Fairytale Frosting

Sunshine and Rainbows

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0000

This week I shared my birthday celebration Joy Dominoes, aka random acts of kindness. Today I'm sharing another fun idea, a Sunshine and Rainbows box!!

Earlier this year a dear friend of mine experienced a life altering tragedy and was having a really rough time. Its been my experience that people go through a tragedy and are able to distract themselves with all of the details and the visits from well wishers. Suddenly time passes and the distractions are no longer as frequent. You're left with your own thoughts and grief. I thought of my friend "after the dust settled" and thought she might need some cheering up. We live in different states so a visit wasn't really feasible. I decided what she needed was some sunshine and rainbows!

Here is the collection of random stuff I sent her. Each item had a cute meaning behind it too.

A box of Skittles to represent rainbows and a little ray of sunshine to remind her of her awesomeness.

A garden gnome (well that's kind of an inside joke), a lotus flower which is said to bring peace, and bright yellow nail polish for a much needed sunny pedicure.

A scented candle in a tin decorated just for her.

These are just a few of the items I included. The possibilities are endless! You don't have to wait for a reason to send one either! Everybody needs a little sunshine and rainbows, even when life is going good.

I hope you're inspired to send a loved one some sunshine!

Love Letter Nails

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:58:00 +0000

This week I gave myself a Pinterest inspired manicure! Thanks to this PIN I tried Newspaper Nails!

It was super easy to do too. First, polish your nails with a light base color and let dry. Completely.

Cut up a few squares of newspaper. Dip your nail in rubbing alcohol and then press a newspaper strip to it. Making sure the alcohol soaks through the paper. Hold for 15-20 seconds and then peel the paper off. Make sure to top with a clear coat.

I decided this manicure needed a little Valentine's Day spin though. Staying true to my ring finger only obsession, I added a tiny heart.

Now it looks like a Valentine's Day love letter!

Random Acts of Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:50:00 +0000

Last week was my golden birthday. I turned 31, on the 31st. Awhile back I stumbled across this idea about doing random acts of kindness (RAKs) to celebrate your birthday. One for each year of your life. I found a few blogs and websites with ideas. I got more and more excited about this. I've had 31 very blessed years, so giving back in small kind ways was the perfect way to celebrate. Today I'm sharing my list. Here were my parameters....first, I didn't want everything to be about money. I am not financially rich, so I had to keep costs within a reasonable budget. Let me tell you, I could have spent a lot more money! Giving was so easy, I just wanted to keep doing it!

Second, the ideas had to be something I felt good and comfortable doing. There were some great ideas out there for families, but not all of them felt like good ideas for a random adult to do alone. And lastly, 31 things didn't have to be different, I did a few things more than once because they were fun!

Here's how I celebrated....

1. I purchased a food donation bag at Cub Foods. These donations support local food banks and shelters.

2. My intention was to pay for the person in line behind me at the drive-thru. Unfortunately while I was paying, no one was in line behind me! I opted to purchase a $5 gift card and asked the cashier to use it on the next person that comes in line. I saw a truck pull up as I was pulling out. I hope they got to take advantage.

**My boyfriend's response was "Wow, you know that cashier just pocketed that gift card right?"

My response to him: "Well, if he needed it, then I'm glad I could help."

3. I donated a few bags of healthy dog treats to the Minneapolis Animal Care and Control. I follow them on Facebook and my heart breaks for the poor dogs there. I cant foster (I've got my hands full already with my 2 dogs) so I donated some things they mentioned they needed.

4. I baked a dozen cookies for some RN's. My friend Kelly is a nurse, so I sent a box of homemade cookies with her to work and asked her to share with her RN friends. RN's do so much, hopefully you haven't needed their care, but when you do, you'll be grateful to have them.

5. I made a financial donation to Midwest Animal Rescue. My Caesar was rescued by them. Its because of that group's compassion that my boy was taken from the conditions he was in and brought into my life. He's changed me in ways that words could never describe.

6. I sent my sister a gift in the mail. She actually forgot some things at my house on her last visit. We lived 6 hours apart, so the next time I'd see her wouldn't be for quite some time. I chose to mail her the items and included a gift to enhance the feng shui in an area of her home where she needed some assistance.

