Cupcake bouquet, Fresh fruit skewers and Photos from Ykaie's Dora- Garden themed birthday party

I assembled this cupcake bouquet for Ykaie's garden themed party. I didn't use buttercream frosting for the cupcakes coz I was afraid it will melt and fall apart due to the hot weather. I used melted chocolate and colorful sprinkles. It set quickly and perfectly!

I used a glue gun to attach the styrofoam ball into the embellished terracotta pot. I then glued some strips of green japanese paper all over the styro for a grassy effect.

I inserted bamboo skewers into the styrofoam ball and attached the cupcakes all the way around. (You can also use toothpicks)

-------------------------------------------------Fresh Fruit Skewers------------------------------------------------

I was also planning to arrange the fruit skewers into a terracotta pot but I saw this picket fence planter box and thought it was cute. I used a floral foam for the base and embellished the planter box with vines and a ladybug.

Cookie cutters I used to cut out shapes.

Ain't they pretty?

-------------------------------------Some photos from the party------------------------------------

This is the candy buffet I set up. The kids as well as the adults had fun filling up their loot bags!

Cheese fountain

Ykaie's Dirt cake with gummy worms. I cooked chocolate pudding and alternately layered it with crushed oreo cookies.




The birthday girl ready to blow out the candle.

Other links to check out
Preparation for Dora themed birthday party

You can also check out other photos of the foods we served on sis's blog, The Peach Kitchen .

Cinnamon sugar cookies ( Insect/ bug and flower shaped cookies)

I baked these last night for Ykaie's Dora- garden themed party tomorrow. I used Americolor electric food coloring. They came out really bright and colorful.

Ready to decorate the cookies



Snail, butterfly, flower, bee, dragonfly and caterpillar sugar cookies.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder ( you can add more if you want)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
6 tbsp water
1/2 tsp almond extract
food coloring

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon powder and salt.
3. Beat in eggs
4. Stir in the flour and baking powder.
5. Chill for 1-2 hours
6.On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of your choice.
7.Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Royal icing:
Mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, almond extract and water for 5 minutes. Add water a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.
Tint icing with desired food coloring.

Preparation for Ykaie's Dora-garden themed birthday party

I created this layout for Ykaie's 2nd birthday party ( Dora the explorer garden themed party) Sis and I had this printed on a 4ft x 3ft tarpaulin. Ykaie's birthday is on the 19th of this month but she will celebrate it on the 21st. I bought her clothes and wig so she'll look like Dora. lol!

Dora the Explorer tarpaulin layout

Other stuffs I made for the party.

Frilled food picks and Dora and friends food picks. These will be for the sandwiches that sis will prepare and the meatballs my mom will cook.

I bought these cupcake toppers for the cupcakes I'm going to bake.

I also made this colorful banner for the candy table I'm going to set up for the kids.

Tags for some of the foods we are going to serve.

You can check out photos from Ykaie's Dora garden themed birthday party here.

Witch's Finger Cookies

Hi everyone! I'm back after a long hiatus! How has everyone been doing? I know I've been away for a long time but hopefully I can start posting again once in a while. I've been busy baking, cooking and gaining weight. lol! I'll be visiting blogs again this week. Syempre na miss ko kayo!

I'll start my post with a recipe. I baked these cookies for the halloween. It was really fun making these!


Ingredients:
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
almonds

For the bloody nails:
powdered sugar
red food color
water


Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract.
3. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm.
5. Shape the dough into fingers by rolling with your hands. Squeeze in center to form a knuckle. Use a knife to score each knuckle.
6. Press an almond firmly into 1 end for a fingernail.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Cool on wire racks
9. Lift up the almond and squeeze red icing onto the nailbed and press the almond back in place.

My crazy Sis says they look so much like my toes! ROFL!

I tried taking photos of Ykaie holding the plate of cookies but she wouldn't coz she thought they were moving. lol! She was kinda scared at first but she ate them anyway.






I'd also like to share photos of Ykaie's first trick-or-treating. I bought this ladybug costume last year when it was on sale.