crafted by jen

I'm usually the one behind the scenes planning & hosting my own parties. So, I was honored when my lovely friend, Frances & my sister, Liberty threw me such a memorable baby shower. The theme was “mommy-to-bee” and everything was absolutely beautiful! From the gorgeous flower arrangements to the fun photo booth and yummy dessert & food buffet, everything was perfect! I'm truly blessed!  Dessert/Beverage Bar    Baby Shower favors: Tea and...   Honey sticks!   Photo booth!   Gorgeous flowers!   me aka "mommy-to-bee" Styling: Frances Park & Liberty Matias Flowers: Blush & Honey Venue: Bridgewater Clubhouse Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes Cotton Candy: Cotton Pik'n Candy Cake Pops: me Balloon & Tassels: Melissa Paulo Photographers: Caroline Park & Lily Phung

Not only are these mini doughnuts low-fat, but they’re pretty darn adorable! The secret to making them low-fat is baking them. Plus, they’re bite-size…aka guilt-free! Let’s make some mini doughnuts! Chocolate Cake Mini Doughnuts You’ll need: 1 cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup low-fat buttermilk ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions: 1)       Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray mini doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray. 2)       In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt. In small bowl, whisk buttermilk, sugar, egg, butter & vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; whisk until blended & smooth. 3)       Spoon batter into a large zip-lock bag. Cut off a corner & squeeze ba...

A fun take on the Southern classic cake, these red velvet pancakes are so fluffy & so yummy! They have the light chocolate flavor of the cake, right down to a cream cheese glaze. They're the perfect indulgence for a special breakfast, brunch or just about anytime! Let's make some pancakes!   You'll need: 1 cup all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 egg, beaten ¾ cup buttermilk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoon butter, melted 4 teaspoons red food coloring Cream Cheese Glaze 2 oz cream cheese, softened ¾ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract powdered sugar, garnish Directions: For Pancakes:   1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, & cocoa powder. 2. Add in egg, buttermilk, butter, vanilla extract, & red food coloring. 3. Stir it up gently until combined. The ba...

Who knew that you could make creamy, soft-serve style ice cream with just bananas and no ice cream maker required! All you need is some over-ripe bananas…and who doesn’t have them just sitting on the kitchen counter?  Let’s make some “ice cream”!   Peel your bananas first. Cut them into small pieces. Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate. ( I already had some in my freezer.)   Blend in a food processor, scraping down the bowl when they stick.   Add a spoonful of reduced fat peanut butter (honey, or whatever you want- the possibilities are endless!) and blend until combined.   Top with fat free chocolate syrup and sprinkles & enjoy!    

  Sugar scrub naturally exfoliates your skin leaving you with a yummy healthy glow & it's chemical-free! It's the perfect gift for Mother's Day, Bridal & Baby showers- give them away as favors!   {Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipe}   small jars ( I used 4 oz. ones) - mixing bowl and spoon - 3 cups white sugar - 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. good quality oil (I used Grapeseed oil because it doesn't have a strong odor but, you can use oil olive oil.) - 10 drops of essential oil per jar (I used eucalyptus and grapefruit) Combine your sugar and oil, mix it up well, and divide evenly into your jars. Add your essential oils & stir.   Makes about seven 4oz. jars.   Directions for use: Lather on wet skin, focusing on rough spots, then rinse off for an all-over glow! _________________________________________   Gift baskets that I made for Mother's Day. Everything a gal needs to unwind & re...

    This cake is wonderfully light, moist, delicious and old fashioned. The bottom cake layer is filled with bursting blueberries and the top is layered with a crunchy streusel topping. It’s perfect for brunch or served as a decadent dessert…just like how they use to serve it back in the day! Old Fashioned Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe You'll need: For the cake: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick) 3/4 cup sugar 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2/3 cup sour cream 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup fresh blueberries For the streusel: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees...

  Did I have you at “easy”? These apple pocket pies are so adorable, so yummy and so easy to assemble. All you need is a great pie dough, store-bought apple pie filling (hey, I normally wouldn’t recommend it but, after all this is the easy version). You’ll also need a 3.5-4” round cookie cutter.   Let's make apple pocket pies!   First, you'll need a foolproof pie crust recipe. I love Ina Garten's perfect pie crust recipe:   Ingredients: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening 6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water   Directions: Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, un...