The Evolution of a Party...

Alice in Wonderland

2012-03-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

"Don't be Late" Baby Shower Cake

I loved making this special cake for a theme shower, really you aren't supposed to copy any Disney characters so I kinda had to change "Alice" up a little bit, but still it had a fun feel to it. I loved the colors and the detail. I made the fondant myself with a lemon essence to match the lemon and raspberry cake. I loved just the smell of it while working with it!

The woman who ordered it from me met me with tears in her eyes to tell me how much the sentiment from this special cake helped her bond with her new daughter in law. Awww, being part of people's special moments was the greatest part of my job!

Baby Shower Cake

2012-03-04T05:13:00.001-08:00

Laundry Day Baby Shower Cake

I had so much fun making this sweet baby shower cake. I spent hours into the night crafting all her little laundry. I was so fuelled with creative energy while coming up with new itty bitty detail for each little creation...tiny teddy hidden in a pocket, sweet little happy bee buzzing around, little lady bug stopping by....I think I enjoyed making it as much as the guest of honor appreciated it.

The little tub is also a moist lemon cake and the larger tier is torted with raspberry fill. So yum.

Spring Confections

2012-03-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

Spring

Spring is on it's way.....It always makes me want to get organized, then with that organization and more open space I begin to get creative, excited to start to plan and share my energy with family and friends. I love the excitement of warm weather and being outside again. Little lunches and evening snacks on the deck are some of the best memories I have. Easter colors and the hope of the new always inspire me too! I want to begin to share some on my past little creations and joys with you here....

Spring Cake

2012-03-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

Spring Cake

This sweet little cake was made for a sweet friend for her birthday. A small cake pan was used for an individual gift size. Once covered in buttercream, I added tiny squares attached to give the patchwork look. Colorful fondant roses and sweet little daisies give a gorgeous color pop. What better than whimsical butterflies to call out spring?

Cake at Tiffany's

2012-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Tiffany Gift Cake

One of my best friends had one request of her husband......a diamond from Tiffany's. So why not make an event out of it I say??? We planned a wonderful family trip to NYC and enjoyed site seeing, restaurants and wonderful family and friend time together. Just before closing time, we made it to Tiffany's and our family was escorted out the back, as my friend and her husband were able to stay to pick her perfect diamond....even beyond the closing bell! So for her birthday, I made her a Tiffany present cake to commemorate her special day! It was all chocolate with a chocolate gnash filler with a vanilla fondant covering. She loved it and it was a wonderful surprise!

More Pink?

2012-02-29T04:43:00.000-08:00

Pink Pearl Wedding Cake

Oh I'm just enjoying the feel of spring approaching, so here are some more gentle pastels!

Pretty In Pink Butterfly Cake

2012-02-27T10:46:00.001-08:00

Butterfly Wedding Cake

I made this cake for a wonderful friend of mine who was renewing her wedding vows. Days in advance I crafted the tiny array of roses and butterflies to cascade down the 3 tiers. Each tier was a delightfully different in flavors and fillers. I was actually lucky enough to have some of my very own cake at this event! Below you will see the matching cupcakes I made for the children. These were made by using my hand dipped technique. See how it's done here.

Mardi Gras

2012-02-23T10:04:00.002-08:00

Fun Fat Tuesday!

Jambalaya simmered on the stove as I gathered the kids for a fun Fat Tuesday dinner together. We talked about history of Mardi Gras and Lent and shared ideas of giving something up together this year. The children enjoyed the bright colors and the festivity of it all and tasted King Cake for the first time. Here I just gathered some fanciful decorations I found at party stores and mostly the dollar store this year.

Valentines Day Teen Fun

2012-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day

This year I decorated a little place in our party room for my oldest teenage daughter to celebrate Valentine's Day with her best friend and their "friends that are boys" :)

I chose a not too sophisticated atmosphere, but added little touches of romantic celebration with plastic champagne glasses and sparkling juice in a champagne bucket. I let the piano play some gentle classical background music on auto play and dimmed the lights for a candle lit table when dinner was served. The kids were great sports and had a wonderful time. Enjoy some pictures of easy to do ideas for your next dinner of love!

Super Bowl Party!

2012-02-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Party...with a healthier Kick

Every year my kids and their dad watch the Super Bowl together in our large party room. Of course we have all girls and it really is more about them finding this excitement with their dad than the game. My youngest said she was determined to actually "watch" the game at the party this year! I am not a big sports fan, so I thought I could be included by making some fun healthy alternatives to the regular foods found on Super Bowl Sunday. I got a little creative and had some fun with it....

Here I purchased some "referee" fabric from Hobby Lobby. I also printed some clip art from the web to make the field box and flags.

A "stadium" of multi grain crackers and low fat cheeses. A few pepperoni were thrown in to give the whole appearance of it being game day food!

I put out veggie chips with a herb dip from Greek yogurt and a spoonful of low fat sour cream.

Piggies in a blanket were made with nitrate free organic chicken dogs in an organic all natural bread dough wrap.

I found these great disposable bamboo plates and servers that are earth friendly and make for easy breezy clean up!

I found this fun rye football shaped bread at Wegmans grocery store. Here the potatoes are organic russets baked in the oven, sliced with a touch of organic low fat cheddar cheese sprinkled on top and some chives added. The dip is made from Greek yogurt, a touch of low fat sour cream, bacon bits, chives and dill. It was such a low cal alternative to twice baked potatoes done the traditional way.

Napkins and cups were an easy find at out local dollar store and craft store.

I stole this little football out of my daughters stuffed animal box!

I made some healthy lemon cupcakes with my usual recipes using almond flour.

This party mix is by Annie's. The crackers are whole wheat.

Ok, there is nothing healthy here....but gotta splurge for dear ol' dad! His fav!

I cut up some organic chicken and sauteed with a ginger and teriyaki sauce.

Easy healthy shrimp cocktail.

Low Fat no nitrate ham and organic cheese for sandwiches instead of the usual subs they would have wanted to order!

It's all about Love Love Love

2012-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

LOVE

Valentine's Day is JUST around the corner.....oh some shopping was done for the third grade class to get some "luv" from my youngest, and some fun and whimsical decorations are being prepared for a cute "romantic" dinner I am hosting for my oldest daughter and her best friend with their, ummm special friend that are boys....anyway, I am looking forward to treating them to some healthy teen "luv" here while me and the other kids get in on the baking and cooking for their evening. Pictures of the special night to be posted soon! Here are some pretty photos taken by my friend Sarah Mattozzi, a wonderful photographer that we had the joy of celebrating some Valentine's love with last year!

