Because sometimes on a holiday weekend…cookies and milk just sound right for dinner.
Milk and cookies for dinner? Nothing is sweeter.
*Cookie is from my favorite neighborhood cookie shop, Milk Jar Cookies
xoxo,
BF
BF Asks: What’s your favorite kind of cookie?
My heart belongs to Magnolia Bakery. So when I got the opportunity to visit one of my favorite places for a little frosting lesson and fun, I jumped at the chance. Find out how the frosting experts at Magnolia get that “signature swirl”, see if I can replicate it and see what other emotions their delicious treats stir up for me. A magical day at Magnolia, indeed. Join me for a taste…
Now, isn’t THAT the sweetest?
xoxo,
BF
A few months ago, I decided I would have a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party.
You're invited to a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party!
Not at all random, I know. But I needed to coordinate the best night for my guests: Nora, Lucy and Emmett. After all, these are very busy little, Los Angeles kiddos with schedules just about as busy as mine!
Well, we finally found a night – last Wednesday – and we did it right!
So how do you “do it right” for a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party?
1) Well, first you need the movie. Check. Thanks Matt Marr!
It's a "Jolly Holiday" with Mary!
2) Next, you need pajamas and, of course, your favorite little friends – both of the human and stuffed variety. I love any excuse to don my comfy, bunny slippers!
Pajamas are a must for a Movie pj party!
3) And – then, of course – for a popcorn party, you need popcorn! And I knew just where to start with that! My old schoolmate, Cassie is the queen of popcorn! Or is it, princess? Well, whatever she is, she – and her company – Cassie’s Le Popcorn is the royal call you make when you want some popcorn party magic. And with Mary Poppins, we definitely needed some magic! We ordered the magic- and we received it!
Thank you Cassie's Le Popcorn for the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious popcorn!!
The deluxe array of flavors is too extensive to list here but I’ll share with you sour favorites: Beer Cheese (I am Texan, after all), Peanut Butter Chocolate, White Truffle, Loaded Potato and Sea Salt Caramel with Chocolate Drizzle. Yummylicious! Perfect for any kiddo’s or “grown-up-kiddo’s” party!
Popcorn princesses indulding in popcorn pleasure!!
2) Next, improvise! I had no time to bake but a party always requires a cake, if you ask me! So I bought a precious, Mary Poppins-themed mini cake at the Ralph’s Bakery for $5.99. Not too shabby! And it really set the mood for the table!
Red Velvet cake pairs perfectly with our Poppins theme!
Then, I picked up some mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins for only $10.99!
Mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins are perfect summertime treats!
I then picked up a 6-pack of classic Coca Cola in the bottles! It went with our red, white and pink theme and it brought in some more of that nostalgic feel we were going for!
Nothing ushers in nostalgia like classic Coca Cola in the vintage bottles!
Next, in keeping with my theme of a “spoonful of sugar”, I set out the cake, jars of colored sugars, vintage Coca Cola bottles, mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins and pastel m & m’s – which I always stockpile during post-Easter sales.
The Mary Poppins spread - and set on my coffee table - the perfect height for little ones
I borrowed the idea of using my coffee table to create a casual (and in this case, age appropriate) vibe from Moll Anderson’s Seductive Tables For Two ($19.95). This book has taught me so much about entertaining, with both thought and heart, using the resources you have readily available.
The night was a sweet success!
Both the kids and I had a ball! We ate too much sugar (naturally), stayed up a bit too late and laughed a lot at the magical messages in Mary Poppins.
Such a fun night!
And then we crashed…
After the Mary Poppins party, we got a little shut-eye!
xoxo,
BF
BF Asks: What should be the movie at my next Movie & PJ party?
I made these piggy cupcakes a few weeks ago for my dear friend, Hope’s, baby shower.
BeautyFrosting's Piggy Cupcakes
How’d I choose pigs? Well, to celebrate a true southern-turned SoCal transplant-she was given a “BABY-Q”. Get it?
Baby-Q-themed Piggy Cupcakes
The invite (above) was super cute with a baby pig cartoon on it and, well, it just seemed the way to go!
So many of you liked the pics of the piggy cupcakes on my BeautyFrosting Facebook page, that I knew I had to share the recipe with y’all.
So here you go!
Pig Cupcakes: Super fun & delicious!
BeautyFrosting’s Piggy Cupcakes
As for the cake, I used my Mom’s Strawberry cake recipe which I will feature NEXT Friday. But here’s how you make the piggies.
What you need for your piggies:
Pink or Chocolate Cupcake Paper Cups
24 Baked Cupcakes of your choice
1 Batch of Buttercream Frosting (My favorite recipe is below!)
32 Jet-Puffed StrawberryMallows (1 8-ounce bag)
48 Milk Chocolate Chips
Pink Food Coloring
Red Food Coloring
Let your cupcakes cool and mix up your frosting.
Tint the icing, by adding the pink food coloring, til you reach a nice bubblegum piglet-pink hue. Mix until perfectly pink.
Frost each cupcake making sure to make the “face” of the pig as smooth as possible. I prefer using a small cake frosting spatula.
Cut your marshmallows into halves.
Use half for the nose with the non-sticky side facing up in the middle of the cupcake.
Make the piggy’s eyes by placing the chocolate chips point down into the frosting (with the flat side up).
To make the ears, take the other half of the marshmallow and cut into two. Pinch each end to make pointy piggy ears.
Take a toothpick or chopstick and dip it in red food coloring. Make 2 dots on the nose marshmallow to make nostrils. You can re-do this again if the colour is too pale.
BeautyFrosting’s Creamy ButterCream Frosting Recipe
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4¼ to 4½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
xoxo,
BF
BF Asks: If you make ’em, please send me a pic! Have fun!!