{Trendy Tuesday} - 8 Great Pumpkin Shaped Desserts

Pumpkin shaped dessert are fantastic this time of year because they can work throughout all of autumn.  Right now my house is decorated with fall pumpkins because we are hosting a Fall Harvest party this weekend.  After the party, I will get out all of my Halloween items.  But, until October 1st, it just seems too early to decorate with Halloween items.  The best part about pumpkin decor is that once the Halloween decorations get put away, the pumpkins can stay out until Thanksgiving.  The same can be said about these desserts -- you can make them anytime now through Thanksgiving!

 

Here are eight great pumpkin shaped desserts to get you started for your fall:

 



 

via Home Stories A to Z

 

 

via The Plunge Project

 

 

via The Decrated Cookie

 

 

via Gina Marie's Kitchen

 

 

via Country Living

 

 

via Created by Diane

 

 

 

via Country Living

 

 

via Recipe.com

{Crafts} -- Halloween Gumball "Machine" Craft

 



A couple of weekends ago, my daughter had one of her best buddies spend the night.  They painted each other's toenails and spent lots of time braiding each other's hair.  But, they were also looking for some type of craft project.  Luckily, earlier that week, I had bought a few supplies for a Halloween craft.  This Halloween gumball "machine" was a fun, easy craft for two 9 year old girls.  The girls can also set these candy jars out in their rooms through Halloween. 

When the gumballs run out (which may be pretty soon in my house), I will probably fill this with candy corn or candy pumpkins.  They would also make great crafts or take-home favors for a Halloween party. 

 

Materials Needed:

•  Small Terra Cotta Pot with Saucer
•  Wooden Ball
•  Wooden Disk
•  Round, Glass Candle Holder
•  Craft Paint
•  Glue Gun or Goop Craft Glue
• Ribbon

Turn pot upside down and paint the outside of the pot, including the bottom.  Paint the inside of the saucer, let dry. Turn over saucer and paint the inside.  Paint the wooden ball and the wooden disk.  Let it all dry for a couple of hours.  Using glue gun or craft glue, glue wooden ball to the top of the saucer.  Glue wooden disk to the outside of painted pot.  Glue glass candle holder to the top of the pot.  I first used a glue gun for this, but the glass came unglued from the pot.  I then glued it with Goop Craft Glue, which held it much better.  Tie ribbon around the base of the candleholder to finish it off. 

{Recipes} -- Pumpkin Butter Recipe + A Free Printable

 

This week, I'm sharing a sweet & spicy Pumpkin Butter recipe over at The Celebration Shoppe.  My family, especially my daughter, has enjoyed this delicious treat this week.  She's spread the Pumpkin Butter on graham crackers every morning before school! 

 

 

 

This sweet treat would also make a fantastic favor for a  Pumpkin Patch party, Little Pumpkin party, or Thanksgiving party.  Jump on over to one of my favorite sites, The Celebration Shoppe, for the recipe and even a FREE printable to pretty up your own jars of Pumpkin Butter. 

{Trendy Tuesday} - Little Pumpkin Party



This is the perfect time to host an adorable "Little Pumpkin" baby shower or birthday party.  Pumpkins and pumpkin themed decorations are readily available. Additionally, this is the best time of year to enjoy all those yummy pumpkin flavored desserts!

 

Our Lil Pumpkin Party Collection combines orange and light blue with a trellis pattern and polka dots for a modern look.  The Collection includes all the printable paper party goods for your shower or birthday party. 

 

To make you life a little easier, I've also compiled several matching party goods to complete your party look.  Each of these items would pair perfectly with the Lil Pumpkin Collection.  And, I didn't forget to list the source for each item!   

 

 

 5x7 Invitation, 2" Party Circles, Drink Flags, Banner

 

 

Cake Stand via Kaboodle



Pumpkin Centerpiece via  Martha Stewart

All other items via The Tomkat Studio Shop

 Party Sign, Placecards, Water Bottle Labels, Thank You Tags

{Recipes} -- Mini Pumpkin Spice Donuts

This weekend my daughter had a friend spend the night.  My kids generally request teddy bear pancakes for special mornings, like the morning after a sleepover.  But, my pumpkin spice loving little girl saw me looking at recipe for Peitite Pumpkin Spice Donuts on Pinterest earlier this week.  So, she requested these delicious little bites for Saturday morning.

