Birthday Party Prep, in the kitchen

 Sweet Logan turned 5 yesterday.  I will post all the pics of her wonderful birthday celebration, but for now here are the goodies I whipped up for her party!  

 You can't spell P-A-R-T-Y without cookies, or something 

like that...am I right?  Semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies,

dusted with sea salt are ALWAYS on the menu!

Dark chocolate cupcakes (along with vanilla cupcakes that

didn't get their time to shine in front on the camera during prep)

alwaty please the crowds!

 

 No Fail Frosting! 

 It is a must for cupcakes, layered cakes, spoons and fingers!

Make this recipe, it is quick and easy and oh so tasty!

 Copious amounts of rice krispy treats!  I didn't make 

homemade marshmallows for these bad boys, as I have

in the past.  But the secret to stepping up your game with

a krispy bar made with a bag of marshmallows: a bit of sea salt!

 Peanut butter and homemade jam (via the MIL) is 

turned into party food, by removing crust, with a round 

biscuit cutter and dipping the cut edges into

tiny sprinkles!  So cute and festive!

It's a 5 year old birthday party, but I always plan

for the parents who are showing up as well. 

Beer and handmade wraps were on hand for them.

Store bought tortillas filled with havarti, oven roasted

turkey slices, candied bacon* and sun-dried tomato 

mayonnaise** were perfection!

*to candy bacon, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and parchment (no stick, yay)

place bacon on the prepared baking sheet and generously sprinkle with brown

sugar and cracked black pepper.  Bake until crispy (directions on bacon package). 

Do not drain on paper towels as the sugars will just stick to the paper!  I place the cooked

candied baon on a cooling rack and allow to drip a bit (playing baking sheet under the 

rack to catch drips).  once cool, store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.  

Can be made a few days in advance.

**to make sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, grab your food processor and whip 2 small jars

of drained sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup cream cheese (soft) and 1 cup real mayonnaise.

Store air tight in the refrigerator, can be made a week in advance.

PARTY PICS SOON !!!

(but, let's be real...what does 'soon' mean to me?  still haven't finished

Sundance Film Festival 2014 pics...opps!)

 

Tie Dye Frosing. OMG.

I am one of those crazy pregger ladies who needs to sleep with a notepad by my bed, because I wake up several times in the night thinking about something I need to get done.  One night, a few weeks ago, I woke with some new ideas for the Sweetsy Bar (TM) (I don't have a trademark, but totes need one, huh!) I was setting up for my dear friend's daughter's party (who also happens to be the sweetest little 3 year old I know, and the best friend to my little sweets). 

Notepad in hand I wrote down the makings of Funky-Fetti (My spin on the good o' box of Funfetti cake) cupcakes with (drum roll please)...Tie Dye Frosting.  In my head it was fantastic, but I didn't know if it would actually work, until I executed it (oh, like 20 minutes before we rushed out the door to the party.  No big deal). 

OMG.  presh-fest 2012...

First, you need to make my no fail buttercream frosting. 

It is ridiculously easy and oh so tasty! I then sectioned off

a bit of frosting in 3 bowls and added food color gel (primary colors)

Side note: a (very) little goes a long way in the color gel department.

I loaded a pastry bag, sliding the 3 colors into the bag

in 3 sections with as much order as I could manage.  As you can see

in the photo, it was a borderline hot mess (bhm), but view on...

this bhm went on to do some pretty amazing things

Stop it, huh!  I mean, really?  I still can't stand it!

The Funky-fetti cupcakes, with a few

of the other goodies that made their

way to the Sweetsy Bar (TM).

Can someone go ahead and (TM) that bad boy for me?