Pink and Brown Milk & Cookies Baby Shower

 

Last night was my monthly news segment over on WCFN.

This month I featured a Pink and Brown Milk & Cookies baby shower.

Milk & Cookies themes are really popular right now and what I love most about them is that they are so easy to put together.  Besides, who doesn't LOVE milk and yummy cookies, they go together perfectly!

In case you missed the segment, you can view the entire segment HERE.

 Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

 I didn't get a chance to metion these on air, but these are the peanut butter cookie cupcakes with a Reese's cup on the bottom.  Super yummy, super EASY!

 How stinkin' cute are these little milk jug and cookie cupcake toppers from the sweet girls over at Pinwheel Lane?!?!?  They were so sweet and sent me some to use for the segment and they just worked perfectly!

  If you haven't liked Pinwheel Lane yet on facebook, you really need to get on it!!!

You can also go check out all their other cute stuff on etsy HERE!

Seriously, this cake was AMAZING!

We made a pink layer cake and then added the cutest cookies from Brittany of Fairytale Sweets around the edges.  Her cookies are absolutely YUMMY.  Instead of the usual royal icing you find on most decorated cookies, Brittany uses buttercream, and it is de-lish!  She just started up her facebook fanpage so go send her some PnP LOVE and LIKE her page HERE!

 {Snickerdoodle Cookies}

 I had to throw in some pink & brown creme wafers.  I LOVE these things!  I can remember going over to my Great Grandma's house and she would always have them in her little, brown, monkey cookie jar!  We'd devour them!

 {Sugar Cookie Truffles}

These are what we did together on the news.

Super easy.  I got the idea for these HERE on Cookies and Cups blog.

 Did you know over at GFS you can order a case of little milk cartons like these?

They don't have a variety pack, but you can buy them in either white or chocolate!

{Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls}

I found the recipe for those HERE.

 BEHIND THE SCENES...

 I don't say it enough, but I've got the best "team!"

My mom and sister busted their little humps helping me Wednesday night to get things together.  I honestly couldn't pull these segments off without them.  And my awesome Grandma... she helped me out by making the chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies for the glass jars.  Such a BIG help!

Dave was off tonight, so Sweet Ashley got to experience a segment with "The Cupcake Lady."

Yea, that's what I'm referred to as up there at the station.  :)

Everything turned out super cute and stay tuned.... you may be seeing a PARTY SALE on this blog featuring party items from my news segments that I don't need anymore!


Linking up to...

Easter News Segment

 

Tonight was my Easter news segment for WCFN.  

Here's a clip of the segment in case you missed it...but now WHY would you do that???  

Click HERE to see me in action! 

 

I LOVE this table set up! 

Sweet Nancy over at A to Zebra Celebrations was so sweet to lend me her polka dot table runner and ribbon table skirt for this segment.  And as a "thank you" for guest blogging over on her blog, she's letting me keep the table runner.  Sweet!!!  I think it added such a cute and feminine touch to the table, plus it was pink, polka dotted, and ribbons...only three of my FAVORITE things!

You can check out her etsy shop and all her other goodies HERE and her blog HERE.

 

How stinkin' cute is this little bunny?  I found them at Pier 1, and guess what...

they were on SALE for 20% off.  SCORE.  They came with the little stick and everything, so all I needed to do was stick him in the pot.  EASY!

 

And I love this precious little bunny.  

If there's anything else you need to know about me besides my obsession with polka dots and ribbon, it is that I LOVE bunnies, baskets, and birdhouses.  So, like I'm going to pass up a PINK BUNNY at Hobby Lobby when it's 50% off.  Ummmmm NO.  

(Have I told you that all the cashiers at Hobby Lobby know me and my kids personally now?  Yea, it's sad.  I'm pretty sure they duke it out over who's going to have to check us out, not that I'm a difficult shopper, but my kids pretty much like to play with EVERYTHING at the check-out...especially those little round tape measure dealy's that you push the button and the tape measure gets sucked back up or because of the time Brock cried for SEVERAL minutes over the fact that I was NOT going to buy him another stuffed animal dog because he already owned the same exact stuffed animal dog.  It was the last one left and he didn't want him to be left alone on the shelf...Such a sweet, gentle heart, but NO, cry all you want, you're NOT getting it...)

Oh, good grief....where was I????? 

 

Awwww...YES.  

The adorable cinnamon flower cookie suckers 

that the super sweet Sara of Dandy Delights sent me.  

YUM-O and too stinkin' cute!

Go LIKE her on Facebook and be amazed at her mad cookie skills!

She just reached 1000 fans so go tell her CONGRATS and that Pirates-n-Princesses sent ya!

 

These are my little Key Lime Pie cupcakes with Peter Cotton Tail toppers.

