lulu blue

A Butterfly First Birthday

2011-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my long pregnancy hiatus with some dessert photos for a pink and purple butterfly party. I managed to snap a few photos before everything was snapped up by the kiddos!

Brown butter and sea salt krispie treats dipped in pink chocolate.

Chocolate mousse layered with raspberries in chocolate cups.

Tiramisu topped with chocolate espresso beans. Yum!

My first attempt at a cupcake pull-apart cake. It was pretty fun to make, though it requires lots of buttercream.

A Bug Birthday

2011-05-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I made my first sculpted cake this weekend for a bug-themed birthday party! It was a fun challenge and I learned so much about the process. Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The birthday boy loves insects, but the client asked for a more natural and scientific look...nothing too cartoonish. I decided to do a fondant-covered beetle cake -- chocolate with vanilla Swiss merengue buttercream -- and hand-painted it with edible green and copper metallic luster dust. The legs are made from black fondant that I hand-molded, and the cake board is scattered with a few fondant leaves.

For the cookie favors I scanned insect drawings onto edible frosting sheets. I think they came out great!

My Tiny Dancer

2011-03-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter just turned three and started ballet class. I can't believe how fast the time goes. Just two years ago she was my tiny dancer and we were celebrating her first birthday...now she's a little girl who is sweet, sassy, funny, generous and incredibly wise beyond her years. She tells me I'm her best friend every day. I'm the luckiest mom in the world. I love you baby girl!

Then...

And now...

Backyard Tea Party

2011-03-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

My baby girl turned three last week and requested a tea party. Here are a few of the photos from the event, which we had in my brother's backyard.

My first teapot cake. I made it using the Wilton ball pan.

The girls decorated their own tea hats with birds, flowers, bumble bees and jewels.

I made sugar cubes using candy molds. It was so quick and easy and they came out really cute.

For the menu, we served PBJs, ham and cheese, curry chicken salad on croissants, deviled eggs, crudite platter, scones with jam, fresh berries, Caprese salad and pink lemonade. Everyone chose their own tea pot and (decaf) tea flavor.

I made a teapot pinata using this handy online tutorial.

Chasing butterflies.

Farm Birthday Party

2010-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

My adorable nephew celebrated his second birthday this weekend. The party was held at Zoomar's Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano. For those of you in the SoCal area, this is such a wonderful resource for hosting a kid's party or just taking the little ones for a visit to see the animals. The train even stops right across the street! My sister-in-law did an awesome job with all the details, and the kids had a blast. There were pony rides, train rides, they fed the bunnies and goats carrots, and played on the playground. By the time we got in the car everyone was fast asleep. Happy birthday precious Aaron!

The craft table and gift bags. The kids created their own farm scene.

Everyone got a cowboy hat and scarf, along with tokens for pony rides and the petting zoo!

Vintage Coca Cola cooler.

Roasting marshmallows by the fire.

How cute are these Toy Story pumpkins?

I baked a few chocolate cupcakes in red and blue gingham wrappers with fondant farm animal toppers.

My favorite was the piggy.

My sister-in-law requested some sugar cookies so I came up with this assorted farm animal cookie plate with a barn, pigs, chicks, ducks, cows, farm dogs and sheep.

Happy birthday big boy. We love you!

Daring Bakers Challenge: Doughnuts

2010-11-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

Each month the Daring Bakers presents a baking challenge to its members in an attempt to stretch their culinary horizons -- previous challenges have included attempts at Baked Alaska, cheesecake pops and sugar cookies, to name a few. The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

For this month's task, I chose the yeast dough recipe from Alton Brown. I faced a few challenges off the bat, not the least of which was being out of town without my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer and supplies. But the process was easier than I thought, despite doing everything by hand. The end product was a sort of rustic, hybrid beignet -- this one tossed with granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar -- and cut roughly into squares with a knife. They were light, airy and addicting, and tomorrow's batch will be enjoyed with a cup of homemade hot cocoa (recipe to come!). I recommend giving it a try.

