Giraffe Baby Shower

Lately I have had a crush on anything giraffe pattern! I realized I have bought personalized notecards, a baby blanket for a shower gift, a coffee tumbler, and a school bag that all have a touch of giraffe pattern. I stumbled across this precious giraffe baby shower over at Half Baked - The Cake Blog and I can not wait for the next shower I host (just need some pregnant friends!). I love that the colors could be gender neutral or styled for a girl or boy.

Hop over to Half Baked - The Cake Blog for more details!

Ebelskivers!

One of my all time favorite breakfast foods has become Ebelskivers (AKA Aebleskivers)! I am addicted to Williams-Sonoma and of course this magic pan is one of their "gadgets" that I had to have. However, I usually lose interest in a lot of the gadgets and kitchen tools that I buy, but this one has won a place on the easy access shelf in my kitchen.

Ebelskivers are filled pancakes that are believed to have been invented by the Danish. One tale begins way back in the old days during the times of the Vikings. Since the luxury of pots and pans were not available during travel and at the camps during battle, the Vikings would use their dented up shields as a pan over a fire. This made little round balls of dough, similar to Ebelskivers. Sounds reasonable...

Ebelskivers can be sweet or savory and they can be served for any meal, as appetizers, or dessert! There are tons of recipes in the Ebelskivers cookbook sold at Williams-Sonoma, but you can also find plenty of free recipes on the Williams-Sonoma web-site.

I have made them with fruit in the center, bacon and cheese, goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. The possibilities are endless. However, my personal favorite are chocolate filled with a little powder sugar on top. YUMMY! You can purchase different batters like chocolate, plain, cornmeal, etc. and a variety of fillings at Williams-Sonoma. I have even made them with Nutella. :)

It seems like they would be complicated, but they are really easy and always a crowd pleaser. I like recipes and gadgets like this one that make people think.... "How did she.......?" Next time you are hosting a brunch or dinner party these would surely be a welcomed surprise for your guests!

Nostalgic Graphic T-Shirt Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Lee, Me, and the Girls (comment #5) winner of the Nostalgic T-Shirt Giveaway from Elizabeth Horton!!!

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Congrats Lee, Me, and the Girls, look for an email from ELizabeth Horton!
Thanks to all who participated!!!

I am so excited about the October giveaways... stay tuned! We are in for some sweet surprises!

If you have a product you would like showcased, please contact me!!!

Nostalgic Graphic T-Shirt Giveaway

Have you seen these Nostalgic Graphic t-shirts from Elizabeth Horton? I have spotted them in some local children's boutiques and of course she has a fabulous Etsy shop. The silhouette designs bring back fond memories of my own childhood. The t-shirts come in short-sleeve or long sleeve and range from sizes infant to 12. I think several of these designs would fit perfectly with some of our favorite party themes (princess, fairy, cowboy, vintage toys, etc.).

Here are a few of my favorites!

Wouldn't these be perfect considering football season is right around the corner?

Love the long sleeves since Fall is quickly approaching.

ENTER TO WIN YOUR NOSTALGIC GRAPHIC T-SHIRT

by ELIZABETH HORTON

There are lots of chances to win this giveaway!

You can enter lots of times by doing any one of the following to increase your odds of winning.

or....

You can do just ONE entry!

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each action that you complete, so you have a better chance of winning! The more entries increases your odds!!! Good Luck!!

1. Hop over to Elizabeth Horton's Etsy shop, Nostalgic Graphic T-shirts

& leave a comment with your favorite item!

2. Become a fan of Pluff Mudd Studio on Facebook

& leave a comment here that you are a fan (or already are!)

3. Become a blog follower of Pluff Mudd Studio & leave a comment here that you are a follower (or already are!)

4. Post about this giveaway on your own Blog, Facebook Page and/or Tweet about it & comment here with the links! (up to 3 entries for posting)

Winner will be chosen on Sunday, August 22nd at 11:00pm (EST).

Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only.

Winner will be chosen using random.org

Layered Jello Recipe

It's amazing how some treats are timeless and loved by all kids. I loved jello as a kid and now all the children surrounding me love jello too! This layered recipe adds a new flair to the standard jello recipe. The kids are always curious how the layers did not mix and how I made the white layer. This recipe is perfect for all holidays, party themes, etc. because the color combinations and shapes can be changed so easily!

Here are the directions....

Ingredients:

4 packs of jello (flavor and color is your choice!)

2 boxes (4 packs in a box) of unflavored gelatin (Knox)

1 can of condensed milk

(I only used 3 colors for this example, but this recipe is for 7 layers. I also used sugar free jello because there was already enough sugar on the dessert table.)

First, spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. Then mix one package of jello, one packet of Knox gelatin, and 1 cup of hot/warm water. Mix together until it is all combined. Pour into the pan and place in the refrigerator until is sets. (It took mine about 10-15 minutes to set and become firm.)

Use this recipe for each jello layer.

The magic white layer is one can of condensed milk, 3 packets of Knox gelatin, 2 cups of hot/warm water. Mix together until it is all combined. This makes 3 white layers!!!!

Pour one cup of this white mix into a measuring cup. Then pour over a spoon onto the colorful jello layer. Pouring over a spoon keeps the warm liquid from making a hole in the firm jello. Place in the refrigerator to set. (about 10 minutes)

Keep rotating the colorful layer with the white layer.

