The Birthday Party Recap

A few weekends ago we celebrated a very special little one’s birthday, and this was her birthday cake.  She couldn’t decide on chocolate cake or vanilla, so she got both!  My friend, Janna, suggested sandwiching the vanilla between two chocolate layers, and I think it turned out pretty nicely (see below)!

I just couldn’t resist giving this shot a retro feel – kind of makes me feel like it’s 1960 and I’m June Cleaver. . .sort of.  Raise your hand if you remember June wearing a pearl necklace?  I was kind of saying (to my husband) that I’m a lot like June Cleaver, and my husband said I was nothing like June Cleaver.  I challenged him to tell me in what way I’m not like June.  Then (because he’s obstinate) he challenged me to tell him what about me is like June, and well, I made a mental checklist.  It went something like this. . .

kisses husband upon arrival home. . .nope

house looks clean all the time. . .nope

reports to Ward, I mean the husband about the trouble the Beaver’s been in at school . . .nope

wears necklaces while vacuuming the floor. . .maybe once?

wears lipstick all the time. . .yes!  ha, ha – take that husband

Then I decided that I should probably have a more solid argument for my side in the future.

This is the top of the cake, I just love the swirl pattern.

Here I am holding the cake to give you an idea of how large it was.  I was hoping you could get an idea by looking at this photo, but have since decided that it either a. makes me look wide or b. makes the cake look small compared to how wide I am (hm, is that essentially the same argument?).

Anyhow, you’re just going to have to trust me – it’s a 3 layer, 12 inch cake and it’s super heavy.  It reminds me of those beautiful large cakes in Pollyanna that Cook was making for the bazaar.  That doesn’t date me, does it?

That super cute “celebrate” banner was purchased online at Lisa Leonard Designs.

The kids and I ended up deciding on making an edible party favor, and dirt pudding was a natural fit.  We used  this recipe for the chocolate pudding, and we topped it with homemade chocolate shortbread cookies (that we ground up in the food processor), and the finishing touch was these edible chocolate rocks.  That cute “party favor” sign was my daughter’s doing – she came up with the design and executed it all by herself – I’m so proud of her.

For the pudding cups, next time I would use chalkboard vinyl (if I had any) because the chalkboard paint started to peel off a little from condensation when we were writing on it.  It ended up being okay, but I had to use plain old chalk instead of my chalk pen.

Here’s a close up shot of the other pudding cups we ended up making with our silicone pots – aren’t those rocks cute?!

And here is the final table. . .not too shabby.  There are a few things that I would’ve changed (like elevating a few more things and leaving the condiment bottles out of the picture), but it was crazy because more dishes were added at the last minute because of extra food that I wasn’t expecting (but appreciated, brought by guests), and my husband who added two more items to the menu an hour before the party.  In the future I may just have a dessert table, that way no one will mess with it!

Those brown paper bags in the back (were another great idea from my friend Janna!) were filled with Tostitos for the Super Bowl Dip (seated next to the buns).  But the biggest (surprise) hit were the fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.  Another thanks to Janna for suggesting I serve a fruit dip (sweetened whip cream) with all those beautiful berries.

Mustache Chocolate Valentine Pop

You’ve seen all the cute “mustache” tags out there in blogland, right?  Well, there’s no way my kids would hand Valentine’s out at school if they contained the words ”love”, “be mine”, “heartbreaker”, “eyes for you”, you get the idea.  Boys are gross, girls are gross, end of story.

But I love the mustache so much, so this was my answer, and as luck would have it I’m planning on making 70+ chocolate mustaches for Valentine’s Day this year – I know, I’m crazy!

However, if my kids are any indication, these should be a big hit with their friends.  I got some great pics of them all posing with their chocolate mustaches – too cute.

I bought the mustache mold from here.  The treat bags can be purchased at Walmart in their cake decorating/wedding section, or from here.  The lollipop sticks can be purchased here.

Chocolate Mustache Valentine Pops

Chocolate compound coating. 1 pound makes approx. 12 mustaches

lollipop sticks

mold

Melt the compound coating according to the directions on the package.  Place the lollipop stick into place and spoon the melted compound coating into each mustache well and roll the stick around to make sure it’s completely covered in coating.  Gently tap the mold onto the counter to smooth out the coating and help prevent bubbles (some of mine still had some).

Place in the freezer, lying flat, for 10 minutes.  When done, carefully turn the mold over onto a clean counter and they should come right out.  If not, gently tap the corners of the mold to release any that are resistant.

Let come to room temperature before you package.

Gingerbread House Cookies

Nothing says Christmas to me more than the taste, and smell, of freshly baked gingerbread.  I always get excited about the kids’ class parties, especially when there’s “gingerbread house” decorating.

