Foodie Friday Pumpkin Cupcakes

Thank you Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!


Here are my favorite Pumpkin Cupcakes! Click to get the recipe at Recipezaar. As you can tell if you read my review, I iced these with store bought whipped cream cheese frosting. They were very moist and had a great flavor!!!





Cupcake Tree of Pumpkin Cupcakes



Enjoy! Can't wait to see the rest of the yummy treats at Gollum's.

Fourth of July Food Friday

Thank you Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!


For this Foodie Friday, it is Fourth of July Desserts. These are pictures from last year, but I will make the same desserts this weekend - It's a tradition.

Blueberry cobbler is our traditional dessert on the Fourth. When I first started making it, I was torn between the pastry type of cobbler and the crumble type of cobbler. I usually did a bit of this and that and never wrote the recipe down. Last year on Recipezaar, I found a recipe for a pastry/crumble hybrid blueberry cobbler and thought I would try it. It used orange juice and lemon zest, which I had never used before in my cobbler and I have to admit we liked the addition. The recipe calls for dumplings instead of pastry strips like I had always used, so I felt free to still use pastry strips - in fact I used already made pie crust dough. Thank you Pillsbury Dough Boy! Click for the recipe: Blueberry Cobbler

Here are some pictures - Not pictured but always a hit - Vanilla Ice Cream on top!!!





I also made Red Velvet Cupcakes which were a hit (and of course I had to decorate them a bit!) Click here for the Recipe Red Velvet Cupcakes



I hope you all have a Happy Fourth of July! :D Jewel

Tablescape Thursday Graduation!

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH! I am featuring my younger daughter's graduation from High School last Saturday!


Be sure and visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch by clicking the picture below. There are always lots of great tables to ooh and ahh over!!!


My daughter's graduation was Saturday Morning at 9:00. For lunch after the ceremony, we had a cook-out at our house for her and several of her friends and their families,39 people in all.

Here is my table.


I hung with some graduation decorations on my golden ornament tree. I used her Graduation cords, confetti and crystal graduation symbols around the base.

Everyone brought what they wanted to cook out - burgers, hot dogs, chicken, veggie dogs. Every family brought some side dishes and beverages and a great time was had by all!!!!

For Dessert, Cakes and Cupcakes.







One of my friends made this from Martha Stewart - isn't it incredible?



The next day my family along with 2 friends took a trip to Gettysburg, PA. This was my graduating daughter's choice. Our whole family loves Gettysburg!

Happy Tablescape Thursday! :D Jewel

Prom Tablescape - Casino Royale

For this Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH, I am featuring my daughter's Senior Prom which was just last Saturday Night!


The Theme of the prom was "Casino Royale."

I had a green tablecloth about the color of the green felt in casinos, so we were off to a good start. The dollar section of Target had cheap playing cards, so I didn't have to worry about my good bridge cards being messed up. I found poker chips and dice and some gambling themed napkins. I taped the napkins together to make a "runner."

Here are some pictures:




My neighbor gave me roses from her yard for my centerpiece.


I taped felt squares to make a runner for my small buffet.


Cupcakes made from mix with green icing and fondant "poker chips" were on the small buffet.




On my mantle, I put cards and poker chips around candlesticks as you can see behind my daughter and her date.



I used red plastic serveware from Walmart.


Tomorrow for Foodie Friday, I will share my menu for the post-prom breakfast. :D Jewel

Last Year's Prom

For Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/


Since I only started blogging this January, I haven't shared pictures of last prom. It was in May, my younger daughter was a Junior in High School and the theme was "Enchanted Garden." We had a post-prom breakfast for her friends. I had a them of my own to go with the garden theme - plaid. You'll see why below. Target had some plaid melamine plates, bowls and napkins on sale around prom time last year which fit in well with our plans.

Here is my table - the pastel plaid runners are made of paper called Transpatex and are reusable as long as no one spills on them. I've been lucky. I bought them at a teashop in Gettysburg, PA years ago. I used plastic plates. cutlery and goblets. I made the topiary arrangements with roses from the grocery store and boxwood from the yard. We had a French toast casserole, hashbrown casserole, fruit with yogurt dip, bacon, cupcakes, pretzels and cheese and crackers.









Mantle


Close up of a topiary on the mantle:


Fruit with yogurt dip


For our cupcakes, we candied johnny jump up flowers for garnish. We also sprinkled them with edible glitter.




OK, Here is the reason for the plaid on the table, my daughter's dress!


Prom this year is in May and we already have the dress. I will share it with you when the time comes! :D Jewel

Snowflake Fairy Cakes

For Foodie Friday, I am recycling an old post. Before spring completely is upon us, I wanted to share these snowflake fairy cakes again. Thanks Gollum for hostessing Foodie Friday!
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2009/02/foodie-friday.html



For my Winter Wonderland themed garden club, I made Magical Christmas Fairy Cakes - Christmas Fairy Cupcakes. I got the recipe from a friend who lives in France on Recipezaar. Here is the link to the recipe

http://www.recipezaar.com/Magical-Christmas-Fairy-Cakes-Christmas-Fairy-Cupcakes-343473


In her pictures, there was an exquisite snowflake she had cut out of fondant. I asked where she got the cutter and she said that they were from England and not available in the US. She is such a sweetheart that she sent me a set of three in differing sizes! In exchange I sent her a cookbook.

The cupcakes, or fairy cakes turned out beautifully and my first attempt at decorating with fondant was a snap!!!! The recipe calls for sprinkling the cupcakes with edible glitter which I found at Michael's.

Here are my pictures: