Christmas 2019 Neighbor Gifts

December 10, 2019 Arielle

For years I would spend a whole day in the kitchen making and assembling cookie plates for all my neighbors and friends for Christmas, and I’m pretty sure the majority of sweets get tossed because there is so much abundance! While I love a delicious cookie plate, I've really tried to do different gifts that others can use and love!

This year I added a store bought aspect, while also added a homemade touch.

I got the idea for this years gift one day at Walmart when I found these cute tags, “We Whisk you a Merry Christmas!” I immediately thought of hot chocolate and how cute it would be to pair a little whisk with it.

Add In some homemade marshmallows and cute packaging and you’ve got a unique neighbor gift!

Homemade Marshmallows

I’ve been making homemade marshmallows for years, and although it sounds intimidating, it’s honestly shockingly easy!

There are so many recipe on the web, but the recipe I used this Christmas was from Food with Family!

Click here for recipe

List of supplies

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The links above are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting The Diva Dish!

Pinkalicious Cupcakes

March 22, 2019 Arielle

Raising three daughters means that the book Pinkalicious has definitely made it’s way into our home and hearts for many years. There have been talks and talks about making Pinkalicious cupcakes, and finally the girls and I decided to do it!

If you’ve read the book, you know the main character eats a ton of pink cupcakes, therefore turning pink.

SO while this was a super fun activity to do with the girls, I had to convince them 72 times they were not turning pink. It didn’t matter because I continually heard random squeals from the bathroom every so often saying, “MOM! COME HERE I’M PINK!”

Either way, this was so worth it! It’s always fun to see things come to life from movies and books. I’ve written out the instructions below, I promise anyone can do it! To make it super easy, just use store bought frosting and store bought cake mix…

You will still get the same deliciousness in the end.

Although, I can’t guarantee whether or not it will turn your skin pink! ;)

Pinkalicious Cupcakes

**This cake can be made 1 of 2 ways. You can either:

Use a boxed strawberry cake and strawberry frosting mix

-1 box strawberry cake mix

-2 tubs strawberry frosting

OR

Homemade

-I used THIS Strawberry Cake recipe, just be sure to use more pink food coloring.

-I used THIS Strawberry Frosting recipe, just be sure to use more pink food coloring.

**Ingredients For Decorating

Pink cupcake wrappers

1 bag pink candy melts

pink food coloring

white pearl sprinkles

maraschino cherries, drained and drying on a paper towel

**Instructions for Decorating

Once the cupcakes are made and cooled, using a frosting tip of choice, swirl frosting on top of the cupcake to make a mound. {Pictured above.}
Next using a serrated spatula, smooth out the frosting making a smooth mound. {Pictured above.}
Melt the pink candy melts in a deep bowl until melted, in 30 second increments in the microwave.
Dip the top of the cupcake into the melted candy.
Sprinkle a few white pearls on top and then top with a cherry.
In a small bowl, portion about 1/2 cup frosting and dye it dark pink.
Put the dark pink frosting into a frosting bag fitted with a #3 tip. Pipe a swirl around the cupcake. {Pictured above.}
Enjoy! {While reading Pinkalicious!}

shop this recipe

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Pirate & Pixie Birthday Party

September 25, 2014 Arielle

My plan was to have this post up two weeks ago... But if you follow me on social media, you know that we just bought a house (WOO HOO!), but we had two weeks to be out of our rental and move and clean everything (Boo!!).

This year for the girl's birthday I really wanted to keep it simple, unlike THIS one...or THIS one...or THIS one...

But I have this problem where I like to plan parties for little kids who won't remember it and spend a lot of money and make it cute...I blame pinterest. So this year I halved-it. I did some cute decor, a few games, but I still kept it simple and had the party at the park and let the kids run wild on the play ground.

I have to say, it felt good to take it easy and not put TOO much stress into it! I think next year will be even more relaxed!

After all...I should save my stress (and money) for the three weddings I'll have to plan in the years down the road right??

The girls really wanted a Tinkerbell Party this year, but they have a lot of boy friends and I figured fairy wings and wands weren't really up their ally. So we changed it to Pirate and Pixie! I loved this theme so much, you really could have so much fun with it!

