Category Archives: Parties

Baby Blue Onesie Cookie Favors

My baby goes back to school this week. I know he’s not a baby anymore, far from it; he’s starting fourth grade. It seems like just yesterday I was dropping him off at preschool with him in tears, and me on the verge.

He has literally grown UP over the summer… at least a couple of  inches, and he should pass up his dad and I in a few years. This summer, the boy came to master the art of sarcasm. I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but I think it goes with the 4th grade territory. I’m excited to see what the year has in store for him, and am going to do my best to enjoy my time with him and not get too distracted with the rest of life (my ongoing struggle!).

I did several baby shower cookie orders this summer, and though I didn’t know any of the moms-to-be personally, I found myself thinking about them, as I worked on their orders. When I was pregnant, I was totally overwhelmed with all of the baby stuff I needed, or should I say thought I needed. My mom and I walked into Babies R Us to register for my shower, and both of us were totally overwhelmed by too many options. What bottles to buy? Do I really need that baby monitor? Won’t I hear him crying from the next room? There were so many things I thought I needed, that never were used. 

If I could give these new moms any advice, I’d tell them to savor every moment. Even when they haven’t slept or showered, or have spit-up on the clean shirts they finally got around to putting on… enjoy it. In a flash, they’ll be sending their babies off to school, smiling back on those days when it was just the two of them.    

I have to add a congratulations to my girlfriend Tammy who just found out that she’s pregnant. Up until now, Tammy had an only kiddo, and didn’t know if she’d have another baby. Her son is also going into 4th grade this year. My plan is to live vicariously through her and hold her baby whenever I need my baby fix.  Tammy, I am making these for your shower, and if you’re having a girl (yes, that is a possibility… breathe), these cookies will be totally pinked out!

These onesies made good-sized cookie favors. I don’t have a onesie cookie cutter (they do make them), but I was able to easily make one with the t-shirt jersey cookie cutter that I do have. I liked how big they turned out. I decorated them with polka dots and stripes, and a few other patterns. These are the only pictures I ended up with. The dog ate my data card. I know it sounds like a great excuse, but sadly it’s the truth! I’m planning on making baseball team jersey cookies soon and have a feeling this cookie cutter is going to get a lot of use. The t-shirt jersey cookie cutter can be found here. Below are a couple of pictures showing how I transformed these into onesies.

 

Have a fabulous week everyone!

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Brownie Bites for a Birthday Bash!

One of my girlfriends,  Tina, hosted a party to celebrate her 40th birthday this past weekend. When I asked her what I could bring, she said,” How about those eyeballs you made. Everyone loves those.”  Someone eavesdropping would think this was a really bizarre conversation, but I knew exactly what she meant. I host an annual pumpkin carving party each year, and last year I made chocolate covered brownie bites, disguised as eyeballs. Since eyeballs didn’t really go with the birthday bash theme, I dressed up these brownies in party attire.

I have been wanting to make these brownie sundae bites that I saw on Kristan’s blog, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. If you follow my blog, you know what a fan I am of hers. So, Kristan ~ I totally copied you, but imitation is the best form of flattery, right? And you know I’m not a stalker, but truly an admirer.

These were huge on cute factor, great on taste, and best of all these brownie bites, balls, truffles ~ whatever you choose to call them are easy to make. (See this post for instructions.) For the record, I don’t like to call them brownie balls or the ones with cake, cake balls, as some bakers do. It doesn’t sound very lady-like. Am I the only person whose mind always goes straight to the gutter?  Let’s all agree to call them something other than brownie balls, shall we?

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They Flipped for Flip Flop Cookies!

These  flip flop cookies were so much fun to make. These were favors for the hula birthday party last weekend. I’m told that the girls went crazy for these. I’m glad that they liked them as much as I did. Southern California is probably the flip flop capital of the world. The kids here (and a lot of moms) wear them all year long. Flip flops have become a fashion statement in a place that exemplifies casual living.

When many families start taking down their winter clothes, flip flops still take over our porches. Even on rainy days, the boy will rattle off a list of reasons why he should be able to wear his flip flops. I swear this child came out of the womb negotiating, and he’s never stopped since. It’s exhausting! I tell the boy no, and he presents an argument as to why I should reconsider. I say no again, and without pause, he has another rebuttal. We go back and forth like this for awhile, until I give him “the look”. You know, “the look” that’s universal among moms everywhere. I think most moms don’t even realize they have “the look” until toddlerhood strikes. I  believe “The look” is an innate, God-given trait to ensure that mothers survive the child-rearing process alive. There are other times  though, when the boy skillfully wears me down. It is often so calculated and well thought out that I don’t even realize I’ve given in, until it’s too late. That’s the God-given child trait that ensures that the moms who survive child-rearing can one day release their kiddos to fly on their own. 

