Sugar Pumpkin Mum Pots

Great Fall decoration for door prizes, to enhance a dinner table or make individual pumpkins for each guest with their name written on the leaf as place cards.

Supplies:

1 Sugar Pumpkin
Pumpkin Carving knife or other small sharp knife
Pumpkin flesh removal scoop or big spoon
Drill with 1/4" drill bit
Assorted Mum stems
Silk leaves (optional)
Sharpie w fine pt. (optional)

With a sharp knife cut a circle 1" below the stem of the pumpkin, make cuts at an inward angle so the top does not fall into the pumpkin when replaced.
Using a scoop or large spoon, remove all of the flesh inside (reserve pumpkin seeds for roasting later. See my recipe for Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds).
Drill 5 evenly spaced holes around and through the pumpkin about 1" down from opening.

Fill with water and replace top.
Trim leaves from stems of Mums and cut to fit through the holes and well into the water.
If you want to add a message or use as place settings at a dinner party, write on the silk leaves with a fine point Sharpie.  Attack to pumpkin with a straight pin.  Hot glue will come loose unless you are using artificial pumpkins.

The Sugar Faerie Spring Garden Cupcake Cake (Hummingbird Cake)

I made one of my favorite cakes into a Cupcake Birthday Cake for a friend's birthday celebration.  I drew inspiration from a photo I saw on Facebook.  I made all the flowers from gum paste and let them cure for 36 hours.  I folded parchment paper in accordian style to mimic a cupcake liner, held it in place with a ribbon and then placed a sparkly Faerie on top.  Once the topper was in place I began to transfer all the flowers around it, added some sprinkles and a frosted edible "pearl" here and there, and finally the banner, giving the cake personalization.

I am not teaching gum paste flowers here as I'm an amateur myself.  You can buy the kits at JoAnns or Michaels as I did and teach yourself.  It isn't that difficult.  I'm sharing with you my recipe for Hummingbird Cake.  I love this moist, luscious cake so much, I even had it as my wedding cake.

Ingredients:

3 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c chopped toasted pecans
2 c mashed bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add eggs and salad oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not eat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple,  pecans, and bananas.

Spoon batter into 3 well-greased and floured 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove and cool competely.

Spread frosting between layers and on top of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 c butter or margarine, softened
2 16-oz. pkgs. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Note:  If you are going to do a cupcake cake, do not frost the sides.  Add extra frosting to the layers and mound or use a piping bag to make a dome of frosting on the top to simulate a cupcake.

Happy Birthday JJ!

Enchanted Garden Flowers Using Repurposed Glassware

I just love making these!  They are lovingly created by repurposing yard sale finds in such a way that each flower is unique. A bit of glue, a sprinkling of beads & a dash of faerie dust help to produce a magical piece worthy of your yard & garden.  Each flower has a "winged" accent created from beads and is mounted on copper tubing.  If you're in the Mid-Hudson Valley NY area, you can see them on display at Isabella's Treasures on Front St. in New Paltz.  Just another Winged Musing creation that I am proud to share on my Blog.

Creatively yours,

Keeping Hydrangeas in a Vase Looking Amazing for Several Days

Hydrangeas in the garden produce so many beautiful colors it would be a shame not to cut a few stems for a vase so you can enjoy them inside as well.  However, they can be temperamental.  I've had luck with them drying in the vase, but mostly, they would wilt by the next day.  Here's what I find works the best.  It is important to put them into water immediately after you cut them, so bring a vessel of water out to the garden with you.  I've read that you should make the cut above a leave joint although I don't usually do that and have still had success.  Once you've snipped all the stems you want, and odd numbers look best, bring them inside and remove all the leaves that are below water level.  Any leaves that are underwater will cause mold and disease which will hinder your chances of a lasting bouquet. Now with a sharp knife make a 1" slit up from the bottom of the stem.  Since Hydrangea stems are woody, this will help them take up more water.  It is important to refresh your water daily.  That's all there is to it.  I usually get at least 7 days out of this beautiful bouquet.

Enjoy!