Healthy Valentine's Day Cupcakes

2012-02-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Strawberry AND Raspberry

No refined sugars or flour Cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes (gluten free and lower carb)

3 C blanched almond flour

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 C grapeseed oil

1/2 C agave nectar

2 large organic eggs

1 T pure vanilla extract

1/4 thawed from frozen organic strawberries with some of the melted juices

2 drops strawberry flavoring (optional)

mix all wet ingredients in bowl with blender, combine dry and add slowly. Bake in cupcake wrappers for about 12-15 min or until center comes out clean on cake tester or toothpick at 350

(frosting recipe below)

Raspberry Cupcakes (high fiber)

1 C organic barley flour

1/2 C organic brown rice flour

2 T ground flax

2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t fine sea salt

1/2 C fresh organic raspberries

1/2 C grapeseed oil

1/2 C agave nectar

2 large organic eggs

mix wet in mixer bowl, combine dry and add until all combines. Put into cupcake liners and bake

at 350 degrees for about 15 min or until center comes out dry on tester.

No sugar Frosting:

1 C organic dry milk powder

1 stick room temp organic butter (or vegan butter substitute or coconut oil)

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/4 C agave nectar

optional 1 T coconut crystals

1 T water or juice to flavor

cream butter and sugars, add in vanilla and any other flavors (I added extra strawberry juice to the strawberry cupcakes and a raspberry coffee flavoring to raspberry cuppies)

SIFT in powdered milk

chill about 20 min or until frosting is thickened enough to pipe or spread, embellish as you wish.

Chocolate Cupcakes just incase.....

Chocolate cupcakes recipe found HERE

Valentine's Day Cookies/recipes shared!

2012-01-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

XOXO

Over the last few years I have received many requests for my original sugar cookie recipe but have avoided sharing it lately due my desire to inspire and share recipes without refined sugars and flour for more natural and healthy ingredients. Here I will share the love and post my original super delicious super easy sugar cookie recipe and also some ideas for some healthier, vegan and gluten free alternatives! Be creative and try some of my frosting recipes linked below and perhaps a new cookie recipe.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Original Sugar Cookie Recipe

2 sticks (1 C) unsalted organic butter at room temp

1 organic egg

1 C sugar (unbleached if you can)

2 t baking powder

1/4 t sea salt

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 t almond OR lemon extract

3 C unbleached white flour or white wheat flour such as King Arthur

(a wheat can be substituted for a heartier nuttier cookie that goes well with the almond extract)

cream your butter and sugar with a heavy duty electric mixer

add egg and mix

add extracts and mix

combine and mix dry ingredients and slowly add to mixture 1/3 at a time

form ball to roll out and mix, no need to refrigerate this mixture!

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 min, let cool and remove from cookie sheet

This mix retains it shape well and is a great cookie for detailed cutters

Frost with rollable store bought fondant or MY recipes for rollable cream cheese frosting or rollable butter cream.

See other Valentine cookies with rolled buttercream frosting here

Below are cookies frosted with the rollable cream cheese. The detail to these are best made with edges of a cookie cutter or sharp edged stamp vs. impressing with fondant mats etc.

Vegan Roll Out "Sugar" Cookie Recipe

2 C white wheat flour, unbleached

1 C brown rice flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 C grapeseed oil or coconut oil

2/3 C agave nectar (or pure maple syrup)

2 t pure vanilla extract (or 1 t vanilla and 1 t almond extract if using maple syrup)

1 t sea salt

put wet ingredients in mixer bowl and blend, combine dry and add 1/3 at a time, form ball with extra flour dusted on work table. CHILL for at least 1 hr, roll out, cut and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 min or until starting to brown slightly on edges. Frost as desired.

Gluten Free "Sugar" Cookies

2 1/2 C blanched almond flour (NOT Bob's Red Mill brand)

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 C grapeseed oil

1/2 C agave nectar

1 t pure vanilla extract

mix wet ingredients in mixing bowl

combine dry and add 1/3 at a time until combined

roll into ball and wrap in plastic wrap, place in FREEZER for one hour

the dough is a very sticky dough and should be rolled and cut 1/3 at a time while the rest remains in the fridge. You can roll out on extra almond flour or OTHER gluten free flour if you are gluten intolerant or any other flour you have. Dip cookie cutters in more flour to avoid sticking.

Bake at 350 for 7-10 min, let cool at least 1/2 before removing.

Frost with favorite gluten free frosting or desired frosting.

Chinese New Year Cookies

2012-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year Cookies

These cookies are chocolate covered Oreos with a stamped fondant topper dusted w gold cake dust. I purchased a new rubber stamp from the craft store and cleaned it well with hot soapy water before using. I brought them to a Chinese New Year party my chinese daughter was performing at, and they were done in minutes! Here are the links to some other chinese themed parties I have hosted:

http://evolutionofaparty.blogspot.com/2011/02/chinese-themed-baby-shower.htm

http://evolutionofaparty.blogspot.com/2011/02/chinese-new-year-dinner.html

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

2012-01-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. I always love the simplicity of this little holiday. It always gives me a feeling of warmth and sweet anticipation. Small gestures to the kids and our loved ones just bring smiles and joy. Here are a few easy no pattern gifts I made for my friends. Homemade cards and gifts seem to carry such a sentiment to me. Enjoy some inspirations! Click here to see my Valentine's post from last year. Share the love! xoxox

Easy and Healthy Coleslaw

2012-01-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Easy Healthy Coleslaw

I loved a similar recipe I tried while on a yoga retreat last year at Kripalu Yoga Center in the Birkshires in Massachusetts. This retreat center is known for it's amazing buffet of local, organic and healthy foods. Although the yoga classes there inspired my practice beyond my thinking, the meals there changed my life! I was able to realize I CAN eat healthy, all the time, at every meal with choices and flavor and passion! For one solid week, I indulged in the healthiest of foods without once needing the typical comfort foods we have trained our minds to think we need. Each time I go, I come away more inspired and more committed! Take a peek at their web site recipes from their staff head chef. I bought her recipe book when I was there last.

Here is my easy, thrown together, version of a cabbage and carrot slaw.

I used half of a small cabbage sliced thin into shreds

4 organic carrots, shredded

1/8 c Bragg's Organic Apple Cider

(the health benefits to this are amazing!

studies show an increase in weight loss and digestion with it's uses as well)

1/8 c organic agave nectar

1/4 C Veganaise Mayonnaise (with heart healthy grapeseed oil)

handful of organic raisins

handful of slivered almonds

sea salt and pepper to taste

I sliced my carrots with this amazing vegetable peeler from Pampered Chef! It was 5x faster than pulling out a food processor and didn't make the carrots "wet" like a processor does. Just lay the carrot flat on a cutting board and strip down, in seconds I had easy shredded carrots, the perfect size.

