Rainbow Paint Party

Children's birthday parties are not what they used to be. With the invention of Etsy, kids's parties today are practically on steroids. A birthday party is not just about picking a theme and having matching plates and table covers...maybe a pinata....now it is all about dessert tables, craft tables and beyond!

For my cousin she lucked out. Her two daughters both have September birthdays. So it makes it a little easier to plan an all out birthday party extravaganza and she only has to do it once. This year they were celebrating 4 and 2. The theme was Rainbow Paint Party and she went - ALL OUT. 

Mom and Dad with the birthday girls

All about the detail! Adorable dessert table to go with the paint party theme. There were cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and chocolate dipped rice krispy treats made by - your's truly as well as an ice cream dessert bar. 

Rainbow Cupcake Dessert Palette 

The cupcake display was just too cute! A paint palette with the cupcakes as the "paint" - who's ready to get creative?!

Birthday Girl Ruby turning 2 

Birthday girl Addison turning 4

I think the birthday girls like it...

mmmmm....cupcake...

Paint palette cookies

Here is a little closer look at the paint palette cookies I made! These were absolutely adorable and fun to make. Really easy too. The hardest part was making up all the "paint" colors. I had about 8 different piping bags full of frosting and I only messed up on the colors twice! Should have just went with my gut instinct to begin with.

Rainbow paint palette cookies

Rainbow cupcakes

Dont you just want to lick the frosting? You know you want to...These cupcakes are using my favorite homemade vanilla cupcake recipe...well actually it is a recipe for "funfetti" I just skipped out on the sprinkles but it probably would have been perfect for the them now that I think about it...

More rainbow cupcakes

Here is a few more cupcakes to drool over! I know I mentioned I made other desserts like the cake pops and the chocolate dipped rice krispy treats...I forgot to take a close up picture of them...I get lazy... If you have never had a rice krispy dipped in chocolate...you are missing out my friend. I just had one for the first time and I thought I died and went to heaven!! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Feel free to email me for information on a custom dessert for your next party!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cookies

The very hungry caterpillar...I can't remember the last time I have read that book...maybe when I was in kindergarten?
So when I got a request for some custom cookies for a very lucky 1 year olds birthday, I had to jog my memory.

I know that it obviously, has a caterpillar in it and he is VERY hungry...ok I am just messing with you. I looked it up on wikipedia and then the juices really started flowing for these cookies.

For these special cookies, I of course made the caterpillar which I ordered from an awesome vendor that I use for great cookie cutters, found HERE - you're welcome.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cookies

And also had to pick up a cute little strawberry cookie cutter. Since this cookies were intended as party favors I also packaged them in a cello bag. Each bag got 1 strawberry cookie and then either a cupcake cookie, apple cookie, a butterfly or Mr. Caterpillar cookie himself.

Now since he was very hungry...this little caterpillar ate a whole through the cupcake and apple cookies. hehe. Ok not really, I just cut a hole in them. But so much fun to make! I posted these on my instagram (follow me!)  and ALL of my teacher friends just about freaked out. I literally had no idea that this book was still so popular for how old it is! 

And since we are talking about caterpillar cookies, there was another little bug friend who came in and visited my kitchen and it was Mrs. Lady Bug! 

Lady Bug Cookies

These little guys I just used a 3" circle cutter and free hand drew the lady bug design on. I am going to make these for valentines day this year but make the spots a heart shape instead and call them "love bugs" hehe.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Bridal Showers & Brides Oh My!

One of my favorite cookie orders to make are for bridal showers! They are so girlie and fun to make. Plus the color combinations are endless! However, one theme that seems to be very in style right now is pale or dusty rose pink with white and gold accents!

Gold Wedding ring Cookies

Gold is a very difficult color to make with buttercream frosting without having to airbrush, which in my opinion can alter the taste. So I opted for something tastier SPRINKLES! Who doesn't love gold sprinkles?

Bridesmaid Dress & Engagement Ring Cookies

I am not sure if the pink is the actual color of the bridesmaid dresses but the dress is one of my absolutely favorite cutters to use. You can do many different "style" of dresses, but my go to is the ruffles.

Gold Engagement Ring Cookie "I DO!"

Hopefully these words will be said on the big day ;)

Wedding Dress Cookies

 Oohlala! So many dresses! Bridesmaids and the bride! 