Here’s a quick step-by-step on how to make these…

1. You can order the flip flop cookie cutter from Off the Beaten Path. They have a great selection of inexpensive cookie cutters, and are very efficient with shipping. The following gel dyes were used on these cookies ~ Americolor Sky Blue, Americolor Electric Pink, Wilton’s Lemon Yellow, and Wilton’s Leaf Green.

Outline the cookie, let it set, and then flood with another color.

2. & 3. Before the icing sets, use a squeeze bottle to make dots, stripes, or other details onto the flooded cookie. The design will seep into the icing, creating a smooth surface.

4. Allow the cookie to dry (at least an hour).  Pipe two thick lines for the straps. I used a thin, curved tip (Wilton #97). Place candy detail onto the wet royal icing and let cookie dry.

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Hula Bear Cupcakes

These little hula bear cupcakes were fun to make. They were made for a hula birthday party. The birthday girl asked for a few cupcake suggstions when she placed her order. I told her we could make cupcakes with chocolate shells on top, cupcakes topped with fondant Hawaiian flowers, or hula bear beach cupcakes. Without hesitation, she wanted the hula bears. I love a girl that knows exactly what she wants. I had seen many cake and cupcake ideas that use bikini clad Teddy Grahams, so I knew they wouldn’t be too difficult to transform into hula bears with grass skirts.

To pipe onto the bears, you need a thick batch of royal icing. To make sure it’s the right consistency, pull the spoon out of the mixing bowl and make sure that the icing holds its shape without sinking back into the icing mixture. The best way to pipe the details on these very small little bears is with a small piping tip (Wilton #1). The hula outfits were made using Americolor Electric Pink (I love their neon color line), and Wilton’s Leaf Green. To pipe the skirt, I made a layer of small thin lines and let it dry. I then piped another layer on top to make the skirt appear fuller.The bikini tops were made by simply making two small triangles, filling them in with a toothpick, and then making little lines for the tie around the neck.

Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I made a batch of buttercream frosting, divided it into two bowls, and tinted it two different colors ~ Americolor sky blue and Wilton’s copper gel color. I just used a tiny bit of each to achieve the colors that I wanted. (By the way, Wilton’s copper gel is the perfect skin color, but you don’t need much.) I frosted the copper color first on all cupcakes first for the sand, varying the amount on different cupcakes to allow for different cupcake scenes. Once the sand was frosted, I filled a small bowl with crushed teddy grahams (crushing in a Ziploc by rolling over with a rolling pin). I then flipped the cupcakes over into the bowl to coat the frosting with the crushed teddy grahams. I brushed any access that had gotten on the part of the cupcake without frosting.

To make the ocean waves, I used the 1M Wilton tip. This is the magic tip that makes the cupcake swirl you see on a lot of cupcakes (see tutorial here), but it’s also a great tip for other purposes. You can make easy cupcake roses using this tip, which I’ll share later this week.

Once the bears are dressed and the water and sand have been piped, the real fun began, using different candies to decorate the cupcake scenes. Rafts,beach towels, and beach chairs can be made using Airhead candies, gum sticks, or fruit roll ups and cutting them to the size you need. The little candy fish came from Powell’s, an old-fashioned candy store nearby that I frequent. Gummi lifesavers served as floating rings, and gumballs were used for beach balls. I had Wilton flower sprinkles that looked Hawaiian-ish that I sprinkled on a few of them. Lastly, a few  cocktail umbrellas finished off the scene.

But of course, before they were delivered to the birthday girl, the hula bears were kind enough to pose for me in a little photo shoot. When the birthday girl saw them, she immediately picked out her favorite and instructed her mom to reserve it for her. I’m telling you, the girl knows what she wants ~ I love it! Happy Hula Birthday Kirsten!!

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Flower Cupcakes… Forget the Bouquet Prince Charming, just a Dozen of These Please!