 

 

 

These sweet cinnamon spiced donuts were a huge hit! The recipe made about 4 dozen, but my donut pan only made one dozen at one time.  After I gave the kids the first dozen donuts, they started asking for more before the next pan came out of the oven!

 



 

 

 

 

Mini Pumpkin Spiced Donuts (adapted from Blue Eyed Bakers)

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 vanilla bean (scrape the inside of the bean out, do not use the woody outside) or 1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup skim milk

For the coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees.   Spray a mini donut pan with canola oil spray.  I used this donut pan, that was purchased online. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Mix in pumpkin and milk.  Slowly add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beat until just combined.

Add batter to a large pastry bag, snip off end with scissors.  Using the filled pastry bag, fill each cavity of the pan about 2/3 full with the batter.  You can also use a spoon to do this, but the donut cavities are small and it is much easier to fill them using the pasty bag. 

Cook donuts for 8-9 minutes, until they spring back when touched.  Cool on a wire rack.

For the coating:
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon.  While the donuts are still warm, but not too hot, dip top and bottom in butter.  Roll donut in the cinnamon sugar.  Serve immediately. 

 

 

{Website Relaunch} -- Mirabelle Creations Website Has a New Look





 

Recently, I contacted John of Hello Style Studio to design a new look for my website.  And, I adore the new look he gave Mirabelle Creations!  The new site has the same bright, colorful style as the blog.  You can check out the new look and new website, HERE. 

 

John at Hello Style Studio is fantastic! If you are looking for a website update, he has beautiful, reasonably priced templates that he can customize for you.  The customer service and technical support is beyond compare.  John quickly responds to all of my emails and guided me through the set up procedures.  I am so grateful to have worked with him.  If you are looking for a website install, I highly recommend Hello Style Studio!

The website has a few features that you won't find on the blog.  First, the website contains a Services page which lists all of the services provided by Mirabelle Creations. You'll also find pricing for items, including printing of the printable party collections.  Secondly, the site contains a Party-folio page where you can find links to Mirabelle Creations' past parties. 

I'll be adding more pages in the new few weeks.  If there's something you'd like to see, please let me know! 

{Trendy Tuesday} -- Pumpkin Desserts

Do you have canned pumpkin sitting in your pantry?  I have a couple of cans that have been in my pantry since the start of the year.  During the Spring and Summer months, I didn't once consider making dessert with pumpkin.  But, once that first crisp, cool Fall morning arrives, I start to crave pumpkin flavored food.  Here are few great recipes for you to try this Fall!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares via  Belle the Magazine

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cake via Cooking Light

 

 

 

Pumpkin Dessert Bars via Taste of Home

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cookies via Better Homes and Garden

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwices via Martha Stewart

 



{Press} - Tailgating Party Ideas for TOPS Magazine



 

I'm thrilled to share that my second contributing article for TOPS Magazine is now on stands.  The article, titled Tailgating Parties, discusses a few fun, simple ideas to add a little pizzazz to your next tailgating party. 

Additionally, this is TOPS's Fall Fashion issue, probably my favorite annual issue.  I'm totally in love with this black and white chevron print dress pictured in the magazine!  Wouldn't it be perfect for a football game or a day at Keeneland?

 

 

I would love it if you'd check out the Tailgating Parties article online.  And, if you like what you see, please leave a comment saying so!  I am so grateful and blessed by all of your fantastic support!  Additionally, you can also read the first contributing article I wrote, Awesome Birthday Parties.  It includes ideas and pictures from my daughter's 9th birthday disco party. There's even a little something FREE for you. The article includes recipes and FREE PRINTABLES!

 

 

 

 

{Guest Post} - How to Hire a Costumed Character by GigMasters.com

 

Today, Nicole Steeger, Marketing Manager for GigMasters.com has stopped by to share a guest post about hiring children’s entertainment. GigMasters is the #1 event entertainment booking service that guides party planners and hosts to the right entertainment for any event. GigMasters combines the efficiency of the web with the personal touch of a private event planner. From bands and DJs, to balloon twisters and fire dancers; GigMasters can help you find the life of your party.