7. I sent a dozen home baked cookies to a complete stranger using Gift A Stranger

**Technically this RAK failed. The recipient refused my package and it was returned. But the fact is, I tried to bring some joy and deliciousness into their lives.

8. I donated toys, treats, and a gentle leader harness to the Animal Humane Society. Our Sookie was adopted through them. She was our first pup, and stole our hearts! Who knew 5 pounds could change 2 people do much?!

9. I delivered dog theme cupcakes to the wonderful vets and staff at Broadway Robbinsdale Hospital. Caesar has had a lot of health issues in recent months and they have taken fantastic care of him.

10. I put quarters in the candy/toy machines at a local store. Hopefully a curious child will get a fun surprise!

11-12. I put quarters in ziplocks with a "Please Enjoy this Random Act of Kindess" card that I found HERE and taped them to soda and vending machines.

13. I helped an elderly woman with her groceries.

14. I taped coupons onto items around the grocery store. Wow! I just noticed that this item was even on sale! Gosh I hope someone scored a great deal on that!

15. I baked cookies for our mailman. That guy delivers our mail (mostly junk too!) in all kinds of awful Minnesota weather! He deserves a cookie (or 10!)

16, 17, 18. I left scratch off lottery tickets, with a RAK card on random windshields. Hope someone got lucky!

19. I made a financial donation to Save A Bull Rescue. They are a local pit bull and bully breed rescue group. My Caesar is a Staffordshire Terrier, which is a "bully-breed". I've experienced people reacting negatively to him before, so I wanted to show support for a group that is trying to save other dogs like him.

20. I made a financial donation to The Pet Project. They are a local group that provides assistance to families who have fallen on hard times and need help keeping their pet in their home. They provide things like good food for pets all while keeping the pet in the home, while the owners get back on their feet.

21, 22, 23. I left happy post-it notes in random places. Like a public ladies room mirror, and on my friend Snoopy here at the airport.

24. I sent an email to the store manager at Cub Foods about an exceptional employee. An employee named Ryan helped me when I was frantic, in a hurry, and needed to pull off something last minute. He was super nice, even though I was probably a bit of a nut. He helped me solve my problem and gave me a discounted price.

25. I made a purchase from Bad Rap.org They are a pit bull rescue group that's mission is to break the stereotypes surrounding pits and bully breeds. Technically this one benefited me too. I ordered some items and the proceeds benefit the group. However, I also get some cool pit bull awareness stuff!

26, 27, 28, 29. I sent out Hello! postcards to some friends I haven't talked to in awhile. Snail mail is such a delight to receive....but sshhhh, technically the recipients haven't gotten them yet!

30, 31. I made 2 comfort care packs for the homeless. Each pack includes a scarf, thermal socks, gloves, goldfish crackers, shampoo, mouth wash, Vaseline, hand sanitizer and wipes. Technically I haven't handed these out yet. The packs are in my car. I often see homeless folks in this area of town I run errands in. But I haven't seen anyone in a few days. Hopefully they don't go to waste!

A few other things I tried to do were simple, like smile at people, give out genuine compliments to friends and strangers, and try to be a courteous and patient driver.

I hope you've enjoyed my list and perhaps felt a little inspired! I'd love to hear if any of you have done something like this before or do so in the future! What kind of things have you done? Did you get good reactions?
These joy dominoes may become an annual tradition! "Joy dominoes?" you ask....yep! My hope is that one kind act sets in motion another kind act and the joy dominoes keep on falling!

Smooth Sailing

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:09:00 +0000

Ahoy there mateys! Oh wait....I'm not a pirate. But I did just get back from sailing on a giant ship. It might have been a cruise ship but that didn't stop me from "arrrrgggghhh-ing" at people. (yes, arrrghhh-ing is totally a verb).

I'm back from vacation and would like to share a few fun pics with you!

David and I in Jamaica with an awesome view of our ship

Mmmm...ship tastes gooood.

I went to Hell for my birthday....here we are in Hell, on Grand Cayman Island.

Baby Sea Turtles!!

Elegant night....what can I say, that lobster was outta control. I had to attack it.

Chillin on the Lido Deck with a frozen drink....how else would you spend a sunny afternoon on a cruise ship?!

Oh and Grumpy smurf came along. He loved his Red Stripe.

Our vacation was awesome! Stay tuned for some great projects and inspiration!

