Making this cute dessert really is as easy as pie. Just stack your favorite Mini Moon Pie flavors on a cake plate, and stick in this super easy topper using the printable fleur-de-lis from Belly Feathers.

Mardi Gras Moon Pie Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
6   8-inch sections of sheer organza ribbon in purple, green, and gold,  two lengths of each color
Bamboo skewer or thick toothpick
Mardi Gras printable cake topper
Scissors
Glue dots or other adhesive
Mini Moon Pies, 4 boxes

Instructions:
1. Stack five ribbon lengths on top of each other.
2. Using the remaining ribbon, tie and knot the stack of ribbons to your bamboo skewer or toothpick, leaving enough room at the top for your fleur-de-lis.
3. Click on the link to the Mardi Gras printable cake topper and select the image to view the full-sized file.
4. Save to your computer and print. 
5. In case you want to make your cake topper double-sided, the reverse image is included.
 

Ingredients:
2 pounds lamb loin, cut into 6 main course portions, or smaller
4 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup shallots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
2 each egg yolks
¼ cup parsley, chopped
6 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
6 pieces pastry or phyllo dough squares
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
2. Salt and pepper lamb pieces and brown in skillet.
3. Remove the lamb and set aside to cool.
4. For the sauce, use the same pan with the juices from the meat. Add red wine & beef broth to the skillet and cook until the mixture thickens. Finish sauce with 2 tsp. of butter, then set aside and keep warm.
5. In a separate pan, melt butter & sauté shallots, mushrooms & parsley for 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and while still hot, add bread crumbs and 1 egg yolk then set aside to cool.
7. Roll out pastry dough and cut into squares approximately 5” each.
8. Place one portion of lamb in each square and top the meat with the mushroom mix.
9. Wrap the pastry dough around the meat and allow to cool.
10.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the top of the Wellingtons with egg yolk and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the tops are golden brown.
11.Serve Wellingtons with the warm pan sauce and your favorite sides.

Serves 6 as written, or use smaller phyllo squares to create hors d’oeuvres-sized portions.

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a great day to chill out and relax with friends and family. As my husband is Irish, Scottish, and Italian, we celebrate this festive and cheerful day every year. I designed this party for him and five of his closest friends to get together after work – they are really going to have a fun time!

A yummy idea and a hot trend that isn’t going anywhere: tasting parties. They are so much fun because you offer small servings of delicious foods and beverages, and everyone gets to experience a bunch of different flavors at one sitting. Wine tastings are done so often, I thought a beer tasting happy hour was the way to go, and so befitting St. Patrick’s Day.
 

I wanted to design a party that was in keeping with the traditional colors associated with St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish flag. I collaborated with the talented Katie of Green Apple Paperie for the design of the invitations, rating cards, and all the paper products. She did a wonderful job bringing both of our ideas together.
 

When deciding on the food, I tried to pick happy hour food that you would find at a restaurant or bar. So I decided on trail mix (goes well with beer!), sliders, loaded mashed potatoes, and shrimp cocktail.

I purchased the serving supplies I used for this party at Pier 1 Imports. They have the cutest tasting party serving pieces and I find them to be reasonably priced. You can pick and choose the pieces you want, or you can buy a set.
 
Party Tip: Offer a variety of food to accommodate people who may be vegetarian or watching their weight.
 

I purchased five different beers that offered varying tastes. Labels were then removed (with a little help from goof off for some of the bottles) and relabeled with numbers 1-5 to coincide with the rating cards and clear mini-tasting cups.
 

The tasting cups each receive a little bit of each beer for guests to taste and rate. The beer rating cards are given to guests once they arrive and are used to rate the taste of the beer with 1- 4 stars.
 
Party Tip: When hosting a tasting party, offer at least 4-8 different beverages, depending on the number of guests you are going to have over.

However you choose to toast, remember to consume responsibly and designate a driver. Sláinte!
 

Photography and styling by HowDoesShe.com

Looking for a way to dress up your St. Paddy’s Day celebration? You’re in luck with these charming printables from Chickabug. “My favorite printable is just the simple circle- they’re so versatile,” says Chickabug designer Heather.

“You can make them into cupcake toppers, add them to strips of paper to make custom napkin rings, tie them onto party favors, label candy jars, and so on.” For St. Paddy’s Day, adhere circle designs to foam or card stock cutouts to make adorable pins for your guests.

Another option? Print your designs onto sticker paper. “You can use stickers in more places than you’d guess,” Heather says. “I’ve had customers print water bottle labels onto sticker paper and then use them as wraps on party favor bags. So clever!”

The flag-shaped designs are another simple way to add a little flair to sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, coffee drinks, or cocoa. Simply cut out the printable and attach to swizzle sticks, straws, or toothpicks.
Add a few drops of green food coloring to almost any food and you instantly have an Irish-themed treat. “And chocolate coins make a great party favor,” Heather says. “It’s the gold at the end of the rainbow.”
 

