in frozen food containers, separating layers with a double thickness of freezer paper, overwrap the container;label and freeze. To serve, thaw cookies at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes.

ROLLED COOKIE DOUGH: Roll out and cut the dough into shapes. Stack the cut-outs in cartons with a double thickness of freezer paper between the layers. Over-wrap the carton, label and freeze. Bake without thawing.

UNROLLED COOKIE DOUGH: Form the dough into long rolls, wrap in freezer paper and freeze. Thaw just enough to be able to cut into thin slices. Bake on greased baking pan.

DROP COOKIE DOUGH: Drop dough on baking sheet as if you were going to bake the cookies. Freeze the cookies on the sheet, then pack the frozen drops of dough in cartons with a double thickness of freezer paper between the layers. To bake, place the frozen drops on greased baking sheets and bake without thawing.

BAR COOKIES: Freeze dough in baking pan. Go straight from the freezer to the oven, without thawing, and bake as usual.

MOLDED OR PRESSED COOKIES: Freeze the dough in an airtight container after labeling. When ready to bake, thaw dough until it is soft enough to form the cookies.

This method of making your family favorites ahead of time on a day that you have a little extra time, will certainly be worth the extra effort. Not only during Holidays or big events, these “made ahead” cookies are great for desserts for drop-in company, treats for the children after school, etc.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

S. Denise Hoyle is author of the “Busy Person’s Cookbook” as seen on http://BusyPersonsCookbook.com. “We never have enough hours in the day, but everybody gets hungry.” “Busy Person’s Cookbook” is full of time saving recipes and hints for family meals as well as for parties.

Quilting has long been an art with the earliest American women creating beautiful quilts to adorn their homes. However, there is much more to it now than there was then. Today’s quilters can take partake in the massive technological advances sine then to create he most beautiful pieces. Instead of using a needle and thread, most individuals that quilt have a good sewing machine for quilting at home. Manufacturers have catered for the demands of the modern seamstress and made several good sewing machines for quilting. You just have to be able to choose the right one!

Good sewing machines for quiltingwill have a great feeding mechanism so that the head is easy to thread. The quicker you can thread it, the quicker you can complete even the most intricate of quilts. Of course, the choice of stitching options also makes a difference in this respect.  The wider the choice of stitching on a good sewing machine for quilting, the more appealing it is. These are all factors that need to be taken into consideration.

The bar length of a machine will also determine which models are good sewing machines for quilting and which are not. The general rule is the more room between the motor and the needle, the more options you have as far as the size of the quilt you can produce is concerned. The motor is of course is one of the most important parts of a good sewing machine for quilting. Although most sewing machines are designed for continuous use over a longer period of time, the heavy going that a quilt can bring is notorious for making the motor overheat. A good sewing machine for quilting is resistant to this for the most part and will offer you good value for money.

The needles that fit in the good sewing machine for quilting will also be an extremely important point for consideration. High quality needles will make all the difference to your work. Number 14 needles are the best option for quilting, but not all sewing machines will hold them. As soon as the needle is blunted, you should replace it with a new one, so ease of changing needles should also be a priority that you look for. For more info see http://www.iheartquilting.com on Quilting.

Good sewing machines for quilting can really help you to enjoy your hobby rather than hindering it. A poor machine will leave you frustrated so it is well worth taking the time to research and choose from one of several good sewing machines for quilting. They may be a tad more expensive but they are worth every penny.

About the Author: You can also find more info on http://www.iheartquilting.com/Quilting_Supplies on Quilting Supplies and http://www.iheartquilting.com/Scrap_Quilting on Scrap Quilting. http://IHeartquilting.com is a comprehensive resource to learn about quilting.