cupcake carnivore

My girls love the show Cupcake Wars.

So they gave themselves a version of the competition at home.

What you see are bacon topped cupcakes... yep thats the challenge they whose to use.

I gave them points for the pretty presentation.

Star Wars Party

Happy Birthday to my 4 an 7 year old kids! 

I found a good use for Pintrest!  I knew they wanted a Star Wars themed party so they

could wear their costumes again.  These costumes have been the most requested wear

again costume I have ever made.

I found some fun ideas and weeded out the too difficult ones and then begged some cool

things from my sister.  My sister has these templates that you dust on sugar or cocoa and 

poof you have a storm trooper on your cupcake. She really has my back!

 I also made light saber pretzel sticks, smore's tie fighters, and Yoda soda (which was better

in theory, tasted icky, lime kool-aid is gross)

Bugs 'n Butterflies party

Had so much fun making a bug themed party for my two march birthdays.

When  I asked my daughter what she wanted for her party she promptly told me butterflies.

I immediately was for that.  I still want to have a joint birthday parties (as long as they still let me) 

with my son and daughter and bugs are so boy and girl friendly!  

Caterpillars and worms for him with Ladybugsand butterflies for her.

I love bright colors so I made frosting in lime green, bright orange and popin' pink.

Sugar cookies are a fun easy theme piece too.  You can make a cookie for any thing.

I took my heart shape cookie cutter and used it to make some cute ladybug beetles.

I also made butterfly cookies and some beehive cookies too.

I of course made "Dirt and Worms"

With chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms on top.

That one brings back lots of memories for me.  

What I didn't remember was how sweet those items are all together.  

Sugar Over Load!  (but every birthday should be right;)

I also made chocolate cupcakes in regular and mini sizes.

The bigger ones I arranged as caterpillars.  They each were as long as their age.

That really thrilled my daughter, she is trying to catch up to her older sisters.

(I wouldn't recommend explaining how that will never happen...  it means tears)

All in all it was a sugary sweet success!

Happy Valentines Day!

Made pink fortune cookies for my family this morning!

They were yummy!

Easy recipie

2 egg white beaten until frothy and soft peaks

1/2 cup sifted flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp of almond extract

mix until smooth

2 Tbls water

red or pink food coloring

mix these in until thinned and pink

I use a small skillet 

on med heat

spoon a tablespoon or so onto the skillet

tilt around to make  thin layer  (like with crepes)

  you want it very thin about 4- 5 inches round

then you wait until it looks dry and starting to 

turn golden around the edges a bit

then you can flip it

the second side is only there for a second or two

then remove

I put on parchment and carefully place paper fortune inside

fold in half

and pressing middle on rim of a cup fold again

I then placed inside a muffin tin to aid keeping their shape until 

they fully crisp up.

If you cook too short they won't fully crisp up so be patient 

while they are cooking.  A few trial ones and you will have it down.

so much fun and supper yummy!!!

Mmmmm homemade donuts!

Lately making donuts is a driving force!  Perhaps because I am pregnant, LOL but it is.

I love them warm and slightly crisp form the pan and dreged in cinnamon and sugar.

I like them raised and glazed with a cup of milk.  Either way I make  them they are Yummy!

Here is a raised recipe glazed doughnuts

cheer up!

What do you do when you have 4 lbs of fresh strawberries and you are feeling blah?
You make Chocolate Crepes and whip up some cream.
I have to say crepes are always heavenly and these chocolate ones are divine.
I used a recipe from somewhere online (just google it)  it was yummy.
First I made a simple strawberry syrup (water sugar pureed strawberries, boiled)
spooned a generous amount onto the plate.
I filled the crepes with whip cream and strawberries, rolled them up putting them
onto the plate in the middle of the warm strawberry syrup and added more
cream and strawberries then drizzled dark chocolate syrup and sprinkled chocolate chips
on top!  very yummy!  Though my girls just ate the whip cream and left the rest.
That's okay pregnant mommy went a head and finished theirs for them.

Prairie Girls Party

My Daughter L loves Little House on the Prairie. In fact all three of my girls 

like to pretend they are Laura, Mary or Carrie.  I had a lot of fun sewing for this party.  

I made each daughter a calico dress, apron and bonnet. 

 Then I made bonnets for each girl to have and wear at the party.  We had fun deciding

on what was a good old-fashioned treat.  We choose muffins with hand shaken butter, 

lemonade and and pop corn.

With candy sticks as our sugary treat, like you'd get at an old general store.  

Grandma made her a divine Lemon Meringue Pie in place of a cake.   