Oh It's Chocolate!

2011-11-18T09:28:00.001-08:00

Chocolate! I did it!

Aww here, I adapted a gluten free recipe and created my own lower carb, no refined sugar or flour chocolate cupcake AND piping icing! They were so choclatey and not too sweet, a wonderful treat for chocolate lovers who are trying to eat healthier.

No refined flour or sugar chocolate cupcakes:

I use organic products whenever available

1/4 c coconut flour

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 t sea salt

1/4 t baking soda

3 large eggs

1/4 C grapeseed oil

1/2 C agave nectar

1 t pure vanilla extract

(you can throw in a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips or nuts if you like)

beat eggs and syrup in mixing bowl, combine dry and add slowly to mixture. Bake 350 for about 20 min depending on size of muffin wrappers, I chose small for 20 min. For larger, try 25-30 min.

The coconut flour is not refined, is high in fiber and protein and has a low glycemic index. It has a wonderful consistency in baking and creates a moist smooth cupcake. The organic unsweetened cocoa powder is packed full of antioxidants and also is low in fat and carbs. You can throw in some nuts for some added heart healthy oils and protein!

Today I used the organic brown rice syrup, but agave would also work well in this recipe
and has a lower glycemic index than the rice syrup. The agave actually works better in my kid taste test. I baked a pumpkin pie yesterday with it,
so I chose to mix it up today with the rice syrup.

No refined sugar Chocolate Piping Frosting

(I adapted from Organic Valley Dry Milk recipe)

1/2 C Organic non fat Dry Milk (sifted)

1/2 C organic unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

1 stick organic butter or equivalent Coconut oil (coconut oil tasted better to me!)

1/4 C agave nectar

1 t vanilla extract

1 t water

Cream room temperature butter in mixing bowl, add agave syrup, combine until smooth and creamy. Sift dry milk and cocoa together, slowly add half to mix as you continue to beat. Add extract and water. Add last half of dry mix and beat until smooth.

(I have also made this recipe with dry soy milk as a substitute, honey or pure maple syrup instead of the brown rice syrup and also have used coconut oil instead of butter. The honey and maple syrup go well with a spice cupcake like pumpkin or apple. If you use coconut oil, you will need to chill frosting in fridge for 15 min before piping to stiffen frosting.)

Here I demonstrated spreading the frosting for a different look. If you want to add an amazing punch of flavor to your cupcake, these flavored sugar sprinkles are packed with amazing flavor and really only add a negligible amount of refined sugar for the amazing flavor it packs. This series I found at a cooking specialty store had mocha, praline, cappuccino and butter rum along with the raspberry shown. One little shake of this on top of the frosting gives the illusion of a real "sweet frosting"!

Fall Flavors in Quinoa

2011-11-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Quinoa?

Yes this ancient grain boasts being a complete protein, full of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron and it's gluten free. It is low fat, tasty and so easy to make! I get this organic version at Costco.

Here I made 1 cup of dry quinoa with 1 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth and 1 T of grapeseed oil (olive oil would work too), I threw in a cinnamon stick and a little ginger. After the liquid was absorbed, I removed the cinnamon stick and added a handful of slivered almonds and fruit sweetened organic dried cranberries. It made a delicious breakfast with the flavors of fall!

It all starts here.....

2011-11-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

Eat Your Veggies! The Easy Way.

In my quest to nurture a healthy body, I have been eating more organic vegetables and nutrient rich foods to heal, restore and feed my body. I have realized this organic

Vegetable Broth by Pacific Natural Foods has become a staple in my cooking. Basically I use it to replace water in almost all of my savory cooking. Once a week I make a pot of organic veggie soup by starting with a box of this broth, adding a can of organic tomato paste and whatever veggies I have on hand! I try to be sure to include GREENS like kale or spinach or a box of mixed organic greens. This is also a wonderful way to include the fiber and cancer fighting attributes of cabbage into your diet. I like to add a dab of hot chili paste for a kick boost on metabolism and immunity. Adding spices that help with metabolism like turmeric is a smart idea too. Consider making a healthy soup pot full of good stuff for your body! Be creative, It's so easy.

Lo Carb Bread

2011-11-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Low Carb Bread

This is another almond flour recipe I am so excited about, adapted from Elana Amsterdam's Gluten Free cookbook. Really it adds up to about 3 carb per slice and is filled with protein! I tried it this morning and it was moist and yummy, and I am excited about varying the recipe with olives and rosemary for a savory bread, or with nuts and fruit and spices for a quick bread style.

3/4 c creamy almond butter room temp
4 lrg eggs
1/4 c blanched almond flour
1/4 c arrowroot flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1T ground flax seed
mix wet in mixing bowl, combine dry, add a bit at time until mix is smooth, bake 350 for 40 min in a small 3x7 in sprayed loaf pan, let cool before removing

Halloween 2011

2011-11-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

Easy Breezy Halloween

This year my kids had a chance to go to Disney World right before Halloween, since they were scheduled to come home late the night before and had school the next day, I decided to keep Halloween celebrations traditional but without all the normal fanfare our family likes to put out. I made some flavorful healthy orange walnut organic cupcakes with no refined sugars and tried a new frosting made with organic dry milk and agave nectar! It was delicious. As you will see below, I made a big veggie tray to stuff them with some healthy food before the candy came!

I made these luminaries from glass vases, covered in tracing paper with dollar store cutouts glued on.
Below you can see how they looked once lit up.

Death by candy!

French Poodles in Paris

2011-10-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Oh I know Halloween is almost here, and my cookie designs for this year are sitting out just waiting for their little pictures to be taken, but I am a little behind schedule this year!

Ooh La La

Today is my daughter's 12th birthday and we had a Poodles In Paris Party for her.....yummy homemade healthy organic orange and walnut cupcakes and an organic almond shortbread cookie with a thin layer of fondant and some of the new Wilton sugar sheets to match our theme! Enjoy some fun pictures from a fun party!

Pumpkin Candy Cups

2011-10-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Candy Cups---Like a Reese's Cup But Pumpkiny!

I got this great recipe and idea from a Blog I found and you can find it here at

"What Megan's Making".

It is a wonderful fall inspired candy. I dressed mine up a bit for the holiday compared to the original suggestions by using orange candy melts that lined tiny paper candy wrappers (like mini cupcake wrappers) and then removed once the candy is set....the filling is pumpkin yummy. You then add another layer of melted white chocolate or candy melts on top to seal in the soft middle. You can see I added a pumpkin design with sprinkles and pretzels

and a tiny fondant leaf.

