Valentine's Day Cakes

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. You may consider putting in a little effort to make the day as wonderful as it possibly could be. You may want to follow one of these cake recipes which are sure to bring a smile. These would be great to share with that special someone, bring to a Valentine's Day bash, office party, or family gathering. Have fun!

Sources & Recipes: 

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Fabulous Red Velvet Cake

Sacher Torte Heart with Truffle Top

Blackberry-Raspberry Truffle Cake (I tried this one and it was delish!)

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes 

Heart Cake

Valentine's Day for Kids

It's that time again... time to break out the school list to send all of your children's classmates Valentine's Day cards for Valentine's Day. Instead of purchasing the overdone cartoon valentines found at the local store, try something new this year. Here are some creative valentines your kids will be proud to bring to class.

Handmade Candy Valentines:

Sources from MS

Sweet Spot Hearts: 

Snip candy hearts for an entire class in a snap. To make, cut a heart from a strip of candy dots, and glue it to a piece of construction paper. With scalloping scissors, cut construction paper to create a border around the heart.

Personalized Candy Bags:
To make these custom treat packages, cut out a picture of your child, scan it, and print onto heavyweight matte paper. Cut tags using pinking shears for the bottom edges, draw hearts, and stamp or write a message on each one. Fold the tags and tape them to cellophane bags filled with sweets.

Heart-and-Lollipop Flowers: 
1. Use card stock to make a half-heart template about 3 inches high and 1 1/4 inches wide. Fold a 12-by-3 1/2-inch piece of construction paper in half vertically, and trace four half-hearts along the fold.
2. Cut out hearts; unfold.
3. Stack hearts; punch a hole 1/4 inch up from bottom. Position petals to form a flower, making sure holes line up. Secure by applying glue around holes; let dry. Write name on a petal. Insert lollipop.

Baked Valentines:

Sources & Recipes:
X's and O's Cupcakes
Warm & Fuzzy Heart Cookie Pops
Rice Krispie Valentine Treats

For the ambitious bakers, you may want to try these pops:

Source & How-To:
Valentine's Day Cake Pops

For the less ambitious bakers, try this super easy fix:

Source: Easy Valentine Treats
Oreo Cakesters + heart shaped cutter = cute and easy Valentine's Day treats. These would be easy for kids to do by themselves.

Simple Super Bowl Fixes

Still debating what to serve all the football fans this Sunday? Let's face it, guys like simple. Desserts that are simple are easy to make and usually taste the best. Here are some simple, no fuss desserts that will perfectly accompany chili and nachos.

Recipes:
Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chocolate Nutty Mini Football Treats

These snack mixes are perfect to munch on while watching the game. You may want to make a double batch because they go quickly! Pick your favorite from the three different varieties below.

Recipes:
Crisp & Spicy Snack Mix
Orange Chipotle-Spiced Pecan Mix
Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix

Football Cupcakes & Cake Pops

Super bowl is this Sunday. If you are hosting a super bowl party (or going to be a guest at one) you might consider making football themed desserts. Here are some cool football cupcake ideas for game day. 

Sources & Tutorials:
1. Football Candle Cupcakes
2. Chocolate Football Cupcake (sorry no tutorial for this one)
3. Football Cupcakes

Here are some cupcake liners you may want to use:

Sources
1. Football Corset Liner (Click for directions/how-to)
2. Touchdown Liners (available for purchase)

Here is a tutorial for football shaped cake pops (the kids will definitely love these):

Tutorial:
Football Cake Pops

Spicing Up Life with Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a good source of manganese, iron, fiber and calcium. Just 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon daily lowers blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides, which is especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood, which means that it can help improve circulation. It can even act as a preservative when added to food by inhibiting food spoilage. 

Studies have shown that if you consume a half teaspoon of cinnamon powder mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast it can significantly relieve arthritis pain... so much so that after a month of following this simple regiment, one can walk without pain. Studies have also shown that smelling cinnamon can boost both cognitive function and memory.  

