Red, White, and Blue Mini Cheesecakes!

Celebrate the 4th of July with Red, White, and Blue Mini Cheesecakes!

 

 

These little treats are the perfect addition to any backyard barbecue this Fourth of July.

 

Ingredients:  (makes 48)

1 12oz package of vanilla wafers

2 8oz packages of cream cheese

3/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 can of cherry pie filling

1 can of blueberry pie filling

48 mini cupcake liners

 

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Line mini cupcake pan with liners.

- Crush the vanilla wafers to make crumbs.

- Measure 1/2 tsp of wafer crumbs into each mini cupcake liner.

- Beat cream cheese, vanilla extract, eggs, and sugar until fluffy in a medium mixing bowl.

- Fill each mini cupcake liner with the cream cheese mixture (almost to the top).

- Bake 15 minutes.

- Cool mini cheesecakes.

- Once completely cooled, top with cherry pie and blueberry pie filling!

 

Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!

 

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April Showers Bring May Flowers

Every May I love to throw my "April Showers Bring May Flowers" party. With all of Spring's flowers in bloom and farmer's markets around the city, it is a perfect theme to plan a party around.

How it works:
Invite your girlfriends to join you for a flower arrangement-making party.  Ask each woman to bring a bouquet of mixed flowers and an empty vase.  After everyone has arrived, open all the bouquets and lay the flowers out on the table (protect your table with a plastic tablecloth).  Then allow your guests to move around your table collecting flowers they would like to use for their arrangement.  Once everyone has their chosen flowers, give a few instructions to help them build their beautiful arrangment. 

Extra ideas:
- You can hire a florist from your local florist shop to give a little lesson on how to make the perfect arrangement.
- Type up floral arrangement tips on little cards and pass them around to your guests.
- Making floral arrangements is always more fun with snacks and mimosas!

Just a few floral arrangement tips from KDiti:
- Trim your the stems at an angle at the time of arrangement to insure they are fresh.
- Start by gathering the flowers in your hand.  Then place them into the vase and add "filler" flowers.
- Pick a color scheme and choose flowers that compliment each other.
- Strip the leaves so there are no leaves below the water line.
- Use warm water when filling the vase, and replace dirty water with fresh water every 2 days. Make sure to discard the old water completely.

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Strawberry Margarita Pops

It's Spring and time for those backyard barbecues. 

Here is a tasty frozen treat with a Margarita twist.

What you need:  Makes 4 pops
12 Fresh Strawberries
8oz Margarita mix
2oz Tequila
4 Popsicle sticks

- First, rinse and cut the strawberries into halves discarding their leaves.
- Using a fork, poke holes into the strawberries.
- Mix the Margarita mix and Tequila in a medium bowl.
- Add the strawberries to the Margarita/Tequila mixture and allow them to soak for 1 hour.
- Remove the strawberries.
- Line up 6 halves and push a Popsicle stick through them to make one Strawberry Margarita Pop.
- Once all the pops have been assembled, freeze for 1 hour.

Enjoy!



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Easter Bunny Cake

Make an Easter Bunny Cake this year for your Easter Celebration!

What you need:
- Your favorite boxed cake mix and the ingredients requested - I prefer Devil's Food Cake.
- 2 9inch round cake pans
- 2 containers of vanilla icing
- 1 bag of Easter colored peanut M&Ms
- 1 bag of Coconut flakes

How to make your Bunny Cake:
- Mix and bake your 2 round cakes as instructed.
- Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Place cakes into refrigerator for at least 1 hour- this makes it easier / cleaner to cut the cake.
- Leave one the cakes round, making the face, and cut the other as shown below. The two smaller pieces make the bunny ears and the center becomes the bow tie.

 

- Place your pieces out on a serving surface, making your bunny - I prefer to use a cookie sheet.

- Ice the cakes with vanilla icing.

- Cover with coconut flakes - This helps hides imperfections.

- Finish with Easter colored M&Ms to make the eyes, ears, bow tie, etc.

 

Enjoy!

 



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March Manicures

Need to catch up on some gossip or just hang out with your girlfriends? 

Plan a Manicure Party!

 

 

 

How it works:  Reach out to a local nail salon, and ask them if you can throw a manicure party.  As long as each person pays for their own service, most places will not require you to pay for the space.  However, it is courteous for you to let them know in advance that you will have a large reservation.  Ask each woman to bring a new bottle of her favorite nail polish and collect all of them into a bag as everyone arrives.  After the manicures, have each woman pick one bottle out without looking for a surprise new color to take home! Finally, I usually have everyone back to my house (walking distance from the salon) for drinks and desserts.

 

Tips:

- Reach out to the salon first, then send your friends an invite.

- Ask your friends to RSVP so you have an accurate number of guests to give to the salon a few days before.

- To prevent any surprises, include manicure prices in your invitation.

- Ask the salon if you can bring food and drinks - my favorite nail salon allows champagne!

- Keep the party small, inviting only 8-10 women.  
- I think it is best to plan these parties on a week day about an hour and half before the salon closes. This is usually when nail salons are empty and winding down for the day. 

Have fun!

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Spice Up Your Gifts

A Spice Bag is the perfect gift for the hostess of your next party, around the office, or just for fun!  Lose the "bottle of wine" gift and spice it up!

What you need:
A spicy recipe!

How to assemble:
- Mix all of your spices in a small baggie.
- Tie a ribbon around the top to seal it off.
- Make a label stating the name of the dish on the front and directions on the back.


 

Below are 2 easy examples:

Moroccan Chicken
(in the spice bag)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp cumin
6 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp black pepper

(for the label)
Front - Moroccan Chicken
Back - Makes 16 chicken thighs
Add 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Rub the paste on chicken skin
Arrange lemon slices around chicken
Bake ~45mins at 450 degrees

Indian- spiced Chicken
(in the spice bag)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp black pepper

(for the label)
Front - Indian Spiced- Chicken
Back - For 2lbs of chicken
Add 2 tsp of minced garlic, 4 tbsp of plain yogurt, and the juice of 2 limes
Marinate chicken overnight
Bake or grill chicken as desired


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Super Bowl Cookies

Super Bowl Cookies

 

Football fans - It's that time of year again, and I have Super Bowl cookies

that are sure to be a touchdown for any Super Bowl Party! 

These are a simple combination of sugar cookies with a taste of mint in the shape of a football.

What you need: (amounts vary depending of how many cookies you want to make)
- Your favorite sugar cookie recipe and ingredients needed
- Colored icing
- Andes Mints
- White icing

Here is how to make them:
1. First make your favorite sugar cookies. I prefer making smaller ones, so the little footballs don't get lost.

2. While your cookies are baking,  unwrap your Andes Mints and trim off their corners, making little footballs.

3. Once your cookies are cooled and ready for frosting, apply a small smear of icing in your favorite team's color. (I have also iced the cookies with green like the football field to be neutral for any team.)

4. Place an Andes Mint on each cookie and press into the frosting.  You need to do this while the frosting is still soft so that they stick.

5. Then pipe a small amount of white frosting making the marks of the football. (Use a decorating pin to make the small detail of the white frosting easier. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/nordic-ware-detailed-decorating-pen/?pkey=cbakeware-cupcake-shop& )

Enjoy and Go 49ers!


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