Have you ever visited Confessions of a Cookbook Queen's blog? She is totally hilarious, loves all things pink and sparkley, and creates the most decadent, indulgent, desserts!

A couple weeks ago she posted a recipe that called for Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses and I was shocked to learn such a thing existed.

You heard me… “PUMPKIN SPICE – Hershey KISSES.” See you’re shocked too right?!

One of the reasons we’re both so shocked about this is that they don’t sell them anywhere… except for at Target. At least… that was my experience. I looked at Walmart, Albertson’s, CVS, Michael’s, JoAnne’s… no one had any clue what I was talking about. So then I had to go back to the source and Ms. Cookbook Queen herself informed me that they were where all good things go to hide… at Target.

She was right. There they were. But, Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses were not the only thing I found!

I also found Candy Corn Kisses and even Caramel Apple Kisses.

I had no idea Hershey was branching out like this with their chocolate.

So along with grabbing the Pumpkin Kisses to make the Cookbook Queen’s Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Blossoms, I also just had to buy the Candy Corn ones and figure out something to do with them.

When you don’t know what to bake… bake brownies! Right?!

Who’s with me?

I mean you can never go wrong with brownies.

BAM!

How you like them brownies?!

Oh yeah!

Candy Corn KISSED!

These were so easy to make, they look extra special for fall, they taste fantastic, and you just have to make some!

Thanks Cookbook Queen, for the inspiration! I wish I had taken some pictures of your Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Blossoms that I made, but I literally baked them and dashed off to church with them and they were instantly devoured!

Next time I make them, I promise to get some pictures. And oh yes! There will be a next time.

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So you saw the Thanksgiving Throwdown between Bobby Flay and the Pioneer Woman didn’t you?! Wasn’t that fun?!

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman was the first blog I ever started reading, and her site is what inspired me to start a blog of my own. I even got to meet her once.

I really enjoyed watching the Throwdown the other night on the Food Network. If you missed it, don’t despair, it will be on again several times a day through Thanksgiving weekend. Check your tv guide and set your DVR!

While absolutely everything on the show looked DELICIOUS, and I was whole-heartedly rooting for Team Ree, there was one thing that completely, without question, intrigued me the most… Bobby Flay’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter!!!

I don’t know what it is about Brussels Sprouts, but there is something inside me that wants to love them, and yet I’ve never tasted one that has agreed with my tongue. But this recipe gives me hope.

The tricky part is finding that Pomegranate Molasses! There are still a few bottles available on Amazon.com and you can also try efooddeopt.com. You can also find it in Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you’ve ever seen or purchased this product at a large box store, please leave a comment to let all of us know where we might be able to run out and grab it last minute! I tried both Sprouts and Cost Plus World Market to no avail. But… I did order mine online… it’s coming!

I’m going to give this recipe a shot next week. Here it is…

You know what else looked sooooo good?! Both of the desserts.

Ree made a perfect Pecan Pie with a Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce.

Bobby Flay made a Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicey Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Cream Anglaise.

Check them both out… you’ll be glad you did!

And for any of the other Thanksgiving Feast Throwdown recipes you’d love to try, click here to see them all

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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I’ve seen some amazing cupcakes in my life.

Online I’ve also discovered blogs with incredibly decorated cookies, and wedding cakes, but never before have I seen such mind blowing pancakes.

Until now!

This is Jim, and his daughter Allie. They like pancakes.

Jim makes ‘em…

And Allie gets delighted by them. Then she eats them.

That’s what I would do.

Allie is a smart girl.

And Jim is one talented and creative Dad.

When it comes to pancakes… Jim is my hero!

Something you should also know about Jim is that he isn’t just an amazingly creative pancake engineer, he’s also extremely generous.

On his website you will find a wealth of tools, recipes, tips, and tricks, so that you too can become a breakfast super hero. Several of his posts even contain instructional videos.

See, with Jim’s instructions and brilliant idea of using squeeze bottles of food colored pancake batter, I believe I could actually create something like this.

or this…

or this…

And with some practice, maybe even this.

But…

Never this.

This will be left to brilliant, talented, creative Jim. My pancake hero.

Get on over to Jim’s Pancakes and have a look around.

And be sure to “like” his Facebook page so you never miss a pancake!

Is it breakfast yet? I’m getting hungry.

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What kid doesn’t like pudding right?!

Heck… what PERSON doesn’t like pudding?! I love it!

So, last week the kids and I had our first go at making homemade pudding pops.

