Hat

Must Have Summer Essentials for 2018

June 20, 2018 By Paula 2 Comments

Must Have Summer Essentials for 2018

Summer is coming, and with that, you will need a new summer wardrobe. Check out your favorite sites for some coupon codes so that you are ready to hit the stores and stock up on some summer essentials. Here are your must-haves for Summer 2018:

Floral Prints

Floral prints are all the rage right now, and you can find them on practically everything. From handbags to dresses and shoes, there is a floral for everyone (and every budget) out there.

Pastels

Classic lines in fun pastel prints are really on trend. Trade in your basic denim skinnies for a pair in a pretty pastel to take you into the new season.

Blush

Blush pink is popping up everywhere. It works really well with neutrals like black, white, tan and navy. Alternatively, pair it with something a bit more unexpected like grey or lilac to really stand out.

Sunglasses

Every summer wardrobe needs a fun new pair of sunglasses. Whether you like the metal frames or something chunkier in a plastic, ensure they have an excellent UV rating to protect your eyes.

Fun Sandals

Summer is the perfect time of year to wear sandals. Your feet have been cooped up for months in shoes and boots, so it’s time to get a pretty pedicure and show it off in some fun new sandals. Also, consider investing in a few pairs so you can swap them out daily to allow them to dry between wears and stay fresh.

A Great Bag

A pretty bag in an unexpected color is sure to pop this season. If that is not your style, a lovely, fresh neutral will go with everything. You may wish to invest in a separate bag for the beach to not bring the sand home with you.

A Good Hat

If you are going to the beach or spending time outside, you need a good hat to wear to protect you from the sun and keep you cool, so you don’t get sick. Try some hats on for fun and see what works well for your face shape.

Layering Tees and Tanks

Summer is all about the layering, if it’s cool in the morning, layer a few tanks or tees for a funky look. As the day gets warmer, you can take off some of the layers to stay cool and comfortable during the hottest parts of the day. Buy an armful in fun colors to mix and match.

Sunscreen

Your number one summer essential for this year should be good quality, high SPF sunscreen. Re-apply often during the day if you find yourself sweating, or swimming to help protect against skin cancer and avoid sunburns. If you are looking for that glowing-tanned look, then try out a sunless tanner to get the look without the damage.

Summer is a great time to try out a new wardrobe, and there are some hot new trends that you should be wearing this year. Florals and pastels are all the rage, so ensure you have a few items in your wardrobe that incorporate this trendy. Fun sandals and a great bag will complete your look. Stay suns-safe with sunscreen, a great hat and a good pair of shades. Most of all, have fun with your summer wardrobe this year by trying something new.

Wizards’ Hats Halloween Cupcakes Recipe

October 22, 2013 By Paula 3 Comments

Full of sweet surprises, these #Halloween wizards' hats cupcakes are designed to stash small candies beneath their caps. #Baking #HarryPotter #Wizards #Witches

WIZARDS’ HATS HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

As you may know, I am a huge fan of Leite’s Culinaria and often go to their site for ideas and recipes. I just loved this fun Wizards’ Hats Halloween recipe so much that I wanted to share it with you. It would be a perfect Halloween treat for kids and grown-ups alike.

The cupcakes and chocolate-coated ice cream cones for these hats can be made a day in advance and assembled early on the day of your party. Try to find a good selection of ghoulish treats and candies to fill the cones with. –Annie Rigg

A Dessert For Dumbledore Note

Professor Albus Dumbledore always seemed to have some magic to pull out of his hat. These Halloween cupcakes, which are designed to stash small candies beneath their caps, are a sweetly secret interpretation of that. As to what candies, small ones—lots of them. Gummy worms. Candy corn. Jelly beans (just not in earwax or vomit flavors, please, as Dumbledore once expressed an unequivocal distaste for them). We can’t imagine a more appropriate or terrific tribute to the late teacher.

WIZARDS’ HATS HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES RECIPE

Quick Glance
45 M
45 M
Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 pointy sugar cones (you know, ice cream cones)
Edible silver balls or colored sprinkles
12 cupcakes (any flavor)
About 2 cups frosting (any flavor)
Assorted sprinkles (orange and black are the most festive)
Assorted unwrapped candies (small enough to stash in the cones)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, either in the microwave on a low setting or in a bowl set over but not touching a pan of barely simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir until smooth. Hold an ice cream cone over the bowl of chocolate and pour the melted chocolate over it with a spoon, turning the cone and repeating until the cone is evenly coated, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle with edible silver balls or sprinkles, then stand the hats upright on the prepared baking sheet and let them rest, undisturbed, until set.
2. To decorate the cones, er, wizards’ hats, cover the top of each cupcake with a swirl of frosting and strew with sprinkles. Fill the chocolate-coated ice cream cones with candies and stick one on top of each cupcake.

