A Robot Birthday Party

My sweet, adorable, funny little guy turned 4 this month.  He's at the age where the anticipation of a birthday party has been building for months, and he wanted a robot birthday party.  No problem!  I love throwing parties, and nothing more than a kid's party.  Going all out with every little detail is loads of fun for me, and even though I know he doesn't notice the half of it, I love doing it.  So here it is, and thanks for looking!

I made the welcome sign using a presentation board from Target.  They also have these awesome black letters to use for school presentations that made my life easier since I usually cut everything out from a stencil.  Note to husband: would love Cricut for next birthday.

I made this birthday banner, I used a salad plate as the template for the circles and one of the scrapbook paper packs from Michaels so everything would match:

 

I made these cute party hats by covering plain party hats with coordinating scrapbook paper (just take apart one hat and use as a template to cut out the paper, then cover using a glue gun).  I found the robot stickers at Michaels months ago, they had a ton of robot themed stuff in their $1 section, so if you're looking for party theme ideas it's a good place to check.  I had a lot of paper scraps so I made napkin rings (yes I'm crazy).

The treat table:

I was so happy with how his cake turned out.  He wanted a small cake with cupcakes.  The cake was chocolate and vanilla layers, with toasted marshmallow frosting in between and chocolate malt frosting underneath the fondant.  I used Duff's Cake Graffiti in silver to color the entire cake and make the stars.

I was a little nervous since I read mostly awful reviews, but this stuff is all kinds of awesome.  Once it dried it gave super even coverage and had a great sparkly metallic color.  I also used it for some of the cupcake toppers, which were white cake with chocolate malt frosting.  

Robot cookies:

These were little jello jars.  I found the spoons on Etsy, and added a little star stamp using food coloring (did I mention I was a little crazy?), and then tied them onto the jars with baker's twine.  

"Assorted parts" fruit skewers:

"Computer Chips" and "Nuts and Bolts":

I love the look of milk bottles, so rather than spend upwards of $3 per bottle, I bought Starbucks Frappacinos from the grocery store, peeled off the wrappers, and voila.  I am also obsessed with striped straws, these ones (grey and white) are from Etsy.  They are made of paper and while they hold up to normal drinking if you have a kid who loves to chew on straws (like my daughter) they turned in to a mushy mess quickly.

 

These water bottle labels were easy to make, just peel off the existing (I used Archer Farms brand from Target) and measure to cut out new ones from whatever paper you like.  Then affix with a glue gun. 

This birthday was especially fun since the kids were totally into party games and activities.

My husband made this awesome robot costume for the kids to wear for photo ops, I thought he did a great job!:

The kids played "pin the part on the robot":

And "robot arm" with a bin full of prizes and one of those mechanical arms you can get from Target or the dollar store:

And finally we had a robot pinata (from Party City) filled with with treats.  The kids loved it!

A Pink and Green Owl Birthday

My darling little girl is two!  How did that happen??  It seems like only yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the first time.  Now she is a walking, talking, gorgeous little thing full of opinions and ideas about how the world should work.  She is full of life, love, and I adore her.

I thew her a small birthday party with an owl theme in mind.  Everything came together and she had a wonderful time.   I bought one of those paper packs from Michaels that has coordinating sheets (I think about 120?) and it made all the crafting super easy.  Here are the details, thanks for looking!

The dessert table:

 

Strawberry Marshmallow mousse cups (I bought the cute little jars from World Market and the taster spoons from Etsy):

 Strawberry and Pistachio Macarons:

 Owl Cookies: 

The cake (vanilla and chocolate layers, strawberry mousse filling, chocolate buttercream frosting, and covered in marshmallow fondant):

 

I also made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with chocolate and vanilla frosting:

 

I decorated with coordinating lanterns:

I covered plain party hats with pretty paper and added a fringe made with crepe paper streamers:

These pinwheels were super easy to make, but not exactly something you would want kids playing with.  The pins came out really easily so I just put a few in the ground outside and the rest in a vase on the dessert table.

I made these water bottle labels with paper and an owl stamp, just cut to fit and attach with a glue gun:

I decorated with these paper fans:

The party favors were little mylar kites, all wrapped up:

Me and my birthday girl:

Train Birthday Cake

First, let me start this post off by saying I have finally found the best vanilla cake recipe in the entire world!!  Thank you Sweetapolita!  It's flavorful, moist, and bakes up like a fluffy dreamy cloud of vanilla deliciousness.  I am in love.  I can't wait to try this recipe as cupcakes.

The cake:  Layers of vanilla cake filled with strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream.  I wasn't sure what type of frosting to use on the outside of the cake.  I actually make the Cake Boss' decorator's buttercream originally.  It goes against my distrust of vegetable shortening, but I wanted a smooth outer frosting.  It was VILE.  Instead I went with my favorite sugary sweet American buttercream from Sweetapolita (have I mentioned I love her?), and while it wasn't completely smooth it turned out pretty good.  