I wasn't sure about using them, but last minute I tossed them in the tub of goodies going to the station.  Let's just say that was a SMART move.  I was originally going to go with this idea HERE

of the starburst carrots...  Ummm... super cute, but also a super FAIL.  I had them looking all cute and ready to go.  Put them in the cupcakes in the morning, and when I looked at them later in the day, OMGosh, a huge melty mess.  The twizzler tops had fallen out of a few, they were limp, and super glossy from getting too warm.  So, I tried to fix them while I was still at home and work some magic, but when we got to the station, there was NO way I was putting them on display.  They were a HOT MESS.  But, I think these turned out cute, so I was happy.

 

Here are the Easter basket cupcakes 

we made together in the segment so go watch for instructions!!!

 

And here are the little Peeps in bird nests that I shared back on facebook.  I got the idea from The Crafting Chicks so go check them out HERE for a How-To.  You'll also find the free printables I used in that link, too!  They would make cute little gifts for your kids' classmates!

 

Here are the Key Lime Cupcakes.  I got the recipe HERE.

They were good but I think a little more key lime juice would make them even better.

They just needed a little more punch for me.  

 

I'm super bummed this photo turned out blurry!  

This is Jennifer, one of the camera operators there at the station.

SWEETEST thing ever.  I'll get a better shot next month!

Seriously, sidenote, how stinkin' cute is that pink scarf???  

L.O.V.E. it.

I found it at Bella in Champaign.

Now that this segment is over... back to the treadmill and diet.  Testing out all these cupcakes has been KILLER on this gal.  Stay tuned for my NEW FAVORITE white cupcake recipe which is what the Easter basket and flower pot cupcakes were  up there!!!

St. Patrick's Day News Segment

 

So, here we go with another news segment that I did for the WCFN 7 pm news.  It was kind of last minute, but I think everything got thrown together quite nicely!

Here's the LINK!!!! Go watch! 

{After reading my post, of course...}  :)

 

 Here I am with Dave & Jennifer.  

They are so much fun to be around and make the segments really fun!

 

These are shamrock shaped rice krispy treats.  

The trick to getting them green, and you probably already know this, is to mix your food coloring in the stirred up marshmallows, right before adding in the cereal.  I found the thinner you could get them, the easier they are to punch out with the cookie cutter.  I sandwiched two of them between a sucker stick, tied a cute ribbon around them, and stuck them in this adorable pot I found at Michael's. 

 

 

 

My rainbow cupcakes were made using a Funfetti cake, because what kid doesn't LOVE Funfetti?

Then I topped them with some blue buttercream and added an Extreme Airhead, cut in half, as the rainbow, and some mini marshmallows for the clouds.  I've also seen where you can use two gummy worms as the rainbow if you can't find the Airheads, and you can also pipe clouds on with frosting.  This is not my own original idea, and when I find where I found them I'll be sure to give them credit!

 

 

 

And here are the Adult Friendly Cupcakes.  SOoOoOOo Yummy!

They are a Stout Cupcake, recipe courtesy of my sweet friend, Jami, all the way from the U.K.  Then I topped them with a Bailey's Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting.  De-Lish.  

Look for the recipe at the end of this post.  Tutorial also coming soon on how I made those shamrocks on top!

 

 

And then for the show stopper... the Rainbow Layered Cake.

{Let's all pause for some Ohhhhhh's & Awwwwww's.} 

So, Monday night, my mom and sister come over to help me get everything together and to help me with this gorgeous cake.  Well... we quickly learned that I probably ought to stick with cupcakes.  This thing is a beast.  It's enormous.  It was a CHALLENGE.  Bless anyone's heart who tries this and I wish you the best of luck, because if you can get it straight and not topsy turvy and looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you get mad props from me.  But, it was sooooooo worth it!  So yummy!  I got the idea HERE from Pinks & Needles and it was very helpful!!!!  Let me know how yours turn out if you try it!!!!

 

 

And this is what the set looks like as soon as taping is finished.  

Everyone SWARMS in to gobble up the cupcakes!  :)

Here I am with my adorable sister, Ashley, my little assistant. 

{Even though she did doubt my rainbow cake...}

And I can't forget to mention my AMAZING mama, the lady behind the photos.

Thanks for taking amazing pictures for my blog, helping me with that cake, buying us McDonald's after every news segment, and being my biggest fan.  I LOVE YOU!  XOXO

Stout Cupcakes

Courtesy of Jami Schmidt

 

3/4 cup of unsweetened coca plus more for dusting at the end
2 cups sugar
2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of fine salt
1 bottle of Guinness
1 stick melted butter
1 tbs Pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cups sour cream

Preheat to 350
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl
In another mixing bowl combine stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream until combined and smooth. Gradually add in the dry.

 Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 mins and then rotate the pan and bake for another 12.  ** I only needed to bake mine for 17 minutes and they were good.  I don't rotate, too much trouble.  I know, I know... I probably should, but oh, well.

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
Courtesy Martha Stewart
3 sticks unsalted, room temp butter
4 C. powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cream butter until smooth.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, scraping down the sides as needed.  Add Bailey's and vanilla and beat until combined and smooth.