A sticky mess!

I was missing my mixer right about here!

This thing balloons to almost triple the size after about an hour.

Let em rest for 30 minutes then fry. I only used about a fourth of the dough. It's enough to feed an army.

Yum!

Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower

2010-09-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of the cutest themes ever! I loved working with two of my darling friends to help plan a "flying high" hot air balloon themed baby shower. These two gals are super talented and created so many delightful touches using a teal, brown and green color palate. From the gourmet tea sandwiches and iced coffee set up to the bunting and hot air balloon centerpieces (inspired by this post on Hip Hip Hooray), the event was beyond adorable. This is the perfect theme for a baby shower because it lends itself to both genders and so many great details.

I had such a blast doing the dessert table, with goodies like cloud and hot air balloon sugar cookies, strawberry shortcake shots, crispy treats, triple chocolate crunch cupcakes, espresso cupcakes and cheesecakes.

My photos don't do the party justice, but here's a little taste of this sweet event.

Cotton candy with cloud labels were used as party favors.

These "It's a Boy" flags can be downloaded at Prudent Baby!

The mommy to be and sis -- aren't they gorgeous?

Brown and Blue Cake With Dessert Table

2010-09-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Just finished this first birthday party for a friend's adorable baby boy. We went with a clean and sweet chocolate brown and blue design for the three-tier cake. I covered it in fondant and added coordinating polka dot ribbon at the base. They also requested a sampling of mini desserts including apple pies, lemon dream bites, chocolate chip cookies, salted brown butter crispy treats (my new favorite recipe thanks to Smitten Kitchen) and vanilla bean cupcakes. The event was held at a park in Simi Valley and so the desserts had to stand up to some serious heat. All in all, this was the perfect selection for an outdoor summer party.

Here are some of the mini desserts. The pies came out really cute and the lemon bars were a success (my first time making them!).

I love the little ribbon flag detail on these crispy treats.

Hungry little hands got to one of the cookies before I could get a shot!

One more shot of the cake and birthday boy up close.

A Summer Bridal Shower

2010-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

This fun bridal shower used bright pops of color. This was my first dessert table. It was a good experience to see what worked and what I needed to rethink. Mini desserts are a lot of work, since you are essentially making five to six individual recipes each with several components. But guests love the idea of being able to sample a little of everything and it creates a focal point for the party. This setup included chocolate dipped cheesecake pops, tiramisu shots, coconut cream cheese cupcakes, triple chocolate crunch cupcakes, peanut butter pies and monogrammed sugar cookies.

A Busy Month!

2010-08-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

August has been a busy month! Cookie orders, a bridal shower, two baby showers and a birthday. Here's a photo of some more logo cookies I did for Azusa Pacific University. I didn't get a shot of the finished basket, which also included an order of triple chocolate crunch cupcakes. More event postings to come!

Logo Cookies

2010-07-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Finally set up my new birthday present -- an edible ink printer. I made these corporate logo cookies for a friend who sells Arbonne skin care and makeup. These will be packaged in clear cello bags and used as thank you gifts at her workshops. I love the flowery logo design, and so I played it up with a summery hot pink border and some pink sanding sugar.

I think they came out super cute, though I'm glad this batch was a test run. I need to use more icing underneath because the frosting sheet with the image looks a bit bumpy. Anyway, I'm so excited to try some new designs. My next project will be for a bridal shower.

They taste great too!

Party Disposables

2010-07-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Love love love these new items from Garnish, one of my favorite party/entertaining packaging sites. They've got great things like paper straws, wooden utensils, berry baskets and other clever things to add detail to your food and party set up. Can't wait to use their new goodies, especially the wooden cones and ripple cups.

Edible Ink Printer

2010-07-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Can't wait until my birthday present arrives next week. It's an edible icing printer from Icing Images. I have so many exciting ideas for cookies and cakes that I think will help take my business to the next level -- plus it's loads of fun to play with. I can create wedding monograms, corporate logos, characters, photos, graphics, text and more. The possibilities are endless. The photos above are just a few examples of what you can do with one of these babies.

