Ladybug Inspired Baby Shower

Have you heard the buzz? A little lady is on the way!

Miss Baby Brunk!

Welcome to a ladybug inspired pink and green couples baby shower hosted by my aunt Joy and cousin Jordann. They did a fabulous job for the new parents to be Rachel and Isaac Brunk :)

I have to get the recipe from aunt Joy (still to come) - she made these delish cookies topped with icing and fresh fruit. The longer they sat the yummier they got :)

Marinated cheese bites topped with sundried tomatoes and speared with fresh rosemary. Handmade edible ladybugs were made from cherry tomatoes, olives, chives and black gel icing. How cute!

Can you guess who brought the cupcakes?! Aunt Heidi did :) I made an orange infused vanilla cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Topped with cute lady bug stickers, sticked onto a toothpick.

Jordann did a great job building the diaper cake!

Brunch time

We ate a yummy assortment of marinated cheese, ham sandwiches, shrimp pasta salad, fresh fruit, chicken salad sandwiches, egg casseroles, cheesy grits and sausage and biscuits! Our family knows how to cook :)

Onto all the wonderful gifts the little lady got for her 2010 clothing line and baby room :)

The little lady (with the help from Grandma and Auntie Jordann) made take-home favors for each guest filled with a yummy danish. Too cute!



Onto the Games!

This one is for the gentlemen!

1. untie your shoes

2. blow up your balloon as big as you can!

3. When we say go... stuff your balloon under your shirt

4. tie your shoes as fast... I mean as fast as you can!

5. First to tie their shoes is the winner!

The winner is: Father to Be - Isaac Brunk

It's not that easy now, is it!?

Keepsake photo to show the little lady when she gets older :)



Next game:

This is a timed game. We have a mommy, daddy and baby that needs its diaper changed.

Each parents gives up 1 hand, so this is a process of working together in the fastest time to get the babies diaper changed and clothed. We had 3 different couple battle with the fastest time. Winner was Myself and hubby (with no experience at all, lol)!

My family

Father in law Darryl - Isaac - husband Darren - Myself - Mother to Be Rachel - Mother in Law Kelly

Congratulations Isaac and Rachel! Can't wait to meet the little Lady :)

aka Grace, Lily, Ellen, Jenny, Aubrey, Anne, Bethany, Elle, Carlee or Beyonce (LOL)

Inside joke since the babies name is a secret!

Strawberry-Lime stuffed Cupcakes

These cupcakes would be perfect for any type of shower or event. Especially pink themed :) Enjoy!







Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk


Icing


1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice


Directions


1 drop green food coloring
6 large ripe strawberries, hulled
Green sanding sugar
Fresh mint leaves or candied leaves


Equipment: 6-cup jumbo muffin tin
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.
While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.


Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.
For icing: Mix the confectioners’ sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing. (If needed, add up to 1 teaspoon more juice, but take care if the icing is too loose it doesn’t set properly.) Add food color to make a pale pastel green icing.


To assemble: Remove cupcake from its liner. Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shaped portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving about 1/2 to 1-inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry and cover with a little bit of cake. Spoon and spread icing over the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Top with small mint leaves or candied leaves.

Orea Cookie Cupcakes

Who could ask for a better cupcake when America's favorite cookie is involved! YUM!

Cupcakes

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature


Whipped Cream Frosting

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons Oreo cookie crumbs


Garnish

24 Oreo cookie halves


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, being careful not to overmix.


Divide the batter between the prepared cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.


To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag and pipe frosting decoratively on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with Oreo cookie halves.


Makes 24 cupcakes.

Penis Cupcakes

One of my really good friends Heather had her Bachelorette party and I was in charge of the dessert. I had a penis cakepan for a cake but misplaced it and had to change my plans.....

Think... think... so I figured what could I do with cupcakes? They are easy to transport and each bachelorette diva can get one all to herself?! I went to the grocery store and looked for shapes to make a penis for my cupcake topping. I found the "100 calorie" (perfect for those dieting divas) in a pack of nutty peanut shaped cookies and the cinnamon swirl cookies. They were perfect to shape an outline for a penis! Then... I got the black chocolate sprinkles to finish off my masterpiece!

Tell me what you think of my new Penis Cupcake creation!

Cupcake Liners

I found these super fancy cupcake liners today from Paper Orchid.

These would be beautiful for a elegant bridal shower, wedding or birthday.

I have fallen in love with these!