Photo Source: Coquelicotwines.com

Photo Source: Stylemepretty.com

Photo Source: ZsaZsaBellagio.blogspot.com

Photo Source: Stylemepretty.com

Photo Source: Pinterest.com

 Photo Source: Wedding52.com

You don’t need elaborate decorations for this casual get-together, but a little creativity will ensure a night of friendly fun and late-night giggles. Plan for the traditional movies and munchies, along with materials for crafting, a few organized games, and some serious female bonding!

Unlike a birthday party, where you might feel compelled to invite your child’s entire class or brownie troupe, an informal slumber party should include just a few friends. Avoid ‘Truth or Dare’ mishaps and ‘Bloody Mary’ scares by planning several activities to keep your gigglers engaged – and out of trouble.

Slumber Party Activities
What do you get when you cross a group of energetic little girls with sleeping bags and a finish line? A sleeping bag race! The girls come equipped with all the supplies you’ll need for this game; just be sure to clear a wide enough space for the racers, or move the event outdoors if weather permits.

If you dare, open up your closet and let the girls put on a fashion show, or create a beauty salon. Getting your nails painted or your hair brushed and braided is fun for girls of any age!

Try making friendship bracelets out of colorful embroidery floss, beaded safety pins, or alphabet beads. Visit MakingFriends.com to find a variety of projects and instructions.

If you own a video game console, fire up a game everyone can play, like a Karaoke game, Rock Band, or Just Dance. Or, let your little ones perform like you used to in the ‘olden days’, by cranking up the stereo and letting the lip sync take center stage.

If you have a digital camera and photo printer, the girls can make a friendship mobile. You’ll need to supply colored coat hangers, fishing line, and heavy construction paper, and glue or double-sided tape. Have the girls take photos of each other, and take some of them all together. Print out the images, cut them into fun shapes, and affix them to the construction paper for a fun memento of the party.

Munchies and Movies
The food staples of any successful sleepover are, of course, pizza and popcorn. The rest is all icing on the cake, so to speak. Look for movies like Enchanted, Hannah Montana, The Princess Diaries, Legally Blonde, and The Parent Trap to tickle girls’ funny bones.

No matter what games or activities you plan, the girls are assured of a good time. The main ingredient for a successful friendship slumber party is already provided: good friends.

Bratwurst and Onions in Stout
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, thinly sliced
2-3 bottles Guinness or other stout beer
8 bratwurst links, uncooked
8 rolls
Whole-grain mustard
Pickles, dill, sweet, or bread and butter

Instructions:
1. Prepare the grill for medium heat
2. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; cook until translucent, three to five minutes. Add the beer and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and keep the onion mixture warm.
3. Place the bratwurst on the grill rack. Grill, turning occasionally, until evenly charred, 20-25 minutes. Transfer the bratwurst to the onion mixture and let stand until ready to serve.
4. Serve the bratwurst in rolls with onions, mustard, and pickles.

Jalapeno “Popper” Dip
Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup mayonnaise
1  ½ cups shredded cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
5-6 minced jalapenos, or 1 (4-ounce) can sliced jalapenos
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup Parmesan for topping
½ stick butter, melted

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 575 degrees.
1. In a food processor, add the first 6 ingredients and process until smooth.
2. Spread the mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole.
3. In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and melted butter; mix well.
4. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the dip and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Be careful not to overcook or mayonnaise may separate.
5. Serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita triangles.

Makes 10-12 servings

Simple Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
6 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow or Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pot with enough salted water to cover eggs and bring to a boil.
2. As soon as the water reaches a rapid boil, remove pot from heats and cover.
3. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
4. Immerse eggs in cold water and let cool 10 minutes. Peel.
5. Cut eggs in half, remove yolks and place in small bowl.
6. Mash yolks and mix in mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and S&P.
7. Spoon a dollop of mixture, evenly, among egg halves.
8. Sprinkle with paprika and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 12 servings.

Photography by Belathee Photography

“Consider making a dessert bar for your loved one instead of giving a simple box of wrapped chocolates,” Atlas says. “You will certainly get the key to your loved one’s heart if you create a dessert bar like the one above!”

Playing off the theme ‘love is the key to my heart’, treats include latticed ‘key’ cupcakes and custom wrapped chocolate bars; the lattice pattern is echoed throughout the table in linens and liners. Chic colors include light and bright pinks and pale grey. “I’ve wanted to play with those colors for some time,” Atlas says, “and thought Valentine’s Day would be the perfect holiday to experiment with the palette.”

‘Be Mine’ glasses of strawberry milk set a romantic, nostalgic tone and pink candies in varying shades add a playful mix of tones and textures.

A bubblegum pink macaron tower ties in the entire color palette and adds height and a touch of whimsy to the display (check back for a DIY macaron tower tutorial, coming soon!).

