Deliciously unfrugal

While reading the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I came across a fun cookie decorating idea, a Valentine's cookie decorating idea. So today I thought I would give a try, a little early, yes. This idea required no baking and with J working all day I knew I wouldn't be able to handle both baking and decorating.  So after church we set off to acquire everything we would need.

We went to Michael's and bought edible glitter, in four colors, pink, red, purple and white. We had some silver from last year's birthday party so we had 5 colors for the three of them to choose from. I also purchased cake decorating gel to ensure the glitter would adhere to the cookies. After two more errands, one in which we picked up the chocolate wafers, we returned home. Following lunch the decorating commenced. 

The kids were excited as was I.  I gave each child a square of wax paper, this was to be their decorating mat.  I soon realized that instead of giving them their own decoarting mat, what we really needed were decorating stations.  So after a little adjustment we were off. 

I put the gel on each cookie, in the desired and requested shape, except for the ones in which I was stupefied and then I redirected the request.  For example, "a bad guy with a sword going right through a other bad guy."  My response, "Uh, how about a heart with an arrow going through it?"  Then the kids put the edible glitter on the cookie at the decorating station.

 

Once the glitter had been dispensed we were able to put the excess back into the container, via the wax paper.  Brilliant, yes?  May I also say that they did a fantastic job!

 

 

 

I would also like to comment on the differences betweeen sprinkles and edible glitter.  There is no comparison.  Edible glitter is glittery.  Crystal sugar aka sprinkles is not. 

Ok, so we are working on being better stewards of our finances in so doing that means tracking what we spend.  I was very excited for this cookie decorating project today, until after we got home and I began tallying up how much I spent at the places we had been to purchase various necessities.  Granted these cookies cannot be considered a necessity.

Here is how it breaks down:

4 containers of edible glitter - $3.29 each. One tube of decorating gel - $1.29.

Total of $14.45

One box of Famous Chocolate Wafers - $4.19.

Total for this project - $18.64

Um, not so frugal at all.

So when we decide to do this again, I will have already purchased the glitter and gel, i.e. start up costs and we will make our own cookies which is without question far more economical.