Champagne Punch

Hello!


Well it's Friday! And what better way to end the week than with a fabulous Champagne Punch!


This is the last recipe in the series of the recent Pink & Yellow Sweets Table that I styled.


Again a very simple recipe and one you and your Girlies will love over this festive season!

Ingredients

Champagne

Tropical Fruit Juice

Soda Water

Triple Sec (add to suit your taste)

Kiwi Fruit

Orange

Strawberries

Mint Leaves

Method

Slice up the fruit.

Pull mint leaves from the stalks, leave whole no need to chop.

In a large bowl pour in soda water, tropical fruit juice, triple sec and lastly the champagne.

Add in the fruit and mint leaves.

You're done and now ready to chillax!

Notice that I haven't put the measurements of each liquid for this recipe, just add the amounts to suit your taste. 

This is one our fav drinks along with the good old West Coast Coolers, or Westies!  Tell me about your favourite Summer beverage!

Cheers

Meringue Kisses

Hello!

Today's recipe from Monday's sweets table is another really simple one, Meringue Kisses.

Woolworths has made it even easier by having a range of mini meringues that come in either vanilla (white) or rainbow colour and flavour, which is what I used for this party.

Method

Make a small batch of butter cream icing.

Colour icing with food colouring if you desire.

(will do an upcoming blog post with icing recipes!)

Place a small amout of icing onto one mini meringue, press another meringue gently on top of the icing, and voila you have a merigue kiss!

Kisses can be made in advance and kept in an air tight container and stored in the pantry.

I

To really show off the gorgeous kisses, present in a clear glass bowl.

Let me know how you go with these!

Cheers

Wordless Wednesday {inspiration edition}

Hello!

Today was one of those 'flat' days for me, and it appears I wasn't alone according to the Twittersphere today!  So I thought a little inspiration wouldn't go astray.

Please excuse the irony in that it's a Wordless Wednesday post and my pictures are that of inspirational words and quotes!

I hope one speaks to you.......

All images are from my Pinterest Board {wise words}

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday



Cheers

Lemon Tartlets

Hello!

Today is the recipe for the super quick, short cut Lemon Tartlets!

Now don't tell your Guests how you made these, let them think you slaved all day to make these little stars!

I discovered this fabulous recipe in Donna Hay Magazine (issue 58 Aug/Sept 2011).  Unfortunately this issue is sold out, it was the one with the yummy salted caramel and vanilla baked cheesecake.

I digress, back to the recipe!

Lemon Tartlets

Makes 8

Ingredients

8 x small sweet shortcrust pastry tart shells
note:  if you have short crust pastry in the freezer, you can just as easily use this and cut out rounds such as I did, and shape them into the holes of a small muffin tin tray

1 x jar store bought lemon curd

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Place tart shells on a baking tray and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until golden.

Allow to cool.

Divide 1/3 cup store bought lemon curd between the tart shells.

Top with raspberries if desired and then serve.

Yes it's that SIMPLE!

I'd love to know if you have tried them or have made them before!

Tomorrow:  Meringue Kisses!

Cheers

Mini Baked Cheese Cakes

Hello!

I see you made it back for the recipe!

Seriously they are so yummy and just as easy to make, so let's get to it!

Makes 10 Individual Cheesecakes

Base

150g Arnott's Nice Biscuits (you can use other brands)

70g Butter Melted (this amount may vary depending on the type of biscuit used)

Filling

250g Cream Cheese softened

75g Caster Sugar

1 Large Egg (minimum weight 59g)

20ml Lemon Juice

100ml Thickened Cream

Method

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 for fan forced).

Line 10 hole muffin pan (1/3 cup capacity holes) with patty/muffin cases.

Finely crush biscuits in a food processor or blender.  If you are using a food processor, you can add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and process until well combined.  If you are using a blender, it is easier to to tip the biscuit crumbs into a bowl and then stir in the butter.

Divide mixture evenly among cases (about one firmly packed tablespoon of biscuit mixture per case). Firmly press mixture down with back of tablespoon until smooth.  Set bases aside while making the filling.

Beat cream and caster sugar in an electric mixer or food processor.  Stop the machine a couple of times to scrape down the sides and base of bowl.  When the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, add the egg until well combined.  Add lemon juice and cream and beat until well combined.  Divide the mixture evenly among the cases.

Bake cheesecakes for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

Remove cheesecakes from the pan, place in an air tight container and refrigerate.  Cheesecakes are ready to serve when they are cold and set.  Remove cases before serving.

Cheesecakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and are suitable to freeze.

Recipe credit.

Variation

I've changed the recipe slightly on occasions, I've omitted the lemon juice and added Bailey's Irish Cream.

You can add chocolate or berries.

Fabulous served as a dessert with ice cream or cream on the side.

Have fun with this recipe!

And tomorrow?  Be back for the super quick and easy Lemon Tartlets!

Cheers

Tag You're It - My Christmas Wish List

Hello!

Today I was tagged by the lovely Sonia from Life Love and Hiccups and I need to share my Christmas Wish List with you.

What a fun task!

I really didn't need much time to think about and put it all together, hehe!

As this is a "Wish List" most of these are a little extravagant but what the hey!

I'm starting with one of my favourite perfumes, that I've run out of!  
That's an easy one right?!

Canon Speelite 320 EX for my camera.

Photography Course so I actually know how to use my camera correctly!

Apple iMac
Hubby is a PC Man but finally agreed I needed an iMac, victory!

A week away to Margaret River WA with my gorgeous Hubby.

A weekend away with my fabulous Girlies to the
Spirit House Thai Cooking School on the Sunshine Coast.

