Doggie Birthday Bash

My Son turned 1 a few months ago and while trying to decide a theme for the party we thought we should listen to him...  Since he called everything a GOGGIE!!!  we figured a puppy party would be the most fun.

My SIL was awesome and helped make some of the great treats and decorations

Hey..  It's a puppy party : ) no cats!

Saw this idea on pinterest.  Just cut out ears from scrapbooking paper and drew the face with a Sharpie.

My SIL made this out of 2 thick poster boards.  How adorable is this!!

Our party favors.   Puppy Chow and Dog Biscuits.  My SIL made bone shaped sugar cookies as dog biscuits.  I mixed cocoa puffs with Scooby Doo bone cereal as puppy chow. Some guests thought we were really eating dog food.

I made Dirt and grass cupcakes and a doggie cake..   We could not find the cake topper that we wanted so we did some closet crashing and found and old McDonald's toy.  lol

And we served chips and salsa from dog bowls.

Happy Birthday Happy Kid!!

Bridal Showers and Love Banners

A While back I had the oppourtunity to plan an office bridal shower for a co worker.  

My theme for the party was purple and burlap.

This was my attempt to cover the ceiling fan : )

 I got some super cute Mickey mouse sugar cookies from the bakery that made the cake and put them in organza bags for the party favors along with bath bombs made by a co workers daughter.

We had quite the spread.  Artichoke Parmesan tartlets, finger sandwiches, spinach salad, fresh fruit, procuttio wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates, asparagus bread sticks and delicious sweet pasta salads in jars.  Super quick flower arrangement using silk flowers, square vase, glass beads and floral foam.

Wasn't this a cute Cake?

So I wanted something to match the theme and colors so I made my own banner.  It is a quick project but I think it brought the whole look together.

I bought my supplies at my local hobby lobby.  just glitter, mod podge and pre cut burlap pennents.  I mixed 2 colors of glitter to get the shade I wanted.

I then painted the letter on the burlap with the mod podge 

cover with glitter and then shake around to cover.

I glued each piece to some ribbon and strung it up.  

Like I said   Super quick!

Eggless Banana Almond Cake

Ok..  Before you go thinking I'm turning Vegan or I'm trying to healthify my cake...  Just know this ended up being eggless because I was eggless and I wasn't going to take a baby out at 9pm to get some.  So.. Thanks to google.. I found an alternative.  I thought this was kinda crazy but it works.!!  I needed 3 eggs so the substitution was 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 3 tablespoons of vinegar..  I know.. It sounds yuck right?   It totally isn't and it works!!!  I am so excited about this because how often do you not have the right ingredients..  and I should be limiting the calories in my dessert...  So... I may have to do this more often....

Recipe is as follows..

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake

3 TBS Vinegar and 1 TBS baking soda  ( mix these together separately and then add to the cake mix)

1 1/4 cup sprite 

1/2 cup oil

1 mashed banana

1/2-1 teaspoon of almond extract (i used an emulsion) depending on your taste

Mix all ingredients together, they will be very thick but fluffy.  Bake for 20-25 mins @ 350.  Cake will brown quickly but make sure it is firm (not overcooked) before removing.  Cake will pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools.

Topping

1 carton cool whip

1 carton Philadelphia White Chocolate Indulgence

Mix together and cover cooled cake.   Keep Cake Refrigerated until ready to serve.

 The cake is like a banana cake/banana bread hybrid.. It is dense but moist and chewy also.

It looks like it was enjoyed..  What do you think?

Happy Birthday to You.. or Yppah if you prefer.

So...  For my girlies at work I like to make sure they get something super yummy for their birthdays.  We had two ladies this week with birthdays so I also wanted to make a cute bunting that I've been seeing all over the place.

 I got a killer groupon for fabric..  so I stocked up and used this fabric to make the bunting.  I found a template at Eventful Party Planning to use to cut the fabric.  I then glued on Letters that I had just printed off of the computer and cut out.  Then each pennant was glued onto ribbon.

Here's the problem... I sometimes stretch myself too thin... and do projects very late at night...  Here's what happens.....

Notice the spelling?????

Needless to say they thought it was cuter this way so we left it..  Not to bad for being misspelled and all...

YPPAH BIRTHDAY GIRLS!!

So...  something that came out better was the birthday cake.   I wanted to make something summery..  I reused the white cake recipe from 2 posts ago and filled the middle with a recipe from HERE.   Strawberry Mousse.

Remember when putting a gooey filling in between 2 round cakes it is best to use your pastry bag to make a barrier with icing to hold the filling in the middle.  Once that was done I lightly frosted the entire cake.  I used a large 1M star tip to zig zag up and down the sides of the cake.

Once that was complete around the whole cake I did little stars around the top border to clean up the look..  

I found a demo on how to make fondant flowers Here and then changed it up to be a little simpler...

I mixed red food gel into a ball of fondant and rolled it all out.  Using a round cookie cutters I cut out circles.

starting in the middle of the circle... Push down and pull with a spoon to soften edges and create a ruffled effect.

grabbing underneath pinch the middle and push up to create the look of a flower.

I made slight variations in the colors and covered the top of the cake with the flowers.

Enjoy!

Fireworks, Waterfalls and Ugly Cakes.

Here are some shots from Fallen Leaf Lake in Tahoe. 

My Hubby and his sister chatting about whether or not they could drink the water.

The dog enjoying the FREEZING WATER!!

I guess I was the only one excited about this picture...

My sister in law (in the middle) visiting from Moldova (she's in the peace corps) and her bestie brooke.  Brooke came prepared with festive wear.

Since my SIL is heading back to Moldova today tried to make a hot pink zebra striped cake for her..  But, it did not work out so well.  So I will share the before pictures and the recipe since it tasted pretty yummy.

I found this recipe for white cake in a Better Homes and Gardens Baking book. 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspsoon salt

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 egg whites

1 1/3 cup buttermilk.

Grease and flour 2 rounds or one sheet pan.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set off to the side.

Cream butter and add sugar and vanilla

Add egg whites one at a time

Once blended alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk.

Pour into greased pans and Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 min.

I chose to cook in a rounded pan  and cut out the middle.  I filled with vanilla snack packs (because they don't have to be refrigerated) and fresh raspberries.  I frosted the cake with vanilla frosting (hot pink) but I think whipped cream would taste even better.  This cake is very moist.

It is what it is....  Sorry neet!

You Wanna get Chocolate Wasted?

So...  I don't mean to toot my own horn but I think this is the best Chocolate Concoction I have ever created.  Here's the recipe..  Hope you enjoy.

I was inspired to make this because I got free coffee creamer(Breve)from Vocal Point but I don't drink coffee.  I will often use it for hot chocolate.. (it makes it super yummy) but it's too hot outside.

I call it the Chocolate Haze..........

Good  Start...  right....

1 Box of Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 1/3 cup Hazelnut Coffee Creamer  ( I used Breve the first time and Baileys the 2nd.  The brand doesn't matter but use a higher end actual cream.  Don't use the cheap watery stuff)  

Mix ingredients together and divide equally into 2 9in round pans.  Bake at 350 for 22-27 mins.  Check the cakes but be very careful not to overcook..  NO one likes a dry cake people!

Allow to cool completely.  Usually the centers sink in but this is actually ok.  Make sure that you face the middles together when plating.  It gives a perfect spot to put the filling.