No mermaid party is complete without a Mermaid Layer Cake. This moist vanilla cake with vanilla almond buttercream is sure to be the highlight of any Summer dessert table. Colorful frosting, sprinkles and candy melt mermaid tails give the perfect mermaid vibe!
I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #SummerDessertWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
…
I gave my family’s recipe for Congo Squares a Summer upgrade and added shredded coconut, for a delicious spin on the classic chocolate chip cookie bars! You won’t be able to stop eating these Chocolate Coconut Congo Squares!
I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #SummerDessertWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
…
It’s strawberry season in Florida and I am loving it. I have been posting quite a few strawberry photos recently on Instagram, and can’t wait to get in the fields to pick. Until then, I decided to create a refreshing drink, perfect for any occasion – Strawberry Lemonade Spritzer.
Most people associate spritzers with being an alcoholic drink, but my mocktail is just as good. Sweet strawberries blended with lemon-lime soda are mixed with pink lemonade concentrate and more lemon-lime soda. Garnish with some fresh mint, strawberries and a cute straw, and you are ready to party!
I love being surprised with little gifts and treats, so I surprised my Sister for National Compliment Day. In addition to enjoying these Strawberry Lemonade Spritzers with her, we also indulged in some Hand-Dipped Champagne Strawberries and Cake Truffles, compliments of Shari’s Berries. She works really hard as a Physician Assistant, and nothing says “I love you” like some chocolate covered strawberries. I know these definitely brightened her day.
Go ahead and compliment someone today. Say or do something nice to someone – you never know how much they might need it. Hope you have a great day and enjoy a Strawberry Lemonade Spritzer!
By Adapted from Taste of Home
Published 01/24/2017
Yield: 8 drinks
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 5 mins.
Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I received a complimentary box of strawberries and truffles for both myself and a friend. All opinions are my own.
No-Churn Cheesecake Ice Cream will become your new, favorite ice cream. Homemade graham cracker crust pieces make this easy ice cream over the top!
I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BacktoSchoolTreats week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
…
Welcome to this year’s #EasterSweetWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us for this week long event of Springtime and Easter dessert recipes! We’re sharing tons of treats this week plus a few fantastic giveaways! You’re going to love what we have in store for you.
If you take a look into my baking supply closet, you’d see that I LOVE sprinkles. I have different colors, mixtures, holiday sprinkles, custom sprinkles, eyeballs, hearts – basically a ton of sprinkles. These Funfetti Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups were the perfect way to use some of my favorite baking accessory, and just in time for Easter. Spring is all about color, and these sweet treats are great for your Easter brunch or dessert table.
Lately I have been baking a lot of cookie cups. I really love them because they are bite-sized and can be made into almost any flavor. Some of my favorites are my Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake, and Creme Brulee Cookie Cups. Since cookie cups are small and packed with flavor, they are a great dessert idea for holidays, especially since they can be made in advance. We usually have big family gatherings, and I always try to make things ahead of time for holidays, especially desserts.
This year we have are 28 fantastic bloggers participating in this year’s Easter dessert event! Throughout the week we’ll be share tons of great Springtime and Easter themed dessert recipes with you. With over 75 sweet dessert recipes being shared this week we just know that you’re going to want to save some of these recipes to make again and again! We even hope that some of these recipes end up in your Easter recipe keepsake collection! Plus, don’t forget that we have 5 (five) great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors! Scroll down to take a look!
Check out the amazing #EasterSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Brownies:
Cakes:
Candy:
Cookies:
Baked Desserts:
No Bake Treats:
Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #EasterSweetsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, Rainier Fruit, Anolon and Microplane! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #EasterSweetsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
School mornings just got an upgrade with Orange Buttermilk Pancakes and homemade Strawberry Sauce! These pancakes are perfect for weekend brunches too!
I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BacktoSchoolTreats week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
…
Caramelized Pineapple adds delicious flavor to the no-churn ice cream. Top it with salted caramel for a perfect salty-sweet combination everyone will love.
…
While some people have snow still on the ground, here in Florida, Spring has arrived and it has been pretty nice for the past week. We are actually in the upper-80’s right now and with the time change there are sure to be lots evening walks and grilling outside often.
