A St. Patrick's "Irish Cream" Tea Time

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I had not planned on doing anything special for St. Patty's day. I ran to the grocery store for a few things for dinner, and the bakery had all their seasonal - and very cute - tempting green frosted cookies and cupcakes right there front and center. Dammit, they did it to me again! Well, actually they did it to Raina who zoned in on them immediately. So I said okay, she could put the clamshell container of the two-bite cupcakes (the label says two-bite, but uhm, it's really one-bite) in her mini-shopping cart, and that we would have them for dessert.

You know those children's books "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" where one thing leads to another? I feel that is generally how my days just end up sometimes, all kooky and crazy and totally A.D.D.

So......we have these cute cupcakes........why waste the cuteness on just dessert? Let's have them for a tea time instead!

Well, if we are going to have tea, then I will need to bake some scones.

And if I am going to bake some scones, then I will need to look up my favorite scone recipe on my computer folder.

While I am at it, I should organize my scone recipes from favorite to low-fat.

Now that they are all organized, I should print them and put them in page protectors.

Since we are having a tea with a theme, I should find any St. Patrick's day stuff to add to the cuteness. And on and on it goes.

You get the idea.

So here are the results of an impromptu "Irish Cream Tea"..........thanks to one-bite cupcakes.

Raina and Holly-Doodle ready for tea.

Very green Irish Cream scones (sprinkled with Lucky Charms ♣),
and store bought cookies & cupcakes.
The cupcakes that started it all today.....

She prayed for all the Disney Princesses. And Prince Phillip, whoever that is.

Pouring her "tea". Then she added three sugar cubes.

What a poser.

All the stains on her shirt are from some chocolate coins

someone gave her at pre-school. I thought about Photoshopping the stains out so you

wouldn't think I was too white trash. That thought lasted for a second.

I'm over it.

So, I hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patty's day and that the Luck 'o the Irish was with you!

Fake it till you make it

So a holiday - Valenine's Day - is coming up, therefore the proverbial sign-up sheets appear as you enter your child's pre-school for the upcoming Valentine's "Exchange" (translate - party). They come up with all these different words so it doesn't sound like they party all the time around holidays - why not just call it a party? No one really cares.

Why is it I become instantly delusional and always write my name next to the most difficult item on a sign-up list for my kids' class parties? So, I signed-up for a dozen plain heart shape cookies so they can frost and decorate them at the "exchange-aka-party".

I do enjoy making real homemade cookies, really I do. Where I actually dust off my Kitchen aid mixer and find somewhere in my pantry flour, baking soda etc., pull out my Mom's beloved recipe for "Cookie Cutter Cookies" and appear somewhat June Cleaverish is a great feeling. And it is fun to roll out the dough, cut them out and try to get them to the perfect golden baked goodness with a hint of tan on the bottom signaling they are done.

So these are the nano-visions that flash into my delusional, over-achieving, right-side of my brain whenever I see the (usually) blank line for something home made.

But sometimes life takes over even when the best of intentions are sincere. So I got the flu, and really did not feel like digging in my very disorganized panty for all the ingredients. Our local Ralph's grocery store sells plain sugar cookies already in holiday shapes so I thought that may be my saving grace. NOPE, need to compromise. So it's time to "fake it till you make it" which is one of my creeds I live by.

I just got a plastic clamshell of sugar cookies, took them home and got out my metal heart shaped cookie cutter and faked it. Took me five minutes. Really. How are a bunch of four year-olds going to know the difference?

Before:

After:

Anyone can sign-up for, and bring paper plates and cups. It takes determination to sign-up for the things that come from the heart .... or at least a cookie cutter heart.

Getting ready for pre-school on the day of the Valentine "Exchange", Raina picked out the dress herself! I was shocked, since y'all know she rarely likes to dress-up. Did my heart good, though.

12 Days of Christmas Tea & Cookie Recipes Swap

Finally I am getting around to uploading all the fabulous swap goodies that
Jeannie from "I Craft"
sent me for the 12 Days of Christmas Tea & Cookie Recipes Swap.
Between making arrangements with Santa to get a Christmas puppy
and having family stay for the holidays it has be crazy 'round here.

Here are the goodies!

A couple of items didn't make it in the group shot.
I think my daughter took it out to look at it (?).

A I love this mini pan for an ornament!

This darling house held a teapot ornament (see below).