I’m using that term loosely because I’ve seen ice cream cones, graham crackers, and (my least favorite) milk cartons decorated like gingerbread houses.  In fact, last year I was asked to donate candy to decorate “gingerbread houses,” and I thought it sounded like fun.  Until, I walked into the classroom and saw a mom hard at work hot glue gunning graham crackers to the sides of milk cartons for the kids to decorate with frosting and candy.  Not such fun – because it’s not edible!

What a complete and total waste. . .and nothing chops my hide like wasted time and candy.  The good news is that out of that, came this cookie.  My kids had a blast decorating their own cookies and consuming their creations, and this would be a great activity for the kids to do at their school parties.  I just filled disposable frosting bags with royal icing (tying the tops off with rubber bands), and snipped of the tips (instead of dirtying frosting tips) and let them loose with the candy.

Click here for a soft and chewy gingerbread recipe.

Now for the fun. . .the decorated cookies:

I bought my bird house cookie cutter from King Arthur Flour last year, and they don’t carry it anymore.  But no worries, you can find a great selection of house cookie cutters at Copper Gifts, Copper House Cookie Cutter.

Gingerbread Reindeer + Rudolph

This gingerbread is so good, buy new spices (they make such a huge difference), and play around with the amounts until you get the flavor you like - I personally prefer more cinnamon.

My kids got a kick out of handing these beauties out to their teachers, and I was relieved that it was a consumable gift – no worries about giving them clutter or duplicates.  Trust me, these are big concerns when one is married to a minimalist.

Gingerbread Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses (I used Grandma’s Brand)

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the butter and brown sugar together until creamed. Add the egg and molasses and pulse until well combined.

Add in the flour/spice mixture all at once and pulse until everything is completely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour.

Set a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter, and spoon the dough onto it. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the next day.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then roll the dough 1/4 an inch thick on a lightly floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters. Place cut outs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the cookies (left on the parchment) to a wire rack to cool immediately out of the oven.

Once cool, frost with royal icing* and decorations of your choosing. Enjoy!

For the simple decoration seen above, I just followed the directions on the back of my meringue powder, and added white food coloring (as an extra precaution, but certainly not necessary) to keep the frosting from turning yellow due to the butter content in the cookies.

King Arthur Square Bake and Give Pans with Lids

Mini Reindeer Cookie Cutter

Red and White Baker’s Twine

EK Success Real Estate Sign Paper Punch

Creamy Hot Chocolate

My kids love hot chocolate, and they can drink a lot of it.  So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. 

They loved it, and I loved that I only had to make 1 batch – hooray!

Creamy Hot Chocolate Adapted from here

6 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

your favorite ice cream

In a large pot combine all the ingredients (except the ice cream) and warm on low heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted – about 45 minutes.

Whisk before serving - the top tends to form a “skin.”  Place a generous scoop of your favorite ice cream on top of each serving.  This is a great option for little kids that can’t wait for their hot chocolate to cool down. 

Enjoy!

Snowman Candy Bar Party Favors

I’ll be back to sharing recipes really soon, but today is all about party favors!  I have a tendency to go overboard, and my husband suggested that I just give out bags of candy as party favors for my daughter’s birthday.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with his idea, I’m one of those people who care about how much thought was put into the gift, not the price.

I remembered that I had torn this idea from a Martha Stewart Living magazine years ago, and knew it was perfect!  My daughter and I had a lot of fun putting these cuties together.

Snowman Candy Bar Party Favors Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

XL Candy Bars (I bought the Hershey XL bars)

Freezer paper – I tore off 14 inch sheets (but it will depend on the size of the candy bar)

Black ink pad

Colored yarn (I used Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in Baby Blue)

Orange felt or construction paper

Strong clear tape

Glue

Scissors

Place the freezer paper down, shiny side up, short end facing you and wrap your candy up.  Tape the back of the paper, and fold down the ends – like wrapping a present and tape those too.

Turn the covered candy bar over and dipping the tip of your pinky finger in ink – gently dab on the eyes and the mouth.  I dipped my finger after each stamp for consistent color.

Cut the felt into narrow triangles, and glue the felt nose into place between the eyes and the mouth.  Take the yarn and cut about 2 feet, fold it over (so you have a double scarf) and tie it in a knot around the “neck.”  Then simple trim the ends with scissors to the desired length.

Rose Cake

I received a comment from Lisa (Hi!) and she requested some information on this cake - which previously was nothing more than a  photo in a birthday collage I’d thrown together earlier this year.  See, I do read comments!

Anywho, this is the rose cake. . . and I love it.  Like me, you’ve probably seen these rose cakes everywhere, and they are so much fun.  I wanted to do something a little different with mine – I wanted a strawberry cake (something about strawberry just screams summer to me) covered in colored roses.  And I wanted them layered so some actually stand taller than the others, for visual interest.  For the recipes, see below.  For a great tutorial, click here.

