I Choo-Choose You Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day!

The video is refusing to show up on the blog so instead I will simply set up a link for you to watch (it really is a totally cute Valentine's Day cupcake!).

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Love Bug Cupcakes

Love Bug Cupcakes

1/4 cup M&M’s
45 pieces chocolate malted milk balls, cut in half
1 box favorite cake mix
2/3 cup dark chocolate frosting
1 container vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
12 black licorice laces, cut into 48 pieces


Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the package.
Line the cupcake pans with the paper liners. Fill each cup with 2/3 cup of batter.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes, according to the directions on the package. Remove from oven.
While waiting for the cupcakes to completely cool, tint the vanilla frosting with the red food coloring.
Once cooled, frost the tops of the cupcakes as follows: Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the red frosting. Spoon the dark chocolate frosting into a resealable bag. Snip a small corner from the bag. Pipe a line of dark chocolate frosting down the center of each cupcake. Pipe an oval of the dark chocolate frosting at one end of the line, and decorate with the red M&M’s for eyes and the licorice for antennae. Dot the red portion with chocolate malted milk balls for the Love Bugs’ spots.

Recipe and picture from BrightIdeas.com

Flower Pot Bouquet

Flower Pot Bouquet

Small flower pot
6" lengths of 12 gauge floral wire
Silk flower leaves
Green floral tape
Clear cellophane
1 yard of ribbon or pre-made bow
Jelly beans
Assortment of pastel foil wrapped candy such as Hershey's Kisses, Rolo caramels, Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures, and peppermint patties

Kisses chocolates roses
For each candy rose, spread glue on the bottom of one foil-wrapped chocolate. Firmly press the bottom of another chocolate to it. Insert florist wire into one pointed end of the double chocolates, twisting cellophane, continuing down the full length of wire with tape. Add 1 or 2 artificial leaves, if desired, securing leaves in place with florist tape.
Rolo caramel blue bells
Insert one length of floral wire through the center of 3-4 blue foil chocolate to form blossoms. Wrap remaining lengths of wire with green floral tape, inserting silk leaves at the base of the chocolate.
All other candy blossoms
Insert one length of floral wire partially through the center of a peppermint pattie or a Reese's peanut butter cup miniature. Wrap candy with a 4" square of clear cellophane, twisting the remainder of clear wrap around the top of the floral wire. Wrap wire beginning at the base of the candy, over the extra clear wrap, inserting silk leaves.


**Completed craft is for decorative purposes only. Candy used in craft should not be eaten.

Recipe and picture from Hershey's

Rose Cupcakes

Rose Cupcakes

12 mini cupcakes
White icing
6 rolls of Fruit by the Foot fruit leather in cherry or strawberry flavor
1 roll of Fruit by the Foot fruit leather in Color by the Foot flavor

Frost 12 mini cupcakes with white icing.
To make a rose, unroll a piece of the cherry or strawberry fruit leather and divide it in half along the wavy perforated middle line. Take one of the halves and roll up about 5 inches to form the flower's center. Set the rolled strip wavy side up in the middle of a cupcake, as shown, and continue to loosely wrap the remaining fruit leather around the center at a slight angle until the flower is completed.
Repeat this process for the remaining flowers. (You should be able to get 2 mini roses out of each roll of fruit leather.)
Cut leaf shapes from the wavy edge of the Color by the Foot strip as shown, then tuck the leaves under the roses.

Recipe and picture from Disney Family Fun (FamilyFun.go.com)

Healthy Hearts

Healthy Hearts

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on watermelon slices. Poke a bamboo kitchen skewer through each heart, then complete the arrow with an orange slice tip and tail.

Recipe and picture from Disney Family Fun (FamilyFun.go.com)

Marshmallow Cupid

Marshmallow Cupid

2 large marshmallows

1 tablespoon ready-to-spread white frosting

1 round cracker, halved

2 miniature marshmallows

1 piece red shoestring licorice (3 inch)

1 teaspoon red decorating gel

3 red mini chocolate coated candies

1 teaspoon large yellow sprinkles

Stack 2 large marshmallows for the "body;" secure with small amount of frosting. Use additional frosting to attach cracker halves to back of marshmallow stack for the "wings." Attach miniature marshmallows for the "arms" with additional frosting.

Cut licorice crosswise into 2 equal pieces. Use small scissors to "feather" end of 1 piece for feather end of "arrow." Attach small candy to other end for tip of arrow.
Use small scissors to carefully cut down center of remaining licorice piece to 1/4 inch of opposite end. Bend 1 side to form the "bow"; trim other side to fit. Dampen end slightly; press firmly into bended bow. Attach bow and arrow to cupid with remaining frosting. Decorate with icings, candies and sprinkles.

**Let stacked marshmallows dry before attaching wings.

**Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe and picture from Kraft Foods