The base of the set candy after removing wrappers

..and they made it to my Thanksgiving tray of treats last year. They really were a huge hit with the guests and the kids. Of course, they aren't following suit to my new and improved eating lifestyle, but you know there are those exceptions! Check out Megan's blog above and see her recipe and tutorial!

I found my answers!

2011-10-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite Cookbooks!

So, here lately, I have been trying to reduce refined sugars and flours into my baking and still create fun and festive treats for gatherings and celebrations. Well, I happened to stumble across

Elana Amsterdam's blog called Elana's Pantry and immediately ordered two of her books off of Aamazon! There are amazing recipes with whole and natural foods, and even low sugar frostings!! I have only yet begun to experiment with this little book of gold, but visit her blog and just take a peek and be open to TRY something new!

Healthier Cupcake Home run!

2011-09-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Thumbs Up Vanilla Cupcakes

.....No refined flour or granulated sugar

Well this attempt at making a healthier cupcake was a hit with my "tasters"! The kids said things like, "they taste like a Krispy Kreme Donut"! and "two thousand thumbs up mom!". This was a modified recipe from another of Alicia Silverstone's Vegan recipes in her Kind Diet cookbook. Mine aren't Vegan once the frosting hit the top, but that isn't my objective. I really just want to limit chemicals, GMO ingredients, refined sugars and increase fiber and protein in my baking. I spoke of "layers" to these things in my last post, and really this isn't the top tier of what can be done....but again, I am considering several recipes for specific audiences and compromises.

Below are what they looked like out of the oven.....

Here is my modified version of the recipe:

Healthier Vanilla Cupcakes 350 15 min for the tiny cuppies, adjust for larger ones

2/3 C organic almond milk

1 t organic apple cider vinegar

(these two ingredients are combined first off and allowed to set for a few minutes until the mixture bubbles a little......don't ask me why, that was in the initial recipe and I figured it was to create a kind of buttermilk affect...I like the idea of the apple cider vinegar in it anyway, so I kept it)

1/2 c organic agave nectar

1/3 c grape seed oil (you certainly could substitute a safflower or other)

2 t pure vanilla extract

1- 1/3 cup organic, non bleached white-wheat flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking SODA (non aluminum added)

pinch of fine sea salt

mix the milk and the vinegar in the bowl first, allow to set while you gather other ingredients. Add all the wet to the mix, begin to mix..combine all your dry ingredients and add until mixed. Pour into cupcakes liners and bake.

My frosting was a mix of organic low fat cream cheese, some organic confectioner's sugar and 3 T of organic skim powdered milk to increase the protein/sugar ratio even higher. The little pumpkins were make with my rollable cream cheese frosting with a green sprinkle as the stem. Which by the way I picked out of an assorted bottle of sprinkles! haha My goal is to try and lose the confectioner's sugar in making frosting and I have a few ideas on the horizon.....those are coming soon.

Here's how the kids got to take them to school in their lunches today!

Well, I need to get prepared for a few new parties I have planned here on the horizon....I have had back surgery this month and am still on orders to "take it easy" so I am gonna have to do things on a much smaller scale than normal, but still plan on pouring on some creativity, so visit again for whatever inspiration I can come up with next! Thanks for viewing.

First attempt!

2011-09-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

Let's at least try!

So I am trying to come up with ways to make healthier choices in my life and for my kids. In this effort, I have become determined to try and explore some recipes avoiding bleached out refined flours and sugars as much as possible and to try and keep chemicals, preservatives and genetically modified foods out of the mix. I even purchased some natural food color made from vegetables.

I have poured over several healthy style cookbooks and made myself a list of cookie, cupcake and frosting recipes to work with, make substitutions for and see what I can come up with. Basically, what I realized is, there are gonna be "layers" to how much compromise I may need to take for a specific look, event or even considering a specific audience. There are some super great, totally healthy drop cookie recipes full of fiber and protein and yummy whole grain spice cupcakes that are on the top of the charts packed with whole grains and organic natural sweeteners, but for the "decorated sugar cookie" thing I am famous for out here in these parts.....I am really still

just working on it!

These cutie little pumpkins are my first attempt at avoiding refined sugars and flours in the cookie recipe. Of course any rollable frosting you can decorate with is where the compromise has to come in. Store bought fondant is basically high fructose corn syrup---hands down. But of course it gives us the prettiest and easiest results. There are gonna be times I gotta cave and use it! Here for this experimental batch though, I chose my rollable cream cheese frosting with organic low fat cream cheese and organic confectioner's sugar. (fyi the low fat didn't work as well as the regular)

The verdict on the cookie recipe.....ahh didn't get the highest of thumbs up from my "testers". I had chosen to use some garbanzo bean flour to increase the protein in the cookie, and really it left an after taste...so that goes bye bye for the "sugar cookie" experiment. But, I did use some other organic whole grain flours and organic brown rice syrup, and I think there may be a way I can keep those in the next trial batch. Instead of butter, I chose an organic coconut oil. And even though coconut oil is a saturated fat, it isn't getting the bad results as animal saturated fats on how our body processes it. These of course are just my findings in my readings and research. I will post the recipe below that I tried out just for you to see what I did use. It is a modified version of a vegan recipe I found in Alicia Silverstone's book

The Kind Diet.

Rollable SHORTBREAD Cookies 350 10 min

(Alicia Silverstone’s recipe modified)

1 c pastry flour, I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour with garbanzo bean flour

1 c organic, non bromated, non bleached white wheat flour

1 c organic brown rice flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 c "Olivio" extra virgin Coconut Spread

2/3 c organic brown rice syrup

2 t pure vanilla

1 t fine sea salt

put wet ingredients in mixer, combine and add in dry, make dough into ball, chill, roll, cut and bake.

In the end, the garbanzo bean flour in the gluten free all purpose flour held an after taste so I wouldn't use that again in a "sugar cookie", but would still consider it for some other things that have many more layers of spices and flavors. I also would substitute something else for the coconut oil, since that too held a strong flavor presence. I am going to try the Earth Balance organic spread next.

SO attempt number ONE! They weren't "horrible" and I really enjoyed them BEFORE I added the frosting, just because I personally didn't want to eat the sugar in the frosting. SO I bake on.......

Take It Outside!

2011-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Let's Go Outside!