At my house there are far more fans of Vanilla than Chocolate, but we mixed up a batch of both flavors to experiment with.

And for this activity the Vanilla is certainly much more fun to work with because…

You can add food coloring to it and make all kinds of fun colors.

Except for purple.

See that cup in the bottom right hand corner?

That was supposed to be purple, but no matter what ratio of blue and red food coloring I tried, I just couldn’t get the shade I was striving for. I guess because of the original yellowy base, the end result stayed far more in the realm of a weird taupe brown color, than a purple.

Oh well.

I’m not a huge fan of purple anyway.

It would have nicely completed our rainbow of colors though.

Next time I might try this with a White Chocolate pudding so I can start with a white base.

Anyhow… moving on…

My original intent was to make beautiful stripey pudding pops like this which I’ve seen on a few different websites and blogs.

This one was intended to be patriotic, but again… no white pudding.

Because of the lack of white in this one, it actually reminds me more of Dr. Seuss than our flag.

Which is fine… I like Dr. Suess.

I like him A LOT.

(I just watched Dumb and Dumber on TV last night. I totally said that statement in my head as I typed it, just like Jim Carey… in case you care.)

The Rainbow Pop.

See now in this picture the purple does actually look purple.

Not too bad.

This is cute, but it really is trickier than it looks to create these lines.

It takes a very steady purposeful hand not to drip and slop and accidentally ding your spoon against the insides of the cup.

This was my 8 year old son’s effort to make a rainbow pop.

It really is pretty tricky and it takes more patience and focus than you plan for as you begin.

This one would have looked really cool if we had swirled it a little with a toothpick and gave it more of a tie-dyed look.

And instead of topping his with purple, he went for a stripe of chocolate.

Good decision.

It turns out that Vanilla pudding pops are not as delicious as Vanilla pudding. The taste gets a bit dull when frozen and really needs some chocolate with it to make it worth eating. In fact I recommend a lot more chocolate mixed in to each pop than just the stripe seen above.

But that’s also just my adult opinion.

The kids could care less.

They loved these things.

But kids taste buds and food interests are weird. Anything bright and colorful and sweet excites them. My kids like to eat ice cream cones topped with magical marshmallows.

When we try this again I think I’ll do it with food coloring and Vanilla Ice Cream instead of pudding. We already know how good ice cream tastes frozen.

So after we realized how tricky creating smooth lines was, the rest of the pops went something more like this.

Little bit of this, little bit of that, glob here, splat there, spoonful of some more here.

The kids didn’t care about the stripes. They just loved all the colors and getting to play with their food.

We all really had a lot of fun doing this together.

And you’ll notice once again, I do let my kids get messy with food… but I demand it takes place outside.

That’s just how I roll.

We had a variety.

Popped in the sticks…

Put a cookie sheet full of pops in the freezer…

And the next day there was a fun fight about who got to eat my perfect looking rainbow one.

For more amazing, fun, creative popsicle ideas, you and your kids can enjoy this summer, and for years to come, check out this neat popsicle book.

And tell me…

How has your summer been going?

What kind of fun have you and your family been having?

Please… link your Summer Family Fun posts below.

If you’re new, you can check out these guidelines first.

I can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to!

Linked to: I’m Lovin’ It Fridays @ TidyMom, Check Me Out Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up PartyCraft School Sunday

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Everyone knows that part of the FUN of going to the Fair is the Food.

Fair food tantalizes all the senses with the amazing displays to draw you closer, the wonderful smells to get you hungry, the sounds of “mmmm” and “ahhhhh” as people sip, lick, and chew on what they’ve purchased, and the explosion of taste when you finally decide on a little something for yourself.

Everything about Fair Food is FUN!

Everywhere you look there is some kind of incredible edible to behold.

And just when as you begin to truly, truly salivate over all the delicious choices…

You run into something like this.

What is going on in this world?!

Here’s something that seemed to be a big new item this year…

Deep Fried Butter.

No… not something deep fried in butter. We’re talking a stick of butter, covered in batter, deep fried, and served up on a plate covered in whipped creme and chocolate sauce.

And then there was this…

I’m sorry. I can’t even comment. There just aren’t words…. except for maybe one…

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Phew.

Glad that’s over.

Suddenly I’m not hungry anymore and I’m not sure I ever will be again.

Okay… things are just getting down right completely out of hand.

Let me take you back to the good stuff.

Ahhhhhhh…

Cool. Sweet. Refreshing. No oil involved.

