WE'VE MOVED!

I'm SO excited to announce that I've packed up my things and moved...to a brand new website! I've been toying with the idea for a while now of doing more with my website than just candy.  I've got SO many other topics I've been wanting to share with you all, but didn't because it just didn't fit the mold of my website.  Now, after consulting with many, MANY people, I've decided the time is right to make the jump.

My new website, A Sweet Spot: Home encompasses everything I love to chat about, baking, cooking, gardening, photography, entertaining and even more! I've rounded up friends and family who are experts in these fields and have asked them to contribute some of their knowledge to the site, and hopefully, it will provide you with some information and inspiration!

So, please come check out my new page and let me know what you think! The welcome mat is out, and I'm ready for some visitors!


A Sweet Spot: Home
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BIG CHANGES ARE COMING SOON!

Today, I have some really exciting news to share.  I'm going to be taking a little break from this page...not because I'm going away, but because I'm getting ready to launch an even bigger and better project! 

I've been so blessed to get such a great response from all of you, my new friends, that I've now decided to expand my site.  The new site will include all the areas of my life that I'm passionate about, including baking, cooking, entertaining...and a few more that will have to remain surprises!

I'm working as hard as I can adding great posts to the new site so that when it launches, you'll be welcomed with lots of brand new content.  Stay tuned, I'll be sure to let you all know when it's ready...and believe me, we're close!

In the meantime, you'll still be able to find me on Facebook and Twitter.

See you all soon!

I Finally Did It!

Throughout the Easter season, I've been polling my readers regarding the controversial Easter sweet, the Cadbury Egg.  I shared with my everyone that I, in fact, had NEVER had one before! This year, I decided, would be the year I would give them a try.  So, while at my local grocery store today, I spotted them on the shelf and decided to pick them up.

I'll be honest, I was skeptical.  Something about the looks of it made me fear it would taste like a chocolate covered raw egg, but in honesty, it didn't! It is actually super, SUPER sweet and actually pretty tasty! In my personal opinion, one is yummy...more than that though, I'll pass.  My dentist would probably insist upon it.  

Happy Easter, everyone!

JUMPING ON THE BACON BANDWAGON

I'm sure you've noticed lately if you look around the baking websites that BACON has become a big trend when it comes to sweets, which sounds strange because there's hardly any item you can eat that is any saltier! However, we all know how wonderful the salty/sweet combination can be, so it should come as no surprise that this is gaining in popularity!

I decided to test the waters and see if I could create something with bacon that was simple and delicious.  Because I was skeptical, I decided to take the easy way out and use a cake mix and canned icing...I didn't want to waste all my good ingredients if this was going to be a total flop! So, here's what I started with...

After mixing up the cupcake batter and putting it into the oven to bake, I then took to working on the bacon.  Something about the smell of bacon cooking and cupcakes baking together seemed so bizarre to me!

Finally, the cupcakes were finished and set out to cool.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the bacon to cool completely as well, you don't want it melting your icing!

Finally, it was time to add a little flavor to my icing.  I decided to add maple flavoring to my canned cream cheese icing.  I wasn't sure how using actual maple syrup would work, so I decided to play it safe.  I used about 1/4 tsp for the extra large can of icing.  It gave the icing a nice light brown color and a maple flavor that wasn't too overpowering.

And for the final result...

The bacon combined with the maple cream cheese frosting makes for a yummy, sugary, salty combination that was actually really good! I'd recommend everyone give it a try at least once...as long as you have a salad afterwards! :)

A COMFY & COZY SHABBY CHIC BABY SHOWER

This past weekend, I was blessed to be able to throw a baby shower for my only sister, who will be giving birth to her first child next month.  Since it's going to be a baby boy, I decided to give her a super girly baby shower, since she's soon to become outnumbered in her home by boys! One last girly hurrah!

As the guests arrived, they were asked to sign a large picture mat with words of love for the new baby.  As soon as he arrives, the sign in the middle will be replaced with a picture of the little guy and will make a loving addition to the decor in his bedroom.