Photos (from top): Fairy cookies, monogram cookies, and Love cookies.

Go Diego Go! Cake

2010-07-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just delivered this three-tiered cake for a second birthday -- my first time attempting a stacked cake. The little boy's name was Diego, so they did a Go Diego Go! theme. My husband poured me a nice glass of wine -- it's my birthday too today -- and now I'm relaxing. I learned so much from this job. There were a few disasters, thankfully rectified, and now I can apply all the newly gained knowledge to my next project. More details to come, but here's a few pics of the cake -- photos aren't the greatest but you get the idea.

My husband made the jaguar...so cute!

Inspiration Board: Summer Lobster Boil

2010-06-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Lobster Bake by lulublue77 on Polyvore.com
Here's my simple inspiration board for a backyard lobster boil party I'm throwing in August. I'm thinking of using the lobster bibs as invites by writing the party details on the front. I'm going for a simple, rustic look with mason jars, Kraft paper, galvanized tubs filled with beer and soda bottles, maybe some spiked sweet tea and of course, lots of seafood spilled out over the center of the table.

Life Is Too Short to Drink Bad Margaritas

2010-06-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are admitted margarita snobs. The mix can't be too sweet, it must be strong, and there's gotta be plenty of lime flavor. Whether you opt for a salted rim or not, that's your business (I personally do). But the other elements are non negotiable. So when I was let in on a secret margarita recipe from a friend of a friend the other day, I got busy whipping these up. As we speak, my oven's cranked up to 400 degrees, I have no air in my apartment, and summer is in full swing. What better way to usher in Father's Day weekend than with a batch of these babies.

The clincher is that this cocktail is based on a mix from a surprising source -- Trader Joe's. We've tried just about every margarita mixer under the sun, except this one. The second magic ingredient is Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice, which I've seen in the market but never used. And the third component, good tequila, of course.

It seems so simple, hence its brilliance. I'm not one for superlatives, but this is our new favorite summer margarita recipe ever. Try it this weekend...you won't be sorry!

DIRECTIONS:
Fill a mason jar, or lowball/old-fashioned glass, to the brim with ice. Pour in tequila to the halfway point (this seems like a lot, but it's mostly ice). Then, fill the glass to the top with the Trader Joe's Margarita Mixer. Top it off with one tablespoon of Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice. Stir. Garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy!

The Best Blueberry Muffins

2010-06-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

I picked up a flat of blueberries from the market yesterday and was inspired to make my favorite batch of muffins this morning. I'm in love with this recipe, not only because they taste amazing, but because in less than an hour you'll have a fresh-from-the-oven treat to enjoy with your coffee. They're so easy to make and all you need is a bowl, no mixer.

These muffins rise beautifully and the crackly mound of crumb topping is divine. They're seriously delicious and make quite an impression -- especially if you make them for a brunch or give them as a gift. This recipe is forgiving, meaning you can play around with it and customize it. I bake six jumbo muffins and only use half of the topping -- it makes a lot. The thick batter isn't overly sweet, which I love, but if you like your muffins on the sweeter side, add another quarter cup of sugar or pile on even more of the sweet topping. You could easily swap out the blueberries for another berry too. As their name implies, they're to die for.

To-Die-For Blueberry Muffins
(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Tea Cookies

2010-06-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

I made these teapot and teacup cookies for my mother in law after being inspired by this fun tutorial from Mischief Mari Cookies. Instead of making a stencil for the cameo image, I put a piece of wax paper over my image and traced over it with royal icing. When the cameo dried, I just peeled it off and applied it on the cookie. Then I painted it with gold luster dust.

