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Written on January 12, 2012 by Kate

Okay, I’m not ready to take responsibility for my new addiction or even admit that it’s a problem. I blame it 100% on my girlfriend Deb for showing me her boards while I was in DC and on the sick boy and his naughty dog who have held me hostage in my house for a week. The boy does seem to be getting better and every day since this started I have been so thankful that Matt, the boy, and I are here for one another. I love that we continue to redefine the meaning of family after divorce. The boy knows that he is loved and that we are all in this together!

I’ve avoided Pinterest for quite some time. I don’t need one more social media site to suck up my time (at least I didn’t think I did). So I am warning those of you who have been leary, you will get sucked in. Remember the days of clipping pictures and recipes out of magazines and putting them in different file folders ~ never to be seen again? This is the same concept except everything you see online that you like you can “pin” to one of your online bulletin boards. The fun part is you can see what others are pinning… a plethora of ideas that has the potential to suck up a lot of your free time. But I highly recommend that you get on board because it’s VERY cool, and when you do, follow me so I can follow you back and see what you’ve discovered. I’ve added my Pinterest link to my sidebar (See, I told you I’m obsessed.)

Want to see a few of the things I pinned this week…

I hope Prince Charming knows that red roses are totally over-rated, rainbow roses are so much more fun!

There are endless crafts and DIY ideas to pin. I love this easy Easter arrangement .

I have kind of a quote fetish, which is easily satisfied on Pinterest. I want to give this Love Note to someone someday!

There is a little bit of danger with Pinterest. You find things you didn’t even know you needed, like this Apron from Anthropologie that’s on its way to me.

Did I mention it can be SERIOUSLY dangerous? I have nowhere to wear these Kate Spade sparkle shoes, but I would wear them around my house daily if I had them to remind everyone that I’m the queen of the castle.

I’ve pinned a bunch of clever and easy valentines. Hoping the boy isn’t too cool to give out valentines. I might be able to convince him with these Pop Rock Valentines .

You know what’s better than getting roses on Valentine’s Day… getting Cinnamon Roll Hearts

Maybe one day… Yes Pinterest lets those of us who are house poor DREAM!

Okay, here’s what worries me the most about Pinterest. You see, I’m finally at the point where I feel like I need someone else in my life to love. It’s taken a LONG time, and it might take even longer for me to find him because I refuse to settle. I think in the meantime, this little pup may fill that void.

Really, this is what you call love at first site!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I can’t wait to see what you’re pinning!!

A Few of My Favorites..., Other

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Written on January 4, 2012 by Kate

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Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year with your families and friends! No desserts today, but I’m guessing this time of year we have all resolved to get back in shape and ban all things sweet (at least for a week or two).

The boy and I spent the New Year in DC visiting our BFF’s who moved there last winter. It wasn’t until I got away from my regular life that I realized what a stress case I really am (it’s kinda scary!). For the first time in ten years I slept through the night without waking up, and I did it six nights in a row! I really did not want to come home, even with our Southern California weather in the 80′s. I also discovered that the boy who refuses to wear anything other than short sleeves, shorts, and flip-flops will, by his own choosing, wear a jacket in 40 degree weather.

The cold didn’t stop us from seeing the sites. We crammed a ton of stuff into one week. One of our days was spent at Arlington and the Pentagon. This was our first visit since 9-11. We went to my Uncle Karl’s grave site and went to see the memorial… both places took my breath away. To see so many lives being honored, I couldn’t help but think of all the blessings in my life… how easy it is to take so much for granted. Though not ready to get back to reality, the week was incredibly therapeutic. Spending time with those we love really is the best therapy there is ~ better than wine or chocolate!

I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store!

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Written on December 1, 2011 by Kate

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I’ve tried to instill in the boy that it’s better to give than receive, but a few days ago it became quite obvious that I haven’t done a very good job. I sent him to school with fifteen dollars cash to spend in the school’s holiday shop and when he came home, he proceeded to empty the contents of a rather large shopping bag. A small rope toy for the Naughty One fell out and the rest of the things he bought were gifts to self. So apparently, he missed the entire point of the holiday gift-giving shop.

Don’t get me wrong, I too have embraced the gift-to-self concept. I just believe in gifts for everyone, including self. So in the spirit of giving ~ gifts to yourself or to others, here are a few things anyone who loves to bake would appreciate.

I know a lot of baking friends that share in my fetish for cake plates. I love this Rosanna Rococo one in black, so classy!

Baking is messy, so if you’re going to get messy, at least do it in style. This Reversible apron is from Debbie’s Etsy storefront, DebzDoodlez . She has lots of other prints to choose from.

