Parties | Baked by Rachel

Berry Parfait

Posted by Rachel | Posted on 30-06-2011

Tags: 4th of July, blueberries, dessert, fruit, Patriotic, raspberries, strawberries, Summer

Not too long ago I spotted strawberries in the store and simply couldn’t resist. Figuring that strawberries and blueberries would make a nice dessert or snack together, I picked up a package of blueberries too. I love the simple but delicious flavors in this. The colors make it perfect for any patriotic gathering and the simplicity of it makes it perfect for anyone to throw together last minute. Of course I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to share this with others. It’s really hard sharing yummy fruit. We’re big strawberry fans in this house, they disappear shockingly fast. Continue Reading

A Holiday Recap

Posted by Rachel | Posted on 18-12-2010

Category : Parties

Tags: apples, breakfast, chocolate, Christmas, cinnamon, cookie, cranberries, cupcake, frosting, oranges, peppermint, potatoes, slow cooker, Winter

Are you still looking for some ideas to make for Christmas? It’s less than a week away! Maybe you have a handful of items ready to go or maybe you’re one of those people who hasn’t even started planning what to make yet. It’s okay! There is still time to make some really delicious treats. I promise. If you have a few hours to spare over the next week, you can absolutely have some amazing items to share with family and friends.

I had so many ideas to bake and share but when it came down to it, I just couldn’t bake and eat that much. No, as a food blogger I generally don’t eat 100% of what I make. A lot is shared with family and friends or the Mr brings some to work. Often times I cut the recipes way down so we don’t have a ton of leftovers. Even so, baking several dessert type items a week for both November and December can be very daunting. I simply do not want that many sweets in the house. On the up side, this means plenty of ideas to reserve for next year. Continue Reading

A Mexican Themed Birthday

Posted by Rachel | Posted on 08-09-2010

Category : Main dish, Parties

Tags: beef, beer, cheese, chicken, chocolate, cookie, liquor, vegetarian

We had a Mexican themed birthday party over the summer for Josh. Outside of all of the prep work and cooking needed for the day, it was fun, relaxing and totally tasty. I went with a Mexican theme because it was different. I was tired of the same old burger and dog parties. Don’t get me wrong, they’re okay and are an absolute staple of summer grilling. I just wanted to do something different and who doesn’t love all of the options Mexican food offers.

Most everything was a first for me to make, outside of the taco meat options. I know I said this already but it was fun. I like trying new recipes and couldn’t get over how easy each item was to make. It was a bit hectic the last hour before the party because I was running around fixing together several things. You can’t always prepare everything ahead. In the future I may try to whip things up earlier and then just pop them in the oven to reheat quickly. It’d be far easier and less stressful. Continue Reading

Butterfly Cupcakes

Posted by Rachel | Posted on 06-08-2010

Category : Cupcakes & Cakes, Other desserts, Parties

Tags: chocolate, cupcake

In my trials for the perfect third birthday cake or cupcakes I tried and fell in love with the butterfly design. It only took several trials to get to that design but was worth it in the end. It was cute, fun and tasty. That is of course as long as you love chocolate. I know very few people who don’t, so these were a safe bet.

Creating the butterflies can be somewhat time consuming. I chose to make the butterfly parts ahead of time which cut down on the stress of the project. Pipe, swirl, dry and carefully toss in an airtight container for later. I would only recommend doing it this way. If you try to make the butterflies, cupcakes and frosting in one big baking frenzy you may go crazy. A tip, always make more than you need. Sometimes wings will break. More likely to break are the antennae. This is even after you’ve fully assembled the butterflies. Chocolate is fragile. So more is definitely better. Continue Reading

Berry Parfait

A Holiday Recap

A Mexican Themed Birthday

Butterfly Cupcakes

Cake Trials and a Decision