Though Fair Food is a lot of Fun, it doesn’t come cheap.  I’ve developed some strategies over the years to help me stay on budget when taking my family to the Fair that still allows me to enjoy every bit of what I want.

It’s tempting to want to come to the Fair and plan on tasting everything, but unless you have money to burn, I suggest eating before you come and bringing plenty of your own snacks and water from home. This way you can plan to spend food money on a single meal, like dinner, and a single snack such as an afternoon appetizer or a late night treat.

Trying to pay for a family of five like mine to eat a couple full meals, plus snacks and drinks whenever someone gets thirsty or hungry, would seriously break the bank.

Last week on our excursion to the San Diego County Fair we ate breakfast and lunch at home and then piled in the car and got to the Fair around 2pm. I threw a bunch of bottles of water in the bottom basket of our stroller and I filled a grocery bag with Animal Cookies, Granola Bars, Fruit Rolls, Pringles, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.

Everyone was welcome to snack as they pleased as we meandered amongst the rides, games, farm animals, and exhibits and at about 7pm everyone was ready for some actual dinner.

My hubby and my 8 year old decided on some really yummy French Bread Pizza. It was $9.00 for the plate, but there were four large pieces, enough for both of them.

My four year old and one year old are both very plain and picky eaters. They didn’t want anything from the Fair for their dinner, but were both thrilled to eat the Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches I had made and brought with us.

And then it was my turn…

What oh what shall I choose???

Tempting.

Interesting.

Perfect!

I had a giant stuffed baked potato filled with chicken, salsa, sour creme, chives, cheese, and topped with slices of fresh avocado.  I nearly choked when the cashier said that for the potato and a small soda my total was $11.50, but after I took that first bite, every bit of remorse melted away. That potato was soooooooo good! And that ice cold sweet soda hit the spot after drinking only water all day.

As I walked around the Fair, eating my potato, completely happy with my dinner decision, I realized that in total I had only spent $20.50 on food purchases. Our whole family had eaten dinner, consumed plenty of snacks brought from home, and were fully hydrated from drinking water all day. No one was hungry. Everyone was content. And I still had plenty of spending money in my pocket for the night ahead full of rides, games, and some kind of treat.

Not too bad. Not too bad at all.

I felt even better when I meandered past another Potato stand that was charging $7.50 for just the potato and $1.00 for every topping you wanted to add to it. I had gotten the better deal and that right there is a good tip…. At the Fair there are often several different stands that sell the same kind of food, but with varying portion sizes and prices. Shop around a bit before you commit.

Check out the bottom three potato toppings in far right column, in the above picture. If you’re the person who chooses those toppings for your potato, please leave a comment on this post and tell me where in the world you were raised and by who.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Excuse me.

I wasn’t expecting that to happen again. I’m done. I’m moving on.

So when the night gets late and you’re done with all of the rides and games and you begin to meander toward the exit, a funny thing happens.

Certain concessions begin calling out to you. Certain smells begin reeling you in, and you realize… “Hey! I’m pretty sure I’m starving.”

There are plenty of sweet treats to be had at the Fair. They are available on every corner.

But, for me, there is no difficult decision to be made.

For me, there is only one final treat of the night to be had when at the Fair.

Oh baby!

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

This is a Mexican Funnel Cake.

If you’ve never had one, you haven’t lived.

It’s the best fried food on the planet and it’s big enough to feed your whole family.

It’s a Funnel Cake, but instead of the typical batter you’re used to, it’s churro batter drizzled and deep fried in oil to a crispy perfection, and rolled in cinnamon and sugar just like your favorite fresh hot churro. But then it is covered in strawberries and whipped creme. I prefer to eat mine without the drizzle of chocolate seen in the picture above, but that’s just me. You do what you gotta do.

The sign said, “Serves two” and this fresh hot delicacy will set you back $11.00 for one plate, but like I said, it fed all five of us. It fed all five of us very, very,well, and made us very, very, happy!

While Fair food can be pricey, a lot of the portions are big enough to share and the flavors rich enough to make you want to give some of what you have, away. In total that day we spent $31.50 to feed our family of five and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite!

We chose a “Kids get in FREE day” and bought $3 admission tickets for my husband and I at Albertson’s before coming. All the rest of our small Fair budget was able to be spent on rides and games. It was a FANTASTIC DAY!

It you haven’t been to the Fair in a while you should find out when one is coming to your county, and go.