Pirate & Pixie Party-The Diva Dish, http://thediva-dish.com

Here are some party details:

Food: (We had a lot of adults/family too!)

Pirate Booty

Berries

Orange 'pirate boats' (Saw this on pinterest too! Not sure where it originally came from though.)

Garden Salad-Kale salad from Costco, which is my FAVORITE!

Berry Marshmallows in cups

Pizza

Tinkerbell cupcakes- I used my Cricut machine to cut flowers and designs for the toppings

Pirate Cupcakes

Decorations:

Fans/Lanterns (Minted.com)

Utensils/Straws/Plates/Napkins etc. (Partypail.com)

Games:

Walk the plank

Pirate Hook Ring Toss (Not sure where this idea came from, but it's all over pinterest)

Piñata

Playing at the park

I just love being a mommy to my two darling baby girls, and every year I get a little sad that they are growing up! So grateful to have them in my life!

Thanks again for your patience friends! Love you all so much!

Mother's Day Menu: Just Desserts

May 8, 2014 Arielle

There was a time a few years ago where I wanted to open a restaurant dedicated to just chocolate & desserts. A place where you could order the best chocolate cake with rich chocolate ganache frosting, or a decadent chocolate fudge filled brownie with warm ice cream and hot fudge sauce... And when you left said restaurant, it would be similar to a scene from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. No, you wouldn't get a dip in a chocolate waterfall/lake, although that would be fantastic. Instead, you'd need to be rolled out of the restaurant like a large blueberry.

Sounds incredible right?

This Mother's Day, I decided to put together something that would speak directly to my love language. Food & chocolate. (Another love language of mine is a day at the spa, a nap with my sleeping babies, a new wardrobe, a facial, a haircut, time to shave my legs, a bubble bath in a clean bathtub, new shoes, eyebrow wax, and a nap. Did I say that already?)

Mother's Day Menu: Just Desserts via http://thediva-dish.com

On The Menu:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Frosting

Dark Chocolate Ganache Covered Frosting

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunk Crispy Bars

Rich Chocolate Truffles

So this Mother's Day, do those woman in your life a favor. Screw a nice candle light steak dinner. Send her straight to a table full of chocolate.

Trust me.

1 million points for you!

(P.S. All of the recipes for the desserts will be up on the blog in the next few days!)

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A special thanks to Party Pail for sending me such adorable party accessories to make this Mother's Day Dessert Party perfect! The table cloth, napkins, straws, streamers, and plates were all from Party Pail!

Pink Princess Party Part 2-The who, what, when, where, and how-to

August 19, 2013 Arielle

As promised I gathered all the how-to info from the girls Pink Princess Party! I will start off by saying I am a hoarder...I love to go thrift store shopping, and a lot of times I buy a lot of crap for no reason what so ever. BUT when a party rolls around I am able to put all the crap to use :). So I would say 90% of the stuff I used for the party was bought either at a thrift store or on clearance! Otherwise my kids would be eating canned beans for the next 6 months due to party expenses... :)

I think it goes with out saying that my goal for this party was to make it pink PiNk PINK! That was including the food :)!

So here it is! If there is anything I missed or anything you would like to know just comment below or email me! :)

Sweet Pea's Frilly Dress: I found this at a kids boutique in Las Vegas // Boo's Lace Dress // Matching Headbands

A lot of my decorations were either re-used from last years birthday, OR I bought them on clearance or at thrift stores. For example, the pink crystal circles in the vases were only 50 cents on clearance at Hobby Lobby :). The sticks were a house decor item that was in my garage not being used. I spray painted them pink and used them for the center pieces.

I also used $1 store table clothes and draped them from the ceiling. Note: if you use a staple gun...it will make holes! ;)

The chandeliers were made from lampshade that I bought at the thrift store. You just take off the fabric from the lampshade, and wrap ribbon around the wires.

I also tied beads that I stranded, ribbon, and tulle bows.

These candy filled jars I originally saw on Pink Pistachio. I of coarse gave them a pink makeover! :) I used old baby food jars that I had been saving, spray painted the lids pink, and glued silver crowns on top.// Silver Crowns from Party City.