I wrapped up the gifts with brown paper and tied them with cream colored ribbons.

You might notice my muffins are in plastic bags.  I was so afraid they would dry out 

I didn't dare set them out in the baskets unprotected.

The girls were absolutely adorable in their bonnets!  Our first game was 

"Clothes Pins in a Bottle".  We set up three stations and with 9 girls it was 

perfectly even.  The most exciting thing at first was our baby chicks in the 

heated brooder.  They spent at least half and hour petting and watching them.

Then we played "Button Button who got the Button".  

Then we did some crafts.  We made cloths pin dolls and embroidered 

a monogram or initial on a hankie.  I made the hankies and then with a 

washable ink pen drew some cross stitch letters for the girls to sew.

It turned out to be a really fun day.

Every one took home a bonnet, clothes pin doll, wooden embroidery hoop, 

personal embroidered hankie and candy sticks. 

I also enjoyed the party myself.  Thank you mom and fam for all the help!

Hope you enjoyed seeing our Prairie Party!

Fishy Party

Inspired by Mermag and her fish for a catalog layout

I started planning this fishy party for my two March birthdays.
I have a son and a daughter with only a week between birthdays and I
want to simplify and throw one party (as long as they let me)
Mer's Fish are so-ooo super cute I called her up and started planning!
I sent her the fabric and she used her mad skills and sewed up these darling fishies for me!
Thank you Mer you are a fabulous Sister!!!!!

With Peach fish for my girl and Blue fish for my boy I started

collecting cupcake recipes and decorating ideas.
The blue and green cupcakes are a Key Lime cupcake recipe I got from a friend.
They have amazing lime flavor and the cream cheese frosting with it is supper yummy!
(if you pipe frosting don't add the lime peel, it clogs the icing tips, something I learned)
I also tried another cupcake recipe Pink Velvet Cupcakes
that had a white chocolate ganache frosting for my Peach cupcakes.
It was a few steps beyond what I would normally try for frosting but very delicious.
Next to the knock out taste of the Key Lime cupcakes the Pink or Peach Velvet cupcakes
were a bit tame but still tasted good.
     *The fish shaped cake I made with 2 cupcakes that are unwrapped and turned upside down.

One cupcake is cut in half and used one side for the head and the other cut with a notch for

the tail.  It may help to freeze you cupcake for less crumbs.

I love tablescapes for their over all appeal but also for the fun treats folks include.

Being a mama of 4 and another coming this summer I wanted easy treats 

and easy on my wallet prices.  I got all my gummy treats at a Dollar Tree near here as 

well as the fish bowls and taller glass holders.  The bowls were all with the candles 

but were perfect for what I was aiming for;  Candy store meets fishy party!

The favor bags I put together little treats and fish items in cello bags and pinned on a 

little stuffed fish to take home, to say thank you for coming and celebrating with us.

All the smiles of happy kids were the result.  

My two little fishers loved it.  My boy adores the fishies Mer sewed up and I loved

hearing him say fishies in his little 2 year old lispy voice (they loose that too quick).

Thanks again Mer!  You are true inspiration for all of this!

Dinner Magnifique!

Dinner Magnifique!

Some nights we just eat.
But tonight I had all this cooking energetic bliss!

I butterflied and stuffed 2 pork tenderloins, one with cream cheese and spinach,
and the other with spinach and bacon.  The later I also wrapped in bacon.

Then after tying them up I browned them in a skillet and then baked them
in the oven in a pre-warmed dish of melted butter.

They were just Lovely to look at an heavenly to eat.
I made whipped Celery, Spinach, Potatoes to serve on the side,
garnished with bacon pieces.

YUMMY!

Spinach and Cream cheese stuffed Pork Tenderloin

filling  mix these together
1 bar of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups of spinach fresh
1/2 tsp salt

cut tenderloin in half but not all the way through
and from the middle cut again outward to edge but not all the way through
on each side.  Now your pork is about 1/2 inch thick.

Sprinkle on salt and pepper
garlic powder and dry basil to season meat
Then spread on cheese mixture

Roll up the meat and try with string/thread

melt some butter in a pan and brown the edges of the tenderloin

preheat a dish/Pyrex with 4 tables butter
 in oven at 425 and remove when melted and sizzling
place browned tenderloin in dish
replace in oven for 35 minutes
lower oven temp last 10 minutes at 375
or cook until your preferred done-ness.

Tasty Green Potatoes

Boil 2 cups of chopped celery
and 1 cup of spinach

Boil with potatoes
for 15 minutes

when easy to mash
remove and whip up with 5 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp salt
and 1/4 cup milk or cream

Super yummy believe me!