The little birthday boy loved his train cake and that's was the best compliment of all. :)

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting

I made this cute little cake with companion cupcakes for a sweet little boy's first birthday party.  Lately I've really been into using fondant and a lot of decorations, but since the cake was for a cake smash I went for a more of a simple style.  I used my usual chocolate cake recipe, but instead of sour cream I used non fat Greek yogurt.  I don't think there was much of a difference but it came out nice and moist, and I guess there is the added bonus of some protein in there!

For the cutouts, I actually used modelling chocolate which was cut out on my Cricut Cake that I got for Christmas.  I love modelling chocolate, but I won't be doing this again.  It was a huge pain to roll out and it kept getting stuck on the blade.  Last time my marshmallow fondant didn't work well either, so far the best has been Satin Ice rolled fondant.   There is definitely a learning curve with the Cricut, but it's so nice to have for detailed letters.

If you're wondering, I make my modelling chocolate using candy melts, which I have a ridiculous amount stashed away from my cake pop making days.  The recipe, from Spider Farmer is below.  

 Sugary Birthday Buttercream Frosting
from Sweetapolita

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened

6 cups icing sugar (confectioners’)

120 ml whipping cream

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

pinch of salt

Beat the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, water, whipping cream, and salt, and whip on high speed until fluffy and smooth–about 4 minutes. If consistency is too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time, then whip again for 30 seconds or so.

Makes enough to fill & frost a 3-layer, 8″ cake.

Modeling Chocolate from Candy Melts:
from Spider Farmer

• 7 ounces (200 grams) Candy Melts
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1. Melt the candy in a large pyrex measuring cup in the microwave, 1 minute /half power, then 2 more bursts of 30 secs at half power, stirring at the end of each heating cycle.
2. Grease your measuring spoon with veggie oil or shortening, so the corn syrup will easily slide off.
3. Stir the candy until smooth and lump free, then add the corn syrup. The candy will start to seize almost instantly, but keep stirring until you’ve incorporated all the syrup. You’ll end up with a big blob of warm candy. It’ll have the texture of a tootsie roll. (Well, a warm tootsie roll.)
4. Put your blob in a freezer safe resealable bag and pop it in the fridge. Once your dough is cold, you can take it out, cut off a piece that you want to work with, and knead it until it’s a workable mass.

It’ll be really hard when you first take it out of the fridge. If you have time to let it warm up a bit, it will be easier to work. You can mold it like it were fondant or marzipan.

Linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Snake Birthday Cake

I made this cake for a little boy's 5th birthday party today.  It's the biggest cake I've made, a 12 X 18 sheet cake, two layers of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, serving 60 people.  I was so pleased with the way the snakes came out, the big snake is made out of two mini bundt cakes and covered in fondant.  The little snakes and letters are all fondant.  Cute, no? :)

Firetruck Birthday Cake

I recently made this cake for a lovely little boy's 3rd birthday party.  It was a white vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, and the decorations are made from marshmallow fondant.  I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I'm excited to try decorating with fondant again.

Photo by: Jamie Lacey Photography

Photo by: Jamie Lacey Photography

Car Cookie Pops

I wanted to do a special cupcake topper for my son's 3rd birthday a few months ago, and thought I would try my hand at some car cookie pops.  I was pretty nervous making these since I'm not exactly an artist, but I think they turned out pretty darn cute.  The kids loved them, and we also gave them away as party favors.

I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, and a recipe for royal icing using meringue powder.  I have never worked with royal icing before, but it make decorating the cookies fairly easy.  I won't lie, these took FOREVER and there were plenty of cookies that didn't make the cut.  The main thing to remember is that consistency with the icing is key.  If it's too runny your designs will all run together, too thick and it won't even out and dry with a nice finish.

I followed this tutorial from Sweetapolita for making the cookie pops, and then used a variety of tips and tricks on decorating with royal icing from Sweetopia.  I love checking out both these blogs, their cookies and cakes are simply gorgeous! 

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Car Cookie Pops

1 recipe sugar cookies (below)
1 recipe royal icing (below).  You made need more depending what type of designs you do
lollipop sticks (any craft store should have them, don't get the shortest ones, get medium or longer)
Gel Color (I use Wilton)
toothpicks

Tyler and Laura's Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
from Cafe Blue Ridge

1 C sugar
1C butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg yolk, reserving egg white to decorate
2 C plain flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, use mixer to cream butter with sugar, then cream cheese. Add next 4 ingredients, blending well, then add flour and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, this makes the dough easy to roll.

Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper, put on a cookie sheet or cutting board, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.   Then using your cookie cutters, cut out the dough and insert your lollipop stick approximately half way into the cookie.  If it pokes through just patch it up with some scrap cookie dough, no one will notice the back and the front will be covered with icing.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet

I then put the cookie pops back in the fridge for another 30 minutes before baking.  This helps the cookie keep it's shape when baking.

Bake 10 minutes or so, until they begin to brown lightly at the edges. Cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to rack.

Once cookie pops are completely cool you can get on with the icing.