I love fresh flowers, and try to bring them into my house every week. Usually that means cutting them from my rose plants, or begging my mom for a few of her hydrangeas. Flowers make me happy and bring life into our house. Not that we’re in need of adding more life here. The boy and his buddies run in and out daily in the summer, usually only coming into the kitchen to tell the short order chef their orders .And then there’s the Naughty One… anyone want to borrow her for a day? I guarantee more life than you’ve ever dreamed of. I was never much of a believer in reincarnation, but am almost positive that there is a two-year old trapped in her body. She opened my pantry this weekend and carried a box of brownie mix over to my oven. I guess she was craving chocolate??? The girl opens the pantry, the art cabinet, the trash cabinet, and the toy cabinet ~ all in two minutes or less. What the two-year old inside her is really say is, “SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME!”.

Unlike wild boys and wild dachshunds, flowers bring a serene sort of peace to my house. Please take note Prince Charming, if given the choice between cupcakes or flowers, I’ll pick the cupcakes every time. And if you happen to bring flowers in cupcake form, I’ll know you’re what I’ve been waiting for!

 

These flower cupcakes were simple to put together. I found a great video tutorial by Chef Alison McLoughlin at the Culinary Institute of America . I wanted something cute and easy to make for the My Little Pony party that I also made the 3D rainbow sugar cookie favors for. The cupcakes on the highest tier were made to look like the ponies were in grass with the Wilton tip # 233.  Hallie, the birthday girl loved seeing those little ponies and her cupcake flower garden.  

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  If you make cupcakes on a regular basis, I highly recommend this cupcake stand from The Cupcake Tower on Etsy. I have several fancy cupcake stands, but what I love about this is that with just a little double stick tape, you can use different ribbons around the tiers to coordinate with the party color scheme. It also breaks downs and is easy to store, unlike the tall, bulky cupcake stands. If the three-tier cupcake stand is more or less than you need, they offer two other sized stands.

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The Final Rose Party… Champagne, Chocolate, and Reality T.V.

This is my inspiration board for an upcoming girl’s night. (photo credit below)

The season finale of The Bachelorette is a week away. Tell me I’m not the only one who has been sucked into this season. I admit, I do engage in a bit of reality t.v. I decided a couple of years ago I was too old to be watching The Real World, but still have a few guilty pleasures,  Teen Mom, The Real Housewives, and my new favorite “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” on one of the health channels. Seriously, how does someone go full term without ever having a clue that they’re  about to give birth? I’m fascinated by it and love all of the cheesey reinactments.  

Any guesses as to who Ali will pick? It’s down to Chris L. & Roberto. I have developed a serious crush on Chris L., and am a bit torn. If Ali picks him, I do think she will be picking the best husband material. Roberto, hmmm… a little bit of a player, or is it just me? But if Ali does pick Chris, that means I will have absolutely no possibility of ever dating that man. He’s a former teacher, who left his job to be with his family before his mom died, and also happens to be incredibly attractive, yes I’m in love… please don’t say it will never happen, that fate will never bring us together. Don’t tell me that I’m a hopeless romantic,  just let me hold onto my little dream at least until the next season.

My girlfriend and I are putting together a party for the finale next week. The party is truly every mom’s fantasy ~ no whining children, no needy husbands, cupcakes, chocolate, and cocktails all to be enjoyed in our favorite pajamas with a group of girlfriends.  We’re making rose cupcakes, setting up the chocolate fountain, and serving a little champagne. For favors, we’re making diamond ring sugar cookies. I’ll share all of the details and pictures after our event.

photo credit – cupcakes from Bakerella.com and Cakecentral.com, flowers from bhg.com, wine stoppers from zgallerie.com, ring cookie from labellecookie.blogspot.com

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Sea Shell Sugar Cookies… Serious Sugar Overload!

Here’s a quick peek at what I’ve been up to this week…

300 of these

and 300 of these

and 300 of those little white shells in the photo. Hallelujah! I am  finally finished with this massive cookie order! Seven days, fifteen batches of cookie dough, 900 cookies, and 300 bags later, they’re all wrapped up and ready to be picked up later today. I do owe those little starfish an apology. My outburst of naughty language was fueled by a bunch of little arms breaking off of these delicate little guys. All iced with dots and swirly lines, I loved how they turned out. I’d even make more ~ maybe not 300 all at once.

What I’ve learned from this is that I really do have a point in which my craving for sugar goes away. 900 cookies later, I have absolutely no desire for sugar. I got a little nervous wondering what in the heck am I going to do, I have a baking blog and want nothing to do with sugar. Not to worry, I have a feeling that ice cream, brownies, and cookies will be in my near future. The sweet tooth gene is part of my DNA and once these little guys are picked up, it won’t be long before I’m inspired to create something else loaded with sugar.