The pink drink table was thrifted, and I seriously contemplated whether or not to paint it because I loved the original! We spray painted it pink and my mom dressed it up in fancy tulle!

The mason jar cups were tied with a piece of tulle and a strip of burlap. We then made tags to go along with it.

Princess Crown Stamps // White Tags // Pink Stripped Straws (I found them at marshalls, 100 for $5!)

Cinderella Stamp // Princess Cookie Cutters

Princess Cake Mold //

Princess Wands from the $1 store // Fruit Princess Wands

Strawberry Basil Chicken Salad: I didn't really measure but I added chicken, strawberries, dried cranberries, grapes, chopped basil, and strawberry puree to make the dressing pink. I also added mayo and a little honey and dijon.

Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Wood boards from Michaels // Paint Pen from Michaels // Wood Stain from Home Depot // Yard Sticks from Home Depot

I think my princesses, included me, are all partied out for a while! Maybe when they are 16 right?? :) I have to give a special thanks to my wonderful family that helped a lot, especially taking care of the kids while I turned my parents house into party central. And I'm sorry dad that I used a staple gun in your walls to hang almost everything. I'm such an awesome daughter... :)

Now...Let's get back to some healthy living shall we??

Pink Princess Party!!

August 12, 2013 Arielle

Time truly has gone by too fast and I now have precious 1 AND 3 year old little girls! I'm blessed beyond measure, and I love spoiling my girls in every way! This years birthday was all about the color pink and princesses. My oldest is obsessed, (to say the least) with princesses, and she had been asking for a princess party for months. So I did my best to create any princesses dream party...I may have gone overboard...and next year's party will probably be at chuckie-cheese...

But in the end it was all worth it! And now I hope you are ready for a photo dump of pictures!

(I also plan on doing a part 2 of this party with all the food recipes, and some how-to info on some of the decorations! So for now, just enjoy the pictures! :) )

Pink Princess Party from thediva-dish.com

Pink Princess Party from thediva-dish.com

Easy Simple Salmon

November 5, 2012 Arielle

For as long as I can remember, I've never been a fan of eating fish.

Between the smell, the scales, and it's oogly eyes....no way. Not happening.

I remember growing up my mom would make it occasionally, and each time I would SWEAR that the whole house smelled like a fishy ocean...I'd then proceed to whine and complain, while throwing myself on the couch in agony...Poor little me.

Nothing really changed until I went on a 6 week study abroad program through Central America, and a lot of times we had to eat the food we were given. I remember one night we ate at a little restaurant in Guatemala and our whole class was being served Salmon.

Obviously I wasn't thrilled that I had to eat it, but when my plate arrived I was pretty shocked.

My salmon was drenched in some sort of sauce that looked like gravy, and then there was a handful of fresh lemons on my plate. I proceeded to squeeze juice on the Salmon and take a bite...

I died.

I don't know exactly what that sauce was made of, but I have an idea it rhymes with nutter. All I can say is that it tasted like Christmas morning and Paula Deen was in the kitchen melting butter.

Some day I'll recreate that salmon...As soon as I figure out how to make a pound of butter healthier...

For now though I've learned to stomach salmon, just as long as it falls under certain guidlines.

It HAS to be fresh. The fresher it is, the less fishy it taste. It also has to have a little flavor. I know some people can eat it with just a squeeze of lemon, but like I said before...Not happenin'.

Ingredients:

Filet of Salmon

melted coconut oil

salt

pepper

lemons

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil, and place salmon fillets on the dish. Coat salmon with melted coconut oil, just until fully coated. (Not too much oil.) Then liberally salt and pepper salmon. (Can do both sides if the other side isn't skin, otherwise you don't have to coat skin. Also, have salmon be skin side down.)

2. Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until salmon is light pink and flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top and serve.

We ate it over caramelized brussel sprouts and brown rice!

Of coarse Boo didn't touch the sprouts, but she did eat the Salmon.

I told her it was pink chicken...

Best mom advice like ever.. :)

Oh, and I never shared our Halloween costumes that we had this year! If you can guess what I am, I would be So surprised!

I am not a hooker...

My husband was that one guy...from LMFAO...

And no I'm not a clown hooker...wrong again. I'll give you a clue:

Kay-dollar sign-Ha.

