summer party anyone?

                                                     

       Summer is a great time to have a party. Being outside with friends and family enjoying the weather and the sunshine. Well I found this awesome blog full of the funnest ideas for parties. Kara over at Kara's Party Ideas has ideas for any party that you can think of. I totally fell in love with all the ideas. She got me so inspired that I am throwing a party myself.

  

The details are so fun and really got my brain working. I can't wait for the party. So fun for a birthday party as well, but who needs a reason to have a party. Happy Party Planing!

simple birthday party decorations

These simple and adorable paper cupcake wrappers were featured on The Lovely Paper Blog...I absolutely LOVE them and because I seem to be obsessed with cupcakes lately, I had to try them out. All you need is some scrapbook paper, scissors and adhesive. You can download the cupcake paper template here.


Birthday decorations should be quick and easy and these paper birthday banners are perfect...you could create your own or if you don't have time you can order them already assembled or in a kit from My Emmie Cakes...love them!


And who doesn't love Martha Stewart's tissue pom-poms! The possibilities are endless...just choose your tissue paper and create...so simple!


How to Make the Pom-Poms
You'll need tissue paper and 24-gauge white cloth-covered floral wire.

Hanging Pom-Poms
1. Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inchwide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. Tie a length of monofilament to floral wire for hanging.

fourth of july desserts

Every 4th of July I look forward to creating AND eating a Red, White and Blue dessert...they are so Patriotic! I always choose a simple, fun and yummy recipe that I can successfully create. I made these the other day for my family to try...they loved them and they were super-easy.



Red, White and Blue Parfaits

INGREDIENTS:
1 8-ounce carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 of an 8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed
3 cups fresh raspberries and/or cut-up fresh strawberries
3 cups fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt and almond extract or vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.
2. To serve, in six 12-ounce glasses or dessert dishes, alternate layers of the berries with layers of the yogurt mixture. Makes 6 servings.
Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare parfaits as directed through Step 2. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour.

Today I discovered some perfect 4th of July recipes that are simple and that anyone can create...the possibilities are endless! Now to decide which one I will make for our 4th of July Celebration.

If you need to serve a really big crowd, a Cupcake Flag (pictured below) is a great option. You can make it as big as you need to, whether you’re going to serve 36 cupcakes or 136.



Dip strawberries or oreos into melted white chocolate and roll in blue-colored sugar and decorate with sprinkles. Definitely Patriotic!




Star Pound Cake

Pound cake gets the star treatment. Use star-shape cookie cutters, one 3-inch, the other 1-inch, to cut slices of homemade or store-bought pound cake and strawberries for serving. For berries, cut off the green tops, slice in half top to bottom, and use the 1-inch cookie cutter to form stars. Drizzle with a sugar glaze and serve.



Dipped Ice Cream Sandwiches require very few ingredients and they only take 20 minutes to prepare.



INGREDIENTS:
4 ice cream sandwiches
1 tablespoon shortening
6 squares (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate
Red, white and blue sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Melt the chocolate and shortening in a microwave or heavy pan and mix it until it becomes very smooth and soft.
Quickly dip ice cream sandwiches in melted chocolate with sprinkles.
Place on prepared baking sheet then keep it frozen.

If you want more ideas for Red, White and Blue Desserts...go and check out these websites...
Martha Stewart
Family Fun
Better Homes and Gardens

grilled pizza

I am always looking for different ways to spice up the same old dinners that we eat regularly. This was a winner at our house. I am sure that this will be a regular request this summer. Thanks to Tidy Mom for this fun new summer idea. Head on over to get all the step by step instructions.

Tips I found when I made them:
Flip the tortillas just when they have grill marks and watch them closely.
After putting the toppings on, it will only take a few minutes before they are done. 

Happy Grilling!

these mini cakes...

look impressive and are a clever way to honor the "King of the Grill" on Father's Day. Dad's are sure to feel like royalty when they sink their teeth into these brownies. I will admit that baking is not my specialty but when these cakes were featured in FamilyFun this month...I decided to give it a whirl! They turned out perfect! They are also easy enough that little ones can help. These cakes are sure to sweeten your Sunday. HAPPY BAKING!

To make a batch of 12, place liners in a muffin pan, oil them, and fill them two thirds full of your favorite brownie batter, then bake according to the recipe directions. Let the brownies cool.

In a small bowl, mix one or two drops of black food coloring with 1/4 cup white frosting. Transfer the frosting to a ziplock bag and snip a small section from the corner. Pipe grate lines onto each brownie and let them set for 20 minutes. Add embers with a sprinkle of orange sugar.

Prepare the grill food as instructed below and press it in place atop each brownie.

Kebabs = A caramel cream and red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices, cut into small pieces + toothpick skewers

Pork chop = two thirds of a caramel cream, molded with fingers + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

Hot dogs = Hot Tamales candies + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

summer strawberry shortcake

I love strawberries!!! Strawberry Shortcake has always been one of my favorite summer foods especially when the strawberries are fresh from the garden. My mom always made this classic biscuit like shortcake when I was little and I love it warm from the oven covered with strawberries and cream. I braved turning on the oven on this hot summer day for this yummy summer dessert and it turned out so good!!

2 Cups of Sliced Strawberries
1/2 cup of Sugar
1/3 cup of Butter
2 cups of Flour
1/4 cup of Sugar
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla
3/4 cup Milk
Whipped Cream

Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of sugar on the sliced strawberries and then let is sit. The sugar will draw out all of the juices.
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Place butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor or blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Place crumbs in a bowl and stir in vanilla and milk just until combined.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently knead. I had to add a little more flour here because mine was still a little sticky. Knead about 20 times and then roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out whatever shape you would like. You could use cookie cutters, the top of a cup, or just cut it into squares.
Place them on a greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. I then sprayed mine with cooking spray and added a dash of cinnamon sugar on the top.
Bake these for 8-10 min until they are golden brown.
Split shortcake and fill with strawberries and cream.
Makes about 10 shortcakes.