During the height of my party planning business, RSVP's, I was commissioned to plan a birthday celebration at the host's house. Since their yard was so spacious and scenic, I brought our indoor outdoor and I set up a lovely atmosphere that had a sense of nature and the space around it, but still had enough intimacy that family and friends could mingle and enjoy the time together. Our host insisted on the understated without a lot of fanfare so I chose some elements found in nature like rocks, greenery, water and lanterns placed about that really gave off a nice touch of glow as it darkened outside.

These umbrellas were a Costco find and stood alone on beautiful natural (and very heavy!) marble stands. I placed them in between table areas to tie the space together and allow the full use of the top of the tables.

This simple gazebo was an inexpensive find at Big Lots for under $50. It has proven itself for many a gathering time and time again. You may have seen it's skeleton take shape at my indoor wine party draped with white sheers. I have even used the poles draped with sheers and florals for a romantic bench seating area alongside the dance floor at an outdoor wedding. I have also hung sheers as side panels to create an intimate outdoor lunch space with the tables underneath. Some "twisty ties" and a little creativity can really get you far!

Inside the tent I hung this very versatile candelabra with tiny glass lanterns and candles. I set the ring with some natural greenery to play off of the outdoor theme. I have put grapes in this at my indoor wine party, pumpkins in this......oh so many things. It can set as a table centerpiece if the the chain is removed and then candles placed on the perimeter of the circle. I love to reinvent and reuse the things I already have!

These glass vases are my most used most versatile element of event styling! I purchased a case from the dollar store and then some varying sizes from Big Lots that matched the design well. You will see them reappear in almost all of my parties. I have covered them in matching wrapping paper as a centerpiece, have filled with with food coloring and water to add punch of color to a table, and used them as floral vases, wrapped ribbon around them and even submerged a stack of golf balls in them for the Father's Day tablescape!

No Excuses

2011-09-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I know, I know. It just has to be done.

Healthy Pie? yes!

2011-09-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

No bake, No Sugar, No Flour....

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I have revamped, and tested out a peanut butter and chocolate pie with rave reviews! There are no refined sugars or flour. And guess what is has veggies in it too!
(just trust me, will ya?)

It's full of protein, calcium and healthy nuts. A wonderful creamy treat you can feel good about. Give it a try!!

1 Cup Walnuts (preservative free....NOT Diamond Brand)

2 C organic skim milk (or organic no sugar added almond or coconut milk)

1/4 C (NON genetically modified! ) corn starch

1/3 C pure maple syrup

1/4 sea salt (fine)

1 large organic free range Egg

1 large organic free range Egg white

1 T pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup organic baby food squash, sweet potato, pumpkin or white bean puree (just trust me on this!!)

1/2 C organic natural creamy peanut butter

(the less oily kind is better)

1 T pure honey

1T organic dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder

chopped nuts or shaved dark chocolate for garnish (optional)

In a food processor or with a hand chopper, chop your almonds to a mealy consistency and line your pie pan to create a crusty no carb no bake no sugar base. (Nuts are a good source of Omega and healthy oils we need for metabolism and good moods!)

In a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat, whisk together the milk product, cornstarch, maple syrup, salt, baby food puree of your choice, (you are adding nutrients, fiber and protein that will only add nutrition...trust me! I used a pureed white bean and sweet potato mix), egg, egg white and vanilla. Allow the mixture to begin to thicken like pudding, whisking occasionally to avoid lumps. Turn off from heat when boil bubbles begin to form and mixture thickens and is about the consistency of a pudding mix.

While saucepan mix is heating, In a separate bowl, measure out your 1/2 cup of peanut butter, soften in microwave for 30 seconds and add honey, stir well. When stove mixture has thickened, then pour half of the warm saucepan mixture over peanut butter and honey and combine until smooth. Set aside.

Move quickly so this doesn’t begin to harden yet.

Add the tablespoon of cocoa powder to the saucepan of remaining warm mixture and mix that well.

Pour the first layer of chocolate mix onto your crushed walnuts in pie pan. Then pour over the warm peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate layer. MMM smell that!

Add your garnish on top if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 4 hrs or overnight.

Ushering In a New Era.

2011-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Revamp: refurbish, recondition, rehabilitate, overhaul, make over; upgrade,

refit, re-equip; remodel, refashion, redesign,

restyle, give something a facelift, rehab.

My life has been revamped. Here over the last few years, I have lost 50 lbs, taken to a more holistic lifestyle, opened up my life with with yoga and exercise and organic and whole food eating. Really, I am passionate about it all and feel better than ever.

I needed to come up with some ways to incorporate my own essence of being a party planner, a confection maker and generally living out the passions of my life in celebration and design with all life's little details. Here now, I am going to try and marry all these parts of me and usher in this new era. I want to try to revamp recipes, change and make substitutions for unhealthy packaged, processed foods, bleached out flours and sugars and replace party and confection choices to continue to celebrate family, friends, gatherings and holidays with all the flair I love!

So follow with me here on my blog as I start to try out some new products and recipes and new healthier ways to bring it all together. I am excited about all the new possibilities and sharing them with you.

Today I start with my first attempt at redoing my sugar cookie recipe. I switched out bleached white flour for a try at the whole grain gluten free flour, chose a less refined organic sugar and tried out a healthy vegan buttery spread. Still as I am working on some ideas for healthier frostings, I chose to add a bit of organic dark chocolate to finish off. Really there are so many ways I am going to try and stream line this recipe for different diet needs and am looking for organic and healthier ways to add color and flair. But just enjoy some inspiration to begin starting the process of revamping some of your party and confections choices. Below are the cookies I make for Valentine's Day and used some pretty packaging to dress the up. Oh there's so much more to come.....so stick with me! It's gonna be a journey!

Halloween Cupcake Ideas

2011-09-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

Brainstorming Cupcakes!

In an attempt to just play around and get some Halloween treat ideas, I had done some test designs on a few batches of cupcakes in random liners and sizes and frostings. I have used my rolled buttercream on some, homemade marshmallow fondant on others and the store bought frosting hand dipped method you can see here on my blog. In the end, I liked the hand dipped toppers with cute additions the best. But everyone liked trying them out too! Really it was all just practice for me to try and find what I thought I might like. The pictures aren't fancy or all set up, but thought maybe you'd like to share in the evolution of all these ideas.......

The lower pictures here are dipped into melted store bought frosting and then topped off with a little Halloween flair. Really, it is a quick method, tastes great, gives a smooth finish and the ways to decorate them are endless! I have since started collecting fun Halloween sprinkles and candy toppers too, it makes it so easy and such a fun thing for the kids to help out on too. My new goals are to try and find ways to create a healthier cupcake with less sugar but still find ways to add the detail of celebration to them. So get ready for some new inspirations coming soon!

Party Fun Can Be Healthy Too!

