Cupcaking Competitions!!

Just returned from an amazing trip to Estonia, where we met some long lost relatives! Sadly I’ve not got a trip to NYC planned next as I didn’t win the Dr Oetker Cupcake Challenge!!!!!!!!!!! Realistically I knew I wasn’t in with a shot but it was fun to come up with some ideas for original cupcakes!!!



My favourite one to create and make was the Tea for Two. I even handpainted the pattern in my fave purple colour!!! The whole thing is completely edible (and tasty too!!).

These are very simple to make, Here’s how I did it;

Step 1 Bake or buy some cupcakes!!

Step 2 Take some ready roll icing (of course I use the Dr Oetker variety!!!) and roll out thinly. Gently drape the icing over an upturned glass, covered in cling-film, and trim with a sharp knife. Leave to harden. These will form the cups!

Step 3. Run across the road and borrow some plastic Barbie saucers from your 6 year old neighbour and use to mould the edible saucers, just like you did with the cups!

Step 4. Next roll out some ready-roll icing in your hands to make a small flat sausage for the handles. Using your cups as a guide curve the handle so they will sit happily on the cups. Leave to harden again!!



Step 5. Using edible glue, attach the handles to the tea-cups and leave to dry. You may need to support the handles with some sponges cut to size. When dried pop the cups and saucers off their moulds. Wash and return the Barbie saucers to generous neighour!!

Step 6. Pick your colours for the pattern on the tea-cups. In a paint palette add a few drops of water and a few drops of the chosen colouring to each paint grove and mix. Note; I use gel icing colourings as I think the colours work better, but liqud food colouring will work just as well, just use straight from the bottle, no need to dilute!!!! Sit down, pour yourself an actual cup of tea and get arty!!! Paint your pattern straight onto the tea-cup, using a cotton bud if needed to mop up any drips!! Leave to dry!

Step 7. Place a cupcake in the tea-cup and decide on your topping!! I used a chocolate cream, made by whipping together double cream and melted chocolate, but traditional ganache would look great too. I chose the whipped cream as I felt it would be lighter and not put too much pressure on the fragile tea-cups!!

Step 8. Finally display your fabulous creations on a tea tray with a mini version of your fave biscuit (Mine is dark chocolate caramel digestives, but sadly all we had were jammie dodgers  ) and an edible flower created in cake decorating class!!!! Photograph to your hearts content!!!!

Step 9. Devour with a real cuppa while watching ‘Revenge!’

Hope you enjoy my Tea for Two!! I thought it was an original idea but since the comp have been googling teacup cupcakes loads and discovered that others did get there first....... Oh well there’s always next year!!!



Here are my other entries, which failed to make the grade, but which entertained me for hours so himself could watch the Euros!!!!!

A bite out of th Big Apple (from the Hello Cupcake series of books!)

Up, Cake and Away!! (Modelled by Dylan!! My first attempt at basket weaving icing!! The balloon bit is Dr. Oetker mini marshmallows melted with rice crispies and shaped into a balloon!)

Fairy Cake of New York! The wings are made from Dr. Oetker edible paper. Her skirt is an up-side down cupcake and the rest is Dr Oetker Ready-to-roll icing, and their edible stars!!
Think I may have entered some others too, Will hunt down the rest of the pics!! Have a great weekend!!

xXx

Happy Birthday Princess!!!

It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by since we first welcomed Arabella into the world. (Although it’s equally difficult to remember life before her!!)




To mark her first birthday, I wanted to create a pink princess party we’d never forget (well the princess herself won’t remember it, but hopefully she’ll enjoy looking at the photos in years to come!). John designed some gorgeous invites and we ordered a fab outfit on Etsy from HugWear



Here is my beautiful princess modelling her outfit! (It’s almost impossible to get any non-blurry, face-on pics of her as she’s sooooooooo lively~ was walking before the 10month mark and can now out-run me!!!! Don’t know where she gets the energy, as she never sleeps longer than 20mins!!!)

And what does every princess need???

A pony!!!!!

I also whipped up some cupcake toppers and a high-chair banner and was in my element buying, baking & making pink goodies to decorate the kitchen. I was only allowed to decorate the kitchen as big brother, Dylan, wanted to scare all the guests first with the hallway and garden decked out for Halloween!!!

We’d a brill day sipping pink champers and nibbling pink delights (including some luminous pink painted sausage rolls, and groovy ham roley-poleys sambos!)

(This was only half the goodies.... We're still stuffed!!!)

House almost back to normal now... roll on 23rd November when we do it all again for Dylan’s 6th birthday pirate extravaganza!!!!

Happy First Birthday Arabella



Finally Found!

A few months back I saw these awesome stacking tiffin boxes on RTE's Kitchen Hero and lusted after them.

Tracked them down online in John Lewis (Don't deliver to Ireland), M&S (none in any of the 6 stores nearest me and my mum) and on Amazon (wa-hey too expensive).

Then on Saturday, doing the weekly shop in Newry, there on the window for Debenhams was the picnic box of my dreams....... WITH HALF OFF!!!!

I was so excited- 'Giddy' is the word I think himself used!!

The ex-display one was the only one left, so great timing!!! Used it the very next day on our picnic on Carlingford Lough!

Ah, Happy Days!!

August Bank Holl

Last weekend, we were luckily enough to have a long weekend, not lucky enough to have good weather, but that didn’t stop us exploring me more of this beautiful country!!