The Golden Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Later this month is my Golden Birthday and I will be celebrating by going on my first cruise! However, I did want to get in a little girl celebration so I had a couple of friends over for some champagne, appetizers and desserts! Check out my tables! I apologize in advance for some of the photos. I had hoped to shoot the table during the day, but winter days are SO short in Minnesota, my window of opportunity escaped me. I hope you enjoy the pics anyway!

This is my dessert table, complete with some of my favorite desserts and a champagne tower!

We each brought different types of champagne to share, which was paired with different appetizers. We enjoyed our courses at this table.

After our food and drink, we took photos in my "photo booth"!

It was a great golden evening!

Chocolate and Gold Glitter Nails

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Sticking with my ring finger detail obsession, I've done a chocolate and gold combination.

I used Chanel Haute Chocolate on my nails. Its a beautiful chocolate with flecks of gold in it. Then on my ring finger, I put a coat of clear polish and sprinkled fine gold glitter on it. Let that dry for a few minutes and cover with a another coat of the clear polish. Easy sparkle! I got tons of compliments on this look. Cant wait to try other colors of glitter!

Black and Glitter Nails

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:29:00 +0000

No, I haven't abandoned the blog. I've just been taking some time for myself this month. After the holidays I was pretty burned out and overwhelmed. I decided that January would be a slow month for relaxation. I do have some projects to share with you this week though!

Today, I'm sharing another nail art style. This is a simple design with a subtle touch of glitter.

All you need is black polish and silver glitter polish. Put your two coats of black polish on. Let dry for a few minutes, and then do a coat of glitter polish. When doing the glitter polish, put it on in short, sporadic strokes. The idea is not to cover your full nail. Its almost like a messy glitter tip.

I loved wearing this all week! Check out your polish stash and try this look out. Maybe red and gold glitter!

Day of the Dead Inspired Red Rose Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:38:00 +0000

Today I am sharing with you a birthday cake I made for a friend's daughter. She turned 14 and was really into skulls. She also was digging the rose cake I've done (You can see the one I did for her Mom HERE). I made her a red rose cake with skulls inspired by Day of the Dead skulls. Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:35:00 +0000

I was walking through the local grocery store today and something caught my attention. It was the enticing scent of apple cinnamon and spice. We've had such a strange "winter" that it really could still be autumn. Its strange how a scent can trigger so many memories flooding back to you! Today I'm sharing a cake I made this past autumn. I was inspired by Sweetopolita's Autumn Delight Cake. You see, I'm a bit of a lazy baker. I loved the look of this recipe but decided to make it a little easier on myself. Instead of preparing the cakes like she describes I used a spice cake mix, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice and chopped pecans. I prepared the cakes and filled them with toasted marshmallow filling. The cake was then iced with brown sugar and cinnamon swiss buttercream. I topped it with candied pecans.

Click HERE for the full cake how to from Sweetopolita.

Toasted Marshmallow Cake Filling
(From Sweetopolita)

Ingredients:
12-16 standard size marshmallows
1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk (I used whole)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7.5 ounce jar of Marshmallow Fluff
Pinch of Salt

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and arrange marshmallows on top. Place on the lowest rack in the oven. Broil until nice and brown. Keep a close watch on them, they will burn quickly. Remove cookie sheet and carefully turn the marshmallows. Brown the other side. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. In your stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, whip butter. You want it really pale and fluffy, this will take around 8-10 minutes.
3. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat for another 6 minutes.
4. Add cooled marshmallows and marshmallow cream. Beat on low for another 2 minutes.
5. Use filling right away, it will be sticky but spreads nicely as filling and keeps well in the cake.

A Scuba Diving Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Recently I was able to make these fun scuba theme cupcakes for a 40th birthday party. It was actually pretty fun when I made them, by chance Finding Nemo was on tv! Just keep swimming....just keep swimming!

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0000

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's celebratory weekend! We had a low key weekend at home. I set up this small table for David and I to enjoy some champagne and a couple of desserts.

I used some of these awesome printables from The Tomkat Studio

I also set out 12 grapes (each) for us. Its supposed to be good luck to eat the grapes with each chime of the clock at midnight. I saw these on Martha Stewart, standing in the champagne flutes. I tried that. Martha must have had some giant champagne flutes because these skewers did not fit in our glasses!