You can make as many layers as you want, but remember that this recipe makes 3 white layers and 4 colorful layers.

After all the layers have set and the jello is firm you can use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes or just cut squares. Voila! Magical Layered Jello!

If you use a cookie cutter, there is a lot of jello that is "wasted", so if you need a lot I would consider making two pans. This recipe is also fantastic because you can make it a day or so in advance.

Over the years, I have seen this recipe appear at different parties, events, etc. I had completely forgotten about it until I came across this little gem in an old paper bound cookbook from my Elementary school. Thanks New Prospect for this timeless treasure!

Old-School Cool!!

Old-school cool is back!! How much fun did you have as a kid with a Polaroid camera?!?! Check out the new Polaroid 300 and Fujifilm Instax Mini 25....

Polaroid PIC-300L Instant Analog Camera (Blue)

These new cameras are very reasonably priced and the film is only $10. I think these would be perfect to make party favors with kids' pictures.

Fujifilm Instax MINI 25 Instant Film Camera (White)

Of course I love the pink!!! I can not wait to order one of these for our next party.

Pluff Mudd Studio is now an affiliate of Amazon.com!
If you decide to purchase any of our recommended gadgets, please use the links in the post to support our blog!

Cupcake Kabobs!

Cupcake kabobs anyone?!?!

It seems like kids will eat anything on a stick, so why not mix-up two favorites to make cupcake kabobs? These yummy sweets were a big hit at the pool party!

I found lots of inspiration from blogger buddies like these.....

(Photo courtesy of Wedding By Color)

(Photo courtesy of Cupcakes Take the Cake)

I had an ideal image in my head and these precious cupcake kabobs from Z as in Zebra were exactly what I was dreaming up! With a few minor adaptations our yummy pool party treats were whipped up for the sweets table. Here are the directions so you can make your own!

Ingredients:

mini cupcakes decorated with sugar sprinkles

kabob skewers - (I used the larger skewers, but any size would work.)

candy - (I used these colorful gummy orange slices)

First, you need a batch of mini cupcakes. (I made my favorite lemonade cupcakes.) The pool party was full of vibrant colors, but yellow, blue, and green were the main featured colors of the dessert table. I dipped the top of the cupcakes in a mixture of warm milk and powdered sugar. Then, I dipped them in the colorful sugar sprinkles. You could use any color to fit your party color scheme.

I didn't want to repeat any colors, so I went ahead and "pre-planned" the order of the cupcakes and candy before I pushed them on the stick.

Carefully, slide the candy on the skewer followed by the mini cupcake. Keep rotating the candy and cupcakes until the skewer is full. I added 3 mini cupcakes and 4 pieces of candy.

Voila! Cupcake Kabobs!

I love this idea because they can fit any party theme and you can use any type of candy. The variations are endless. Wrap them up like Z as in Zebra and they are also perfect treats for a bake sale or class party. Hmmm... What else can I put on a stick?

Dodeline Designs Giveaway Winner!!

Congratulations to Frog Prince Paperie (comment #3) winner of the Dodeline Design Giveaway!!!

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Congrats Frog Prince Paperie, look for an email from Dodeline Designs!
Thanks to all who participated!!!

There is a new and exciting give away coming up soon, so stay tuned.

If you have a product you would like showcased, please contact me!!!

Splish Splash!!!

At the end of every summer break we get together with our college friends and their children to Splish Splash at our pool party. I adore watching the children grow and catching up with our friends. The party was designed around this Splish Splash pool party invite from my Etsy shop.

This year we battled the rain the entire day, but here are a few pics we were able to capture before everything was soaked. I must say it was sad to see all the ink run, icing melt, and sprinkles bleed, but the kids LOVED playing in the rain. Even the rain could not stop the laughter and joy of spending time with our sweet friends and family.

Of course it is not a party without cupcakes!! I whipped up these refreshing lemonade cupcakes with lemon cream cheese icing from the recipe Jess over at Pen and Paper Flowers shared. They looked perfect in my favorite cupcake stand from Target. I made the cupcake toppers to coordinate with the invitations and party decorations.

Find the Splish Splash party circles here in my Etsy shop!

The kids love everything on a stick, so I decided I was going to make Cupcake Kabobs. They were a big hit and I promise to post a tutorial.

These cookies were to die for! I was amazed at how perfect the flip flops coordinated with the invitations. Lisa, from The Cookie Jar, always amazes me with her talent. The cookies not only looked fabulous, but they tasted great too. You must check out her Etsy shop and Facebook page.

Since it has been really hot the past couple of years, I was planning several treats that were cool and refreshing. I found the recipe for this fun layered jello and I LOVED the white layers. Jello wiggles are always a favorite. I will post directions soon.

The bright color Twizzlers were perfect and the whimsical sweet lollipops added lots of fun to the table. After eating these lollipops, the kids were a sticky happy mess. :)

I found these perfect beach ball drink bottles from Oriental Trading! The kids could help themselves to water and lemonade.

The favors included bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and a few other goodies in cute little buckets from Party City. I added the coordinating Splish Splash favor tag with a cute ribbon.

The Splish Splash party circles served as our napkin rings. We served hamburgers and hotdogs buffet style, so it was easy for guests to pick up their silverware and napkin in these cute little bundles.

This pool party is always one of my favorite parties because I get to go home and visit with all our loved ones. Despite the rain, we all had a blast!