Keylime pie and Chocolate cupcakes

Birthday gift wrap

I was posting the picture below and thought I need a side view photo.  So I started taking more pictures...then thought I should put my hand under the handle so you guys can see that I made a handle with the scrap gift wrap paper. 

The funny thing is I kept telling myself that the gift was

too heavy for the handle.  But I wouldn't listen to myself!

I was trying to take a picture of me holding the gift

by the handle and it broke.  Well, I am glad I always keep the extra scraps...I needed them after I broke the handle

  See, being Frugal can pay off sometimes.

It looks good as new but I will not be lifting it by the handle. 

The yellow arrows show where the paper ripped. 

Oh! I forgot to tell you how I make the handle. By the way... great for lighter gifts.  I fold the extra gift wrap paper so it is long and narrow.  I tape wire on the inside, so you can give shape or hold onto the handle.

I usually tuck the wire under the wrapping paper so you can't see it but I didn't do that this time so you could see it.

German Chocolate Cake

I love this German Chocolate Cake Frosting!  

 This mini German Chocolate bundt cake is from 2015. 

This cupcake is from 2016

This beautiful cake made its way into the Flops section.  I guess it is a little lopsided.  At least that is what Mike thinks.  I know he is right so I took pictures from the angles it wasn't as noticeable.  And if that wasn't enough to make it into the flops section... the poster board fall onto the cake. 

The picture below explains everything.

2016 Cake

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• One 12-ounce can evaporated milk                                          
1 cup granulated sugar  
4 tablespoons dk brown sugar
3/4 stick butter                                                                            
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                          
• 1-1/3 cups sweetened grated coconut                                        
1 1/4  cup pecans broken into small pieces 

Baking Instructions

In a  jelly roll pan, toast the pecans and  coconut at 350 about 8-10 minutes, watch closely. 
See picture below, the coconut is toasted but not brown.

Now in about a 2-quart heavy saucepan, whisk evaporate milk and egg yolks well; then add the sugars. Cut the butter into pieces and add to pan.  Now heat on mediium high, whisking constantly, the butter will melt as it is warmed. It will start to thicken up as it reaches the boiling point. Once it starts to boil, keep stirring about 30 seconds more, then remove from heat, about twelve minutes from start to finish.  Pour through a sieve into a clean medium-sized heatproof bowl.

This traps some little bits of egg but probably wouldn't be noticed.   I won't sieve again.  I actually ate the little clumps of eggs and they tastes great.   

Stir in vanilla thoroughly.

Let cool at room, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove after 30 minutes and stir in the coconut and pecans well. .

Donuts

You might know by now that my oldest son loves donuts!!!!  So we decide to get creative last year and he asked his date to the Homecoming dance with the HC donut.  That donut was such a hit we decide to get his bestfriend the 16 for his sixteenth birthday.

MOM'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

IF YOU CAN'T TELL HOW BAD MY CAKE IS BY LOOKING AT IT~LOOK AT GLORY'S CAKE BELOW.  THAT IS WHAT I REALLY THOUGHT MY CAKE WOULD LOOK LIKE. 

 I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS CAKE WAS GOING TO BE BAD WHEN I WENT TO CRACK THE EGG AND DROPPED IT IN THE CAKE MIX. 

Click here for instruction for a Rosette Cake

The reason I used a glass to make marks on the cake is because I used the them as a template for the rosettes.  Well~ because I used Pillsbury and not Wilton's or homemade frosting the rosettes slid down the cake.  Pillsbury frosting is great for many things but not when you need a stiff frosting.  I just ended up getting a knife and smoothing the frosting out. 

DONUT CAKE

Michael loves donuts so I decided to make him a donut cake for his birthday.  Since his birthday is December 24th so I am always busy and stressed.   I was even too lazy to go to the actual donut shop to get the donuts, I won't make that mistake again.  This cake would have been a big hit if I had gotten Michael's favorite donuts from the donut shop. 

I was looking at old pictures and saw this donut

cake I made for my youngest son last year.  Boy, I must be sick of making cakes, both boys got donut cakes. 

CUPCAKE WRAPPER

POP UP CARDS

You mail the card flat but it pops up really easy.

Cupcake Crafts

Inspired by  DYI maniacs

Cupcake Socks

I saw these cute boot socks and had to make these cupcake socks.  I saw them all over Pinterest.  I used the Starbucks coffee cup cozy as the template for the cupcake wrapper.

Click here for step by step instructions by 733blog.

For the cupcake wrapper I used a Starbucks coffee cozy.  I will post a picture later.

Mini Dessert pizza's

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef

All the recipes I have found call for making a big pizza not the individual size.  I like the mini pizza's because they don't get soggy in the middle and it is nice to have your own pizza.  I had left over cream cheese frosting so I used that instead of yogurt.  The Pampered Chef recipe calls for yogurt... I like the cream cheese frosting better.

Ingredients

1 pkg of Pillsbury sugar cookies

1 to 2 banana's

10 to 12 strawberries

Ceam cheese frosting

Garnish with:

Reddi whip

Chocolate syrup

Cherries

Nuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
4 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
4 ounces room-temperature bar cream cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Mint Chip Icecream Pie

1 box Brownie Mix
1- 1/2 gallon Mint Chip Icecream or your favorite flavor
8 oz of Hot Fudge
Reddi Whip
nuts optional
Cherry option
NOTE- Make sure you take
 the icecream out of the freezer

for a  few minute before you
are going to put it in the pan. 

It is easier to work with  soft.
 I usually use Oreo's cookies to
 make the crust but  I used Brownie
 mix today.  I loved the brownie
crust  but my husband didn't. 
I followed the recipe on the brownie
 package, then spray the bottom of a
 Spring foam pan with Pam. Pour a
thin layer of brownie batterer in the
pan and baked for about 15 minute.
Test it with a tooth pick. Put it in the
freezer for about 10 minutes so if cools off.    

Pour a thin layer of Hot fudge on top of the brownie crust. Put icecream in the pan to fill it have half

way.  Now you can put crumbled up brownie on top of the icecream.  Then put another layer of icecream on top of the crumbled brownies.  LEAVE enough room to cover with Hot Fudge.

Put it back in the freezer until you want to eat it.  I usually take it out of the freezer 10 minutes before I want to serve it.  Garnish with Reddi whip, nuts or sprinkles and top with a cherry.

I had brownie to crumble in the middle of the pie because I made a small pan with the left over batter. 

Carnation Cake

Now for the Crafty Corner Section of my blog.   I found this great guy Jonathan Fong on YouTube.  I have watched all his Wow-To Video's and they are all great.  I did my usual Rhondafication and used fake flowers instead, and love it.  I do think real flowers are so beautiful and will really make someone feel special on their special day.  Click here to watch his video, enjoy!  You can judge for yourself  real flowers or fake?
Thanks for spending some of your day with me, Rhonda