AND FINALLY......

A small holiday break away with the two most important people in my life, my Hubby and Son.  If I could only pick one thing this would be it.

Well that was a most enjoyable little task,  now to pick 5 more bloggers to pass this fun project on to!

Drum roll please.......

Hazel Loves Design

Life's Little Celebrations

Muddled Up Mumma

Eat Read Love

Honey and Fizz



Have fun with it and I can't wait to see what you all come up with!  Don't forget to drop by these blogs and have a little look around.

Cheers

Pink & Yellow Sweets Table

Hello!

On Twitter this week there has been immense debate on the notion of paying a "Party Stylist" for a child's birthday party.

Now as a previous Party Stylist I can see both sides of the argument.  But that's a blog post for another day!

Today I wanted to share with you the party I styled for my Best Friend's birthday recently.  She's had an incredibly tough time of late so I wanted to give her something that was full of sunshine and love.

What better way than with a party!

All the sweets on the table I made myself and the flowers are from a local market that I bought on the morning of the party.

Double layer white chocolate mud cake with butter cream frosting.

Individual Bailey's baked cheese cakes.

Vanilla cupcakes with strawbery butter cream frosting.

Lemon tartlets.

Meringue kisses.



Personalised chocolate bars.

Luncheon table.



Champagne bar.



Rock candy swizzle sticks.

Stawberries.

Hibiscus flowers for champagne.

Champagne punch.

Apart from my Mum and Sister she's one of the most important and influencial women in my life and I'd be lost without her, I'm so thankful she is not only part of my family but part of my life.



Seriously isn't she gorgeous?! BTW Marisa is the one in front!

Photo credits are the gorgeous girls from Giggles Photography, check out their work because they are fantastic and so easy to work with!

Come back tomorrow for the receipe for the individual baked cheesecakes, your friends and family will love you forever, trust me!  It's the sweet I get asked to make the MOST!

What's one word that you would use to describe your BFF?!

Cheers

Piquing my Pinterest {succulent edition}

Hello!

Well it's that time of the week for another edition of Ooh That's Pinteresting!

This week....

It's all about my love of succulents!

How gorgeously simple are they?!  Succulents are are a pretty hardy plant and are easily grown both inside and outside.

Their versatility extends to use in everyday home decor through to styling a table for your next dinner party and even Christmas decorations!

All images are from my succulent board on Pinterest.

Not on Pinterest yet?  Don't panic just email me and I will send through an invite. 

Linking up with Tina Gray {dot} me

I'd love to know if you share a passion of succulents like me?!

Cheers

A Piece of Cake

Hello!

I'm struggling to think of one person that I know who doesn't like a piece of gorgeously moist cake! 

And just sometimes a homemade cake will not do for a special occasion and you need to splurge on an amazing work of art, commonly referred to as a cake!  The ladies and gents who make these cakes are true artists.

If you are putting together a dessert or sweets table the one thing I would suggest to spend the money on is the cake.  It's really the centrepiece of the entire buffett and adds the wow factor!



I put the above sweets table together for one of my girlfriend's 40th birthday.  There are a few lollies but the cake is the centrepiece of the entire table.  I will talk more about styling sweets tables in upcoming posts.

I've been lucky enough while running Poppie Lane Emporium to come across some amazing Australian cake artisians and I wanted to share their talent with you.

Mio Cupcakes, Brisbane QLD
Face Book
Blog

Just Call Me Martha, Balwyn North VIC
Yes people it's a cake!
Face Book
Blog

Sweet Bloom Cakes, Sydney NSW
Face Book

The Lemony Cupcake, Brisbane QLD
Face Book
Blog

Ma' Cake, Sydney NSW
Again, yes it's a cake!!
Face Book
Web Site

Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes, Kingsgrove NSW
Face Book
Web Site

I hope you have enjoyed looking through these scrummy cakes! There are loads more talented cake artisians out there but these are just a few that I wanted to share.

Love to hear from you if you have used any of the ladies above or let me know of a favourite one that you use.

Cheers

Making Whoopie!

Hello Everyone!

Well the humble macaroon and cup cake are making way for a brand new (well here in Australia anyway!) sweet treat, the Whoopie Pie!

The Whoopie Pie has hit our shores with a vengence and is appearing at the most hippest parties and cafes in town!

So what is a Whoopie Pie?

It's a cross between a cake and a cookie, two rounds joined in the middle by a filling.  Traditionally chocolate with a cream icing filling.

{image}

Whoopie Pies are an American dessert.  The most common train of thought as to where it originated from is Pennsylvania Dutch Country, created by the Amish women as a dessert for their children.  Widely believed is its name came about when the children opened their lunch boxes and yelled "whoopie" when they saw their sweet treat!

There's even a Whoopie Pie Festival in America with over 100 flavours, yum!

The above picture are Donna Hay's Rainbow Whoopie Pies with Marshallow Icing.  So bright and colourful, great for children's parties.

If your not really a baker and don't want to make them from scratch I really like the Betty Crocker range, always a high quality product and they turn out as you would expect!  Great news is that they have just realeased two Whoopie Pie mixes Chocolate Vanilla and Vanilla Sprinkle.  Both are available in Coles and Woolworths.

There are some great cook books on whoopie pies, I purchased Whoopie Cakes from one of my favourite places to shop Wheel and Barrow !  There you can also purchase whoopie pie trays, but of course you can make them without the pie tray.

I'd love to hear if you've made whoopie pies, how they turned out and what your family and friends thought of them!

* Please note I have no affliation with Coles, Woolworths, Betty Crocker, Donna Hay or Wheel & Barrow.

Cheers