When I think of Spring, the color yellow comes to mind. One of my favorite bright, flavorful and yellow fruits are lemons – perfect for Spring! I absolutely love curds, like my Key Lime Curd, that I use in ice cream. Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream is divine! There is just something magical about whisking eggs and lemon juice… my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I can just eat lemon curd with a spoon, it’s that good. I also add it to my breakfasts and desserts. Lemon Blueberry Parfaits are a great way to start your day, and Lemon Meringue Tartlets are the perfect after dinner treat. I can’t wait to share with you what I created with this batch of curd – for that you’ll have to tune into next week!
Meyer Lemon Curd
A Love and Confection original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe
Meyer Lemon Curd Ingredients:
– 100 grams Meyer Lemon Juice
– 62.5 grams Unsalted Butter, room temperature
– 62.5 grams Granulated Sugar (first measurement)
– 62.5 grams Granulated Sugar (second measurement)
– 12.5 grams Corn Starch
– 150 grams large Eggs
Meyer Lemon Curd Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the Meyer Lemon Juice, Unsalted Butter and first measurement of Sugar. Whisk to combine and cook on medium to medium-high until sugar has dissolved and mixture is just simmering.
2. Right before the liquids boil, whisk together the second measurement of Sugar, Corn Starch and Eggs in a bowl big enough to hold the liquid and egg mixtures.
3. Temper the eggs: slowly pour the hot liquid, in a small stream, into the bowl while constantly whisking the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat on the stove until it is thick and almost boiling.
4. With a sieve, strain the curd into a clean bowl to insure no overcooked eggs get into the curd. Place plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd and let it cool for 30 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate it until it is thoroughly chilled.
Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!
A few weekends ago, Thelma and I planned a outing. I had been wanting to go to Lake Meadow Naturals Farm since I tried their fresh eggs last year from Chef Tony Adams, chef and owner of Big Wheel Food Truck & Big Wheel Provisions. I knew that Thelma’s daughter, Little E, would love the adventure, so we set out one Saturday morning, not knowing what to expect, and ended up falling in love with this little farm.
The first time I used Lake Meadow Naturals’ eggs was for my Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. I love the eggs, because they are growth hormone and antibiotic free. All the poultry is fed a vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. They have a farm store where all their products are sold, with fresh eggs always available. You can also wander into the coop and pick your own. There is nothing like a fresh egg!
The farm has a host of different animals. When you go up the drive one of the dogs is sure to greet you. The dirt parking lot is next to the field with the sheep and goats. It was a beautiful day out, so all the animals were enjoying the sunshine.
Aside from the chickens, Lake Meadow Naturals has duck, turkeys, geese, guinea and peafowl. A few cows can be spotted behind the coops, as well as some rabbits.
In the few days after we visited the Farm, Lake Meadow Naturals sent out their weekly newsletter and said that a fox had come and killed their two black swans. We are so grateful we were able to see these beautiful creatures.
The farm store has a great selection of meats, poultry and cheeses. They also have preserves, jams, jellies and honey. The organic produce varies by season. We loaded out little shopping baskets with fingerling potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onions, broccoli and, of course, eggs.
If you are in the Orlando area, please don’t hesitate to visit Lake Meadow Naturals.
Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!
Disclaimer: external links
This week, I had the pleasure of dining at Kennebec – Orlando’s first multi-night pop-up restaurant by Tony Adams, Chef and Owner of Big Wheel Provisions. Chef Tony and his Big Wheel Truck crew created a wonderful dining experience.
The pop-up is located in Urban ReThink, a creative hub in Thornton Park, for 5 nights and transformed it into a culinary experience. The menu changes nightly and features locally sourced food and craft beverages. Saturday night’s finale will be a prix fixe menu with 2 seatings. If you are interested in dining at Kennebec, you can find information and reservation details here.
I invited two friends of mine, along with M, and we had a cozy table in one corner of Urban ReThink. Even though it was a small menu, we all had a hard time choosing what to order – everything looked good!
We all ordered a different drink – hands down the “Waterville Cola” was the favorite at our table. I will definitely try and re-create it at home.
Chef started us off with an Amuse-bouche – a classic Big Wheel Deviled Egg, turned up a notch.
We shared 3 appetizers, and each of us got different entrees, so we could try them all. We also ordered all three of the desserts. (sorry for the bad lighting, still learning the camera + dimly lit restaurant)
I also had the pleasure of helping Chef Tony with some dessert components. I apparently won him over with my Key Lime Pie Ice Cream I created last summer, and he asked me to make 3 ice creams along with some Pecan Shortbread for a number of the desserts.
I got even more excited when I saw my name on the “special thanks” poster displayed at the pop-up – a little surreal.
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!