We had a package of chocolate dipped oreos, so I piped royal icing numbers on them and the plate to create a clock. So easy!

After all was said and done, I used the backdrop for NYE photos of my dogs. I cant help but share their cuteness!

Caesar

Sookie

Happy New Year Everyone! Can't wait to see what 2012 brings!!

Thank you so much for following along on my adventures!

Top 11 of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As the year closes, lets revisit some of the highlights from 2011!

1. The completion of my Party Challenge.

I completed 1 party every month until I turned 30. This came to completion at the end of January 2011.

2. Grapefruit Cake

This became my favorite cake of the year! I made this so many times, and its just as delicious every time!

3. Our Valentine's Day Table and Red Rosette Cake

4. Happy Birday Cookies

5. Champagne Wishes and Strawberry Dreams Cupcakes

6. A Royal Affair

7. Designer Inspired Frosted Glass Mirrors

8. How to Clean Graffiti

9. Burberry Inspired Puppy Party

10. Wonderfall Wine Tasting

11. The Reindeer Run

2011 has been a great year! Thank you so much for following along on my blogging journey!
May you have a blessed new year! Happy 2012!

Bad to the Bone: Caesar turns 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:30:00 +0000

You may recall a few months back I posted this Burberry Inspired Puppy Party for my dog Sookie who turned 3. In December, her brother, Caesar, turned 2 and we threw him a Bad to the Bone party. Caesar has been a challenging dog. We have had our share of bizarre incidents with him, particularly in the realm of destruction. He has eaten or destroyed the craziest things, such as our hall carpet! While out shopping I spotted these "doggie pajamas" and I had to have them for Caesar. These pajamas were the inspiration behind his party. Check it out!

He looks all innocent doesn't he?

The small table was full of doggie friendly foods!

Here is his birthday pup cake!

On the table I had a variety of store bought and homemade treats.

I also put out a display of photos from some of his more memorable destructive incidents.

I did have some cookies for the human guests though too!

Happy Birthday Caesar!

Christmas Randomness

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Now that I've shared my Christmas Table and Hot Cocoa Bar, I'll share with you a few more random photos from my holiday weekend. Then I promise I'll move onto another subject!

This is a photo of the ornament I gave my boyfriend this year. (He gets one every year). I was experimenting with my holiday photo taking, and I really like how this shot turned out.

This is one of my Christmas displays. I guest blogged about this over at Life in the Thrifty Lane!

Again, working on my holiday photography, this is my Caesar int front of the Christmas tree. I love how this turned out!

Same shot...different dog. This is my Sookie.

Santa Caesar

And Sookie the Elf.

Rocking my Santa Leg Warmers in front of the Channel 45 Yule Log.

My tortilla pinwheel Christmas Tree.

My cranberry candles

My Dollar Store Nutcrackers

And finally, my Christmas Tree.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this photo tour of my holiday weekend!

Holiday Hot Cocoa Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:06:00 +0000

On Christmas Eve afternoon, we were watching Christmas movies and I set up a small hot cocoa bar. We enjoyed hot cocoa on a stick, homemade marshmallows, chocolate dipped candy canes, peppermint bark, peppermint oreos, and chocolate dipped pretzels. The perfect compliment to any Christmas movie!

I also made a small Christmas cake with these fun holiday characters. I'm obsessed with polar bears and penguins this season!

Hmmm....now that I've posted all of these photos, I may need to go make myself a cup of cocoa!

Red, White and Gold Holiday Table

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:24:00 +0000

Greeting everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend. Today I'm sharing with you my Christmas holiday table. I was inspired by this table from Hostess with the Mostess and I took advantage of the spectacular printables they offered!

I made a variety of Christmas topiary trees with candle holders I had around the house.

I love the red swirl glasses from Pier One, but $7 per glass was more than I wanted to spend. Instead I bought Dollar Store wine glasses and painted swirls on with Martha Stewart craft paint!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more of my family holiday weekend!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:29:00 +0000

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas!

Thank you so much for reading my blog!

Holiday Nail Art

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:02:00 +0000

I am in love with the ring finger nail art trend! Have you seen this?! Its great! You polish your nails, but do added art on your ring finger. You get the funky designs but with a whole lot less work! Check out my first attempt at sporting this look....