And if you’ve never had a Mexican Funnel Cake… I’m sorry. You should fix that. Right away. And don’t just take my word for it…

The Food Network rated Mexican Funnel Cakes as the #1 Fried Food at the Fair.

Get thee to the FAIR! And bring some money for the food.

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I simply ran across these brilliant ice cream cones at Walmart this week and HAD TO SHARE them with YOU!

They are like regular good ol’ drumsticks but with this special little touch just for kids!

Magical Marshmallows! You know like the ones from that cereal that is “Magcially Delicious!”

And come on…

We all know that the only thing magical or delicious about that cereal is the marshmallows!

These ice cream cones are brilliant for two reasons…

1. Now we can all stop throwing away entire boxes of cereal once our kids have picked out what they are really after… the marshmallows.

2. We can all stop pretending we agree that marshmallows are part of this morning’s complete breakfast.

If you have kids like me, you are already standing up to cheer and say, “Yes! Brilliant! It’s about time someone found something else to do with those awesome Marshmallows my kids love besides stick them in that icky cereal my kids don’t love!”

My kids beg me for THAT cereal all the time and without fail, every time I buy it, all they really want to do is pick out the marshmallows and ditch the tasteless, wheaty, cereal pieces.

So now the Magical Marshmallows have found their rightful place, not in breakfast… but in a treat… an ice cream treat!

I’m lovin’ this!

And P.S. my kids LOVE THEM TOO!

They went crazy when I brought home the box, and all three of them gave me a big thumbs up yesterday afternoon when they ate them.

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I’d rather eat Peanut M&Ms over any other edible option available on this planet.

Seriously.

I LOVE them.

So when I discovered a way to make a birthday cake using my favorite food… I knew that was the cake for me!

The other delicious candies needed for this barrel cake are KitKats.

And you need A LOT of them!

When I was at the store buying my M&Ms, I found this snack pack of KitKats.

Perfect I thought!

Lots of KitKats in one pack.

Just what I need!

But when I started to line them up next to my cake…

I realized…

Those snack pack KitKats aren’t the same as the real thing.

They come up a bit short.

So, I had to quickly run back out to the nearest drug store and buy several good ol’ original KitKats.

You see?

Big difference!

And for this cake, if you want to make it two layers high, you’re going to want the standard size KitKat.

Ahh.

See?

That’s what we’re goin’ for.

Because after we’ve stacked our two layers of cake and frosted the whole thing, we’re going to start lining up the KitKats all the way around the edge to make a barrel.

Ta-da!

And now, even with two layers of cake, frosting in between, and frosting on top, we have this nice  KitKat edge sticking up to hold all of our precious, wonderful, delicious M&Ms.

This part is so fun.

Get your kids involved… they’ll LOVE IT!

Go ahead…

Let loose!

Pile those babies on!

Just like this!

Make sure every bit of frosting is covered and all you can see on top are M&Ms, M&Ms, M&Ms, and more M&Ms.

Now that is one serious birthday cake!

But wait…

It could use a bit of a decorative touch… just to really make it pop!

I wrapped three pieces of ribbon around the barrel and tied them in a knot.

I turned the knot to the back of the cake.

On the front side where the ribbon is flat and smooth, I snuck in six smaller pieces of curled ribbon.

I didn’t tie them or fasten them in any way.

I just threaded them through and let them hang.

And then, right in the middle, in between my curly ribbons, I stuck on the sparkly “Happy B-day” tag that I found at Hallmark.

Clearly you could do all kinds of fun things to finish off the cake with cloth ribbon, bows, tags, etc.

The next time I do this I want to wrap my cardboard disc under the cake, in fun matching wrapping paper instead of boring foil.

You all are so creative I’m sure you’ll come up with all kinds of AMAZING variations!

I got this idea from Texas Monkey’s Blog. You must stop by and see all the different variations she’s done using all kinds of different candy, cookies, fruit, and even flowers. These cakes are perfect for any celebration or holiday, and anyone can make them.

And… what makes this kind of cake SO SPECIAL, is customizing it for the recipient with their favorite treats!

Can you imagine someone showing up at your door with a cake like this on the morning of your birthday?

I’d set it on my counter and eat off of it all day like a candy dish.

Then I’d cut into it at night and share it with my family.

Oh I don’t mind sharing the cake… but it’s a lot more of a struggle for me to share the Peanut M&Ms.

Demolished!

The whole cake really looks insane with all that candy, but when you cut a slice, it’s really not as CRAZY as it seems.

Just a simple piece of cake with a few M&Ms and 1/2 a KitKat.

Most kids eat waaaaaay more sugar than that at parties where there are pinatas, treat bags, candy bowls, ice cream, cookies, soda, and cake involved.

Here’s What You Need…

- 1 Box Favorite Cake Mix

- 2 Tubs Favorite Cake Frosting

- 1 JUMBO size bag of Peanut or Plain M&Ms

- 14 Regular Sized KitKats (I’d buy a couple extra just in case some break, get dropped, etc.)

- Decorative Ribbon and embellishments

Directions

- Prepare Cake according to box directions in two separate 8 inch round cake pans

- While baking, cut out a cardboard disc to set cake on and cover it in foil or decorative wrapping paper – Make sure the disc is at least an inch larger all the way around than your cake

- Place one baked layer of the cake on the covered cardboard disc and cover it in frosting

- Place second layer on top and frost entire cake

- Break KitKats into two piece sticks and place side by side around the entire outer edge of the cake

- Fill the top of the cake and KitKat barrel with Peanut or Plain M&Ms – Pile it high!

- Decorate the outside of the KitKat barrel with ribbon and embelishments

- Refrigerate cake until time to serve

- Enjoy!

This cake is linked to: I Made it Monday, Making the World Cuter, It’s So Very Creative, Made By You Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Made My Me Monday, Get Your Craft on Tuesday, Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Show Off Your Stuff Party, Look At Me, Tatertots and Jello, Check Me Out Saturday

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]]> http://www.mommytopics.com/food/mms-barrell-cake/feed 43 http://www.mommytopics.com/parenting/customized-party-ideas-super-mario-lego-star-wars-miffy-red-riding-hood-and-more http://www.mommytopics.com/parenting/customized-party-ideas-super-mario-lego-star-wars-miffy-red-riding-hood-and-more#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:20:02 +0000 admin http://www.mommytopics.com/?p=178

April is a CRAZY birthday month in my life. My husband, his father (who we live with), my daughter, and myself all have birthdays in April. There are even more April birthdays in my extended family.

A few years ago my oldest son wanted a Lego Star Wars theme for his birthday. The only problem was that there weren’t any Lego Star Wars party products on the market at that time. I had to improvise.

I bought Star Wars action figures and stuck them on a store bought cake.

For the Lego part, I bought Lego candy from the mall candy store, and stuck the pieces on store bought cupcakes.

Not super impressive, but it worked for him.

Another year my son wanted a Super Mario birthday theme. More specifically, he had just gotten the game, Mario Galaxy for Wii, and he asked for a Mario Galaxy birthday party.

Great.

Another theme request for which there were no party products in the stores.

So once again… I improvised.

I made those Mushroom cupcakes myself. Yep. I did. I can do cupcakes.

Now when it comes to layered cakes… that’s another story. I’m not there yet due to lack of counter space… and patience.

The cake itself was an Albertson’s signature cake that I ordered. It was supposed to be a Dora Magical Mountain cake or something like that, but it totally reminded me of the worlds in Mario Galaxy.

So… I ordered it, and asked the decorators to leave off the characters.

Then at home I found Mario characters on Google Images and printed them, pasted them to cardstock, cut them out, taped them to toothpicks, and stuck them in the cake.

I also piped some frosting eyes on the star shaped candles, to make them look like stars from the Mario games.

Now looking at this picture, I realize the only star I got right with the eyes, was the top one. Ooops! Oh well… no one noticed at the time.

It was good enough for a little boy’s birthday party.

Now…

Do you want to see a SERIOUS custom Mario cake?

Prepare yourself.

This is a Mario Kart Wedding Cake.

Incredible right?!

I cannot get over the beauty…

the perfect whimsy…

the magnificent details…

Just incredible!!!

This completely edible masterpiece was brilliantly designed and sculpted by Beth from Let Them Eat Cake in Costa Mesa, California. More fabulous photos of this cake, the wedding, and hand sculpted bride and groom Miis, are available for viewing on the Bride and Groom’s Flickr page.

And check out these AMAZING Mario and Luigi cookies made recently by my friend Amanda at iambaker.

I don’t know why I only think about decorating sugar cookies at Christmas time. This is such a great way to incorporate a sweet treat into a party theme.

Aren’t they FANTASTIC?!

My son would have gone crazy over having these at his party! Amanda makes all kinds of amazing goodies, and has done several beautiful cookie sets to match event invitations and decor. When you get done here, hop on over to her blog and have a look. She provides a whole lot of inspiration for making parties and important occasions, special and personalized, with custom treats.

