4th of July Fruit Tarts

I'm always looking for something a little different to serve up...something a little more unique than party goers have seen in year's past. Sometimes all it takes is mixing up the presentation to keep things fresh and new, but sometimes you can try a whole new idea or recipe!

This year why not try a patriotic dessert with a different twist on the traditional flag cake

~ and so simple to make!

via Food Network

Fruit-Tart Flag

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

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Inactive Prep Time:

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Level:

Easy

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Fill premade miniature tart shells or phyllo cups with sweet mascarpone cream (recipe below), then arrange on a tray and top with blueberries and halved strawberry slices to create stars and stripes.

Mascarpone Cream:

Beat an 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese and 3 tablespoonsconfectioners' sugar with a mixer until smooth. Gently fold in 1/2 cup freshly whipped cream.

Photographs by Tara Donne

Red~Velvet Cake

Every holiday I say "oooh, red~velvet cake would be perfect for {fill in the blank}".

I always say "nothing says I love you like red~velvet cake" for Valentines Day; or "it's the perfect color of a 4th of July gathering"; and then Christmas, oh it's so Christmasy too.

Let's face it, I love red~velvet cake...but not as much as my husband!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups heavy whipping cream

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. If the frosting is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or until it is firm enough to spread.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) four layer cake.

Read more:http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html#ixzz0sSs8IOO5

{Real Party} Outdoor Picnic

What a beautiful way to celebrate Mom!

One of my favorite inspiration blogs Grey Likes Weddings planned this sweet outdoor

picnic for Mother's Day, but this could all work just as perfect if you are hosting a small wedding, or an alternative to brunch the morning after your wedding. You can even use

leftover flowers and decor from your wedding!

This idea would also work perfect for an afternoon rehearsal dinner. Lunch in the park

and lawn games with out-of-town guests and family could be the perfect antidote to pre wedding jitters. It lends itself to an intimate and informal atmosphere for both sides of

the family to meet and greet, and the bridal party to get better acquainted.

Post adapted from Grey Likes Weddings, for the entire post and all the photos head

over to Grey Likes Weddings' blog.

All the flowers and Styling were by Grey Likes Weddings

Check out Grey Likes Nesting for the recipe photo tutorial of the lemon tartlettes

Photography by T&H Photography

The S'more Martini ~ or S'moretini

Now you can enjoy the S'moretini fit for a crowd without the need for a campfire!

~yummy

Smoretini

32 ounces Vodka

16 ounces Chocolate Liqueur

1 64-ounce pitcher

1 sleeve of graham crackers or more if needed

1 jar marshmallow creme (Marshmallow Fluff)

16 martini glasses

1 bag wooden skewers

1 bag miniature marshmallows

Pour vodka and chocolate liqueur into pitcher and stir. Refrigerate for several hours until very cold. Crush a graham crackers and place into a small bowl. Rim martini glasses with marshmallow crème. Dip glasses into graham cracker crumbs and shake gently to remove excess. Place marshmallows on skewers and toast over an open flame (grill or fire pit preferably). Pour 3 ounces of cold drink mixture into each prepared glass and serve with toasted marshmallow as garnish.

Source: Examiner.Com

{Real Party} Shabby Chic Bridal Shower

Get ready for the gorgeous shabby chic inspiration I found on The Wedding Chicks!

This look is fresh, fun, and feminine - all the things I love!

Amy with Carter and Cook was the masterminds behind this stylish shoot;

and the oh so talented Jessica Claire was the lady behind the lens.

The color palette was shades of yellow, sea blue, greens and bits of tangerine woven throughout; all clean colors that reflect the vibe of the venue ~ Cafe Mimosa.

Wait until you see all the great DIY projects that happened to create some of the fun details for the tablescape. Read on to see how this all came together and how you can make this happen!

To begin with the table linens were hand made. They found delicate and girly floral

printed fabric at Joann's, as well as fine stripped tangerine and cream linen, which was

turned into the table runner.

The floral overlay fit just perfectly, and to add a fun touch, they sewed a cream fringe around the entire border of the linen. The table runner was hand sewn, and on the end of the runner were glues dozens and dozens of buttons to tie into the theme.