Bridal Shower Cookies

K+M = <3 Congratulations to the Bride and Groom to be! 

Flower Swirl Cookies

Heart Cookies

Monogram Initial Cookies

 Cheers to the future Mrs. L!

Monogram L cookies

Wedding cookie Platter

So Many Cookies! 

As if this week wasn't busy enough for me, I also had my first wedding to bake for which was really exciting! I had the fun job of making 250 cupcakes! In planning my own wedding, I must say I have a hard time paying $3/cupcake when I can bake them myself. Sure it takes time, but if you are on a tight budget then you have to find a way to make it work.
This little budget savvy bride is my future cousin-in-law. She got married this past weekend and had about 175 people attend. It took place in eastern washington on a hill over looking the beautiful Columbia River. The view was absolutely breath taking!

Despite all the fires in eastern washington right now, she really lucked out. It was sunny, there was no smoke in the valley, but there was a very strong breeze that was hard to work with. Since it was so warm out (about 90 degrees), we had to wait to put the cupcakes out since they couldn't be in direct sunlight - they were just buttercream frosting. The cake with stood the weather, but that is not something I can take credit for. 

Everything came together nicely. She had a "peacock" color theme. We did an assortment of mini and big cupcakes in vanilla and chocolate. As well as vanilla and chocolate buttercream. My favorite was vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Since those didn't really go with the "theme" (brown frosting) those got put out after the cake to the face smashing...I mean, the cake cutting. 

For frosting the cupcakes, I did either a "ruffle" or "big swirl" pattern as I call them.  I am so happy for the bride and groom! What a fun day and I was so honored to be apart of it, even if it was just a small part! 

Happy 4th of July!

July 5th in Seattle usually marks the "official" day of summer...meaning, nice weather. It ALWAYS rans on the fourth and this year my fiance and I were down spending the holiday with his family in hood canal.
The morning on the 4th it was beautiful and sunny, but slowly that turned into a little rain spell in the late afternoon/ dinner time. Fortunately it cleared up in time for fireworks. As always, my "honey" is the head pyro in charge of the artillery. He definitely knows how to wheel and deal with the booths to get what he wants and puts on a pretty good show every year.

I like to watch the fireworks, but I like to keep a safe distance away from them. I would rather make fireworks in the kitchen...with my cookies ;)

We had A LOT of yummy desserts at the cabin, include no bake bars which I haven't had in YEARs as well as yummy peanut brittle bars, rice krispy treats, the list goes on and on!

4th of July Cookie Platter

My little brother and sister love to watch me make cookies and when I told them I was going to be making cookies for the 4th of July one of them - can't remember now - said I should make cookies in the shape of the #4...Not a bad idea kiddo! So I took their advice and I did!

All the cookie! Happy 4th of July!

Stars and 4's 

Red, white and blue star cookies with matching #4's to go with it to celebrate the fourth of July holiday. The 4s are nice and small, which makes it ok to eat more than 1...shhh....don't worry I won't tell!

Hood Canal 2014 

The fluted cookie cutter is what I am calling my "fireworks" and they kind of look like it if you use your imagination a little bit right?!? You can't see them but there were a few other phrases on them too like "happy 4th" "4th of July" "2014" and a big number 4 too.

Stars and Stripes! Gotta love the flag!

One of the most iconic american symbols...our beautiful flag. It's not Independence Day with out the flag representation on the platter! I actually had my mom help me out with these one! I was frosting the red stripes and she would follow behind me with the white piping bag and make the white stripes and then we would play leap frog back and fourth until they were all filled in...save me probably about half the time it would have normally taken me. *thanks mom*

Festive Cupcakes

I love the cupcake cookies because they have the most frosting on them....mmmm.....frosting!

Happy 4th of July!

Gotta have a checkered table cloth!

Here is what I was talking about above! A few more shots of the "firework" cookies I made with different phrases on them. Again a shout out to my mom for helping me on these ones too. She helped fill in the "polka dots" and again saving me lots of time. *thanks mom*

Happy 4th of July Cookies

Stars and Stripe Cookies

I took advantage of the cute table cloth that was very "all american" if I do say so my self to go with our holiday theme!

Old Glory

Thanks for stopping by! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday! 

Grads & Dads We Celebrate You!