Visit Leites Culinaria for more great recipes.

Here are some variations of these fun cupcakes.

Which one of these spooky good treats is your favorite?

5 Fun & Edible Halloween Ideas – Witches Hats, Strawberry Ghosts, Mummy Hot Dogs, Edible Eyeballs, and Glow In The Dark Frosting Recipe

October 2, 2013 By Paula 8 Comments

Below you will find some of the best recipes and ideas we came across while looking for fun Halloween things to do with our grandchildren. We hope you will enjoy doing some of these fun recipes and ideas with your family this year.

Make these 5 Fun & Spooky Good Witches Hats, Strawberry Ghosts, Mummy Hot Dogs, Edible Eyeballs, and Glow In The Dark Frosting Recipe this #Halloween #Party #Food #Recipe

Halloween Witches Hats

Easy to Make with Keebler® Fudge Stripes Cookie, Orange Frosting, and Hershey Kiss
Just place a dollop of orange icing on the Fudge side of the Cookie and place the Kiss on top.

Mummy Dogs – Pillsbury crescent dough and Hot Dogs
Wrap the dough around each hot dog so that they look like mummies. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Add drops of ketchup or mustard for eyes.

Screaming Strawberry Ghosts

Ingredients

30 fresh strawberries 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 tsp shortening 1/4 C miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 tsp almond extract

Directions

1. Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.
2. Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts’ tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into the coating for eyes. Freeze 5 minutes.
3. In the microwave, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each ghost. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Edible Eyeballs

3.4-ounce box vanilla pudding mix
Black Jelly Beans
LifeSavers Gummies
Plastic Easter eggs (use the smaller half)
2 empty egg cartons

Make the pudding according to the directions on the box.

Fit a jelly bean in the center of a gummy Lifesaver and place it in one-half of the plastic egg.

Do this for each eyeball. Fill the egg with a dollop of the pudding (so it’s the size eyeball you’d like) and place in the egg carton for support. Place in the freezer for about 3 hours. You want them to be firm. To remove after they’re set, let them rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes and then gently squeeze them out of the plastic egg. Ready for use immediately or place the eyeballs into a freezer-safe dish and keep for up to 2 days before use. Makes about 24 eyeballs.

Ghoulishly Glowing Cupcakes

A foodsnots original recipe

Needed:

- 1 black light
- 24 prepared and cooled cupcakes

White Glow In The Dark Frosting

- 7 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons tonic water {diet tonic water works too}
- mini chocolate chips morsels

Extras Needed for Colored Glowing Frosting

Note: The darker it is the less it glows

- Neon Food Color
- 0.3-ounce package of either Lime or Orange Gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup chilled tonic water

Prepare desired cupcakes and allow to cool. Begin frosting by adding confectioners’ sugar, shortening, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons tonic water into a large bowl. Beat on low speed until no loss sugar is visible. Add remaining two tablespoons as needed to bring frosting to piping consistency. Mix at high speed for about a minute to allow frosting to become light and fluffy. Place half of the white frosting into a separate bowl and set aside. Add neon food coloring to frosting until it reaches desired color {orange for orange gelatin, green for lime gelatin}.

Pipe colored frosting onto cooled cupcakes and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Meanwhile, pipe white frosting on half of the cupcakes using a large round frosting tip. Add two mini chocolate chip morsels for the ghost’s eyes to finish ghost cupcakes.

After lettering colored cupcakes freeze, prepare the gelatin by adding gelatin mix to 1 cup boiling water. Stir for about 2 minutes then add 1 cup chilled tonic water. Transfer to a container that will let you easily dip frosting into and place into an ice bath to cool. Keep gelatin in ice bath stirring occasionally until gelatin is cool but not yet set {about 5 to 10 minutes}.

When gelatin is cool to the touch take cupcakes out of the freezer a couple at a time. Dip into gelatin upside down, submerging the frosting but not the cake {it is ok for the gelatin to drip onto the cupcake, just don’t submerge it completely}. Rotate cupcakes dipping and then returning to the freezer for about a minutes to set gelatin, then re-dip. Dip 4 to 6 times for best results.