The soft green dishes were found at TJ Maxx, the stemware and mugs were bought at the trendy and chic Anthropology.

Along with the adorable cake, they served a mini cake on each place setting, complete with fondant lemons, kumquats and buttons. Seriously ~ so cute!

One of the creative elements I love most about this brunch is the favors; which were individual recipe boxes full of recipes. They purchased plain wooden boxes at Michael's and wrapped the yellow string around it several times, attached a few of the buttons on all sides of the box, and fashioned a darling facsinator to finish the touch, which each girl can wear in their hair, or fastened to a sweater. The favor boxes also doubled as place cards at each guests' seat; and on the back of each chair was a set of measuring spoons for an added touch.

A very sentimental and romantic touch.

For the button garland, they ordered la variety of buttons from Etsy, and found several at Michael's. A larger spool of thread used for quilting was used to thread one button at a time. The tricky part to this was making sure the garland doesn't get tangles up in a mess!

Several strands of garland were made with various colors and shapes of buttons.

Tip: make sure you have a beam, or some sort of overhand to tie your garland to. This one was swooped in varying heights and layers over the table.

The adorable menus, place cards, and invitations were also hand sticked and adorned

with buttons!

The centerpieces where the perfect blend of orange ranunculus, tulips, hydrangea, mini daffodils, craspedia, and kumquats. the florals were done in three simple white rectangular vases to keep the look clean and fresh. Truly a beautiful shabby chic tablescape.

Photos and post adapted from The Wedding Chicks

to see the entire post and all of the talented vendors associates with the shoot please visit The Wedding Chick's blog

Carnival Popcorn Cupcakes

Photo credit courtesy of Posh Tot Events

Grab your favorite movie and pop up some fun with these popcorn cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 1 baked cupcake
• White icing
• 40 mini marshmallows (white or pastel yellow and white)
• Yellow food coloring (optional)

• Clean paintbrush
• Scissors
• White construction paper
• Blue and red markers

Instructions

1. Frost the cupcake with white icing. To create each piece of "popcorn," cut one mini marshmallow in half and squish the two pieces back together into a whole mini marshmallow, pinching firmly. Pile the finished popcorn onto the frosted cupcake.

2. For a buttery look, either dilute a drop of yellow food coloring in water and brush it on with a clean paintbrush or mix pastel yellow marshmallows in with the white.

3. To make the band, cut a strip of construction paper about 1 1/4 inches by 8 inches, or to fit your cupcake, and decorate as shown.

4. If you're creating many cupcakes, design just one band and color photocopy it. Wrap the band around the cupcake and secure with tape.

   
   

   Source: Family Fun

You can get the whole CARNIVAL THEME PARTY PACK ~ HERE

Meringue Bouquet Cupccakes

Perfect posies aren't just for flower girls.

Crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, this vanilla cupcake has a bevy of yellow, ivory, and pink Swiss meringue blossoms perched atop a bed of buttercream.

Customize your flavors or match the colors to your palette. Either way, this is one bouquet no one will want to toss. See below for the recipe via Martha Stewart.

Ingredients:

Makes 36

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Roses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In mixer bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, yolk, the warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla; mix until combined.

2. Divide batter among liners, filling 2/3 full. Bake until deep golden brown, about 22 minutes.

3. Transfer tin to wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin; let cool completely on rack before frosting.

4. To assemble: working with a few cupcakes at a time, coat smoothly with about 2 tablespoons of buttercream. Immediately press roses into buttercream to cover the top (use about 20 roses per cupcake).

Martha Stewart Ice Cream Cupcakes

Anyone who licked the frosting off a cupcake as a child knows the topping is often

the best part. These miniature desserts are dressed up with a scoop of gelato instead -

and this time, you get to choose the flavor!

Ingredients:

Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes (see recipe below)

4 pints ice cream and gelato, slightly softened.

Directions:

1. Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, press a scoop of ice cream or gelato on top of 1 cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and ice cream or gelato.

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Recipe for Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

Makes 4 dozen mini cupcakes

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl. Transfer bowl to mixer, and add egg, yolk, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is well combined and smooth, about 3 minutes.

3. Divide batter among liners, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 30 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks, and let cool completely (cupcakes can be store for up to 3 days).