If you can believe it, I’m off to roll out more cookie dough for a Friday order,  twenty cookies for a cheerleading team. Somehow, this seems like no big deal at all! When life settles down in the next few days, I’ll post a quick tutorial on how to make the marbelized design on the large shells. You won’t believe how simple it is to do. I’m off to catch up on my favorite baking blogs and see what everyone has been up to!

Big hugs and thank you’s to Bridget at Bakeat350 and Paula at Vanilla Bean Baker. You are both my cookie inspiration. Thanks for your advice and encouragement! Also, my sanity would not still be intact had it not been for my mom, my baking partner in crime, who tied hundreds of bows, and rolled out cookie dough for hours with me! And Kendall J. it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without you too!

So long  beachy sugar cookies. I think I’ve earned a day at the beach!

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Going Bananas Over Sugar Cookies!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I’m still in crazy sugar cookie mode, working on a large order. My mom came to my rescue yesterday and helped me roll out 600 sugar cookies. And yes, I know what a great mom I have. I kept saying every twenty minutes, “Aren’t you over this?” (I was) and I cursed at the poor starfish cookies too many times to count. My mom said she wasn’t over it. Even five hours into it, she claimed she was “having fun”. Oh, how I love that woman! Now all 900 cookies have been baked and I’m onto the decorating phase. See that cute little monkey smiling, that’s going to be me on Friday, except I’ll also have a cocktail in hand to toast to the end of the sugar cookie madness, and an end to all starfish! 

These monkey cookies were made for Jen at Swank Web Design. She redesigned my site a few months back. If you’re looking for a website designer, she is amazing and super easy to work with. Jen was throwing her son his first birthday party with a jungle theme. Don’t you love first birthday parties? When my son turned one, my mom and I scooted the boy in his highchair outside to hose them both down after he dug into his cake. 

Jen decided on monkey and personalized banana cookies for party favors. She’s with me on my “say no to junk” party favor policy. Oh, how I hate all of the crap that my son brings home from parties. In his defense, he absolutely loves it. Jen said that her little boy, Van, enjoyed the cookies, and since he’s too young to know about all of the plasic party loot he missed out on, I think these were a success.  

Here’s a quick step-by-step on how I made these, plus a few tips on decorating sugar cookies: 

The monkey face and banana cookie cutters came from coppergifts.com.  Copper cookie cutters are more expensive… a lot more expensive, but are so much easier to work with. They make clean cuts when cutting the cookie dough and are easier to handle. Most of my cookie cutters are the cheapie kind, but I will say there is a world of difference in quality. 

As for the monkeys, I started by outlining the face with Americolor gel in dark brown. When outlining sugar cookies, I usually use Wilton’s tip #2 and squeeze bottles. The royal icing should be the consistency of maple syrup for outlining. It should flow easily out of the squeeze bottle, but not spread when piping.

After outlining the monkey faces, I flooded the ears and top of the head with the dark brown icing. The royal icing for flooding the cookie needs to a much thinner consistency than outlining. It should move a bit when you squeeze it onto the cookie. A toothpick works great to spread the flood icing evenly. The rest of the cookie was flooded with Americolor soft brown. After each area of the cookie is flooded, it is important to look for air bubbles that have formed. Use a toothpick to gently pop the air bubbles before the icing sets. Don’t be obsessive compulsive, just get the ones that you can and move on.

After the flooded cookie dries (at least a few hours or overnight), add any details on top. For the monkeys, I went back and added the eyes, nose, and mouth using Americolor Super Red and Super Black.

I was thrilled with how the bananas turned out. My biggest challenge is always piping letters. I’m a lefty and have never had great handwriting (that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it).  Practice may not make perfect, but it definitely helps. The Wilton tip#1 is what I use for piping letters and numbers. The hole is very tiny and can easily get clogged with royal icing, but toothpicks work wonders for that.

I added sanding sugar on the outside of the bananas for two reasons. First it added a little sparkly touch (it needed something), and second because one of my girlfriends, who recently helped me reorganize my kitchen, called me a “sprinkle hoarder”. That’s why I love my girlfriends. They aren’t afraid to say it like it is. Anyway, I’ve been banned from buying any type of sprinkles until I use up some of my stash.

To add sanding sugar to cookies, mix a small amount of meringue powder with water. Use a small paintbrush to brush the mixture where you want to add the sugar. Sprinkle sugar onto the cookie and shake off the excess. After it dries, a dry paintbrush works great to brush off any remaining loose sugar on the cookie.

These little guys were bagged up and sent on their way. I’m on my way to decorate another hundred sugar cookies. I promise to refrain from cursing at the starfish!

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