To layer the roses (on the top of the cake only), simply pipe a rose over the bare space between roses.

Although this particular cake was a soft Strawberry Cake, I think a lovely white cake (just omit the sprinkles unless you want a “funfetti” cake) would also make for a stunning interior.

Super Soft Strawberry Cake Adapted from Family Circle Magazine

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur
1 cup buttermilk
Red food coloring
2/3 cup diced strawberries
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray three 9 inch (round) cake pans with PAM spray and line with parchment.  Set aside.

Whisk the cake flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream the shortening and 1 ½ cups of sugar together.  Beat in the vanilla and the liqueur until combined.

Next, in three additions beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk – beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

When the flour and buttermilk are completely incorporated, add the diced strawberries and a few drops of red food coloring.*

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy and add the cream of tartar, and gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar.  Continue beating until stiff peaks have formed.

Gently stir some of the stiff egg whites into the batter.  Then fold in the remaining egg whites until completely incorporated.

Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until done.  Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan (placed on top of a cooling rack).  After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out onto the wire rack to continue cooling.**

*The cake lightens up after baking, so I like to add enough color for the batter to be a shade or two darker than my desired color.

**My sister-in-law (Hi Lisa!) shared this tip with me – it not only keeps your cake really moist, but it also helps when assembling layer cakes.  Instead of cooling on the wire rack after the 10 minute cooling period in the pan, turn the cakes out onto plastic wrap and carefully (they’re hot!) wrap them up.  Then wrap each layer in foil and stack them on a cutting board (or cookie sheet) and place them in the freezer for at least an hour.

Click here to get the recipe for my favorite Italian Meringue Buttercream.  It’s delicious and the perfect consistency for piping frosting.

Strawberry Brownie Ghost Bites

This idea just popped into my head – I love when that happens, because sometimes I ’m creatively challenged.  This would be a perfect Halloween dessert to take to school for the kiddos.  Only, I would probably use a pretzel stick as a skewer in that case (see below!).

See, just as cute – and the pretzel probably won’t be used as a pretend weapon (mom’s out there – you know what I’m talking about!).  Let’s get started!

This is as close to a “tutorial” as I’ll probably ever get.  Time is never on my side!

1. Bake (or buy) brownie bites, and let them cool.  Wash strawberries, cut off tops, and pat dry.  Set aside.  Microwave 1 bag of white chocolate chips (I used Nestle) in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute.  Take out and stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted.

2. Top the cooled brownie bite with some melted white chocolate chips and spread around (this is to create a barrier between the strawberry and the brownie).

3. Top with a strawberry and a skewer (if you prefer this look).  Otherwise, just top with the strawberry and then spoon melted chocolate on top of it using a circular motion.  Then place a skewer, or pretzel rod, through the top and refrigerate until set – about 5 minutes.

4. Decorate the “ghost” face with food writing marker.  Tada!  Serve the same day you make them – if possible.

*One final note, my daughter informed me that the chocolate was sticking to the wrapper.  So for those of you serving these straight out of the refrigerator, try not to get the chocolate on the wrapper!

Linking to Chef In Training Talent Show, Inside BruCrew Life: Trick or Treat Tuesday, Crazy for Crust, Lil’ Luna, Tidy Mom, Design Dazzle

Fishing Pole Cupcakes (for a Fishing Party)

I saw these cupcakes here, and fell in love with them.  I knew they’d be the perfect sweet ending for my son’s Fishing Party.

I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, filled them with freshly sweetened whipped cream (because everyone loves a surprise cream center), and topped them with ganache.

Then I frosted them with my favorite frosting recipe (tinted blue) and decorated with pretzel rod and goldfish connected with a white frosting “fishing line.”  Super easy!

Tackle Box Party Favor (for a Fishing Party)

I just couldn’t resist making “tackle boxes” for my son’s Fishing Party.  I think they turned out pretty cute.

I used a paper punch to make the tags (using cardstock with printed names) and removable glue dots to stick the tags to the boxes.  I purchased these mini kraft gable boxes when they were featured on Pick Your Plum.

As you can see below, I didn’t have time to devote to making cute labels for the candies, but I still wanted them labeled so the kids could tell what the individual bags of candy were supposed to represent.

Fishing Line – red licorice wheels

Hooks – Flipz white fudge pretzels - cut into hook shapes

Bait – gummy worms

I didn’t actually buy these candies from the above linked sites, but I wanted to have links so you could find them yourself.  I was able to purchase the licorice and gummy worms at my local Fresh Market, and the pretzels in the candy section of my local Walmart.