Royal Icing
from Joy of Baking

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar 3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder 1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond) 1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water Food Coloring (I use Gel Pastes)  In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined.  Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use. Makes about 3 cups Decorating the Cookie Pops I started by doing an outline around the edge of the cookie, and then flooding the center and filling gently with a toothpick.  This is where you'll know if the consistency of yoru icing is right.  You can always add more water or a bit more confectioner's sugar.  Once you've done the main color, let them dry completely, this usually takes several  hours. I did the windows and wheels at the same time, but be very careful not to use too much icing.  A lot of my cookies ran and didn't turn out so great.  If you catch it in time you can try and use a toothpick to clean off any icing.

Linked to:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweets for a Saturday 
Sweet Indulgences Sunday 
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Ellis' Pretty and Pink 1st Birthday Party

I recently posted about my darling baby girl Ellis' 1st birthday and her first taste of cupcakes.  That weekend we had a bigger birthday party for her complete with a cake smash, and I was lucky to have my dear friend Jamie from Jamie Lacey Photography there to capture the whole event.

Everything was in pink.  Pink drinks, pink cupcakes, pink party favors, pink napkins, pink balloons, pink everything.  For all I know Ellis is going to grow up to hate pink, but for now Mommy gets to choose the party themes.

Ellis doesn't really have any friends her own age but her older brother Liam's friends just love her.  The kids all talk about her and ask if she'll be at playdates.  So they all came to help us celebrate our gorgeous, hilarious, sweet little Ellis' first birthday.

This was my first attempt at making a banner, and I'm super happy with the way it turned out!

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

The cupcakes were pink of course, I also made some cupcake toppers

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

You can never have too many pink desserts so I made strawberry coconut Lamingtons and sugar cookies

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Pink M&Ms and coneflower kits were favors for the kids

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Ellis' cake was almost too pretty to let her smash.  Almost

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

And the birthday girl had her beatuiful pink cake all to herself

Photo by Jamie Lacey Photography

Carrot Cupcakes for My Sweet Little Birthday Girl

One year ago today I held my sweet little Ellis Lily in my arms for the first time.  She was so perfect, everything so tiny and still covered in soft tufts of hair.  We spent the first week of her life in the hospital, waiting not so patiently for her jaundice to improve so we could take her to her new home.  I could only spend a few minutes with her every 2-3 hours and I cherished every one of them.  She would snuggle so closely to me and I would marvel that  this little girl was mine.  How could I have gotten so lucky to have two gorgeous children is still beyond me.

Ready for her cupcake

During the first two months of Ellis' life, she did what most babies do; she ate and slept.  Sure she fussed a little in the evenings, but she was such an easy baby.  I would constantly brag that having two small children wasn't that hard, what was all the fuss about?  I would soon come to eat my words.  At two months colic hit Ellis and our family like a ton of bricks.  For the next two months the soundtrack to our lives was Ellis screaming.  If she was my first I would have holed up in my apartment until it passed, but I had my son Liam to think about so we tried to go about our lives as best we could.  Ellis screamed at the park.  She screamed bloody murder in the car.  She screamed at playdates, and everywhere in between.  And then finally at four months the fog started to lift and I finally started get to know and understand this little person.

Ellis is a little cuddler, when I ask her for a hug she puts her arms around my neck and squeezes tightly.  She loves to curl up against me at night, and when she wakes I can see her big eyes looking up at me to make sure I'm still there before settling back in.  Ellis loves music.  'Music' was her first sign and she loves to dance at her music table.  She adores her big brother, her eyes light up when she sees him and she follows him around all day.  She always wants to be a part of what he's doing, and bless him for the most part lets her.  She laughs at all his antics.  Watching them play and laugh together is one my most favourite things in the world.

Hmmm, what is this lovely thing?

Ellis is a mama's girl.  She wants to be in my arms all day long.  This can get a bit annoying when I'm trying to make dinner, but when she crawls towards me at top speed with a huge toothy smile on her face I can barely stand the cuteness.  She loves her Daddy to bits too, and smiles from ear to ear when he walks through the door at the end of the day.

Yup, she's her mother's daughter

Ellis is a sensitive girl.  The slightest thing not going her way will bring forth the most sorrowful cries you've ever heard.  She has so many moods which are written all over her face, she has the most expressive eyes (and eyebrows, haha) I've ever seen.  Everyday I am thankful that she is part of my life and that I get to watch this gorgeous creature grow up.

For her first birthday I made her some yummy carrot cupcakes, which she, and the rest of the family, thoroughly enjoyed.

Best and Easiest Carrot Cake
from Nick Malgieri

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 pound carrots, rinsed, trimmed, peeled, and grated
3/4 cup walnut or pecan pieces, coarsely chopped (I left these out)

24 prepared muffin tins

Set rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. 

Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to mix.  Set aside. 

Place brown sugar in mixing bow and use large rubber spatula to work in eggs one at a time.  Whisk in the oil. 

Whisk in the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time.  Use a large rubber spatula to mix in carrots and nuts.

Divide batter into prepared muffin tins, bake until risen and firm, about 20 minutes.

After about 5 minutes remove from muffin pans and let cool completely on wire racks.  Once they are cool, frost!


Cream Cheese Frosting
From Baked Explorations

3 cups confectioners' sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until is completely smooth.  Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.  Be careful not to overbeat the filling, or it will lose structure.  (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator.  Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)