Boo was an owl, and she was sooo excited to flap her little wings! Except, I don't think she is going to be excited about this picture come 15 years...Her dad=wanna be gangsta=wanna be cool=totally not.

And Sweet Pea was a freaked out Pumpkin...

Ok now onto the month of November, which came out of no where!!

Who is ready for Christmas?

Homemade Pumpkin Puree + Video Tutorial

October 16, 2012 Arielle

So here's the deal.

Pumpkin season is like a food bloggers Christmas...Am I right?

We load up on canned pumpkin, bake muffins, pies, cookies, pasta dishes etc.

We freakin' love it.

Then the other day at Costco when I was considering buying the 90 oz. of canned pumpkin puree they were selling, I realized that the pumpkin in the can obviously wasn't fresh. And who knows how long it had been sitting in those cans.

More importantly I was planning on loading up on the puree for baby food in the future, but then I realized that was definitely not ok...

Canned pumpkin puree is great ... But fresh pumpkin puree that's in season...

It's phenomenal. I mean, it's practically a different color than the canned puree. That right there should say something.

So for those of you interested in how to make your own puree, whether your going to cook with it or feed it to your baby, here is a simple how to.

And if the pictures aren't enough, I put together an incredibly embarrassing video tutorial for you to see.

Merry Christmas.

First your going to start with a small pumpkin. I believe they are called sugar pumpkins, but I really don't know. Neither did the guy working in the produce section...So it's all good.

Just make sure they aren't the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins.

After you have washed the pumpkins, cut the stems off the pumpkins.

My knife is about as sharp as a butter knife, so this counted as an arm workout for me.

Then cut the pumpkins in half.

Next your going to scoop out the seeds, or as Baby Boo calls it, the yucky stuff...

Save the seeds people...save the seeds.

Roast them, and then coat them in chocolate. Then buy me a diamond ring because after that you will love me forever.

Next preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pumpkins face down, or face up, on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 45 min to an hour...or until the pumpkins are soft and you can poke them with a fork.

They will brown and the skins will shrivel a little when they are done!

Using a spoon or your hands, peel off the skins.

Discard the skins and add the rest of the pumpkin into a blender or food processor and process until creamy.

Note #1: Some pumpkins are more dry then others. Don't worry, this is perfectly normal. Just add a few TB of water until you reach the desired consistency!

Note #2: Some pumpkins are more mushy than others and when blended into a puree it might seem TOO watery. Don't worry, this is normal too! :) Just strain puree through a cheesecloth!

Store in the fridge for about a week, or store in the freezer for 6 to 8 months!! Just add about 1 c. of the puree to a plastic bag and flatten it out and lay it flat in the freezer!

Perfect for baby food!

Check out the wacky video to go along with it:

And don't you worry my little pumpkins, I've got pumpkin recipes coming up to go along with this puree!

But in case you can't wait, here is a favorite one from last year!

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

Be back soon for more pumpkin madness!

Sweet Pea

August 16, 2012 Arielle

Never in my life would I imagine feeling the overwhelming love that I feel now.

I've been blessed in such a tremendous way to be the mother to now TWO precious Daughters of God.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, 40 weeks and 5 days to be exact, the day finally arrived where Sweet Pea came into this world.

After thinking the day would never come, we decided to take a weekend trip up to my parents house and relax. And of coarse when one finally let's go and realizes it's probably not going to happen when wanted....It happens.

So at 6:50 A.M. when my water broke we knew that our plans were going out the window and we were going to have this baby...Even if it wasn't in the place we had originally planned.

It was a fairly difficult labor, but luckily it only lasted 10 hours with about 15 minutes of pushing. (Boo was 20 hours of labor and 1 1/2 hours pushing...)

After a few hours of my labor not progressing, they decided to put my on pitocin to see if that would get things moving along. After a few doses of pitocin, we soon realized my body, and Sweet Pea, wanted nothing to do with the medicine. My blood pressure was dropping all the time, and my heart rate was fluctuating uncontrollably. Nothing about me was stabilizing. Then Sweet Pea's heart rate started to drop, so we decided it was best to turn off the medicine to see what happened.

Within minutes my body kicked in, everything stabilized, and I began to progress perfectly.