World Cup Fever

2010-06-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

World Cup fever began at 7 a.m. today in my household. All told, this will be the third World Cup I've endured since meeting my husband. But since it's only every four years, I've learned to roll with the punches -- and by punches I mean very loud dudes in my living room at ungodly hours (4 a.m.), early morning beer drinking, mid-afternoon beer drinking and oh yes, late-night beer drinking. It's a raucous happening, but one I've come to enjoy. I get to see my husband's eyes light up like a kid, and that's the best part. So, to commemorate the 2010 games, I baked a batch of soccer ball cookies to go with all that beer drinking and soccer watching.

Here's a quick and dirty tutorial on how to make these bad boys, though really it's pretty easy. They'll add a touch of class to any World Cup gathering, and you'll score a "gooooooooooal" with anyone who tastes them.

First, bake up a batch of round sugar cookies. I used my favorite recipe for No Fail Sugar Cookies and a round cutter from Michael's. Then, whip up a batch of royal icing using this recipe and flavor it with vanilla or whatever you prefer. Cover the cookies with white icing and let dry for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Cut out a pentagon template. I found a pentagon to fit this particular cookie cutter here.

Place the template in the center of the cookie and trace around it with an edible ink pen -- I used AmeriColor Gourmet Writer in black.

Outline the pentagon with stiff black icing and fill it in with thin black icing.

With stiff black icing, draw a thin line from each point outward to the edge of the cookie.

Add triangles about two-thirds of the way down and fill them in. You'll get the hang of it after one or two attempts.

Here's the finished cookie. It's that easy. Enjoy!

Featured on Party Perfect!

2010-06-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

What exciting news to see that my all-time favorite party/event site saraspartyperfect featured my daughter's second birthday party! They've just launched a new website too, which I love. If you haven't checked it out, there's no shortage of party inspiration to be found. I'm soooo thrilled to be featured. It made my year! See the posting here.

Ships Ahoy

2010-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

For my adorable nephew's first birthday, I did 40 chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with pirate-themed toppers. I lined the cupcake tower with woodgrained paper to resemble ship planks. The top cake was chocolate with my favorite Swiss meringue buttercream -- not too sweet and so silky.

Here are the toppers in progress. They included a pirate boy, treasure map, skull and crossbones and a pirate ship.

The cake topper in progress.

My brother-in-law painted the pirate mural on the wall!

Hot Wheels Party

2010-06-09T12:20:00.001-07:00

It was a busy spring with lots of parties. This fun Hot Wheel themed birthday was for a five-year-old. I did a cupcake tower with a top cake covered in fondant. It was challenging to hand cut the Hot Wheels logo, but I'm pretty happy with it. The cupcake toppers are molded chocolate.

One Theme, Two Looks

2010-06-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

For my daughter's second birthday in March, I planned a woodland forest theme at Ferndell Park. I'm not usually a fan of park parties, but this place is pretty special and fit the theme perfectly. I downloaded the squirrels from Martha Stewart and filled them with toys and treats. Vintage linens gave the party a sweet picnic look, along with bamboo plates and wooden cutlery. The kids fed peanuts to the squirrels, made gnome terrariums and went crazy over the surprise entertainment. It was magical.

Crazy-eyed gnomes up to no good...

The craft table.

The mini unicorn pony!

For the next event, my super talented friend hosted a woodland party for her nephew's first birthday. She used some of the same concepts but with a completely different, and adorable, look. Her centerpieces were amazing! She used grass flats and decorated them with little ceramic woodland creatures found in the dollar bin at Target. I made the woodland sugar cookies as party favors and did a cupcake tower with chocolate and buttermilk vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

Let's get the party started!

2010-06-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Lulu Blue is my baking and party planning business. I do cupcakes, custom cakes, decorated sugar cookies, and any other sweet treats you can dream up. I love to design dessert tables and plan party themes, and see the vision come to fruition. I'm a former caterer and culinary school student, but most importantly, a full-time mom to my two-year-old daughter. This is my online journal of recipes, events and all things entertaining.

Here are a few pics of the latest party I did for my friend's son who just turned three. He loves the ocean so we did an undersea theme at his favorite park.

Thanks for visiting!

The stingray was my favorite.