Two Bite Tuesdays - Mini Fun Finds

First Bite ~ I love making mini versions of all kinds of delicious foods, especially desserts. When I was shopping at Macy's a couple of weeks ago, I came across a mini cupcake maker. Loved it at first site, but as I began to read the box, I noticed that the little recipe book was very limited, and it did not come with any accessories. I felt like the $30 they wanted for it was not worth the price of precious kitchen space so I passed it by. However, today I saw a facebook entry from Tori Tait of Thoughtfully Simple. She was commenting on this little gem for The Daily Grommet. What? Eight delectable little morsels in eight minutes, plus a bigger recipe book and accessories too! I just had to share it with you! And I'm going to order one too!

Second Bite ~ Look what Pier 1 has come up with now! You may have read that I've been presenting my marvelous mini creations in votive candle holders for years. Now, Pier 1 has come up with a complete line of mini service ware. My daughter Brandi of Tweedle Dee Designs and I are planning a wonderful little soiree later this fall  and I thought these mini spoon servers and mini shot glasses would be a great addition to my own little mini service ware collection.

I am so excited about this little event and I can't wait to share the details with you as we begin the planning process. I will, of course, be planning and preparing the "little menu." Brandi will be designing some of her awesome party printables, and no doubt has something cupcakalicious up her sleeve. In addition we will be enlisting the creative expertise of some of our incredibly talented friends and family members. Stay tuned!

Creative Collaborations ~ Tweedle Dee Designs Neapolitan Collection Photo Shoot

I don't need much of an excuse to whip up some delectably delightful and delicious dessert, so when my daughter called asking for some help with her newest party collection, my creative juices started flowing, no, it was more like flooding out. Her theme was Neapolitan and the colors, of course, were chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. My thoughts were swirling, twirling, and, of course, I always think, mini...and I love, love, love those cute this dice-sized brownie bites you can buy in the grocery store. Those would be a little difficult to frost, so I made these adorable little mini-muffin sized brownies, and frosted them with Brandi's dreamy pink buttercream recipe. Yum!

I had seen a beautiful Neapolitan no-bake cheese cake on Baker's Royale blog and would loved to have made that, but she hasn't yet posted the recipe so I had to move on. I also love mousse. I love that it is so rich and creamy that you just need a spoonful to satisfy your sweet tooth and I thought that a chocolate, vanilla, strawberry layered mousse would make a beautiful presentation.  What do you think?

Here's a peek of the entire dessert table. Cute huh?

Photo credit Tweedle Dee Designs

She just rolled out the new collection today and posted it over on her blog http://www.tweedleddesigns.blogspot.com/ if you'd like to check it out.

Healthy Bites ~ You are what you eat!

A fruit pop? Well, maybe not literally a fruit pop, but all the goodness inside. Make these cute fruit pops and keep them in the fridge for delicious after school snacks for the kiddos. It is one sure way to make sure they get their nutritious fruit servings for the day. Aren't they just the cutest? I found them over at Baker's Royale!

Courtesy of Baker's Royale

Don't forget that grown-ups need good nutrition too. I love this beautifully presented sophisticated fruit dessert. I didn't get the recipe (if anyone knows where this came from, I would love to give credit). It looks like strawberry, kiwi, mango and grilled pineapple. The toppings look like chocolate and lightly flavored whipped creams.  They are all resting in fruit puree. Okay, so it's not AS nutritious as the fruit pops, but I think it could be worse :-). Isn't it just lovely?

Welcome

Hi, and welcome to my blog! Like most women, I wear many hats, wife, mother,daughter, life coach, hypnotherapist, closet comedian. I love our family, our friends, our two new cocker spaniels, and all of nature. I attempt to live a simplified life and I am most comfortable in jeans and a tank top. My party style can be described as "lots of options, mostly healthy, mostly mini. I think we eat way too much in America :-), so I trade quantity for variety and quality.

By day I help women reclaim their lives because I believe we can all live our lives by our own design. You can find out more about that here. When I'm not working (and I don't really consider my work, work) I garden, bake, read, write, explore, play, sing, dance, twirl, giggle, hike, skip...and whatever else strikes my fancy for the day. My husband says I've got it all figured out! Ha! Funny man! Don't I wish!

So you may be asking yourself, "Why should I read your blog?" I have a few goals here. First, I want to provide some titillating photographs, delicious recipes and fresh ideas for some absolutely beautiful mini foods. Secondly, I wanted a way to connect with my daughter's business Tweedle Dee Designs, and this is a perfect way to do it. And lastly, I love getting to know people from all walks of life, so I am so excited to get started, to get to know you and your interests, and to share ideas. Oh yeah, and sometimes when I find something great, I buy two and I love to share, so you can look forward to some fun giveaways.