Source: Martha Stewart

Red, White & Blueberry Desserts

Memorial Day is the day we stop to remember all of the men and woman who have served,

and are still serving in our armed forces, our surviving veterans, and to honor those that

have lost their lives fighting for our country. While we should be reminded daily to pray

for our armed forces, the families, our country and it's leadership, I'm thankful

that there is one day that makes us pause, and is a significant reminder of all the sacrifices

that have been made for our freedoms.

With that said, Memorial Day has traditionally become a patriotic holiday when family and friends gather together to celebrate and remember; and whenever there is a reason to come together and celebrate, there is a reason to entertain! Whether you are joining family and friends for a backyard bbq, attending a block party, having a picnic, or hosting a beach party, here are some last minute patriotic red, white & blueberry desserts compliments of Martha Stewart that are sure to wow your guests! God bless your holiday and God bless America!

Click here for all of Martha's recipes!

Vanilla-Raspberry & Blueberry Sundaes

Vacherin with Whipped Cream and Mixed Berries

Red, White and Blueberry Tarts

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Tarts

Red, White, and Blue Parfaits

Star-Spangled Shortcake

Berry Pound Cake with Whipped Cream

Fruited Cheesecake Flag

Summer Shortcake

American Flag Tart

{Real Party} A Tea Party to Remember

I am in love with this sweet bridal tea that I found via The Sweetest Occassion.

It was originally featured on Wedding Style Guide, and is a beautiful color combination

blues, pink, and reds. They incorporated a lot of ribbons, trimming and embellishments

to complete the look.

I went right over to Wedding Style Guide's blog and bonus!! I found free DIY template downloads that you can use for your next tea party!

{Tea Bag Label - Blue}

{Tea Bag Label - Red}

{Tea Cannister Labels}

There you will also find delightful tea recipes for Sweet Little Tarts, Sandwich Selections, Artichoke and Green Olive Tarts, Pretty Pink Macaroons, Little Lemon Bundt Cakes.

Photos by Amanda McLauchlan for Wedding Style Guide)

Inspired by The Kentucky Derby

It's almost May and that can only mean one thing - time again for the Kentucky Derby,

horse racing's premier event...

...but the Kentucky Derby is not just about horse racing, it's about the magic that makes

the first Saturday in May unique in sports, fashion and style. People from all over come together in Louisville, Kentucky to honor Southern traditions. Don't worry if you can't

make it all the way to Churchill Downs, you can still enjoy the high-society spirit of the

Run for the Roses right at home.

Whatever your style for celebrating, you'll find the best resource for all things Kentucky Derby party inspired for style, fashion and entertaining at Kentucky Derby Party. There you will find plenty of theme ideas to plan your party; including guest list, invitations, menu and cocktails.

So dawn your Derby hat and get inspired!

The following (3) inspiration boards were featured on Hostess with the Mostess and more

information about Kentucky Derby Party ideas and original recipes from Bobby Flay

can be found on HWTM blog.

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You can find these and other traditional Derby hats at WomenXone

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How adorable are these lucky ladies who were able to actually attend the Kentucky Derby in '09? My friend, Lindsay of Toast Signature Celebrations, was kind enough to share these fun and festive pictures from her real life experience! They are the epitome of high society style!

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The following photos and recipes courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

adapted from Basic Taste

Chocolate Burbon Pecan Pie, also known as a Derby Pie

This recipe takes a pecan pie and adds intense chocolate and burbon flavor. It's quick and fairly easy to make. Use store bought pie crust to make it even easier.

Ingredients:

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Fit pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.

Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set, cool on wire rack.

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The Kentucky Derby Signature Drink is the Classic Mint Julep

Ingredients:

5 fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon simple syrup or mint simple syrup

Crushed ice

1 1/2 to 2 TBS or 1 ounce of bourbon

1 (4-inch) cocktail straw

1 fresh mint sprig

Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Place mint leaves and Simple Syrup in a chilled julep cup. Gently press leaves against cup with back of spoon to release flavors. Pack cup tightly with crushed ice, pour bourbon over ice. Insert straw, place mint sprig directly next to straw, and serve immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.