I'm sure I've given at LEAST a hundred showers over the years...and this one was my all-time favorite...a baby shower for Ali. I just adore Ali so I pulled out all the stops! Unfortunately I didn't take a lot of pictures - just as I was going to grab my camera the guests started arriving and then I forgot! I must remember to buy myself some ginko beloba!
The diaper cake turned out great...and really, they are SO simple to make, why anyone would EVER buy one is a mystery to me! You just need 4 hands (two is NOT enough,) tape and ribbon...oh, and diapers.
The Lemon Sisters, thinly disguised by this blurry shot, sang some "new lullaby's" for the new mom...The Lemon Sister on the left is truly an evil genius and wrote some very funny lyrics, which her two sibs helped to deliver in the most hilarious way...their sister on the far right brought along her uke to accompany them, adding just the right touch of "corn." I had to get in on the act so I wrote some lyrics to another lullaby, which they belted out like they were opening at the Met - it was worth the price of admission, which was free.
My apologies to the little sister, who is pictured at right...I couldn't show you the cute name banner or the beautiful dress without showing her, too! The beautiful blessing gown was made by Margaux, mother of the new mom-to-be, out of the "extra" train that was cut off from her wedding dress! The train was much too long for what the bride wanted, so they altered it and her mom saved the extra fabric, thinking that one day it might come in handy. I wish I had taken a close up of the detail in this little gown - it's just amazing.
I have another friend who bought several wedding dresses at a bridal shop that was going out of business...she paid $25 for each one, thinking one day her daughters might wear one when they got married...or she planned on making blessing gowns if and when she got a grandbaby...well, 3 weddings and 3 grandbabies later, those dresses are still intact. She recently dragged them out and we had an impromptu fashion show...it was hilarious because from the front they looked great, but from the back they were unable to be zipped as none of us are a size 4!
I made 30 baby-bottle-shaped cookies for favors...and they were dang good! Pink sugar crystals for the nipple and white sugar crystals for the bottle...If you need a great sugar-cookie recipe, click here.
I made some great food, too....in my humble opinion...and I'll be sharing those recipes with you soon.
In the meantime, I'm going to tell you about two recipes that you simply MUST MAKE NOW:
Pictured above is Grandma Iny's Cake From Pioneer Woman ...I hesitate to tell you what it's really called because I fear once you know you won't want to make it, let alone eat it...but when Pioneer Woman says it's great and when I second that, then you must trust us...it's great...so brace yourself, it's called PRUNE CAKE! I know, I know, prunes...they're not just for constipation any more! This is such a moist and wonderful cake, thanks in part to the amazing syrup/glaze that is poured over the top. Think spice cake or applesauce cake, or even gingerbread - that's what this tastes like...except better. This is made in a 9x13-inch cake pan, but I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter and made these sweet little desserts...and served with a dollop of whipped cream, well, they are something to write home about!
The other recipe I have for you is from Smitten Kitchen - it's pictured above. I have already made THREE batches in the last THREE DAYS... Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers) . Think of it like crack, because it's THAT addictive. If I continue making batch after batch I will need to find a 12-step program soon! They are made with SALTINES...and SALT is the operative word here...salt and chocolate...salt and caramel...topped with toasted almonds...I'm starting to salivate just thinking about it! If it weren't for Smitten Kitchen and her steady delivery of the most incredible recipes, which has contributed to the steady increase on my scales, I wouldn't be able to bestow this honor on her...I have named my back fat after her. A high honor, no doubt, and one that deserves no thanks. It was my pleasure - literally. (This note added after my original post....the Fashionista made these for me years ago...and I had totally forgotten about them! Which can only mean at some point I was kidnapped by aliens, taken to their Most-Excellent-Recipe-Memory-Erase-Center where my memory was wiped clean, and then returned to Earth totally unaware of their hideous act! Else, how could I have forgotten something so delicious?!?!)
Little Paige will be one lucky little girl - she will have wonderful parents and grandparents, with extended family and friends who will love her to pieces - just like we love her mom. Have a happy baby Ali!