Sorry to all my blog fans out there, I haven't been super active on blogging. This summer is really starting to get cooking for me. I am getting married in August (eeeek). June is another busy month for me with dads AND moms. My mom's birthday is June 9th, my dad's birthday is june 12 and my mother-in-law's birthday is the 15th which is ALSO father's day...whew...that's a busy week this year!

I had a special cookie order this month, high school graduation cookies...for my rival high school....ok I will play nice :P 

WAY TO GO!

As I was making these cookies, I really couldn't stop reminiscing about my high school years. Its crazy to think that next year, it will be my 10 YEAR H.S. reunion. I seriously thought that this day would never come, that 10 years could never go by, and they have gone by so quickly. 

Fluted circle graduation cookies

I think back to all the things I have done, places I have gone, and how much I have "grown up." I think it is funny now how I used to tell my parents, "but Mommmm, I'm 17!!!" as in "I'm mature." Oh little Kayla, you were so clueless. hahaha. 

WOOHOO YOU DID IT!

Anyways, lets get back to these cookies! These cookies were for my high school cheer coach, as her youngest son graduated this weekend from Juanita High School, the rebels.

Graduating from high school is something that I think a lot of people take for granted. It's still a struggle for some people in this world to finish school and in today's society, a High School education is not the end, it is just the beginning to higher education. 

JHS Graduation Cookies

I remember my graduation day and that night we had the senior party. Where they make you stay out until 6am and do various activites. We went to the Family Fun Center and had the whole place to our selves. There was mini golf, go-carts, laser tag, arcades and just mayhem.

Graduation cookies

Back in 2005, Fear Factor was a really popular show. So it was actually themed Fear Factor and I remember people drinking limburger cheese and spoiled milk and God knows what...yuck. no thanks. And I definitely remember people throwing up after....

Juanita Rebel Megaphone Cookies

Class of 2014!

I have to say, I had a lot of fun making these cookies and it made me get in the spirit for 4th of July too! 

Graduation Caps & Diplomas

Juanita high school cookies

So dedicated above, was obviously to the "grads" out there. Now we can't forget about the other celebration this week which is to all the DADs out there!

My family we usually don't exchange gifts, we just get together and spend time with one another which I think is more important.

This year we are doing dinner and celebrating my mom's birthday as well. So I decided to make a cake! 

Now I have said in the past that my business name should really be called "anything but cakes." But I am slowing working on it.

"Oh no I'm Naked!"

Normally, my go to dessert craving is of course - chocolate. But I also have a recent obsession with passionfruit desserts. So I made a Passionfruit Chiffon cake. Upon initally reading the recipe, I had to read it a few times over just to make sure I was following the recipe right and I understood the steps. But once I got started in the process, it started to come together. And I was pretty happy with the end result. 

Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake 

My aunt and uncle live in Maui and they have fresh passionfruit growing right in their back yard, unfortunately here in Seattle, we are not that luckily. I went to Pike Place market a few weeks ago to see if I could find some passion fruit and they were $4 EACH for the tiniest passionfruit...and in a recipe you need anywhere from 6-12...So how did I get the passionfruit juice...Google...

I cheated. I started googling passion fruit juice to see what I could find. Lots of options out here but I discovered that Cost Plus World Market carries a 100% passionfruit juice with no added sugar. BINGO lets give it a whirl! As you can see above, it did turn out and it did taste good but if you want a very STRONG passionfruit taste, you gotta go get the real deal fruit. 

Home Made Whipped Cream for Frosting 

The one thing I have a hard time with is getting the cakes to stand straight. The below picture is the cakes "good side" and let's be real, we ALL have a "bad side" in one way or another. The "frosting" if you are wondering is actually whipped cream. Which makes it a lot easier to frost since it goes on so gently and doesn't "pull" crumbs off the side of the cake. Ok time to fancy up this cake! 

TAH DAH! 

Rummaging thru my pantry I found some coconut flakes which I thought would look perfect on the side of this tropical cake! I know most people are not a big fan of coconut but in my family we are! Next I shaved some white chocolate to place around the top of the cake. Probably could have done coconut around the whole thing but I wanted to mix it up. 

I am really bad at taking photos of what the cake looked like on the inside, but it was really light, fluffy and delicate I would describe it. Unfortunately, it was definitely not light in calories...BUT we added fresh garden strawberries and that counts for something right? 

This cake was definitely a big hit around the table! I am definitely going to have to make it again!

Thanks for stopping by!