For the Mario Galaxy party I did for my son, not only did I improvise on the cake, but I also improvised with the party ware.

I found that great party hat at my local party store, and once again using Google Images I printed a Mario pic, cut him out, and glued him on.

And for the plate… I’m getting to that.

Here are some examples of the several I’ve made.

The possibilities are endless.

If you can print it, you can make it into a character plate.

I’m thinking of using this slightly doctored pic of Papa for his birthday plates next year.

Perfect don’t ya think?

Happy Birthday Papa Norge! Grrrrrrrrrr!!! We are vikings!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

And I would love to do some custom plates for a fairytale themed party for my daughter.

These photos are from Puddin Pop Designs Blog. She created an incredible custom Little Red Riding Hood Party for her daughter, complete with custom costumes, pinata, decorations, desserts, guest book, A Walk to Grandmother’s house game, and more. You name it, she made it. You’ve got to go read about the details and see all of her pictures. I just LOVE this idea, and she told me her daughter is already asking for a Goldilocks and the Three Bears party for next year. I can’t wait to see what brilliant things she comes up with for that one.

Here’s a plate I made for my youngest’s first birthday.

Miffy was his favorite character at the time but I couldn’t find Miffy party supplies anywhere. There were all kinds of things available online, but they all needed to be shipped from Sweden or Japan where Miffy is much more popular, and I couldn’t stand to put money out for the crazy shipping costs.

So what did I do?

You got it!

Once again… I improvised.

And here’s how you can too!

Here’s the trick.

You buy your colored plates, and you buy the same size set of clear plates.

With a good color printer, print out any images you need for your theme.

This is where your imagination can really run wild.

You can go so far beyond kids birthday parties with this, using personal photos to celebrate family reunions, sweet 16 parties, Anniversary plates made from a wedding photo, hilarious pictures of friends or relatives, birth announcements for baby showers, … sky’s the limit!

If you can print it, you can plate it!

I like to use a cake plate as my tracing template for the image that will go onto a dinner plate. It’s a great size.

Use a clear cake plate so you can see your image through it, and determine exactly where you want to place it on your image.

Using a pen, marker, pencil, crayon… whatever… trace the plate to create the circular image.

Cut out the circle, and then using a glue stick on the backside of the paper, give the image a light coating of glue, making sure to put glue particularly all the way around the edge. Then stick it to the center of one of the colored plates.

Next apply some glue just to the bottom round edge of a clear dinner plate.

Attach the clear dinner plate to the colored plate.

And there you go!

A clean, smooth, shiny, FABULOUS, custom dinner plate.

Of course you could follow the same steps and create custom cups too, but I’ve never bothered to take it that far. Regular party cups and napkins that match your color scheme work just fine.

Taking advantage of available store bought products that match your theme and colors, and mixing them with custom elements you’ve created, offers the best of both worlds for parties with ease and originality.

For popular character themed cupcake toppers and much more, check out my online store. Every purchase made there helps my family financially with a commission, and we appreciate your business SO MUCH!

And by the way… they have now made Mario and Luigi party supplies available. I have them for sale in my store here.

Party on!

(This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Somewhat Simple, Frugalicious Friday, TidyMom, Trendy Treehouse, Metamorphosis Monday, Made it Monday, The Girl Creative, DIY Project Parade 10, Motivate Me Monday, Craft Schooling Sunday, It’s So Very Cheri, Making the World Cuter, Made By You Monday, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Talented Tuesday, DIY Day, Boardwalk Bragfest, What You’re Workin’ With Wednesday, A Little Creative Therapy, Blue Cricket Designs, Penny Pinching Party, Look What I Made, Make It Yours Day, Fun to Craft, Tatertos and Jello)

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]]> http://www.mommytopics.com/parenting/customized-party-ideas-super-mario-lego-star-wars-miffy-red-riding-hood-and-more/feed 42 http://www.mommytopics.com/food/lemon-dream-cream-cake http://www.mommytopics.com/food/lemon-dream-cream-cake#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:14:41 +0000 admin http://www.mommytopics.com/?p=166

This cake WILL change your life!

Seriously.

It will.

Part of why it will change your life is because it is so easy to make.

It starts off with a box mix like this one.

Yeah yeah I know… so it’s not completely from scratch. Let’s not be cake snobs.