Horse Crazy Party!

original idea sketch and invitation

and the actual cake

I set up the table with the cake as the center piece.
Welcome to the Tall Nine Ranch.

My daughter is Horse Crazy!  This is her 9th birthday
and the fun we created for her.  She picked a pink and yellow theme,
with horses of course.  She had the idea of cake pastures and horses
with a big barn.  Lucky for her her idea~dream came true.

I iced the cupcakes with green frosting grass and put a
horse figure toy on top.  I think they look really cute.

I made Jello popcorn balls in pink strawberry and yellowish peach.
I individually wrapped them in clear plastic.  These are an easy made ahead treat.

For treat sacs or Booty bags, I used my stamps to embellish brown paper bags.
Then mounted/glued on a rectangle of yellow card stock stamped with a pink
bucking bronco. (Like the Invites)
That is a quickie the kids can do.
See those smiles!  That's why I do all this work.  My daughters loved everything.

These cute bottles of bubbles were party favors.
The horse figures in the cupcakes were also a take home favor.
Good for stuffing in their booty bag with their popcorn balls,
cookies, lip glosses, neckerchiefs, and chewing gum.
I made each girl a neckerchief/bandanna  from a triangle of fabric.

These cookies were so delicious. I made sugar cookies
in the shapes of horse heads, boots, cowgirl hats, and horse shoes. 

I made this wooden horse shoe game.

For the Wooden horse shoes game I bought wooden dowels
and wooden horse shoe shaped letters C & U.
These I painted pink and yellow and painted little paisleys on.
I would have used just the letter C's but my store only had 2 left.
The C's are easier to handle and toss.

The girls did sac races and a hobby horse races.

I tied neckerchiefs together to make a banner across the shade tents.
We sat on straw bales of course.
We also had a real horse to ride, which was the main event, of the party.
All the girls got a ride either alone or with a friend.
Thank you to our neighbor who brought her horse Cherokee over
and helped our party have a ride!
You Rock!

That was our horse crazy birthday!

Impromptu Tea Party

Don't you love the herb tea box saying

The magic of Child hood!

Just layer your sandwich with 3 or more slices of bread.
Cut off the crusts and slice into triangles.
Our sandwiches are PB&J and tuna.  With the layers
my kids think these are super special!

Homemade Granola

I don't know where I originally found my basic recipe.
It has the bones for your granola making, then you add your
special ingredients.
but here it is...

Basics for Granola
In a large bowl mix
4 Cup of Oats (I like old fashioned not quick)
1/4 Cup brown sugar dark or light
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
then here is where you have fun
1 Cup or so of an ingredient ~ sliced almonds, sun flower seeds,
wheat germ, toasted coconut, dried fruit (these can toss in
at the end if you want), walnuts, pretty much
what ever sound good and yummy to you.

In a small sauce pan
1/4 Cup Cano la Oil (this oil doesn't had any weird flavors)
1 Table spoon Water
1 tsp vanilla *optional
Then add a sweetener of your choice.
1/4 Cup , 1/2 Cup up to 3/4 Cup ~ Honey, Molasses (this one
is really strong use smaller amount), Maple Syrup, sugar, corn syrup...
Heat until warm and bubbly
Pour over oats mix
stir to coat evenly

Spread onto a baking sheet (I use my jelly roll pan)
bake at 300 degrees
stir every 10 minutes to brown evenly fora total of 40 min

Cool and toss in Crasins, dried cherries or raisins I add these
last to save them from drying out and getting tough to chew.

Enjoy!
For Honey Vanilla Almond
I used 1 cup slivered almonds in my oats
3/4 Cup of honey
and upped my vanilla to 1 Tablespoon

Granola

for gifts I made granola
and to make it more exciting I made many flavors
a sort of gourmet granola collection
I think my favorite was the Honey Vanilla Almond
but I heard that Walnut Molasses was a winner too.

Sister Tea Party

Thank you for coming to my little Tea Party!
It was a success thanks to my little sister C who helped me
make Cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs as I made chocolate
muffins, raspberry mouse, dipped strawberries in chocolate
and dashed to the market for roses and strawberries.

I found some pink heart cookies at the market that I had to
get for my little event. So pretty and yummy. I made some
Devonshire Tartlets the day before as well. We had more
than enough little cucumber sandwiches. The shrimp was a favorite.

Everything was lovely especially the sisters I shared the
afternoon with. Thank you ladies. I miss you now that
you have gone home. I also discovered that my two
sisters aren't on my new Visiting route. I will miss them.

Oh well, we can always get together for another Tea Partty.
..... I can hardly wait