This bag is a sample from Rami King‘s presentation at the 2009 ASG Conference. I thought it was a good size and would be a good project for Chunguita & Pulguito. It is just squares. How hard could it be? Well, it isn’t easy to construct the pattern.

Bag Pattern

On my own, just looking at the picture, I couldn’t figure it out. I decided to do a search for the 22 square tote bag that they told me was available on-line when I was in class. I finally found the pattern when I figured out that it was 22 charm squares and not just 22 squares. This tutorial was very helpful to me in figuring out the 32 charm square quilt: Madquilter’s Charm Square Jewel Bag.

The previously mentionned tutorial recommends 5 inch (12.5 cm) squares, and it provided good instruction on how to sew the squares together.

Chunguita and I had an evening alone, so we decided to make these cookies. The peanut butter cookie recipe seems incomplete. It worked out fine for us because I bought sugar cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, and chocolate chip cookie dough. The chocolate cookie recipe is DIVINE! I forgot to get chocolate chips, so ours didn’t have them.

I made a double sized batch, more because storing cookie dough is problematic for me. I dutifully lined the baking pan with alum-foil and baked for the required time. Of course, the top was quite done and the bottom was still all gooey. After putting it back in the oven several times, I got out a cookie sheet, dumped the big bar cookie cake on to the cookie sheet, upside down with the foil covering it, and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes, maybe it was 5. They came out great. The top was not all dried out, and the bottom was cooked.

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie
1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie
(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg

• Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie
(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips

1. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
3. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine.
4. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips.

Assembly & Baking
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Layer y the double chocolate chip cookie recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.
4. Press PB cookies over chocolate cookie dough.
5. Spoon 1/2 of the Chocolate Chip dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
7. Let cookies cool completely.
8. Lift out of pan with edges of foil.
9. I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish. Edges are crispier.
10. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

*Note: You can layer dough and refrigerate until ready to bake. This is what I did and it worked very nicely.

8 large bars (if you cut off edges), 12 bars (if you keep edges)

The inspiration was from the Livermore Heritage Guild.

The initial sketch.

The preliminary model.

The model from above.

And from the side.

Santa put a science experiment in each of the kiddos stockings. Be Amazing Toys produces them. And I happen to know that Santa shops at The Golden Apple Learning Store.

We started these experiments a few days ago, and the kids are still fascinated by them. Both were along the lines of what happens when you add some water to this funny little rock (polymers of some sort). Other than Lily wanting to eat them, the experiments have been a grand success, and I highly recommend them. (Plus, I recommend ignoring the part of the instructions that says get your notebook and carefully note down all the changes you see. Tell me, is there a better way to drain all the fun out of something?)

The kids really like perler beads, but I made this one.

1. How To: Make Bath Bombs
   
2. 5 Loom-Knitting Patterns for Kids from YarnCraft
   
3. Ichigo Daifuku – Japanese Sweet bean and Strawberry ball
   
4. Child’s Tent
   
5. Balloon lights tutorial
   
6. Button Flower Tutorial
   
7. Fern Grotto Beach @ Wilder Ranch State Park
   
8. Batik with Elmers Galactic Glue and acrylic paint
   
9. Making Paste Paper
   
10. Button Flower Bouquet
    
11. Felt Flowers
    
12. Foam stamps
    
13. Packing Tape Image Transfer Flower
    
14. Watercolor Chipboard Flower
    
15. Ric Rac Flowers
    
16. Repurposed Magnet Flowers
    
17. Ribbon Geraniums
    
18. Fabric Flowers
    
19. Pop Open Petals Card
    
20. Ribbon Petals
    
21. Jumping Raisins
    

Won’t someone make a cake like this for me for my birthday?

One of the free craft activities was making horses.