No one will ever know you didn’t slave over this thing for weeks in a 17 step process.

They’ll think you ordered this from some exquisite authentic Italian bakery and when you ever so modestly let it slip that you made it yourself…

Well…

You just wait and see what the reaction will be.

Yep.

I told you.

This cake is going to change your life.

It’s also going to change the lives of those you serve it to.

Follow the directions on the back of the store bought cake mix box, and bake accordingly.

Once your cake comes out of the oven and has cooled, transfer it to whatever lovely serving dish you would like to present it on; preferably one with an upturned edge like you see in the picture above.

Now the fun begins.

You get to poke your freshly baked cake with a fork… like this.

All over.

Everywhere.

Go crazy.

You have my permission to play with your food.

Just don’t tear it.

The more holes you make, the more portals available for yummy, drippy, sweet, creamy, goodness to seep through.

We are in fact going to add some of our very own ingredients now.

This is what will make this cake our own.

And this is what will make our cake a DREAM.

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 whole can Evaporated Milk

1 whole can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Stir it all together. It makes about 3 cups of goodness.

Now if you thought poking this cake with a fork was fun, check this out.

You get to pour the milky goodness ALL OVER.

Well…

All over the cake anyway.

Here’s a tip:

You’ll tend to want to pour a whole lot of cream in the center because that’s where you’ll feel safe. When you get over near the edges you’ll start to freak out and lose faith in yourself worried that you’re pouring too much OVER the edges. This will create a super soggy cake in the middle and a super dry cake around the edges. With this kind of cake people who receive an edge piece will not get the delicious unique experience we’re trying to go for here, and people who get a middle piece will think you went a bit overboard with the soaking.

That’s not what we want.

What we want is a super even distribution of liquid over the entire cake. So don’t worry so much about the middle. By all means cover the middle, but that part is easy… the cream will get there.

Put extra thought and focus into wetting those edges.

Just pour slow, take your time, and try to pour the cream not past, not behind, but right into the edges of your cake.

This is what we’re going for.

Creamy Lemony Dreamy Deliciousness.

And see…

A milk moat.

It’s perfectly normal.

Don’t worry.

You’ll see.

Just make sure those edges, center, and entire cake are good and soaked with the ENTIRE 3 cups of dreamy creamy.

Now place the whole thing in the fridge to chill.

When you pull it back out, that moat will be gone! The Lemon cake will have soaked it right up.

See.

No more moat.

Just a leftover creamy glisten, reminding you, you have made something wonderful.

Something special.

Now we’re going to cheat with some store bought stuff again.

To make the topping add 3/4 cup store bought Lemon Frosting to 1 and 3/4 pints of Cold Heavy Whipping cream.

Also add 3 tbsp Sugar.

Whip it on low until it gets thick enough not to splash all over your kitchen and then crank it up to full power and watch the magic happen.

There is just something so fun about watching liquidy cream turn into fluffy whipped goodness like this!

This is such a fun recipe… the whole thing!

Cheating with store bought ingredients, fork poking, cake soaking, cream whipping.

You must try this!

So here’s my yummy bowl of whipped lemon topping, next to my cream soaked lemon cake, on a perfect Spring day with family.

Get out your spreader and start-a-spreadin’.

Don’t be shy now.

Remember we gave up on our fear of edges hours ago.

And here it is.

Lemon  Dream Cream Cake.

I made it up, so I get to name it and I say you have to say the DREAM part when everyone asks you,

“What on earth is this miraculous creation?”

And trust me… they’ll ask.

It’s always nice to give everyone a little hint about the tastes they’ll soon encounter by putting a couple of little lemon slices on the top.

Makes it look pretty too.

Then just serve it up and dig in!

This cake also tastes amazing after it’s been in the fridge a while.

I served it up immediately after making it today, but you can make all of it ahead of time and then put it in the fridge. When you pull it out for your guests, it will knock their socks off.

Adding that lemon frosting to the whipping cream creates a topping that tastes and feels like whipped cream, but when you chill it, it sets up like icing.

The only thing I wouldn’t recommend with this cake is leaving it out for any length of time. It tastes best chilled and it stays together best chilled. Remember, you’re dealing with a whole lot of milk and cream here. And if you somehow forget that…

The cake will remind you.

Look close.

Can you see the milky goodness?

This is when it’s as cold as can be.

If you let this creamy dream sit out on the table for too long, you’ll start to have a creamy puddle.

Keep it cool.

Then it’s perfect.