I rocked a zebra look to match my shoes and shirt. Then I decided to get in the holiday spirit. Every week this December I've worn a different design. Perhaps this will inspire you to have a quick holiday ring finger design!

The first week I did a french tip with a holly detail. I just used a toothpick dipped in polish to create this look.

I did a candy cane manicure by polishing my nail white, then using small strips of painters tape, I polished red over it!

And finally, the Christmas weekend look.....

Santa!!! Speaking of Santa, he stopped by my job today! I swear I channeled Buddy the Elf when I saw him!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:35:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted about a fun and delicious gift for your coworkers. Included in that gift was a snowflake of peppermint bark. I made mine with a little twist this year. Check out the recipe....

I picked up this silicone tray in the Dollar Spot at Target. You can also substitute cookie cutters as molds for the bark. Place cookie cutters on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.

Ingredients:

Peppermint Crunch Junior Mints (I found these at Target too!)

4 oz. Chocolate Chips

4 oz. White Chocolate Chips

Handful of peppermints or candy canes

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided

Sprinkles (Mine are snowflakes!)

Vegetable Oil (not required, but good to have on hand)

Directions:

In a candy melting pot or double boiler, melt your brown chocolate chips.

Meanwhile, in a plastic bag, put your candy canes or peppermints. Crush with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet.

Once your chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. If your chocolate is thick or dry looking add a small pour of vegetable oil. This will smooth it out. Continue to add a little at a time until you reach a nice smooth consistency.

Pour chocolate into molds. Drop in 2-3 junior mints.

Sprinkle some peppermint chunks on top.

Place mold into freezer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt your white chocolate. Once melted, stir in remaining extract.

Remove mold from freezer. Pour white chocolate into molds.

Top with more peppermint pieces and sprinkles.

Place mold back into freezer for 10-15 minutes. When chocolate has hardened just pop out of the molds!

This recipe yields 6 snowflake bark pieces.

Hot Cocoa Coworker Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:47:00 +0000

Today I gave a fun little gift to my coworkers. If you're looking for a gift idea for your coworkers, this might be inspiration for you!

This gift includes hot cocoa on a stick, (you can get the recipe and tutorial HERE), chocolate dipped candy canes, peppermint bark, and homemade marshmallows.

I also used these awesome free printables from Hostess with the Mostess

On the back of the tag I typed up my own little greeting:

Minnesnowta Hot Chocolate
Here in MN, we like everything "On A Stick"...so why not our hot cocoa!
Mix with 1 cup of hot milk and enjoy your cocoa Minnesnowta style! There is even a peppermint stir stick! A tasty peppermint bark treat goes perfect with your hot cocoa.
Enjoy!

I packaged these up in some holiday treat bags and handed them out. Everyone loved the cocoa on a stick idea!

I hope you've found some inspiration for your coworker gifts!

Cupcake Craziness

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:47:00 +0000

I haven't been able to post much lately for two reasons. First, my laptop just quit working right. It kept crashing, I lost a bunch of photos, it was a whole lot of sucky. I've finally replaced it but now I'm playing catch up. Also, the holiday season has been really busy! Recently I took an order for 16 dozen cupcakes! Plus I had an additional 3 dozen toppers to ship. It was an insanely busy weekend! I couldn't help but take a few pics. So here is what I've been up to lately!

Here are a couple of pics of all of the toppers I made.

This is what the entire collection was......

All sixteen dozen of them!

Thanks Vanessa for the awesome opportunity!

I hope to get a few more posts in this week before the holiday. I lost a lot of my work with my computer, but I'm hoping to share a few ideas with you! Thanks for being so patient!

Reindeer and Figs

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:18:00 +0000

This weekend, I accomplished a big personal goal and I want to share it with you. I ran in my very first 5k race! For the last 9 weeks, my friend Heather and I trained doing the Cool Running Couch to 5k Program. It all started back in 2008. I set a goal to lose weight and run a 5k. If you've ever tried to lose weight before, you know what a struggle that can be. I didn't have a running partner, or the will power to keep up with either goal. But each year, I kept saying I'd do it. Finally, this year, 2011, a full 3 years later, my friend was willing to commit to the program with me. Turns out a dedicated partner is what I needed! We met consistently 3 times a week to run. At first, it was a challenge. Our runs were slow. The first minute or two of running, I thought I was going to die. I watched the clock constantly, just waiting for it to be over. But as the days and weeks went on, I slowly became stronger, found running easier and easier. I was looking less at the clock, and more focused on my breathing.

