Last month was my mom’s birthday! She and my dad are living here right now, and it’s the first time we’ve been close for her birthday since I was in high school, so it seemed like the perfect time to throw a Surprise party!
Crepe Bar Birthday Party
March 5, 2013 by · 23 Comments
Better than Sex trifle recipe
February 4, 2013 by · 4 Comments
Everyone has their version of this dessert, and this actually comes from my sister’s recipe. Don’t forget to link up your pinterest inspired recipes, crafts, DIY, etc…!!!
Rather than just make cake this trifles layers all the goopy goodness and ends up SO moist and delicious. My sisters version just uses cool whip, but I like making my own whipped cream. BUT you want to be able to make it a day ahead and not totally dissolve, so STABLIZED whipped cream!
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Five Wedding Cupcake recipes
November 14, 2012 by · 19 Comments
When my cousin told me she wanted to do cupcakes for her wedding I about cried. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m NOT a cupcake fan. BUT for family, esp a wedding, they get what they want! In the end it wasn’t so bad! I used a new tip and my sweet friend Jesseca came over to help and it went pretty fast!!
My cousin wanted 14 dozen and she picked 5 flavors. Strawberry with Cream cheese frosting, Chocolate with Chocolate buttercream, “Blue” red velvet with Cream cheese frosting, Vanilla with Vanilla buttercream and Lemon with Lemon buttercream.
Now cupcakes and cakes are totally different. You want your cakes dense, moist and fairly FLAT for frosting. Cupcakes should be light, moist and NOT flat… So I have totally different recipes for cakes and cupcakes. Don’t use these recipes for cakes. I use my Bosch mixer with the whisks to beat the batter up. BUT if your going to eat a cupcake these are delicious, AND I’ve PERFECTED my frosting recipes!
Lemon Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1/4 C flour
1/3 C dry lemon pudding
1 C water
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C mayo
4 eggs
1 tsp lemon extract
Mix everything, beat for 2 mins. Pour into cupcake liners, bake at 350 for 15-18 mins
Vanilla Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1/4 C flour
1/3 C dry vanilla pudding
1 C water
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C mayo
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix everything, beat for 2 mins. Pour into cupcake liners, bake at 350 for 15-18 mins
Red “blue” Velvet Cupcakes
adapted from One Sweet Appetite
makes 24 cupcakes
2½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp turquoise food gel
In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt, whisk to blend. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla and vinegar. Beat on low speed until well blended. Add the food gel 1/2 tsp at a time until your happy with the color. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into cupcake liners, bake at 350 for 15-18 mins
Chocolate Cupcake
makes 24 cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix (I like devils food)
1/4 C flour
1/3 C dry chocolate pudding
1 C water
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C mayo
4 eggs
Mix everything, beat for 2 mins. Pour into cupcake liners, bake at 350 for 15-18 mins
Strawberry Cupcake
makes 24 cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1/4 C flour
1/3 C dry strawberry jello
1/2 C water
1/2 C frozen strawberries
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C mayo
4 eggs
1 tsp lemon extract
puree water and strawberries in the blender until smooth. Mix everything, beat for 2 mins. Pour into cupcake liners, bake at 350 for 15-18 mins
We made each cupcake look as different as possible so people would be able to recognize the different flavors. AND a menu! I suggested a “chalkboard” picture frame menu. My sweet cousin was so smart! she did it on black construction paper! So we didn’t have to worry about it rubbing off, it looked amazing!
Metallic & Turquoise Wedding Cake and cupcakes
Gold Leaf Cake tutorial
Five Wedding cupcakes and recipes
Dye your own sprinkles and sugar crystals
Ivory Home Gingerbread house contest – Charity event
November 12, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
I love love LOVE making small gingerbread houses with my kids and their cousins every year. It’s a really fun tradition. Growing up I always loved visiting the gigantic gingerbread village in Portland. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go all out and make a really big detailed house! So when I heard about the Ivory Homes third Annual Gingerbread contest I was all in! I’m already working on my house plans!
The contest includes handmade gingerbread houses (from people like you and me!!!! Eeeek, so fun!), cash prizes AND matching donations. How sweet is that? You all know that autism spectrum is near and dear to my heart so I know just what charity I would pick. How about you?
Top prize for the contest is $1,000 with a matching donation made to the charity of your choice. Second and third place are $500 and $250 respectively, also with matching donations. That’s pretty incredible if you ask me.
Here are some of last years AMAZING entries. I was totally excited to enter, and even naively thought I had a shot. But when I saw how AMAZING last years entries were I realized I don’t have the time to be quite this amazing… THIS year!! Luckily they don’t HAVE to be amazing, it’s just fun to create and enter!!! In fact I’m also registering my daughter and she’s making her own!
Here are the details on how to enter the gingerbread house challenge:
- Register for the contest.
- Pay a $10.00 registration fee that will be fully refunded when you deliver your house to the festival.
- Pick an Ivory Home design ( your home must be modeled after an Ivory Homes design).
- Build your gingerbread house.
- Check-In using the online form that we will provide as the festival gets closer.
- Deliver your gingerbread house to the Garden Park Clubhouse in Daybreak on Friday, November 30th.
- Receive your $10.00 registration fee refund.
- Vote at the festival on December 1st and tell your friends to vote for your house on Facebook.
Now how else can you get in on the fun??? A few other fun bloggers: Emily – Is this really my life, Leanne – Organize and decorate everything, Wendy – Shabby Nest and Staci – The Potters Place, and I will be doing a link party. Nov 27th-Nov 30th! We’ll each be sharing our houses, and we’ll have a joint link party.
Here are the rules for the linky party:
- Create a gingerbread house based on an Ivory Homes design; house must be 100% edible.
- Write a post about your gingerbread house and include the “I’m participating in the Ivory Homes Gingerbread House Contest” badge (coming soon). Link the badge to http://ivoryhomes.com/blog/index.php/ivory-homes-annual-gingerbread-contest-2/.
- Include an image of the Ivory Homes design after which the house was modeled.
- Note: You may want to follow the Ivory Homes official rules in case you ALSO want to enter the official contest.
The winners will be announced December 1st. First place will receive $200, second place $100 and third place $50…all thanks to Ivory Homes.
So what house will you pick??? I’ve narrowed it down to these two, SMALLER ones… After practicing this year I’m hoping to go bigger next year!
