A Different Kind Of Champagne

Champagne Cupcakes with Sweet Champagne Buttercream Frosting from GimmeSomeOven.

Ingredients

For Cupcakes:
•2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•3 tsp. baking powder
•1 tsp. salt
•2/3 cup butter
•1 1/2 cups white sugar
•3/4 cup champagne (the sweeter the better)
•6 egg whites

For Frosting:
•3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
•1 cup butter, at room temperature
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•3 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature

Directions

To Make Cupcakes:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
2.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
3.In another large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

To Make Frosting:
1.With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes.
2.Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.

April Showers Bring May...Baby Showers?

Oh the joy of babies!  Not only am I expecting my first but one of my good friends is expecting her first as well.  It is a really exciting time for both of us and the talk of baby showers has begun to swirl around our heads.  With that in mind, I thought we could discuss putting together a baby shower without emptying your savings account (save that for a college fund).  I hosted a baby shower two years ago for my good friend who was expecting her first in November 2009.  I was able to make it cute and fun!  And with a little research there are so many ways to look like you've spent a lot of money without actually doing that. 

Pingg is a great website that has really cute baby shower invitations....and they're FREE!   This is an example of a great

invitation from the site that I found and it's so simple to email
them out to friends and family.  And in doing this you can save money on postage and envelopes while also saving a couple of trees by sending your invites via the world wide web!

And depending on when you have the shower, you will be able to cater the theme & decor around that.  Being that my friend is due in July, her shower will probably be in May or June so a fun, summery shower will definitely be appropriate with lots of vibrant colors and cool drinks to keep everyone from overheating.  

Epicurious has a great list of non-alcoholic drinks for any party but that would be especially delicious for a baby shower in the late spring or early summer.  More for the pregnant lady but appropriate for all, if you aren't indulging in your normal alcoholic drink of choice, you can still enjoy the deliciousness of a variety of fruity, bubbly drinks that will taste just as good or even better without leaving you dehydrated and hungover.   Take it from me!  I love my cosmopolitan's but have had to curb that indulgence until post-baby.  Instead, I have been experimenting with lots of different combinations of caffeine free sodas and fruit juices to satisfy my craving.  A ginger ale with a splash of cranberry and a lime can definitely make someone feel like they are enjoying an alcoholic cocktail even though their choice is virgin!  There are always options.

In terms of food, it's important to remember that with pregnancy comes lots of rules & regulations on what is OK to eat and what is not.  Your best bet is going to be to first, check with the guest of honor and find out whether she is having any food aversions that might make her not feel well if they were present.  After that, find out what she doesn't feel comfortable eating.  A lot of articles will tell pregnant women to stay away from soft cheeses and deli meats along with raw fish and some cooked fish that are higher in mercury than others.  It really all depends on the individual as everyone is different in their personal choices.  The Mayo Clinic provides a list of  foods that are recommended for pregnant women to stear clear from.  This might be a helpful tool for you while you plan!

Lastly, there are shower gifts.  What do I give my guests?  How much should I spend?  Honestly, every shower and budget is different.  I, personally, have a sweet tooth so when I give gifts I lean towards a treat of some sort.  I prefer a delicious cupcake placed in a decorative Butterfly Box as it is not only yummy but inexpensive and pretty.  Not to mention you can use this as an alternative instead of buying a large sheet cake that could potentially be wasted if there is too much left over.  Kill two birds with one stone!  Dessert & a shower gift in one!!  So good luck to you o' hosts of hosts!   

Engagement Party Anyone?

It is that time of year for some of us!  Lot's of spring weddings on the calendar and that means engagement parties (among other celebratory events) are getting into full swing.  Two years ago in May, I planned my sisters engagement party in Baltimore and it was a great success!   About forty people came and went throughout the day and into the night and although we had limited space, we were able to make it happen.  It was delicious, fun, and all around entertaining for everyone and because of that, I feel the need to share the details of how it was put together.  Even when you have limited space to throw an event, you can make it happen with some simple additions and changes to the layout of the room(s).  And, of course, you don't need to spend a ton to do it! 

My husband and I are lucky that we have a back patio that is surrounded by a fence and two stone walls on both sides.  So, for the party we wanted to use the space. The weather in Baltimore tends to be hit or miss in May;  it is either raining or absolutely gorgeous.  Very rarely is there an in between.  Luckily for us, on the day of the engagement party the weather was absolutely perfect!  Because our patio is no larger than 20 x 30 feet, we knew space was limited but we had to utilize it for the number of people we were expecting.  By incorporating 3 Foot Round Tables and Small Chivari Chairs (like those from Select Event Rentals) we opened up the space to provide ample seating for guests, both on the inside of the house through the use of our furniture and the oustide tables & chairs we had rented for a pretty low, reasonable price.  And depending on the size of the space you are using and the attending guests, Tents are always a great option too!  For our party we went with smaller tents like these from The Patio Furniture Station that were a bit cheaper & really more for shade than anything else.  They did exactly what we needed them to do for what we were looking to accomplish.  However, had it been really windy or rainy, these wouldn't have done much to keep our guests from getting soaked so if you are looking for tents that are more weather appropriate, Select Event Rentals is probably the way to go. 

In terms of table decor, I went to Michael's and found these small bud vases  that were just perfect.  Ranging from $1-$2 a vase you really can't go wrong!  Then on each table I placed a plastic white tablecloth (Party City $2-$3 a piece) and one vase with two different colored tulips on each table to really bring the color to the party.  It wasn't too much decoration but it was clean looking and as we know, I love the clean look!  I also placed a bundle of tulips in a large glass vase on my dining room table to tie both the outside and inside together.  And if tulips aren't in season, no worries!  There are lots of colored flowers in season during different times of year that you can find.  Always check out Whole Foods as they seem to have a great variety no matter the season. 

So have fun planning your next engagement party...or whatever party you are planning!  Hope you found these tips & ideas helpful.  Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!!!