Costumed characters can make a little ones birthday celebration extra special. The look on their face when they see their favorite character come to life is priceless. But, you can never be too careful when selecting a performer – especially when you are inviting them into your home to spend the day with your children. That’s why we talked to some of GigMasters’ top costumed character performers to get their advice on how to select the right professional for your event. Here’s what they wanted to share:

1. Check their credentials  TC Special Entertainment 4 U  (Buffalo, NY) suggests that a client looking to book a costumed character should ask a few key questions when they are interested in a specific performer:

 

      ·         Are you insured?

·         Do you have references?

·         How long have you been doing this?

·         Do you have testimonials from past client

 

My Dream Visits (Philadelphia, PA) adds that a client should find out if “the company does background checks on the people who work for them.” This is extremely important – as you want to know that the performers playing the characters have passed a background check. The more precautions a company takes – the better.

2. Get the scoop on their characters and costumes  My Dream Visits advises that the client should also ask many questions about the characters and costumes offered. They suggest that clients should ask the performer, “What characters they have, what their characters do and what type of costumes they use. Sometimes companies use Halloween costumes – which will not show a character at its best. They should be using professional costumes that were designed to hold up over time.”

Happily Ever Laughter Parties (Fremont, CA) also had some thoughts on costume specific concerns that clients should look into – “Ask questions about the company’s policy regarding costume maintenance. Ask the company if they have exact photos of the costume (and even performer, if possible), so you know who/what will be arriving!”

3. Consider event details  Even though you (or your child’s) heart may be set on a certain character; there are other factors you should consider before booking.  Think about the details of your event and how a costumed character would fit into your plans. Bubbles Production (Bowie, MD) suggests a few things to consider:

·         Where is the event being held? If it is going to be outdoors during the heat of summer, it might not be a very good idea to have someone in a very hot costume for longer than 15 minutes or so.

·         Indoor settings are usually best, but outdoors can be fine as long as the weather permits and there is an area that the character can stand that will not get the bottom of the costume dirty or soiled.

·         Will your venue (if not your home), allow outside entertainment? Most places do, however there are some places like Chuck E. Cheese that do not allow outside characters.

·         Will there be enough space for the character to interact with guests properly? There does not need to be a very large space, but just enough for the character to be able to dance freely and for the children to gather around the character and dance too.

 

4. Think about your child  Make sure you consider your child’s personality when hiring a costumed character. The performer will want to know about the birthday child, and what he/she likes. Before booking you will want to discuss what you expect from the performer at the event. Bubbles Production has some great advice for parents, “If your child doesn’t do well with a lot of attention on him/her, make sure to let the performer know not to give too much attention directly to the child. You don’t want your special birthday boy/girl to feel uncomfortable.” The performer could still put on a great show, without singling out the birthday child too much. On the other hand, if you want the costumed character to show your child with attention, you should let the performer know that as well.

 5. Trust your gut   Characters (Boston, MA) makes a great point in saying, “Find someone you feel good working with. Your performer should be someone that is knowledgeable, understands what you want, offers suggestions, offers fair pricing, provides a contract and is professional.

For more entertainment advice from the GigMasters team, check out our party blog. If you need help finding a costumed character for your event, GigMasters can help you with everything from looking to booking. Simply give our helpful Customer Specialists a call: 866-342-9794 or email info@gigmasters.com.

 

 

 

{Recipes} -- Tailgating Party Recipes -- Candied Blue Popcorn

For my recent Tailgating Dessert Table set up, I color coordinated all the treats.  One of my favorite treats was the Candied Blue Popcorn.  Of all the desserts I made for the appearance, the Candied Popcorn was the most asked about.  It was one of my favorites, too.  The popcorn and syrup combination satisfied my cravings for both sweet and salty!

Today, I am over at The Celebration Shoppe sharing the recipe for this Candied Popcorn.  Please jump on over to my article on The Celebration Shoppe for the tasty recipe!

{Press} -- TV Appearance on LEX 18

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to appear on a local afternoon news program on LEX 18.  I talked tailgating with two of the news anchors, Chris Goodman and Lee Cruse.  They were warm, hospitable, and genuinely funny.  Here's the clip from the appearance:

If you'd like more details about this tailgating set up, please visit this post.  Also, the free printables from this party can be downloaded HERE.