Guest Post: Pleasant Cakes

A friend of mine has a cake decorating company I've been meaning to blog about for some time now. When I caught glimpse of her super-adorable Shalach Manos photos via Facebook, I knew this was the right venue to debut her services to the Freidafroo masses! Chani Levine started a Kosher cake decorating business a few years ago, and her incredibly adorable cake designs totally caught my eye! You gotta head over to the Pleasant Cakes Facebook Page to check out the rest of her awesome designs (especially the Patron Cake, Boy's 1st Birthday Cake, Fancy Orchid Cake, Jersey Cake, and Cupcake Bouquet)!

Pleasant Cakes services the greater Los Angeles area, so if you are here in California and looking to up the fun-factor at your party, add a super-special element to any get-together, or simply spruce up special occasion, contact Chani: PleasantCakes@gmail.com/ 310.254.8992

Luckily for us, she graciously agreed to share some of her creativity today with all of us in a fun and easy Sushi Cupcakes DIY Tutorial! Thanks Chani!!

One of the best parts on Purim is coming up with fun ideas for Shalach Manos. This year I decided to put my love for cake decorating and make mini cupcakes that look like rolls of sushi.

What amazes me the most is how easily you can take something as simple as a cupcake and transform it into something completely different with just a few ingredients.  120 mini cupcakes, 1 pound of butter cream icing, 3 containers of white sprinkles, 3 bags of gummy fish, and 15 sushi containers later and I was on my way. It took me a while to make, but it was lots of fun and pretty impossible to mess up which for me is the best part being a perfectionist and all. I must confess though that I did spend an a little more time then needed making sure every sprinkle was placed perfectly on the cupcake. Even those with little or no decorating experience can master these. It does not require any special decorating tool or technique to make them. You can make the mini cupcakes any flavor you would like. I made them yellow cake because I did not want the dark cupcake peaking through the icing. I used white mini cupcake holders, but dark green ones will work just as well as the seaweed but might be harder to find. Put a thin layer of butter cream icing to cover the top of the cupcakes. Dip or sprinkle cupcakes with white sprinkles for the sushi "rice". You can get kosher white sprinkles at most of your cake decorating supply stores such as Michaels or Joannes.  For those that like the taste of coconut, you can also use shredded coconut in place of the white sprinkles for a cheaper option. Cut up gummy fish into tiny pieces and use the icing to "glue" the pieces onto the top of the cupcakes. I also put some whole gummy fish on the tops as well for a little extra pop. I bought 15 sushi containers from a sushi restaurant for 25 cents each, but you can also buy them in bulk at Sams club. I finished it off with a pair of chopsticks taped to the top of the container and it was done.

Its great for parties, gifts, or to make as a fun food craft with children.

Marching the Runway: Zara

The Zara's March 2011 lookbook came out this week, and here are a few things I've fallen for this season:

1. Camo + Color  2. Warm Brown Blazer  3. Orange,White, and Tan.

Spring Forward

I've been getting my gears into order the past few days, recuperating post-purim-party... All that junk-food supply delegation led to serious pantry organization, and costume re-storage led to restoring some form of order to the storage closet etc. It's been a rather productive 2 days... Purim was a success all it's own. Freida was well-prepared and seriously enjoyed the holiday. And not just for the candy. She was obsessed with the Magillah reading, and struck with Haman-anticipation-syndrome! It was definitely the most exciting thing that transpired in her little world since she got her first drum set. All that legal noisemaking really won her over.

With a bout of feigning to wear her tutu, somehow, her costume went from "Modern Indian" to "Modern Indian Princess" but we rolled with the punches and embraced the new-age fusion. :)

With the commencement of spring this week, came my yearning for some green life 'round the house (aside from my weekly spring Daffodils!), and I went shopping for my first in-house ceramic planter. Now if only I knew what sort of houseplant I want to fill it with....

Isn't that a fabulous design for a planter?? It's handmade in Vietnam by a company called Doan Potters, and evidently they produce some really cheerful and colorful ceramics! Please send any tried-and-true, easy-to-care-for, air-purifying houseplant suggestions this way!!

Happy Spring!!

(Thank you Zalmy Berkowitz for that super-cute shot!!)

P.S. Here's one last hurrah to Mason Jars (via strawberry-rhubarb sauce, corn muffin, and cream cheese frosting)!!

Pops for Purim

While I wanted to teach Freida the concept of Shalach Manos, I also felt it was a bit extraneous for a 2 year old to be giving out a basket of food to her teeny-tiny friends. I decided to go with giving over the general idea of distributing treats to your friends; simply the concept of "giving". I can imagine it would be a bit stressful if Freida were to receive heaps of sweets on Purim day, so I went with something that at least I'd be okay getting for my little bug: one little lollipop.

I wish I could say that I'm a creative genius - fact is though, I'm not that awesome. Found these online last year around Valentines day over at DesignMom who found this incredibly hot idea on a blog called 24-7-365. So cheers to those super-moms who made my little girl's first Purim favors this adorable! Naturally, I wanted to go with a Yummy Earth Organic sucker, or at least the Trade Joe's variety, but the wrapper was too big and blocked her face so I had to resort to the sugar-laden, dye-induced Dumdum...(I guess not everything can work out perfect).

The project cost about $4 (for 20) at a photo printing machine in a local pharmacy + $2 for the pops. Bingo! The best part is the fact that I printed plenty of extras so she has something to give to anyone and everyone all Purim long (though initially I just made them for her to give out to her school friends at Esther's Gan). The whole think took about 20 minutes. I took a picture of Freida with her arm outstretched in a fist, printed it with some text, used an exacto knife to cut a slit at the top of the fist and at the bottom, and slid the lolly through. Plus, the shock factor when kids look at the thing is the most fun part. :)

Wishing you all a Purim brimming with joy and heaps of genuine fun! Have a super-awesome Purim weekend!

P.S. You can easily turn this whole concept into a "real" Shalach Manos by just glueing the photo to a juice box, or a bag of chips/popcorn etc.

Jar It Up

Mason Jars are one of those things on earth that make my life cleaner, prettier, and simpler. I'd love to do a little round-up as to how these fabulous glass jars make my economical world go 'round, but for now here's how they keep they keep me just a bit saner come the Purim time of year: jarred Shalach Manos (i.e. "Purim Baskets"). (2008) Spring-pea Pesto in a jar. Stick in the fridge, and blend up on demand. Dinner's a cinch!

(2009) My grandmothers Oatmeal Espresso Chocolate Chunk cookie mix in a jar. A useful gift to stick in the pantry for late night cookie monsters, rainy days, or last-minute play-dates.

(2010) Cinnamon Chocolate Biscotti + Chai Tea bags. A cozy tea time in a bottle.

I'm not quite finished with this year's just yet (there are some details that can't be done until the last minute), but let's just say I would totally enjoy a Cupcake in a Jar if it were dropped off on my doorstep!