It’s moist, sweet, lemony, and wonderful.

Serve it up with some great coffee and you will have VERY happy people in your midst.

Here’s What You Need…

Lemon DREAM Cream Cake

Serves 12

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix Prepared – Recommended Duncan Hines Super Moist Brand

3/4 cup Lemon Frosting – Recommended Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme

1 can evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 pints heavy whipping cream divided (1/4 cup for soaking and the rest for topping)

3 tablespoons sugar

- Prepare cake according to box directions, and set aside to cool.

- Flip cooled cake out onto serving platter. Platter should preferably have turned up edges to help trap liquid.

- Using a fork make multiple punctures all over the surface of the cake including along the tops of the edges.

- Mix 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream in pitcher or measuring cup with pouring spout.

- Pour entire contents of milk and cream mixture evenly over the surface of the cake making sure to soak the edges as well as the center. Set cake in fridge to chill and set.

- Prepare whipped topping by mixing remainder of heavy whipping cream (1 and 3/4 pints) with 3 tbsp sugar and 3/4 cup lemon frosting. Whip in stand mixer on low/med for 2 minutes until thick. Switch speed to high and whip until light and fluffy.

- Spread whipped lemon topping on cake and serve immediately or set in fridge to chill. Garnish with halved lemon slices.

I’m Lovin’ this cake! To see what other people are “LOVIN”, check out “I’m lovin’ it Fridays” at TidyMom.

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]]> http://www.mommytopics.com/food/lemon-dream-cream-cake/feed 8 http://www.mommytopics.com/food/brownie-pops http://www.mommytopics.com/food/brownie-pops#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:14:24 +0000 admin http://www.mommytopics.com/?p=144

I started out making Valentine Cupcakes.

I made these candy covered brownie hearts to go on top, and then it dawned on me what cute Brownie pops they would make.

If you’d like to make some yourself, just follow along below.

It’s pretty simple.

I used regular ol’ boxed brownie mix and poured my batter onto wax paper laid out on a cookie sheet.

There isn’t enough batter in one box to cover an entire cookie sheet… unless it’s a small one.

But, because the brownie mix is so gooey, it didn’t run. I was able to spread it out with a spoon so that the entire thing was about 1/3 inch thick, and it stayed in place.

I cooked it at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

After the brownie sheet was baked and cool, I placed it in the fridge for an hour to harden.

After the brownies were good and cold I used a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out the hearts.

I dipped the cookie cutter into powder sugar in order to keep the brownies from sticking to it.

For each pop I used two brownie hearts.

I spread some whipped chocolate frosting on one side of each heart.

Then I used a lollipop stick and pressed it firmly into the frosting on one of the hearts.

Next I took the second heart and placed it on top pressing both hearts firmly together around the stick.

Next, use the spreading knife to smooth out any frosting that has squished out between the cracks.  If there are any gaps between the two brownies, add more frosting to fill them in and then smooth it out.

You’re half way there.

It’s really important at this point to place your brownie pops back into the fridge to let them firm so that they don’t come apart when you are dipping them in the candy coating.

You can use melted white chocolate and add your own food coloring, or these colored candy melts that can be found at most craft and baking stores.

Fill a coffee cup 2/3 of the way with the candy melts and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Remove the cup from the microwave and stir the candy with a spoon until it is smooth. Allow the melted candy to cool for at least 5 minutes before beginning to dip your brownies otherwise the warmth will pull your brownie off the stick.

Next, dip your pop half way into the cooled melted candy.

If you dip the pop all the way down into into it, the weight of it may pull the brownie off the stick. It’s better to use a spoon to help cover the base of your brownie.

Hold your pop over the cup and allow some of the excess candy to drip off.

Turn the pop a few times to allow each side to run smooth.

Set your pop upright in a glass and allow it to dry.

The pops will do best if they are quickly placed back in the fridge to firm up.

Even at room temperature, the brownies and frosting inside can soften and cause your pop to slip down your stick.

Once the brownie pops have cooled completely, choose the smoothest side on which to write your message.

You can find a pen with edible ink in the baker’s aisle at your grocery store or craft store.

Viola!

You can add some decorative ribbon to really make them special.

Here’s what you need…

Brownie Mix and Brownie Ingredients

Small Heart Shaped Cookie or Fondant Cutter

Powdered Sugar

Wax paper

Chocolate Frosting

Lollipop Sticks

Marker with Edible Ink

Decorative Ribbon

Happy Brownie Pop making!!!

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