Only thing was now the epidural wasn't working.

I applaud any mom willing to do the birth the natural way. As for me, I would prefer no pain whatsoever.

But my body had a different plan for me, and rejected practically every form of medicine. So with each contraction becoming closer together, I would try and breath my way through it...Only instead I would cry through each one. I'll never forget that pain...

And if I do remind me before I think of having more kids...

Then the time came to push, which went rather quick. When she came out the umbilical cord was wrapped around her and her neck several times and she was blue. They took her away quickly, and for a few minutes I was freaking out. But soon enough she was in my arms, nice and pink! :)

I'll never forget seeing Boo 's face when she came into see Sweet Pea. Having our little family together felt so complete and wonderful. I truly am the luckiest wife and mama out there!

Over the past few days our little family's life has changed dramatically. We all have lost sleep and are going stir crazy, but never before in my life have I felt this happy. The spirit in our home is so strong and happy I truly feel blessed.

Boo is adjusting as expected. She loves her baby sister so much, but I can tell it's difficult for her. We've been told to leave her alone and go away, followed by a door slam, for the past couple of days. I know it will get better, and I look forward to the day when I can hear them laughing together.

For now I am perfectly fine watching Boo give Sweet Pea multiples love hugs and kisses!

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am so glad to finally be holding you in my arms! You are precious in every way, and I can tell you will have a very sweet and loving personality. Thanks for making our family complete and bringing lots of love into our little family.

I Love You! xoxo-

Mommy

Thank You for all your sweet comments, tweets, etc. on Sweet Pea! I have the greatest and most supporting readers!

( Also a special thanks to certain readers out there who helped me pick the name Sweet Pea for our little gals blog name!)

Be back soon with some food!! :-)

Minnie Mouse 2nd Birthday!!

July 23, 2012 Arielle

In a few weeks my sweet baby girl turns TWO and I cannot believe it! She has grown up faster than I can imagine, and has turned into one sweet and sassy little princess!

We figured it was best to celebrate her birthday early, since we don't know when Baby #2 will decide to show up, and oddly enough, my two sweet chickpeas may end up sharing the same birthday!! That being said, we wanted to make this birthday extra special, and all about Boo. That means tons of sweets, lots of Minnie Mouse, a bounce house, friends, family, and...did I mention tons of sweets? :-)

Take a look at the amazing fun filled day we had in celebrating out precious little girl!

(Food not pictured: Build you own sandwich bar, pasta salad, chips, hummus, and dip.)

Everything was practically hand made at this party, and took WEEKS to prepare for! (This includes the Pinata, which took the LONGEST time of all! Next time...I'm buying one lol!) I spent a lot of nap time hours hot glueing, taping, and cutting to make everything polka dot/Minnie Mouse approved! :)

It was such an amazing experience, and I loved spoiling and showering my little angel with lots of love! Even though by the end of it she was a little tired and cranky, it was such a fun filled day!

(Binky in mouth+tired eyes=Boo needs a nap)

Happy Birthday Baby Boo!! Thank you for making the past two years of my life the best I've ever experienced! You are truly a blessing, and keep me smiling every single day! I LOVE you!

Zucchini Bread

July 17, 2012 Arielle

It's been a while since I've spent some good quality time in my kitchen, especially to bake something.

The farther along I am in this pregnancy, I find my self bending and moaning with every cramp and movement of my VERY wiggly chickpea. Not to mention, I have to stand sideways at the counter since my belly gets in they way.

Standing sideways=Awkward position=Knocking things over=Swearing in front of your two your old..

And we all know how that turns out...

Recently I've had a hankering to make some sort of sweet bread to have on hand for breakfast/snacks. I've been there done that with banana bread, and wanted to share my favorite recipe for zucchini bread.

I love adding shredded veggies into breads (like zucchini, carrots, squash etc.) because not only does it add a healthy does of veggies and their nutrients, but it also brings about a moistness to bread that I LOVE.

Top that off with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and a healthy spread of nut butter and you have a pregnant lady's best friend!