Of course, no Valentine’s is complete without those iconic conversation hearts. Here, Atlas ups the indulgence factor with iced heart cookies proclaiming sentiments like, ‘Be mine’, ‘My Valentine’, and ‘L’Amour’. A ruffled buttercream cake and matching cupcakes on a homemade scalloped stand complete the look: pure love.

Amy Atlas, also known as 'The Sweets Stylist', is a coveted entertaining expert, baking and crafting stylist, and is internationally recognized for creating the stylized dessert bar trend.

“I've always loved Valentine’s Day. Maybe it's the young girl in me who still can't wait for her sweetie to send her flowers or a nice note on that special day,” Amanda says. “Every year I try to do something special with my own kids, whether it’s an elaborate Valentine’s party or just some special crafts. What could be better than celebrating love?”

Amanda's daughters' names both start with the letter 'M', so she decided on M&M Sweet Shoppe as her theme. Her main dessert table featured a mix of homemade and store bought goodies like icing covered cookie sticks, candies, Rice Krispies treats, pudding parfaits, and icing dipped Milano cookies. She also tried her hand at making fondant roses with these beautiful cupcakes and ribbon-wrapped cake.

“Printables are wonderful because you can be so creative with them,” Amanda says.  “My sets come with a wide variety of pieces such as cupcake toppers, candy bar wraps, favor tags, banners, and more. But you can also use the coordinating papers from a collection, almost like scrapbook paper, and create virtually anything you want.”

Want a sweet napkin wrap? Amanda suggests parents cut the printable into a rectangle shape, wrap it around napkins rolled up with utensils inside, and place a 2-inch  party logo on the front. The same can be done for drink wraps, or use them to decorate straws or toothpicks, or for a fun embellishment on bite-sized party food.

“One of my favorite ideas is to take the coordinating papers and wrap them around Dollar Tree cardboard favor boxes and fill them with party foods, such as popcorn or snack mix,” Amanda says. "These make a fabulous addition to any dessert table and are wonderful little individual sized containers that are easy for guests to grab and go.” Click here to shop Valentine's Sweet Shoppe printables.

Aphrodisiacs (the term is derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality) are longtime believed to stimulate romance and heighten sexual desire.Some are delivered in hormones, like testosterone and melatonin, but the most delectable aphrodisiacs come in the form of foods.

Bivalves, asparagus spears, and chocolate are among the items most famously lauded for their enhanced effect on paramours. Here are three recipes which play on those amorous ingredients, courtesy of D-vine Bistro & Wine Bar.

Scallop Canapés with Caviar
As legend has it, Aphrodite was carried to earth in the shell of a scallop. Bivalves, like oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops, have been believed to have aphrodisiac qualities since the time of ancient Greece. Here they are served on toasted baguette and topped with luxurious caviar.

Ingredients:
12 toasted 1-inch baguette rounds
Chive mayonnaise
12 cooked u-10 sized scallops
12 teaspoons of Beluga or good Russian caviar
Frisee leaves for garnish

Instructions:
1. Spread the toasted bread rounds with chive mayonnaise.
2. Place scallops atop bread rounds.
3. Top with caviar and garnish with frisee.

Chilled Asparagus with Dijon Sherry Vinaigrette
Many aphrodisiacs have gained their reputation as a stimulant due to their similarity in shape or appearance to erogenous zones. Asparagus, however, is also rich in vitamin E – a vitamin necessary for a healthy libido. We suggest you forego the fork here; fingers are the perfect implement for nibbling on these spears.

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus
½ clove garlic
1 shallot
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tablespoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 roasted red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips.

Instructions:
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. Trim asparagus and place in boiling water until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain immediately and shock in ice bath for 5 minutes to stop cooking.
3. Using a food processor or blender, puree garlic, shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard. Slowly add olive oil and grape seed oil. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain asparagus and dry on paper towels. Serve on a plate with bell pepper strips, drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Ghiradelli Chocolate Cobbler
Chocolate is the quintessential lovers’ treat and contains a stimulant called phenethlylamine, considered by some scientists to be the ‘love chemical’. This dessert is indulgent; make sure to indulge the mood by spoon feeding your lover.
Ingredients:
8 whole eggs
1 pound butter
1 pound Ghiradelli chocolate chips
4 cups white sugar
12 ounces all-purpose flour

Instructions:
1. Melt butter and chocolate in microwave or on the stove. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar to velvety ribbons.
3. Temper chocolate and eggs, then slowly whisk in flour a few ounces at time.
4. Butter eight 6-oz ramekins and pour chocolate mixture into individual ramekins.
5. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in preheated oven fro 30-35 minutes.
6. When finished, let cool, then top with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel or fresh berries.
We highly suggest you add your own atmospheric ingredients to the recipe for romance. Try a dose of candlelight, one to two hours of soft music, a bottle of wine, and a generous pinch of whimsy.