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Fun Vegetable and Cheese Trays

For Halloween last year, my daughter and I thought it would be fun to use these plastic pumpkin decorating kits to make some cute and healthy veggie and cheese tray decorations. We used peppers for the veggies, but certainly oranges and apples would be fun for a fruit platter!

I cut carrots with my Pampered Chef veggie cutter.

I used cookie cutters to add Halloween shapes. I made good use of the cheese scraps for the cheese burger sliders on the buffet. I made the eyes above with the small end of a large piping tip. It is helpful to push out the cheese dots to unclog the tip with a toothpick as you work.

See the whole party here

Halloween HOW TO: Goblin Hand Punch Bowl

2011-09-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Halloween Goblin Hand Punch Bowl

I purchased the plastic (no powder) gloves at Dollar Tree and rinsed it out. I added a few drops of green food coloring to the the lemonade I wanted to use for the night of the party so water wouldn't dilute the drink. Fill the glove about 3/4 of the way and then seal with some wrapper clips. I used two and they were very tight. I lay flat in the freezer making sure no fingers were crimped so the icy tips would not break easily.

I served the lemonade very cold so it wouldn't melt the hand quickly and added it last minute right as the party was starting. Below you can see I put a spooky glow to the bowl by adding a light under the punch bowl that I sat in a slightly larger container. I used my iron pot, resembling a witches cauldron. Any LCD light will work, I happen to have one that changed colors for a wonderful affect!

Easy Ghost Cake

2011-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Easy Anyone Can do

Halloween Ghost Cake

Anyone can make this fun festive ghost cake. Here I stacked two vanilla round cakes, one 10" and one 6", each torted with raspberry fill. I frosted with store bought whipped frosting making easy random peaks. I skewered the store bought marshmallow ghosts with wooden grill skewers and placed them randomly over the cake, whipping up a little more frosting to hide the skewers. Adding a few pumpkin marshmallow treats to the bottom edge added some fun color. It's a fun project to try with the kids!

Halloween Tote Bag

2011-09-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Fun Halloween Tote or Trick or Treat Bag

I thought it would be fun to make some totes or trick or treat bags for my kids, their friends and the kids in the neighborhood for the Halloween season. Every Halloween it is such a fun surprise for me to see the kids come to my door trick or treating and recognize the bag!

With their names on it, it is a dead give away of who they are! :)

It is a super simple tote design with just ribbon as the accent and handle. I used some internet down load clip art and inexpensive iron adhesive transfers for the pictures.

Gluten Free Cake

2011-09-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite Cupcake Mix

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cake Mix is my new favorite quick, easy and healthier choice for fun and creative cupcakes.

They come out moist and even though they aren't made with wheat flour, the chocolate taste
is yummy enough to please the kids!

I decorated this batch for fall with my Rollable Cream Cheese Frosting and cut out cute pumpkin shapes from cookie cutters
to surprise the kids with a fun after school snack.

Black and White....and PINK!

2011-09-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Black and White and PINK Cake

I always love this color combination. While recently organizing my party and confection pictures, I realize I have so many creations with this color combo. Really I just have such an affinity for it, and maybe that is why this is one of my all time fav cakes I have made. I was especially proud of my polka dot fondant ribbon. This cake just makes me smile.

Lady Bug, Lady Bug!

2011-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Lady bugs!

My youngest daughter loves lady bugs, so for her birthday she picked out a lady bug theme and I made a big tray full of these charming little cupcakes to bring to her class. They were such a hit with the kids and really so easy. The antennae are flower stamens from floral making and are not edible so I left those off of the ones I sent to the children. I posted this pic to my Flickr account and of all my confection creations these, for some reason, have the most hits I could ever have imagined. They had close to 14,000 hits!

I thought it would be nice to add some other little lady bug things we made. Here are cute little tags for packaging and a fun little tote bag my daughter helped design and sew with me. Except for the iron ons, she made it all herself!

Campin' Out...back yard style!

2011-09-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Campin' Out!

My oldest daughter was turning 15 and the birthday celebration was right around the corner. She really just wanted to hang out with her teen friends this year and stay up late sharing stories and listening to music. Together we came up with this great idea to put a tent in the back yard and have all the girls pile in for some over night fun.

The first thing I like to do when styling a party, is collect all the things I already have to get inspiration and try to come up with a plan. I got all the kids to search the house and bring to the table anything that reminded them of camping! We found fishy table cloths, metal lanterns, an old picnic basket and my youngest daughter contributed her little seedling of a pine tree she has been nurturing.

An old family iron pot with a bird's nest bowl holder and twig theme spoon were a creative
way to display chips and dip

Hamburgs and hot dogs were served up hot from the grill with the fixins on the side

What could be better than s'mores for the fire and how about this

funny little fish cake covered in fondant?

Healthy Orange Ginger Scones

2011-08-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

*Healthy Orange Ginger Scones

I was out and about a few weeks ago buying some coffee in a favorite chain coffee shop and bakery and they had gorgeous ooyey gooey orange scones on display.... continuing on my quest to really keep eating healthier these days, I asked the girl behind the counter for the nutritional breakdown of the scones. Her cute reply was that if they had that on display, no one would ever buy them! We did indeed look up the stats, and really it was no surprise the calories and fat superseded most nutritional recommendations for calories and fat for an entire day!

I was on a quest to satisfy my urge for something to take it's place, so I researched a few sources and gathered some ingredients and came up with this alternative. Really I love them! NOW, they aren't for the picky junk food junkie, they are healthy and full of fiber, but really the orange flavor is delightful and the little pieces of ginger pop in your mouth! If you want to keep them for more than a day, I would add a tablespoon or touch of of a healthy oil like coconut or canola oil to the liquid, but they didn't last in my house very long!

Try my recipe and let me know what you think!

I use as many organic products available

Healthy Orange Ginger Scones
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (I used gluten free, but wheat or reg will work)
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. Polaner All fruit Orange Jelly
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 c. skim milk ( I used almond milk)
3 tbs. cooking oil
1 egg white
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/8 t orange extract
1/4 c. chopped candied ginger

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, and baking powder and ginger. In another bowl, stir together milk, oil and egg white, extracts and jelly. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and stir until just moistened.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 10 times. Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut dough into twelve pieces and transfer to baking sheet

*(I added a tiny glaze of confectioners sugar, orange extract and almond milk to the cooled scones, but only a few tablespoons on all of them)

Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack and serve. Makes 12 servings.

Garden Flower Wedding Cake

2011-08-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Garden Flower Cake

I made this pretty garden flower cake for my friend's end of summer wedding.