On Sunday we drove to the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre to take in a tiny portion of the biggest lake in Ireland. Dyl had a great time playing with the Arcemedis Screw. Thenwe headed on to the Holiday Inn, Ballymena Road, Antrim where we checked in to the biggest family room I’ve ever stayed in right by the Junction One Outlet Centre. So of course I forced myself to do some shopping, picking up some cupcake liners and a few small Christmas gifts- Get me for the super-organisation!!!! John and Dylan had a round of pirate mini-golf and afterwards we tried to eat all we could at The Red Panda~ Delicious but very rich sauces, so you can’t eat too much~ Sneaky!!!!



Monday morning, fuelled up with our hot chockies and full-Irish breakfasts we headed to Bushmills to the Giants Causeway. Words cannot do it justice so here are some snaps to show off such a dramatic landscape!!

After our Irish style picnic (eating in the car!) we drove to the Carrick-a-Rede ropebridge and I’m glad to say we all made it over and back! It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done!

I think when you have kids, fears get exaggerated, and you worry more, however irrationally, especially when crossing over rocks with a baby in her sling dancing and laughing as I practically wet myself!!!



Still twas a fabboo weekend, a nice break from the norm!!

Some French Inspiration....

The only good thing about coming back from holidays is rediscovering the treasures you bought to take home. Today I unwrapped the fabboo flamingo picks in a wee dish for eating shellfish etc... Had almost forgotten about those lovely ladies!!! I'm finally getting somewhere with the unpacking, kids clothes away, washing on, knight outfits, princess costumes and toys all tidied away and residing in their new home. Just toiletries and souveneirs to unwrap... I'm going to open one a day to save post-holiday depression!!

Flicking through holiday snaps, I've found a few for inspiration. If I get two seconds to myself over the Summer (Dylan finished school today, and Arabella has learnt to crawl and explore the house!)will definitely try my hand at the following;

A gorgeous linen laundry/swim bag with knitted fish, spotted in Carcassone.

And in the same window:

How adorable are these jam jar covers complete with crocheted/knitted fruit, crocheted trims, embroidery and lace!! Must get picking the fruit to make the jam too!!

We all adored waking up to fesh baguettes, pain au chocolat and croissants, and heading to the markets for macaroons and nougat. Anyone with recipes for either, please send my way. Just look at the faboo colours;

Finally for now, how cool is this lasagne, spied in Marseillan?! I would have brought some back if it would have survived being squashed with all my other buys in a very cramped case. I even had to leave some togs and SHOES in France!!!!

Oh also my peppers are growing well, they didnt miss me much, the spring onions are peeking their legs out and the broad beens and peas are thriving, despite all the rain while I was on the Sunny French Med!!

More on that another day, Baby is having a moan.....

'Go Fly a Kite' ~ Celebratory 3D Origami Kite Cupcake Toppers

Last month I signed up for the 'OffBeat Holiday Toppers: June' swap and received a totally awesome package featuring gorgeous toppers to celebrate the Queen's birthday. My partner also sent 2 PB Twixes, which I'd heard whisperings of but now know actually exist and are divine, a PEZ dispenser, flamingo drink stirrers and a Queen of Hearts notecard. It was an absolutely amazing package and arrived just in time for my birthday!!!

With other swaps, my birthday, Mums birthday and my son's midterm out of the way I focussed on my end of the swap. There were so many random holidays in June it was hard to pick just one. In the end I opted for a fun day celebrated twice in June; 15th & 24th, Go Fly a Kite Day!

Step 1 was to draw out some cloud shapes and choose my 2 faves. I then cut 6 of each out of white card and glued on the sticks. I had to use coffee stirrers as cannot get lollipop sticks or craft picks for love or money here, and cocktail sticks are too flimsy. Forgive the quality of the photos, my camera is out of batteries and I can't afford new ones, I'm saving up for some rechargable ones so I'm not caught out again!!!

Next, the fun bit: making the origami kites! For the topper,s I made mini-kites using 1.5" x 1.5" squares of paper, folding them diagonally into triangles;

Open up and fold the same corners (the ones without the central line running through them!)into the middle, so that the two adjacent edges meet in the middle. Fold down the top corner to create the lines and shape of the kite;

Next tape a short length of embroidery thread/ ribbon inside the kite, and extending out, Refold up the kites, taping the folded in flaps together at the back. Make sure not to take these flaps to the front piece of the kite to ensure they remain 3D, i.e. not flat!!



 Glue the kites to the clouds on sticks and bang some cupcakes in the oven to display your beautiful creations!!! 

Take on a picnic to the park, and remember to pack your kite!!

'Let's Go Fly a Kite...'

A Good Post Day!!

Today the postie brought em tons of wonderful surprises...

First up was Day 1 of the 'Put My Letter Back Together Swap' ~ I've two more to come then get to assemble the pieces into a letter, can't wait!!

Next up was an envelope with 2 yummy hot chocs inside

I also received 2 fabulous handmade cards, one for Arabella's arrival, the other for my birthday as part of the 'April Birthday Card' swap and they were crammed with goodie, note cards, stickers, ribbon and buttons. Thanks a million pedal2u

Dylan also did well today when Mr Tall came in the post from Granny D!! I also managed to track down the World Book Day books for him and picked 2 of them up.

John and me got books too, from Oxfam~ A HP quiz book for him and 'The Confessions of Fitzwilliam Darcy' for me, looking forward to getting 5 mins to myself to start on it... Maybe when Arabella starts school...

Finally after 26 years of searching I found a plastic lawn flamingo today at Boyd's Stores Dundalk!!! A fiver~ bargain, if I had more moola, I'd have bought a whole flock of flamingos!!!!

xXx