New Year's Eve Party on a Budget

Head to your favorite holiday headquarters (I enjoy Target and Michaels) and pick out some shimmery silver and gold glass balls, by now most of the holiday decor is 1/2 off or more. You can put them in a vase you already have and make a beautiful centerpiece.

When purchasing your paper goods, instead of buying New Year's Eve 2010 paper plates, napkins and cups, opt for silver, gold and black ones, so you can use any extras another time. If you plan ahead you can usually get them on sale at your local party store. New Year's Party Kits and Patterned Tableware are on sale at Party City.
White lights and paper luminaries are an easy way to make your party sparkle. Use them to light up walk ways and give your guests a taste of what's inside. Holiday lights are also usually included in after Christmas sales, so now is the time to buy.
If you have a little more time, these icy luminaries are a great twist on traditional luminaries. The instructions can be found at DIY Maven.

Here are some other cute party ideas I found at Hostess with the Mostess.

A Blue and Silver New Year

Copper and Aqua

Festive New Year

Now is the time to shop for party decor and supplies. Pick a theme and head to your local stores, anything that sparkles and shines is perfect for a New Year's Eve party.

Happy New Year!
Brandi

The Cutest Tutu Ever!

This is the tutu I made for Isabella's first birthday, it came out super cute.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!

Nine different recipes and four days of baking. I had a great time baking a ton of cookies this year, as well as making and decorating the boxes. Here are some of the recipes, happy baking!

Cookie assembly line.

Some of the finished cookie boxes.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These cookies are a tradition in our family. They are so easy to make and taste amazing.

Ingredients
recipe courtesy of Pillsbury

1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.

3. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, nuts and salt and mix until dough forms.

4. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

5. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until set but not brown.

6. Immediately remove from cookie sheet, let cool slightly and roll in remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.

7. Let cool completely and re-roll in powdered sugar.

8. Store cookies in an air tight container.

Makes 5 dozen

Cream Cheese Brownies

These brownies are the perfect combination of cream cheese and rich chocolate. Sure to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.

Ingredients
recipe courtesy of Bakerella

Brownies

1 package of your favorite brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownie 13x9 Family Size Mix)
For this mix you need:
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Topping

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 pound confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease bottom of a 13x9 inch pan, I used Pam cooking spray.

2. Combine all of the brownie ingredients and stir until well blended. Spread into prepared pan.

3. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese at medium speed. Add eggs, sugar and vanilla and beat on medium until smooth. Spread evenly over brownie mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 - 50 minutes or until edges and top are golden brown.

5. Cool completely before cutting and refrigerate until well chilled.

6. Store brownies in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Jif's Peanut Butter Fudge

Sean loves the peanut butter fudge his mom makes, so I thought I'd give it a try. He also convinced me to leave the lid off the container so the fudge would firm up a bit. I saw how convenient it was for him to get some fudge and go. Needless to say I caught on to his plan and the lid went back on.

Ingredients
recipe courtesy of Jif

No-Stick Cooking Spray
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
1 - 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Line a 13x9 inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with no-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a large saucepan, stirring constantly on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, stir until well blended. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla. Stir until well blended.

4. Spread mixture in prepared pan and let cool completely. Cut into candy-sized pieces.

Makes 3 pounds

Caramel Cheesecake Gingerbread Cupcakes

Whoa! that's a long name. Anyways, I wanted to make a holiday cupcake and fill it with something yummy. I was thinking gingerbread cake and I came across this recipe for chevre cheesecake and chevre cream cheese buttercream and I have to say they turned out sooooo good. The goat cheese is not as "tangy" as cream cheese, which was really nice and the caramel sauce added a nice touch of sweetness to the cheesecake filling. The gingerbread cake was not too spicy, like gingerbread can sometimes be and you get a hint of chocolate from the cocoa powder. The combination is fantastic.

Gingerbread Cupcakes
recipe courtesy of Joyful Abode

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup hot milk (140 degrees)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the molasses, egg and egg yolk and mix until combined.

5. In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

6. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Set aside.

7. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

8. Stir in the hot milk mixture.

9. Pour batter into prepared baking tin and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.

10. Allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Chevre Cheesecake
recipe courtesy of Fields of Cake

Ingredients

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
10 1/2 ounces fresh plain goat cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Grease a 6 inch round pan with butter or cooking spray.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt until well combined, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth.

5. Add creme fraiche or sour cream and whisk for 1 minute. Do not overmix or the cheesecake will have a grainy texture.

6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a roasting pan and fill with water until it reaches half way on the cheese cake pan, so about 3 inches.

7. Bake until the center is set (about 40 minutes).

8. Remove cheesecake and allow to cool. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill overnight.

When your ready to fill the cupcakes remove the cheesecake from the pan and into a medium size bowl. Add about 1 cup of warm caramel dip and mix until filling is smooth. Make sure your caramel dip is not to hot, you don't want to melt the cheesecake. Add filling to a piping bag fitted with Wilton tip 230 and gently place the tip inside the cupcake. You can practice with how much filling you like to add and don't worry what the top of the cupcake looks like, you're going to cover over them with buttercream. Refrigerate cupcakes so filling can set.

Chevre Cream Cheese Buttcream
recipe courtesy of Fields of Cake

Ingredients

7 ounces fresh plain goat cheese, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy.

2. Add filling to a piping bag fitted with a round or star shaped tip or frost cupcakes with a small angled spatula.

3. Place frosted cupcakes in the fridge so the buttercream can set before you decorate.

4. Decorate cupcakes with gingerbread cookies, cookie crumbles or white sanding sugar.

Enjoy!

Doggie Birthday Cake Recipe

Here are the recipes for the Doggie Birthday Cake and Frosting. Make sure to use quality ingredients and organic if you can.

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Ingredients

1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup organic creamy peanut butter
1/4 organic unsweetened applesauce
1 cup shredded carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 organic egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl sift flour and baking soda together.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until combined.

4. Pour batter into a greased 6 inch round cake pan.

5. Bake approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

6. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Decorate cake with shredded carrots and carob chips.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

12 ounces organic low fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon organic vanilla
1 teaspoon organic honey

Directions

1. Mix ingredients with an electric hand mixer until combined, don't over mix.

2. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate until your ready to frost the cake.

3. Before frosting let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Happy Birthday Emma!

Today is Emma's fifth birthday, so we thought we'd do something a little special. Enjoy the photos and I'll post the recipe for the Doggie Birthday Cake tomorrow.

Emma's Peanut Butter Carrot Cake with Doggie Cream Cheese Frosting. I have to say it didn't taste that bad.

It's the Birthday Girl and she's ready to party! I can't believe she's already five.

Waiting for her birthday present.

Squirrels! Just what she wanted.

Time for cake. She kind of just stuck the whole thing in her mouth at once, but at least she liked it.

Roasted Herb Butter Turkey and Apple Pie

Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart


Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 packages fresh poultry blend herbs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 pound turkey, thawed out if frozen

Herb Butter Directions

In a small bowl, mix together butter with 1 package fresh poultry herbs, chopped; season generously with salt and pepper.

Herb butter can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Prepare Turkey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lowest position.

2. Rinse turkey and pat dry.

3. Working from the neck end, slide fingers under skin until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear the skin.

4. Rub herb butter under the skin.

5. Tuck wings: Turn turkey over; bend wing tips underneath bird so they stay in place (you may have to break the bones).

6. Place 2 packages of the fresh poultry blend herbs inside the large cavity. Make sure neck flap is secured, fasten with skewers or trussing needles if necessary.

7. Tie legs: Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together securely (they will overlap) so bird retains its shape and moisture during cooking.

Roasting Directions

1. Fill roasting pan with about 8 cups water.

2. Place turkey onto roasting rack and rub with remaining butter.

3. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. Tent turkey loosely with foil. Roast for 1 hour, then baste every 20 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers at 125 degrees, about 3 hours.

5. Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180 degrees, about 45 to 60 minutes more. Tent with foil if bird browns too quickly; add more water if pan becomes dry.

6. Transfer turkey to a serving platter; cover loosely with foil,
and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.



Almost Sugar Free Apple Pie
pie crust recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 - 8 tablespoons ice water
2 21oz cans No Sugar Added Apple Pie Filling

Directions

1. Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3. Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4. Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5. Add filling to the pie.

6. Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

To make my pie a little more interesting I cut out small scalloped circles with a cookie cutter after rolling out the second disk of dough. Next, I placed the disks in a circular pattern around the top of the pie, brushed the top with an egg wash and sprinkled with white sanding sugar for a glittery effect.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, the top is a golden brown color.

Makes 1 10 inch pie crust with a top

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

The perfect combination of vanilla and peppermint, these Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes are perfect for the holidays. My cousins were visiting from San Diego, CA and loved them.

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

recipe courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Makes One Dozen Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature (skim milk also works well)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4. In a small bowl, mix together milk and extracts and set aside.

5. In a large bowl cream butter on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

7. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as necessary, until just blended.

8. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

9. Bake approximately 22 to 25 minutes. Place cupcakes on a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Peppermint Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm but not cold

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon milk

Directions

1. In a large bowl beat butter and salt on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Reduce speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated.

3. Add the extracts and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Make sure not to over mix the frosting; it should be creamy and dense like ice cream. If frosting does not have a spreadable consistency add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time.

4. To frost cupcakes use a piping bag with a star or round tip or spread with a small angled cake spatula. After frosting the cupcakes brush with a little pearlized luster dust and top with a peppermint pinwheel candy, crushed peppermint candies or white sanding sugar for a sparkling effect.

5. Cupcakes can be left out at room temperature or refrigerated (make sure to leave them out about 10 minutes before serving).

Finally! Sean's Thanksgiving Photos.

Sean spent this Thanksgiving at his mom's house in Tucson, AZ. He had a great time visiting with family and friends and meeting his new niece Kyra. Here are a some pictures of his weekend and I actually got him to write some captions to go along with them.

The table ready for dinner

Grandpa and Kyra

Larry Stewart wanted to come say hello

Matt, Cara and Kyra visiting from Florida

Everyone mingling

Gary and Earl carving the turkeys and Kit taste testing as they go

Time to gather and give thanks

Pop waiting at the table for breakfast to be made

Larry grilling the REAL bacon on the BBQ

Eggs, bacon, pancakes and a tall glass of milk, a perfect breakfast

Sean and I have been Elfed at ElfYourself.jibjab.com

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths. My favorite!

Every year my mom and I make Christmas cookies, we always try something new to add to our collection, but can never do with out our cornflake wreaths. Sometimes they don't even make it passed the wax paper before they're gone.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
6 cups cornflakes
1 box red hot candies

Directions

1. Roll out a sheet of wax paper to form the wreaths on.

2. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in food coloring. Careful this part is super hot!

3. Add cornflakes to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

4. Place about 1/4 cup of the mixture on the wax paper and quickly shape into individual wreaths. You can spray your fingers with a cooking spray to keep the mixture from sticking, but be very careful, the mix is still very hot.

5. Decorate finished wreaths with red hot candies

6. Enjoy!

7. If you have any left over (we never do) store in a single layer in an air tight container.

photo courtesy of Nancy's Recipes

Christmas Cookies

I found an inexpensive Wilton Cookie Press at Target and had to give it a try. The press came with 12 different cookie discs and two easy recipes and after I got the hang of it I was pressing away.

Classic Spritz Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar or 1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg, milk, and extracts and beat well.

4. Sift together flour and baking powder and gradually add to butter mixture.

5. Place dough into the Wilton Cookie Press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

7. Remove cookies from sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Note: Make sure that the cookie press plunger is aligned correctly, the trigger should click when it's in the right place.

To make your cookies extra special try adding red or green food coloring to the dough. You can also decorate with sprinkles, as well as dip the cookies in chocolate.

Thanksgiving 2009 Photos!

I spent Thanksgiving in Chandler, AZ this year with my mom Janet, my stepdad Rick, Grandma Sisi and stepbrother Chris. We had a great time talking and watching the football games and of course eating all the delicious food.

Emma waiting for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to start.

Tuckered out after the long parade.

Mom and Grandma basting the turkey, it smelled soooo good.

Charlie waiting for his turkey dinner.

Pumpkin Pie

Carving the turkey, it's almost time to eat. Finally!

There were five people and four pies.

Even though ASU lost I had to share my game day shirt.