A new favorite gadget

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed the little custard desserts on Christmas Eve.  My vanilla custard, which is really my mother's recipe, has always been a favorite with our sons; click here to get the recipe and step-by-step instructions.

Imagine my excitement when I discovered this wonderful gadget that makes the task of filling the mini-dessert glasses ever so much easier!  Here it is . . . Ta da!

It's called a cupcake pen and it's designed to hold batter that can be then injected directly into the cupcake liners with minimal mess . . .

Note to my blogging buddy, Celine:  YOU NEED ONE OF THESE!  Celine bakes all the time and her specialty is cupcakes and muffins.  Celine, I'm telling you, you will love this!  I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I've seen them in other stores as well.  And, in addition to working really well with cupcakes (especially mini-cupcakes), it's also excellent for pudding/custard shots!

Tonight I tried a quick variation:  Chocolate/chocolate chip/pistachio pudding shots.  I used instant Jell-O pudding, and, unless you are a pudding snob (er, that would be me, unfortunately . . . ) these are a fun, tasty dessert that will look pretty stunning on a dessert table.  The pudding is not as good as my home-made custard, but they are pretty good.  Let me put it to you another way . . . they did not last long in the refrigerator . . .

Start out with chocolate pudding.  Once you make the pudding, following the package directions, pour it in the cupcake pen and refrigerate for about 10 minutes . . .  The cupcake pen even has a lid . . . isn't that cool?

Fill the shot glasses about ½ full with chocolate pudding . . .

Add a layer of Nestlé's mini-chocolate chips . . .

Then add a layer of pistachio pudding . . .

Aren't they cute?  Here's another shot . . .

Imagine the possibilities . . .  And I love the concept of mini-desserts.  I've never liked large servings of dessert.  I'd rather have a just a little bit of sweetness.  If I want more, I can always go back for seconds, but this way, there's no waste, and no guilt.

I wish all my friends a peaceful, prosperous, healthy new year.  Thank you for letting me into your homes, and for teaching me so much!  See you in 2013!

Featuring Patti C.

Patti and I came together for the first time as room mothers for our then 2nd graders - her son, Joey, and my son, John - and in the process, I found a kindred spirit in the art of entertaining.  We were so awesome as room mothers, all modesty aside, that parents began asking, not who their child's teacher was going to be for the coming year, but who the room mothers were going to be.  We gave those kids some wonderful parties and Patti and I had a blast.

Each of us, I think, could be creative and resourceful, but together we were simply dynamite.  Patti brought the fun to the team:  From Santa hats at Christmas, to personalized cakes that read "Happy Birthday, Jesus" (this was Catholic school, so we were able to do that); from an ice cream and candy buffet at the end of the school year- which we did even before ice cream and candy buffets were the in thing, to huge bouncy balls for everyone.  There wasn't a holiday in which she and I didn't put something together that was unique and slightly over the top. 

My own contributions, in light of Patti's exuberance and energy, were rather mild.  I was the funds keeper for a little while, until our money ran out, which happened, oh, I don't know . . . around Halloween, I think.  Oh, I also contributed the idea of putting together a tea party for the kids on Valentine's Day, complete with silver service (one of the parents caught our enthusiasm and volunteered her set). 

This was also the year in which our sons made their first communion, so Patti and I seamlessly continued our newly begun tradition of comparing our plans, and borrowing good ideas from each other.  We have never stopped.

Here is a picture of Patti with her two amazing children, Joe (alas, he's no longer Joey), and Francesca.

So, it wasn't all that unusual when Patti called me last week to brainstorm.  She was giving a Halloween party for 20, taking advantage of the fact that her daughter, Franki, was going to be home from college.

With less that a week to plan and shop, and putting in countless hours after work, these are the tables she somehow managed to put together:

This was the kitchen table, set up for Franki and her friends.  Yes, indeed, this was only the kid's table.

It looks like the first guest has arrived . . .

This was the adult table, or rather, "The Witches Table" . . .

A closeup of the place setting . . .

Treats for all visiting witches and warlocks . . .

Her beautiful collection of orange serving bowls . . .

This one was used for polenta . . . Did I mention that Patti is also a terrific cook?

My favorite . . .

And last, but by no means least . . . dessert.  Pudding shots, cupcakes, cookies, candies of all sorts . . . These treats look delightfully wicked!

So . . . Budget:  Ridiculously low . . . Creativity:  Endless . . . Fun:  Oh, yeah.  This is one for the books.

Here are some of the details:

Zebra Plates:  Anna's Linen

Orange Chargers:  Michael's

Tablecloths:  K-Mart and Target

Black Plates:  Dollar Store

Napkin Rings and Napkins:  Anna's Linen

Thank you, Patti, for letting me feature your deliciously ghoulish table on my blog.  You are such an inspiration to me!