The shower took place in the early afternoon on a Sunday, so I decided to serve a light brunch with a light salad, a delicious chicken salad, various muffins, and some fresh strawberries.  Rather than using a fancy serving dish for the fruit dip, I decided to put it in a mason jar, to go along with the shabby chic theme, and to break up the formalness of the china! A silver coffee set from my mother in law and some grocery store tulips were used as part of the decor.  (And, in case you're wondering, I did remember to remove the tulips from the wrapping before everyone arrived!) :)

I have a wall in my dining room where I display pictures of my kids.  Rather than take them down for the party and put up something else, I chose to cover the pictures and make the frames spell out "Oh Boy", followed by ultrasound pictures of the little guy! (Yes, I'm aware that the middle "O" is sideways...I need to pay closer attention when I'm gluing!) Also, an easy way to decorate chairs for a party is to drape the back of the chair with a piece of fabric and tie it together with ribbon.  For this party, I decided to use tags created for me by my friend, Melissa from Tag Me Chic.  It's something a little different and interesting, don't you think?

My talented friend Genevieve from Celebrate Today...the Superchick Way was kind enough to design these adorable shabby chic Kandy Kones for me and I think they match the theme perfectly! Loaded up with some colorful bunny shaped marshmallows, these Kandy Kones were a big hit with the kids at the shower!

When it came to decorating my fireplace mantel, I was lucky enough to have Jenny from Hank and Hunt send me several of her adorable fabric garlands.  I love the difference in color, and I love how it's casual but fancy at the same time! She was also kind enough to send me most of the fabrics used for this party.  You can order your own goodies from Hank and Hunt here!  

When I say this crib has been in my family for years...I'm NOT kidding! I believe I spent a little time in this as a baby, as did my father...and my grandfather...and HIS father! Needless to say, it's definitely a family treasure.  I generally use it as a decorative piece that holds throw blankets but I brought it out to hold gifts for the party and it served its purpose well!

I wanted to send all our guests home with a little treat, but finding something that everyone will like can be tricky.  I knew I wanted it to be something edible, so they wouldn't have to worry about having one more thing to find a place for.  I thought about making some homemade lemon curd, which seemed very springy, but then I came across this, and knew this was the perfect gift!

These came together so quickly and made for a unique gift for our special guests! The best part, I was able to make all the pies for the shower and bake them at once, you can fit a lot of these little goodies on a baking sheet!

It was such a fun shower, very casual, just the way I prefer! And, the final test as to whether the party was a success...

Finding a fork in the trifle bowl from the clean up crew...okay, maybe it was mine! :) So sorry I forgot to take a "before" picture of the trifle, but in case you're wondering, it was a Brownie Heath trifle...very easy and very yummy!

AN ADORABLE "ADVENTURE" SWEETS TABLE

Today, I stumbled upon this adorable sweets table done by Kreavie and I instantly knew I wanted to share it with you all.  To me, this feels straight out of a storybook, with the animals and all the great details! Just look at that adorable squirrel in the background, trying to get the cookies! Even though some of the language is a bit above my high school french education, I can appreciate a well done sweets table, no matter the language!

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

I adore the little fondant compass toppers on these cupcakes! And placing them on a tree stump makes it look amazing!

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

Aren't these bear pawprint cookies adorable?? So creative and goes with the theme so perfectly!

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

{Photo: by Julia C. Vona Photography for Kreavie}

I really loved looking at all the adorable pictures from this sweets table.  I love they way they used so many things that you can find right outside your house that cost nothing, but add so much interest to the table.  Well done, Kreavie, thanks for letting me share this with my readers!
 

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR!

Since Easter is just under 2 weeks away, I thought it would be fun to talk about one of the greatest Easter treats ever made...the Peep! My favorite Peep would have to be the yellow chicks, but alas, our store was out of them yesterday.  So, for now, these will have to do...

So, share with me...do you love these sweet treats as much as I do? Maybe you're more like my hubby, whose face crinkles up into a look of disgust every time we mention them! Is there a method to your madness in the way you eat them? My daughter and I were just discussing this, and we both have our own unique way of eating a Peep that is far more advanced than simply taking a bite!

Love them or hate them, there's no denying that Peeps are as much a part of Easter as candy canes are to Christmas!