Valentine's Day Ideas

Dessert Buffet

Find a fun spot in your house to create a backdrop and frame for drinks and dessert.  Often times, there is a spot that is empty or underused that would work perfectly.  Look around your home, or borrow something from a friend, for unusual tables, dressers or shelves.  Choose a color scheme that reflects the mood you would like to project.  I chose red, brown and white and a spot that includes warm wood and cold stainless steel.  Use removable picture hangers to create a backdrop out of a blank wall, choose serve ware, and then source the food and drink you wish to serve.  

Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

CakeVase® filled with Hypernicum Berries

Hand Decorated Valentine cookies from patricia o'brien & co.

Paper Straws

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Dark & Milk Chocolate Malt Balls

Red Sixlets

Pinwheels

Meringue Cookies

Mini Coke Bottles

Tissue Paper Pom-Poms

Champagne & Fresh Strawberries

Dessert bars create a buzz at events and elevate the simplest of offerings into something elegant and exciting.  CakeVase® turned a basic cake into a focal point and added height and drama to the table.  It can be set up hours in advance of the party, as it holds fresh flowers in water, and cut up and served after the party is in full swing.

Chocolate Bar

Collect your favorite chocolate foods and pair them with Red Roses.  It's a classic.  This table has a CakeVase® topped, Chocolate Torte on a vintage cake stand, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate biscuits and an assortment of chocolate bars.  So simple, fast and fun!

Buffet Centerpiece

I baked a  double chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate glaze, sprinkled it with pearlized dragees and topped it with Anemones from the local grocer's floral department.  I used the 8" CakeVase® ring and was able to bake, decorate and set out the cake a day before my party, which freed up time the next day  to focus on the food and drinks.  

Last Minute Dessert

This idea is for all of those times you committed to "bringing something" to a friend's house and ran out of time.  Swing by your local grocery store, buy a plain round or sheet cake, a pre-mixed flower bouquet and assemble using CakeVase®.  This cake came together in less than 5 minutes and has that, "Wow" factor.  The cake cost $14.99 and the flowers were $9.99.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last minute hostess gift

Fun and unique hostess gifts are hard to find.  I've seen piles of wine bottles and fresh flowers sitting on stairs and countertops at parties for years.  The fun and unique gifts get passed around and talked about during the party.  CakeVase® is great because you can give the product alone or a finished cake as the gift.  

Hostess Gift

CakeVase® is a stand alone gift in the under $20 category.  It is an indispensable tool for the kitchen.  The user does not need to bake or be an expert at floral design to wow at future birthday, anniversary, graduation and holiday parties.  One stop at the local full-service grocery store and they have the tools necessary for a beautiful centerpiece.

Bakery cake (basket weave or whimsical design is free)

Pre-arranged flower bouquet

Scissors

Water

Centerpiece Gift

CakeVase® makes an even more impressive gift when it is given in its finished format.  Imagine handing a finished cake to the hostess of the party.  They will be excited by the fact that it's a ready to go visual centerpiece.  It looks great on a counter, buffet or in the center of the table.  Beautiful cakes become conversation pieces and add to the overall impact of the party.  The final benefit is that the cake serves as dessert for guests or can be served the next day.  I like to give the rest of the CakeVase® set and instructions for the hostess to use herself the next time she entertains.

CakeVase® is available at Amazon

Piper's nostalgia for Spain prompts her to cook us a traditional Spanish meal.

One year ago, Piper spent spring break in Madrid, Spain. Her host family made a traditional Spanish meal and she decided to make it for all of us last night. She assembled her recipes, shopping list and ingredients before chopping, frying, flipping and serving us a beautiful and delicious meal.

Tortilla Espanola

After the olive oil is drained from the onion and potatoes it gets stirred with lightly beaten eggs and put back into a warm skillet with more olive oil. The photo is before we flipped it over.

Pan con Tomate

This is a traditional tapas in Spain.

Piper set the table and poured the wine for the adults.

Strawberry in Orange Juice

She also made a nice fruit soup for dessert. The recipes are easy to follow and the meal was satisfying without being overly filling.

Thanks Piper. Can't wait to find out what traditional meals you get to enjoy this week at your host home in Guatemala.