It really is one of my all time favorites....

I spent countless hours, months before the wedding researching and practicing how to make different styles and colors of flowers. I had never done anything like this before. My friend asked if I would be open to a strange request....and the idea of these charming pears was brought about! I love them and love the look they create here. I honestly would have never thought of that myself.

An Evening of Elegance and Decadence

2011-08-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Elegance and Decadence

When the time came to host a 40th birthday party for one of my good friends, I decided to try to come up with some kind of theme that represented her personality, her likes and her essence. My friend was so elegant and always had this flair for the sophisticated, so I thought an evening affair lit with candle light would be appropriate....

What other things reminded me of her? Oh she always held a cup of coffee in her hands....she was forever buying that new purse.....and oh all things chocolate were always appreciated.

So here I had it! And evening of Elegance and Decadence wafting in the scent of cafe' mocha.

Scroll down and see how I pulled it off!

I nestled the candles in the centerpieces in fresh aromatic coffee beans to give off not only a lovely warm light, but also encouraged the most wonderful comforting scent from

the fragrant beans!

Wine bottles chilled over a curious glow and ice.

A beautiful display of dipping foods in various sized martini glasses and fresh flowers encircled the decadent chocolate fountain. I only wished I had better pictures to do the night justice, but I was busy and just grabbed a willing helper to snap some quick shots before guests arrived.

I made this chocolate purse cake piece of art totally from scratch and every indulgent piece was completely edible! Homemade chocolate fondant covered a moist chocolate cake with mocha chocolate cream gnash oozing between it's delicious layers! The smell alone was amazing!

What other than a purse cake could be more appropriate? Here I set this sweet little "hand bag" on an entry table that no doubt became quite the conversation piece! Stories were told of a few guests that considered picking up the bag!

Guests could leave with chocolate fondant sugar cookie favors I made especially to mirror the flavors of the evening.

Father's Day

2011-08-28T20:42:00.001-07:00

FATHER'S DAY

My kids and I had a blast coming up with this golf theme for their dad since golfing is one of his fun things to do. We really kind of searched the house for things we had on hand. With the help of a color scheme and some themed stickers, we created a fun table scape for dinner on the deck for dear ol' dad!

These little greens were in the craft section of the dollar store and they reminded me of the greens on the course! I made little marker flags with just a piece of ribbon taped to a tooth pick.

We kind of borrowed some things from dad's golf bag to add to the theme! :)

I just happen to find these little golf ball picks in the grocery store and grabbed them on my way out!

Fiesta!

2011-05-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo is my birthday! So what better way to party than share a Fiesta with friends and family? Just for fun I put out an invitation on Facebook and opened my home's party room to my friends, family and neighbors. It was a wonderful time of great food on the taco bar and fun drinks with a lime "twist". It was an easy fun party to put together. Catering was done by a local burrito bar and I made chocolate cupcakes that were kid friendly too! Enjoy some snapshots for your own inspiration!

Easter

2011-04-23T13:11:00.001-07:00

Here are a few Easter pics and some ideas

for you to enjoy!

A Wine Tasting Party

2011-04-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my 40th birthday, my husband and I hosted a "wine tasting" party at our house. Just prior to my life's notable numbers turning point, we indulged in a few weekends scouting out local wineries, bed and breakfasts and country inns that boasted in their course meals paired with house wines. We tried, tasted and perhaps indulged a bit until we came home with a nice variety of wines to share with our friends on my special day.

I have a birthday coming up here soon, and it seems like that turning point is getting further and further behind me, so share with me and enjoy some snaps of some of my fond memories!

We moved our home furniture around and created some comfy conversation areas in our party room to allow our guests to mingle, try the different wines and taste some of the delicious appetizers I whipped up.

I collected bags and bags of grape vines from yard sales and discount stores so I could share the theme around the house.

April Fool's Day

2011-03-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

April Fool's Day "french fries" went to school with my daughters last year to surprise all 40 of their classmates! We are working on this year's "trick" right now.

Today, we made "ice cream cones"! But shhhh they are really chocolate cupcakes and frosting!

Dealing with the Queen of Hearts

2011-03-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Borrowing the "Queen of Hearts" from the classic tale, Alice in Wonderland, I planned a birthday party for my daughter with no other than the Queen herself making a surprise appearance! I chose bright colors embellished with the scattered theme of hearts everywhere to be found!

I found a large heart ice or gelatin mold at Big Lots discount store and thought I would try my hand at a simple ice sculpture! This was a fun and easy centerpiece!

Below I used a tort pan to make a frozen a shrimp platter, there is a hidden plate under the greenery to house the water drippings.

Face painting and balloon fun with some story telling brought the real joy of a children's party out of the kids!

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-17T10:07:00.001-07:00

Just for fun here today on St. Patty's Day, I picked up a few festive items for dinner and breakfast for the kids. This little Leprechaun cake is surrounded by gold coin chocolates!

Lucky four leaf clover cookies get packaged and sent to school for lunches and friends. Oh Breakfast just wouldn't be right without some green eggs to help mark the occasion! Sometimes it's all aboout just having some fun!

Spring Bridal Shower

2011-03-10T11:01:00.001-08:00

Love is in the air! Spring always brings on excitement when we start to see flowers sneaking up and their colors coming alive, so when a dear friend was getting married, I thought the bridal shower would be warm and fun with flowers and their bright colors bringing the theme together. Inspired by some floral plates I found and like colored napkins, I ran with the flower theme!

Above, I used a bedroom canape' sheer with discount store faux flowers glue gunned to the rim to accent the cake table.

I added more florals with my fondant cake and little flower candies I made from tiny cookie cutters. I was so excited to find these matching cake napkins in similar colors at a discount store!

Party Favors were sugar cookies with my cream cheese frosting toppers.

I cut bread and cucumbers with flower cookie cutters to make cute little tea sandwiches that added just another simple detail to the party.

Tables were set with colorful runners and fresh flowers!

Mardi Gras

2011-03-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Celebrate A First Baby New Orleans Style

Good friends of mine, recently relocated to our area from New Orleans were about to have their first baby girl. What better way to throw a baby shower than with a fun Mardi Gras twist? I wanted the party to show the lovely couple's flair for sophistication, so I chose the traditional colors but used elegant place settings of gold plated china, golden chargers and glass wear accented with festive beads of color! The party was a wonderful hit and the shrimp gumbo to die for! I made the 3 tiered lemon cake to mimic a king cake that hides the baby inside, except here, our little girl takes center stage on the cake, as she sure did upon her arrival! Enjoy my pre-party pics! As always, I hope I can inspire your creativity!