You might have read one of my posts about this before, but it’s worth repeating. I think this Wilton 50 piece decorating kit is the best out there for someone getting start. It’s reasonably priced and comes with tips, couplers, gel colors, spatulas, bags, and more!
Ruffles are all the rage, and this ruffle pie plate is on sale for $19.99 and ships for free. If you know someone with a cake plate fetish, it’s probably an issue with pie plates too.

If you’re looking for cookbooks, here are two great reads. As much as I love pretty cookbooks, I find most of the recipes I try from the Internet. These two books are not your traditional cookbooks. They explain the science behind cooking and baking so you can be successful in creating your own recipes. Ratio came out in 2010 and Ruhlman’s Twenty was just released this fall.

This is the only baking sheet worthy enough to go in my oven. These Airbake sheets are only $14.99 at Target and by far the best and only sheet I will use at this point. Just don’t submerge it when you clean it, trust me on this!

I love my Babycake Cake Pop Maker. When I bought one for my sister’s birthday in September, I bought one for me too. Happy Birthday to me! They are currently sold out online at Kohl’s, but they should have them in stock in the store. It’s on sale for $26.00 and with the $10.00 coupon they send every month, that makes a great present for a great deal. If you can’t find it at Kohl’s, you can also buy it at the BabyCakes online store.

When decorating cookies, I could not live without Kuhn Rikon squeeze bottles. Sur La Table is selling a new cupcake set which includes a cupcake corer and silicone baking cups. It’s $30… a great price for everything you get.

Anyone who bakes will tell you that measuring cups are not all created equal. I happen to think Williams Sonoma makes some of the best. They have a gift set right now with all of the cups and spoons for $39.00. It’s worth the investment.

Prince Charming, really you can skip the jewelry this year and get me this. Yes, I’m picking a Kitchen Aid mixer over diamonds. This KitchenAid® 7-Quart Bowl-Lift NSF Commercial Stand Mixer is the Rolls Royce of Kitchen Aids. Now I happen to LOVE my aqua blue 5 qt Martha Stewart Kitchen Aid. If there was a fire in the house, I’d grab the boy, the Naughty One, and the mixer. That’s how much it means to me. But I’m pretty sure I could fall in love with this one too. Christi from Love From the Oven was given one to try out (I am seriously jealous!) She wrote a great review of it on her site. The best part is this can make up to 14 dozen cookies at a time. But if you don’t generally make 14 dozen cookies at a time, go check out the rest of the stand mixers that Kitchen Aid has to offer. You’ve got to love the rainbow of colors.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!

Gift Ideas, Holidays, Other, Products

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Written on November 11, 2011 by Kate

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Happy Friday everyone! I can’t believe how fast this month is flying by. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, so it’s time to start thinking about turkey treats. My parents are heading out on their first road since becoming homeless, and they will be gone for Thanksgiving. I know what you’re thinking, how dare they leave me on a major holiday (okay, that’s what I was thinking). I might have been a little bitter, but my sister and her family are driving here from Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. The boy and I are SO excited to have them with us. Usually, they stay at my mom’s and we have to share them, but now that my parents are drifters, we get them all to ourselves. My sister and I are excited to make Thanksgiving dinner together. We’re of course making the traditional Thanksgiving pie, but we also need something festive and sweet for the non-pie lovers. I went in search of some adorable turkey treats created by other food bloggers and here’s what I found. Now comes the tricky part… figuring out the cutest.

Two Oreos, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and a Whopper disguised as a turkey? This is my kind of dessert posted at ourbestbites.com .

Martha Stewart has a turkey cupcake how-to posted on her site.

I love these M&M turkey favors posted at the Party Animal blog. Wouldn’t they look cute at each place setting at the kiddie table?

How simple and yummy does this turkey rice krispie treat look that Ali from Gimme Some Oven created.

This turkey cake pop posted by Maria on Martha Stewart’s Dreamers into Doers page is the cutest one I’ve seen for Thanksgiving.

Turn a chocolate cupcake on its side, get some Nutter Butters and a few other goodies and you can make these turkey cupcakes (created by Jeanne Benedict)

I love this turkey cupcake cake for a big group posted at Atomic Cupcakes.

Why did I just buy the giant turkey cookie cutter when this cookie made using a circle and heart cookie cutter looks so much cuter. Bee in our Bonnet posted a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make these.

