Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Baking, Baking, Baking...just keep Baking. Or is it swimming? I think Dory (Finding Nemo) sang it as swimming swimming swimming...but its baking baking baking in my head. May have something to do with all the baking going on around here. Something about the holidays brings out my inner baker. I've always been a cook and not a baker. 2011 brought me into my baking side of life. I mastered the cupcake, and making oat flour cookies this year...and I'm excited to see what new talents I discover in 2012!

I happened upon this post from Bakerella featuring their oh so beautiful cupcakes. 


So when it came time to make treats for children's church...I went this route. Only, I had helping hands a.k.a. kids...

I used Wilton's melting chips in green and painted the melted candy onto each tree with a basting brush.  Then I let the kids add M&Ms and a gumdrop top while I got busy on the cupcakes.  Each tree was centered on the cupcake and then I piped icing around the base.  Add red sprinkles ... Done!  It was a fun, quick project we all enjoyed! 

 And I am pretty sure the kids at church will enjoy eating just as much as we enjoyed making them!

Happy Holiday Baking!

Back To School

While my son has been in school going on 3 weeks now, the next county over started this week.  We attend church in that county, so most of J's friends started school this week.  To kick off the school year, they got to have a Back to School party during Wednesday night Bible Study last night. 

I had to really step out there to try my hand at decorated cupcakes.  And of course I just had to bring something school related!  I decided on Apple Cup Cakes after seeing several easy ideas online. 

I started with a white cake mix, doctored it up a bit with my secret ingredient.  Classic buttercream icing does not take the red food coloring I poured in it, then poured some more.  We ended up with a rather pinkish color, but I sprinkled red sugar on top.  I used Tootsie Rolls for stems, and cut leaves out of laffy taffy that I'd squished and rolled out slightly.  Gummy worms (or in our case Sour Gummy worms) made it a huge hit with the kiddos!

I used a free printable from It IS What It Is blog to make these Smarty Pants favors. 

I fought this little rascal off the cupcake I was attempting to take a picture of...

Hope your Back to School week is a good one!


Linking up!

Play With Your Food!

It's been a fun food kinda month!  First I decided I had to do something with a GIANT watermelon sitting on my counter.  After much searching, I decided on this:

I call it Shark!  Sorry about the low quality pictures.  My Camera battery was dead and I only got pictures with my phone.  I really didn't know that this guy would turn out as well as he did, and it was after I filled him with fruit and took him to Ladies Night at church that I thought I would blog him. 
Filled with fruit for a fun twist on fruit salad!
There are so many images online for Watermelon Shark, that I just copied what they had done.  There was no real tutorial to follow.  Maybe, I can do it again and make up a tutorial for you....maybe.

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich on bagel rounds + marshmallow and craisin eyes + strawberry nose and hair + orange mouth with fruit strip lips = Sandwich Clown

ahhhhh....impressing my kids with simple food fun!  J thinks my creations are sooo awesome!  I might be a cool mom one day :)

My Fun Food inpiration?
Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons 
My clowns don't even come close to comparing with hers!  She does beautiful food and all for fun!

Fast forward a few days, and we made these guys for lunch!