Jeannie cracked me up with her cookie recipes! I showed my mom and she cracked up too. But this book is PACKED with awesome cookie recipes! It's a keeper for Christmases to come....

I've seen Jeannie's cupcake toppers on her Etsy shop, and was secretly hoping I would get some in the swap. YAY! Look at all the pink cuteness! Cupcake shnupcake. I'm putting them in my hair or something! Or making them into brooches. They are too cute for just cupcakes....


This cute little tree contained these vintage beautiful earrings.
Then I put the tree on my pink tree.

Inside this awesome floral suitcase was filled with sugar-y mistletoe, a vintage ladies hankie and the cream teacup & saucer with more sugar-y goodness candy!

Beautiful cream teacup & saucer with my fave colors - pink & green.


This is MY TREE.
My beloved pink tree that is in the living room. On it I put all my favorite things.
Below are the wonderful goodies that Jeannie sent:


Sugar-y, glitter-y teapot

Sugar-y mistletoe.


Darling tree box.

"I love you for your pink cadillac" ~ Bruce Springsteen

THANK YOU SO MUCH JEANNIE, for giving such pinkalicious Christmas goodies. And not just the goodies themselves, but how you wrapped and decorated everything was just DIVINE. I didn't want to open them, it was so darn cute! You are very talented, and I appreciated every bit of hot glue and glitter that you did!

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I am still waiting to hear back from others who participated. I know it is a crazy time of year to try to add on tasks to do, such as blog swaps. So those of you who played, please send me the links of your swaps and I will update this post. Thank you to everyone who enthusiastically and joyfully signed up!

Swaps:

Lady Katherine received her swap goodies from Lady Jane

Lady Jane received her swap goodies from Lady Katherine

Phyllis, from Shabby in the City received her swap goodies from Erin

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the swaps!

12 Days of Christmas Tea & Cookie Recipes Swap

Join me and others who LOVE tea time and want to have some fun with a Holiday Swap! At the last swap I hosted, there were many ladies asking about a Holiday Swap, so here it is:

The theme is "12 Days of Christmas Tea & Cookie Recipes"

The swap is to consist of 12 items, all individually wrapped:
* A Christmas or Holiday print teacup & saucer.
* 3 of your absolute favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes on a 3x5 or 4x6 card.
* The other 8 items should be holiday and/or tea-related items.
For instance: (this is only for inspiration, you can choose whatever you like) Your favorite tea, a scented votive candle, a linen napkin, a silver spoon, decorated sugar cubes, a cookie cutter, an ornament, a tea towel, etc. - try to keep it tea time related! At least one homemade or handcrafted item(s) should be included as one of the items (i.e. a tag, a paper crown tiara, pinwheel etc).

Your Swap Sister may choose to open one gift a day leading up to Christmas, or she can open them all at once...it's her/your choice.

The t&s (teacup & saucer) may be vintage or new, one that is in your personal collection or a purchased one. Please swap a t&s that is functional (no cracks) and one that you would appreciate receiving (ie. no chips, crazing, fleabites). The spending limit is $20 (not including shipping cost).

Deadline to sign up by:
~ December 1, 2008

Parcels mailed out by:
~ December 12, 2008

Click here for all the details and *ahem* "rules".

UPDATE:
I've been getting requests to sign-up for this swap either at my regular email or through the comments box on this post. In order for me to keep all the requests organized please send your request along with your NAME, EMAIL ADDY and BLOG ADDY to this email: parteatimeswap [at] gmail.com (you do not have to have a blog to play).

Thanks a bunch!

Easiest Pumpkin Muffins

This post may be a little belated, but the muffins would be great for a Halloween or Thanksgiving tea:

I just made these mini-muffins for the first time for my son's class Monster Mash party and they are mucho yummy! Even my one kid who doesn't like pumpkin gobbled them up. They are very moist. Got it from AllRecipes.com but did a bit of my own thing. Here is the recipe:

Easiest Pumpkin Muffins

1 box of spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix both ingredients until smooth (do not add the egg or oil like the cake box says).
Spoon equal amounts of batter into greased muffin pan or paper cups.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, until a toothpick comes out clean.

I added some dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves in the batter.

Then I sprinkled brown sugar and some orange colored sugar I had on hand on the tops before putting into the oven.

This is great for classroom treats - especially since no eggs are in the recipe. Also a sneaky way to get some protein in the kiddies! Can also be frozen and defrosted when needed.

Happy Keester!

Sorry, I am BEHIND on posting a Happy Easter wish!