To get your daily dose of cinnamon, try sprinkling it on oatmeal, applesauce, yogurt, sweet potatoes, and grilled fruit. Here are some cinnamon inspired recipes to try: 

Recipes:

1. Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apples 

2. Cinnamon Crisp-Topped Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread 

3. Banana-Cinnamon Waffles 

4. Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies 

5. Fresh Fruit Salad with Nutmeg-Cinnamon Syrup 

6. Cinnamon-Date-Pecan Rolls 

7. Cinnamon Apple Raisin Bread Pudding 

8. Pumpkin-Cinnamon Streusel Buns 

9. Cinnamon-Apple Cake

Super Bowl Party Desserts

Hand held sweets are the best option for a super  bowl party. You won’t have to labor over slicing a cake and worry about missing a single play or commercial. These bars will be sure to please a crowd of rowdy football fans. 

Recipes: 

Five Layer Bars 

Savannah Cheesecake Cookies 

Espresso Caramel Bars 

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies 

Low Country Cookies

Tequila Bars

For some more great super bowl dessert ideas, visit my previous blog post: handheld desserts

Dark Chocolate Has Health Benefits!

I cannot live without chocolate. But not any kind of chocolate, I only crave dark chocolate. The reasons we all love dark chocolate is because it obviously tastes wonderful, it stimulates the production of endorphin (makes you feel good), it has stimulants such as caffeine, and it contains serotonin (acts as an anti-depressant). But dark chocolate has many more benefits, in particular health benefits; it has many essential minerals including magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, and most significant, flavonoids (antioxidants). Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (8 times the amount found in strawberries). A small portion of dark chocolate everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Studies have shown that dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and also lower cholesterol by up to 10 percent.

To get the best benefits from dark chocolate, consume no more than 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate a day. Choose a dark chocolate that has no less than 65 percent cocoa content. Also choose a pure variety of dark chocolate or one with nuts, such as almonds. Stay away from anything that has caramel, nougat, fruit fillings, etc.. The fillings just add fat and sugar and take away from many of the health benefits of the dark chocolate. Lastly, savor and enjoy the complex taste of dark chocolate. If you are a true chocolate lover, you may be interested in this link – a system for tasting chocolate.

PS – for best results, don’t have your chocolate bar with a glass of milk. This combination has been proven to prevent the absorption of antioxidants into your body.   

   

Rich chocolate desserts are also a great way to show your loved one how much you love them on Valentine's Day. Here are some great dark chocolate inspired desserts. 

Recipes: 

1. Dark Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti 

2. Salted Chocolate Tart 

3. Chocolate Bundt Cake 

4. Outrageous Warm Double-Chocolate Pudding

5. Chocolate Decadence 

6. Dark Chocolate-Chunk Brownies

7. Dark Cocoa Buttermilk Cake with Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting

8. Double-Chocolate Cupcakes

Pink Candy Bar

Saturday was a pretty fun day for us - I was hired to put together the favors and create a candy bar for a beautiful wedding that took place at the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, New Jersey. The Stone House is a magnificent venue for a wedding featuring a decor that is patterned with raw wood, stone and metal and provides a modern backdrop to its secluded natural setting.

We arrived early in the morning to set up our display and I think it came out gorgeous. The wedding was less traditional; there were no place cards, so the candy display was the first things that guests saw as they entered into the lobby. For those who came early or came directly to the venue, the candy bar broke the ice and gave everyone something to sample and discuss while they waited for the event to begin.    

The couple's color scheme for the wedding consisted of black, gold, and different shades of pink and purple. I decided to keep the candy bar in pink and black. There was an array of different pink candies to sample (taffy, grapefruit gummies, jelly beans, chocolate hearts, and watermelon sours) in apothecary jars. There were also pink rock candy, black and pink striped candy sticks, and black licorice (a personal favorite of the mother of the bride). A big hit on the table were the lovely dark chocolate covered pretzels, drizzled with white chocolate and sprinkled with hot pink nonpareils. 

Candy favor boxes were made so people could fill them with their favorite candies to take home. The boxes had black tissue paper and cute pink tags that had the initials of the couple and the date of the wedding. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the candy buffet, but the way the adults participated helped to create a truly memorable event. I was thrilled to be part of this wedding and I can't wait for the next event!