Share The Love, Valentine's Day Cookies

2011-02-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is always full of anticipation for my 4 girls, every year their dad surprises them with little tokens of heartfelt sentiments he creates for each of them, partnered with a sweet chocolate gift. My contribution to my family and friends? Well my cookies of course!

Chinese Themed Baby Shower

2011-02-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

A few years ago a good friend of mine was adopting a baby from China, so it was only appropriate to have her baby shower blinged out with Chinese themed decorations. I thought it would be nice to share pictures on Chinese New Year! This year is the year of the RABBIT!

Chinese New Year Dinner

2011-02-02T10:36:00.001-08:00

Chinese New Year Dinner

Last year we had a wonderful Chinese New Year dinner to send off some friends for mission work in China, it was intimate but festive. Here are some photos to share!!

Valentines Day Dinner

2011-01-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I had a fun family Valentine's Day dinner. I asked the kids to go around the house and find anything that reminded them of Valentine's Day to decorate our dining room with. This is what we came up with! Sometimes, it is just the simple things we enjoy doing together that really create the fun memories.

New Years Eve Fondue

2011-01-18T15:48:00.001-08:00

Every New Year's Eve, we celebrate with Fondue. This year, I lost the pictures I took of the chocolate fountain, the cheese fondue, the shrimp and salmon......and all the fixin's....so these pictures are what I salvaged. But, we had a wonderful time with friends and family as we kicked in the new year with sparkling juice and a gorgeous fireworks display right outside of our back door! Happy New Year!

Christmas COOKIE Exchange

2010-12-09T07:12:00.001-08:00

Every year I put time and care into designing new and intricate cookies for Christmas. I love to share them with friends, so what better way to share the love than with a Christmas Cookie Exchange? I posted the invite to all my Facebook friends and had a wonderful response and gained a great assortment of cookies!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-09T06:44:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving! No matter how cold it is outside, it always seems like such a warm day. Maybe because the oven is on for hours, or maybe because family and friends are just present and relaxed. Thanksgiving presents no stress, no expectations and just a real sense of enjoyment.

I always "gotta" do the cooking on Thanksgiving, there is no meal more rewarding than the stuffed turkey being presented for all to fawn over! I put care and detail into every charger, place setting and agonize over just the perfect centerpiece. All my work reaps abundant rewards with the smiles and full tummies of family and friends! Here, you can enjoy the pics of the fruits of my labor....

Think Pink! Birthday Party

2010-11-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

This year marked my daughter's 11th birthday, however this is only the second party I have ever been able to give her since she has only been adopted a little over a year! She was excited, but we wanted to keep it simple so she wouldn't get too overwhelmed. She is a lover of the color PINK, so we partied in all things pink!

Halloween Super Party!

2010-11-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Super FUN Halloween Party this year! My alter ego plays out in full force with an Open House Halloween party for all 4 of my kid's friends, family and neighbors! There are SO many photos to share so I thought I would just post them randomly for you to enjoy! Lots of cute ideas to inspire you for next year! ENJOY!

Back In Time 50's Birthday Party

2010-10-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

My daughter was really into Elvis a few years ago, so for her birthday we had a big 50's celebration with all the fun music from that period. To my surprise, the kids danced and danced!

I ordered fun decorations off of the internet and tried to make the counter into an old fashioned soda bar. We had root beer and orange floats to order! Of course hamburg, hotdogs and fries were served in red diner baskets!

I mailed all of the girls 50's style poodle skirts with their invitations from Oriental Trading costumes. The boys got cool 50's sunglasses in their invitation box.

The jukebox and Car came from ShindigZ party supply online store.

A Prehistoric Halloween!

2010-10-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

No bones about it......

A few years ago I put together a fun prehistoric Halloween party for my kids and their friends in the neighborhood. A small fire to keep our little cavemen warm also warmed marshmallows on the perfect stick hunted down by our little scavengers.

Treats were made to fill even the biggest dinosaurs!

Hunted down bones made from store bought refrigerated bread stick dough and marinara sauce for dipping were a big hit!

Cookies from a doggie bone cookie cutter were a fun way to enhance the theme. I used a sugar cookie recipe with my rollable cream cheese frosting recipe (see blog for recipe).

I made the girls their costumes from fabric store yardage of animal print fabrics. The girls found fun shell necklaces and dollar store plastic bones for their hair.

Always thinking of my next project, I made fun little tote bags for the girls and some of their friends from the recycled "animal skin" costume fabric!

Frightfully Fun Halloween Cookies

2010-10-09T05:51:00.001-07:00

Fun bewitching Halloween designs are sure to add some glam to your ghoul!

Halloween Decorations...if you dare!

2010-10-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

Decorating for Halloween is so much fun! It is the chance to break the rules, be creative and really pull out the kid fun in you! Every year I mix and match my Halloween decorations with some new inspiration from a magazine or theme idea. Here are some pictures of some Halloween pasts that might inspire you!

Hand Dipped Frosting Method

2010-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Making this cute little pumpkin cupcake is so easy! Hand dipping is a great way to frost cupcakes for a smooth flawless finish and only takes minutes!

I always measure my cupcake batter with a consistent measurer to create uniform cupcakes. This is the small batter scoop from Pampered Chef products. This batch is carrot cake flavor.

I melt the store bought plain frosting in a small crockpot, it keeps it warm and at a constant temperature. You must stir it prior to each dipping. You can not use homemade frosting with this method.
BUT I am working on some new recipes that don't have processed chemicals or preservatives and use less refined sugars to use for hand dipped glazes.....so stick with me for some results soon!

Dip the tops into the melted frosting, twist, hold to drain off excess and then allow to dry!

Decorate your cupcake with any seasonal topper or sprinkles you like!

Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-09-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet Potato Casserole

This Sweet Potato Casserole recipe is a long time family favorite in our house, especially during the fall! A good friend made this when delivering dinner after my first daughter was born, 14 years ago and I have since made it and passed it along to so many others who have loved it and asked for the recipe for themselves. So today I share it with you! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

4-5 sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)

1 c sugar

1/2 c milk

2 t vanilla

1/2 c butter

2 eggs beaten

crumb mix topping (see below)

Boil and mash potatoes, add all other ingredients and blend with an electric mixer until smooth.

Place in casserole dish, add crumb topping and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min

(I like to embellish with cookie cutout pie crust shapes!)

Crumb Mix

1 c brown sugar, 1/3 c butter, 1/2 c flour, and 1/4 c chopped pecans (optional)

Decorating For Fall...

2010-09-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

ENJOY!

I thought I would just share some snapshots of my fall tablescapes and decorations just for fun!