We chose to do the Reindeer Run because the timing was perfect, we both love the holiday season, and costumes were encouraged! Not to mention the proceeds benefited Toys for Tots Heather, my boyfriend David, and myself ran the 5k. We set a goal of finishing in 40 minutes. We finished in 38 exactly. It was amazing. I've wanted this goal for so long. The fact that it was real, that we did it, that we crossed that finish line still amazes me. Its an incredible feeling to set your mind to a difficult goal and actually make it happen. Its not just about losing weight or getting in shape. Its about feeling empowered. If I can make this happen, who knows what else I might be able to accomplish! Here are a few pictures from Saturday's event....

Costumes were encouraged, so here I am with Rick. Rick is Heather's boyfriend who offered to photograph everything for us.

Here we are with the Reindeer mascot!

Rick was easily able to spot us due to my hat!

We are almost to the finish line!

FINISHED!! We ROCKED this race!

Now you're probably wondering, whats with the figs in the title? In addition to sharing my awesome accomplishment, I'm going to share my new favorite recipe. You may recall my recent post about the Wonderfall Wine Tasting one of the courses was a Fig and Gorgonzola Pizza. It is absolutely to die for! You must make this now! The pairing of flavors is incredible. Sweet, savory, all mixed into one. Its unique and flavorful. Its also, very easy!

Fig, Gorgonzola Prosciutto Pizza

(very slightly adapted from Centsational Girl)

Ingredients:

1 Boboli Thin Crust Pizza (I used a 12 inch)

Olive Oil

4 ripe Figs

1 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 oz. container crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

2 slices prosciutto

Diced green onion (I didn't really measure this, just chopped a handful)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over crust. Bake for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice figs, dice onion, tear prosciutto into pieces.

When crust is ready, layer about half the mozzarella cheese, then half the Gorgonzola, then the figs, prosciutto, and onion. Top with remaining cheeses. Bake until golden brown, and cheese is bubbly, approximately 10 minutes.

Prepare to be amazed.

We paired this with a pinot noir and it was excellent.

Thanks for reading my story and I hope you enjoy the pizza!

Organized Measurement

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Its true. Pinterest has some incredible ideas. I have put a few to use, my latest, is organizing my kitchen. I have a teenie tiny kitchen. I try to organize it as best as I can, but sometimes a girl needs a little "Pinspiration". I was inspired by this PIN and this PIN and now my measuring spoons and cups are organized! Thanks to a few command hooks Im no longer rummaging through drawers trying to find the right size measuring spoon!

Oh Pinterest, how I adore you!

Blue Rose Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Recently I got to do a birthday cake for a friend's wife. He really liked the Red Rose Cake I did for Valentine's Day, but his wife was more of a blue rose kind of girl. I was thrilled! Its my favorite cake to do, and also my favorite color, not to mention a color not often asked for when it comes to flowers. We decided to also add a little "tattoo" detail to it. I hand painted the birthday banners in a classic tattoo style text and made black royal icing butterflies to accent the roses.

Don't you love the vibrant color?! I'm still obsessed with this cake...what color to try next?!

Cranberry Mango Pineapple Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Jessy@FairytaleFrosting) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Last week I made "Thanksgiving with a Twist" dinner. I made turkey and sides with traditional ingredients done up in a non-traditional way. One of the things I tried my hand at was homemade cranberry sauce. I made it with cranberries, mango and pineapple. It was delicious. I'll never go back to canned cranberry sauce! This recipe is easy and quick, and a great idea for a last minute Thanksgiving contribution!

Cranberry Mango Pineapple Chutney

Adapted from Love Veggies and Yoga

Ingredients:

1, 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup mango chunks (I used frozen mango)

1/2 cup pineapple chunks (I used canned pineapple)

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened. Approximately 20 minutes. Transfer to jars. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate. Yields 3, 8 ounce jars or 24 ounces.
*Note: If its a little too chunky for your liking, pulse in the blender until you reach desired texture.

Its so good, even the flamingo liked it....

Happy Thanksgiving!