Pony Cupcakes

For my daughter's half-birthday treat we make pony cupcakes.

I typically use a boxed cake mix and prepackaged frosting. My secret though is specialized tools. I use a batter pen for filling the liners. It eliminates spills and ensures that the cakes are similar in size and bake evenly. These are made from Funfetti cake mix.






Then I apply the frosting with a mechanical pastry bag.  I use two containers of frosting per box of cake mix. This makes the  frosting  look luscious and professional. To add more color, I spray Wilton's Color Mist. It's so much easier to use than adding food coloring to frosting. Next a sprinkling of disco pink sanding sugar gives these cakes their sparkle. "My Little Pony" rings top the cakes.

I found the specialty liners, the rings, the Spray Mist and the bow twist ties at Country Kitchen Sweet Art.
www.countrykitchensa.com

Traveling with cupcakes is a challenge. This time I opt to wrap the cakes individually, like little presents. I use tongs to insert the cakes cleanly into the baggies.

Presentation is the final touch. I put the cupcakes into a basket and add a purple flower.

May your special day be filled with extra frosting!

Biscuits

My friend Maryann Byrd (The Rise of the Southern Biscuit) asked us to take a few biscuit pictures for her new book.

The inspiration for the photo came from Jessie Wilcox Smith's cover of Good Housekeeping.

* www.theriseofthesouthernbiscuit.com

New Year's Dinner

This is one of my favorite tablescapes.  I assembled it quickly after Christmas by simply re-using the silverware, the candles, and the ornaments from Christmas. I added Grandma Kate's plates. 

We could begin the new year with her dishes and remember the wonderful person she was and how fortunate we were to have had her in our lives.  It was like she was looking down from heaven, saying that we would be blessed in 2011.

I decided to switch the tablecloth from black to a lighter color. I chose a champagne because it was rich and textural. White would have looked too weddingish and old-fashioned.

The plates were a gift from my husband's grandmother. I'd been trying to use them for years, but nothing seemed right. It always felt cold. This time, I supplemented the silver in the plates with gold accents. The silver and gold looked rich, warm and festive.

I bought the pheasants a few years ago to go with the plates, but they were lacking drama. This time, I elevated them on a lazy susan and spun it slightly. This caused the table runner, a gift from my sister, to twist and provide visual energy and excitement.

Lighting is key to creating a soft, romantic atmosphere, so I used the gold candles from my Victorian Rose Christmas Dinner.* 

*The Victorian Rose Christmas Dinner can be seen in the video from the Reminiscing post.

Then I scattered ornaments around. It was the perfect nod to Christmas, but seemed fresh and new. 

I chose silver chargers with a raised design. The circular pattern is repeated in the plates, the ornaments, and the glasses.

Each plate needed something special, so I added the cordial glasses.  Then I grabbed ornaments off of the adjacent Christmas tree to top the glasses.

I used simple white napkins to keep the overall appearance clean. Champagne flutes were a must.  I added bud vases as water glasses because they seemed chic.






The menu included a pear with toasted walnuts, bleu cheese and honey.
















The entree' was roasted turkey with brussel sprouts and a dressing made of rice, cranberries and almonds.

Pumpkin butter accompanied the rolls.


















Dessert was vanilla ice cream. To create the perfect dessert, I served the ice cream in mini-shot glasses with tiny spoons.

 I scooped the ice cream out of the container with a melon baller and placed them on a wax-paper lined tray and refroze them. After the ice cream had hardened, I placed the ice cream balls in the glasses and froze them again. Right before serving, I placed the mint on top and added chocolate wafers.

Happy New Year's Day!

New Year's Brunch

I wanted something light and fresh for the New Year's Brunch. Originally, I had planned on flipping the New Year's Eve tablescape by switching the tablecloth to green and keeping the creamware dishes. But as I was setting it up, I thought the antique green glassware would be more appropriate.

The Paperwhites smelled heavenly.

I chose napkins that matched the tablecloth so they wouldn't detract from the beautiful textures and subtle colors of the flowers and dishes.

I especially liked that the champagne glasses' stems mirrored  the stems of the paperwhites.

The fern added such a magical quality. I could almost imagine little snow fairies hiding amongst the leaves.

The flowers mimicked falling snowflakes and gave promise of the coming new year's spring.

I loved the way the light played on the antique dishes.

Ambrosia, my grandmother's recipe, looked like snow.

The entree' included spiral honey ham with a cold salad of snap peas, purple fingerling potatoes and mint. Orange apricot marmalade complemented the biscuits. Orange slices were used for garnish.

Beverages included Sparkling Cider, Orange Juice, and Winterberry Tea.

Lemon Madeleines were served for dessert, garnished with cream and mint sprigs. A little garnish finishes a dish and makes it look complete on the plate.



Happy New Year's Day! I hope your 2011 is filled with health and happiness.

New Year's Eve Cocktail Party

Colors of Christmas and a cocktail party menu transition guests into the New Year. 

Ghiradelli hot chocolate with peppermint sprinkles and whipped cream is a welcoming beverage.

Christmas Punch is the delicious cold alternative to hot cocoa.

Roses are added to the table for color, height, and drama.

Butternut squash soup with sour cream and fried basil is served in Asian spoons to create a fresh contemporary look.

Sweets include shortbread fingers, peppermint sandwiches, Zefferellis, meringues, truffles, Cranberry Bog Frogs, toffee, and chocolate chip cookies.

Cocktail meatballs are heated in a chaffing dish.  Appetizers include fig/goat cheese, mushroom, and chicken pastries. The secret to keeping these appetizers warm is to serve them one at a time. Wait until most of the first dish is gone before bringing out the next. The food will be piping hot and interesting.

The giant poinsettia cupcakes add a lovely visual element to the table.  Flatbreads and crackers are housed in the creamware jar and the pedestal lion bowl.

Sweets and savories, as well as hot and cold dishes, make for a more diverse menu.

Elevate focal points and add candles for drama. Always have appropriate background music to set the mood.
















Cloth napkins are sophisticated and make guests feel special.

Hope your New Year's Eve Party is a night to remember!