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

A Few of My Favorites..., Favorite Foodies, Favors, Holidays, Other, Parties, Table Setting Ideas

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Written on October 6, 2011 by Kate

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I’m constantly giving away my sweet creations to friends and family… Spread the love, spread the calories, that’s my mantra. I like the treats I give away to be wrapped up and looking cute… it’s all about presentation (I learned that from my mom!). Lucky for me, I’ve discovered a few graphic design bloggers, who create awesome printables and allow the rest of us download their artwork for free.

Here are some of my favorites for Halloween…

Amy at Living Locurto

The Shy Socialites

Posted at Catch My Party, created by Lindi of Love the Day

Here’s a free tag you can download from Anders Ruff

or you can buy their entire collection in the Anders Ruff Etsy shop

Download this from Kim at The TomKat Studio

A colorful collection from Traci Reed Design

I love this polka-dot tag posted at Lil’ Luna, created by Amanda at Shindig Parties to Go

I love how these Hershey Kisses double as witch’s hats. The candy topper was created Beth at It is What it is

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Favors, Holidays, Other

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Written on August 12, 2011 by Kate

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Be careful what you wish for… that whole thing about being excited to get back to work and routine last week, what was I thinking? Clearly, a moment of insanity. The boy has a few more weeks of summer, but I’m back training teachers and sitting through all-day trainings. Thank goodness for friends and family who are willing to keep the boy entertained while I’m gone. In addition to being back to my “real” job, I’ve also taken on a bunch of orders, completely self-inflicted pain so don’t feel bad for me. The cookie orders are actually a stress-reliever when I don’t over-book myself. I was thrilled to do these two orders this past week.

The first order was for my girlfriend, Nicole’s, daughter’s 10th birthday. These were my gift to, Kirsten, the birthday girl. I adore this child. If I had a girl, this is what I would hope for. She is such a sweet girl, plus she loves my cookies and cupcakes and makes me feel like I’m some celebrity chef. She really wants me to try out for Cupcake Wars, and asked me if I would be the official judge at the cupcake decorating contest at her birthday party. How can you say no to that? Her birthday was held at the beach club near our house and her theme was surfboards. The surfboard cookies were fun to make. We kept the same color scheme, but made each one a different design. The birthday girl and her guests enjoyed them!

The second order was for more wedding dress cookies. Every wedding shower order I have done this year has been for these wedding dress cookies. Like the surfboards, I like each cookie to be a little different. Here are a few of my creations below. Andrea, another girlfriend is hosting a bridal shower for her friend Juli this weekend. The theme is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Don’t you love that? Tiffany blue happens to be my favorite color, so I’m in love with this shower. I’m also doing the cupcakes for the shower over the weekend, so I’ll share photos next week.

Happy Birthday Kirsten!

Congratulations Juli on your upcoming wedding!

Congratulations to Andrea for making it through another bridal shower! How many does this make this year?I know it’s in the double digits.

Have a great weekend everyone!

cookies, Favors, Other, Recipes

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Written on July 21, 2011 by Kate

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I am not a fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Who even came up with the idea? As a kid, I really didn’t like any kind of sandwich. I think at a total loss for what to pack, my mom spread peanut butter on Ritz crackers for my lunch, every single day, for my entire elementary education (and I wonder where the boys gets his pickiness). I have nothing against peanut butter or jelly and bread happens to be one of the best foods ever created. It’s just when you put them all together, it becomes an issue of texture. Tell me I’m not the only peanut butter and jelly sandwich hater in the world.

When I made the strawberry cake batter ice cream last week, I thought it was worthy of its own ice cream sandwich. Sure, it would have looked cute in between the sugar cookies covered in sprinkles, but it deserved something totally different to be stuck between. I don’t know what possessed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich hater to make peanut butter cookies, but since a majority of the world population likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it was worth a shot.

Do you ever have what you think is an original idea and then you google it and find out you are not the first? Man, I hate when that happens. After googling “peanut butter and jelly ice cream sandwiches”, I discovered Paula Deen had already been there done this. I read through her recipe and saw that she spead on actually jelly between the cookie and ice cream. My original thought was to use strawberry ice cream topping, but I followed Paula’s lead and used strawberry preserves and you know what… it was pretty good. Strawberry sundae topping might even be better.

On a side note, just a little personal thing about food blogging. If I put a few chocolate eggs on top of a cupcake, please don’t email me and claim that I stole your idea. I know it’s hard to imagine that there is more than one creative food blogger out there who might think to sprinkle some chocolate eggs on a cupcake at Easter time. If you follow my blog, you’ll see I give credit to anyone whose recipes I try or adapt or even to someone who just inspires an idea. Whenever I come up with an idea, I google it to see if it’s been done. I never claim to be the one and only on Earth to create something. I didn’t start my blog to become famous or to get in the top hundred of any list. I am thankful for all of the people who read my blog and share their ideas with me… that’s what keeps me inspired. But for goodness sake, if I offend you by what I write or you don’t like the photos I choose to post, quit stopping by. I promise my feelings won’t be hurt, and you will be a happier person. Say no to blog stalkers!

Thanks for letting me vent! I feel better now.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches

a batch of homemade strawberry cake batter ice cream* (recipe here)

your favorite peanut butter cookies**

Strawberry preserves of strawberry sundae topping

Make peanut butter cookies and cool completely. (The peanut butter cookies I used were very soft, so I froze them in advance so they would be sturdy enough to spread the ice cream on.) Take the strawberry ice cream out of the freezer and soften for a few minutes. Spread a scoop of ice cream on one cookie and spread the jelly or sundae topping on another cookie and put together. Wrap ice cream sandwiches individually in foil or plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve.

*Feel free to substitute any strawberry ice cream.

**I took the easy route and made Betty Crocker’s peanut butter mix cookies and shaped them into squares for that sandwich shape.

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Written on June 27, 2011 by Kate

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How adorable are these for the 4th of July? It’s funny what I get excited about these days… cute boys men (oops… boys probably isn’t politically correct when you’re almost 40 and a teacher), new shoes, whipped-cream flavored vodka, and now add to that list these cake push-up pops.

Remember push-ups as a kids, those orange creamy treats? My sis and I LOVED them! This is a fabulous new twist. Some people refer to these as cake shooters ~ add a little vodka and I promise to call them shooters too.

Cake push-ups/shooters whatever you prefer to call them, can be bought in bulk here. I recognize most of you aren’t as insane as I am and don’t plan on buying these by the hundreds, so if you only want to start with a dozen or two, head over to the Etsy shop Cup Kates Event Design and buy them. I will warn you these little contraptions are not always easy to find and Kate sells through them pretty quickly. If you can’t find them and you happen to know where I live, I do have a nice stash on hand and might be willing to part with a few!

6 reasons I’m in love with cake push-up pops…

They’re portable. They even come with lids. Pop them in the cooler and they’re the perfect dessert for a beach or pool party.
They’re portion control…it’s bathing suit season, enough said!
Toss them or wash them… They’re easy to clean, but not too pricey, so you won’t feel guilty if your pool party guests toss them.
They’re versatile ~ These aren’t just for frosting and cake. I’m thinking ice cream cakes, strawberry shortcake, s’mores, chocolate mousse… the possibilities are endless.
There is nothing wrong with reliving your childhood (unless you’re a dad who has decided your son is going to be the professional ball player you always dreamed of being).
It’s about the novelty friends ~ I’m not ashamed to admit it, I love when I make something pretty simple that guests have never seen before and they gush on and on about how creative I am. We all thrive on a little praise, right?

Here’s the how-to: (see photos above)

Step 1: Clean out push-up containers and dry thoroughly.

Step 2: Put push-up pieces together.

Step 3: Make your favorite cake in a 9” X 13” pan. Cool cake completely. Using a circle cookie cutter, or the round part of the push-up pop to cut out cake circles.*

Step 4A: Brush cake crumbs off of cake circles and freeze in an airtight container, layering circles with waxed papers. Freeze until firm (1 hour or even overnight is fine).

Step 4B: Remove cake circles from the freezer. Use a serrated knife to cut cake circles in half.

Step 5: Prep the icing. You can make it from scratch, but store-bought works just as well. To obtain dark colors, use gel colors, such as Americolor or Wilton. If you don’t have piping bags, use a Ziploc bag and cut a small piece off of the corner to pipe frosting. Put push-ups together alternating between a layer of cake and a layer of icing.

*Another option (I haven’t tried yet) is to make cupcakes in a mini-muffin pan, instead of cutting the circles out of the cake pan.

What’s better than buying these??? Wining them of course! Christi of Love From the Oven is giving two dozen away this week. Go enter here and check out her amazing site. Her give-away ends this Thursday. Christi’s baking ideas are amazing!

Guess who will be giving away more of these in a few weeks? Me! I’m super excited, so check back for more fun ways to use these and for a chance to win! Thanks to Kate of CupKate’s Event Design for letting us host these give-aways.

Let me know if you come up with any great ideas for using these. I will be experimenting in my kitchen over the next few weeks!

I do have 100 or so.

Cakes, Cupcakes, frosting, Other, Recipes

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Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

Category Archives: Other