Zucchini Bread

adapted from Baby Cakes

Ingredients:

2 c. spelt flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/2 c.coconut oil (melted/cooled)

3/4 c. non dairy milk (I used canned coconut milk)

1 1/2 TB. vanilla extract

2 c. shredded zucchini

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 325. In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Next whisk in the rest of the ingredients except zucchini and chocolate chips. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate until incorporated.

2. Pour batter into prepared bread pan (I used a 4 mini loaf pan) and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until bread is cooked all the way through. Let sit in pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool. Wait to cut bread until cool.

By cool, I really mean still a little warm. Eating fresh bread warm is way better than eating it when it's 'cool'...Am I right, or am I right? :)

By the look on her face, I'll take that as a HECK yes! :)

Is it a Boy? Girl?

February 20, 2012 Arielle

From the second I laid eyes on my dear Baby Boo, I imagined the fun times that us girls would do.

At just an early age she was covered with bows...

Poofy tutu's and hair flowers that reached to her nose.

Lots of pictures, playing dress up, and even tea parties.

Tons of laughter, hugs, and kisses and singing songs-What a smarty!

Although it's quite fancy that her life is surrounded in pink,

She still finds the time to make our hearts sink.

With cuddles an snuggles up to daddy each night,

He's wrapped around her little finger oh so very tight.

And now, almost two years later we are adding one more.

A sibling for Boo, and more snuggles galore.

We couldn't be happier, whether it's a boy or a girl...

Just as long as it's healthy and falls asleep in a whirl.

Now the day has arrived where we reveal the little one's gender,

And we wanted to announce in a way with much splendor!

I made cupcakes, of coarse, with a secret message inside...

The color in the middle will release joyful cries!

IT'S A GIRL!! IT'S A GIRL!!

Do you know what this means?

More pink bows, more dresses, matching outfits, and ballet...

(Or as the hubby sees it...)

Two weddings, two proms, meeting boyfriends..He better start to pray.

Either way that you see it, it's the greatest blessing non the less.

Are we happy, are we grateful, are we healthy...And the answer is YES!!

Thank you everybody for your sweet e-mails, comments, notes, support, etc!! We appreciate each and everyone of you, and are so glad to share this monumental time in our lives with you!

We can't wait for you to meet Baby Loo!! :-)

Homemade Diva {Ding} Dongs

January 17, 2012 Arielle

So I've got this thing called a butt.

I mean, everyone has them, unless your like my husband, than you have to look real hard for his.

But mine, my butt, is very easy to find. In high school I had nicknames like J-Lo, the white Beyonce, and booty-booty. It's true.

I had this art class, and every time I would walk in front of a boy, all he would say was, "booty-booty-booty-booty." And you can bet your bottom dollar that when, "I Like Big Butts" came on at school dances, my friends would all look at me and say, "Giiiirl, this is your sooooonng!"

And trust me, I hate pant shopping. With every clothing geared toward the skinny jean look, you can bet that I run far far away to the sweats section. Because big baggy sweats are SO much sexier than tight skinny jeans on my big booty...

Ok, so maybe I need a personal stylist...and some help...

You see, with pregnancy, things on your body get bigger...and wider, because a baby needs room to grow. Some days I feel like I need to strap a "wide load" sign on my back side, and other days I feel like eating ding dongs. Either way I see it, watch out...

"Beeeeep...Beeeep...Beeeep."

Let's be honest, whether you eat healthy or not, at some point in mostly everyone's life, they have had a ding dong. I'm brought back to school lunches, where unwrapping a piece of tin foil was never so exciting just knowing there was circle of chocolate covered cream filled cake inside...

Yummm..

But now I'm a little for cautious and know that besides a delicious cake I also get nasty preservatives, unhealthy amounts of fat and sugar, additives, and yucky yucky stuff. This is a problem my friends...because I have been craving ding dongs like my butt depended on it.

Well, it was a problem, but not any more...

Homemade Diva (Ding) Dongs

*Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Delicious*

Ingredients: (For the Cake) (Cake recipe adapted from here!)

1 c. Bob's gluten free flour (or whole wheat pastry for non GF)

1/4 c. cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

1 1/2 TB. cornstarch

1/4 c. melted coconut oil

1/4 c. applesauce (room temperature)

1/2 c. non dairy milk(room temperature)

1/4 c. maple syrup(room temperature)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. dates + 1/4 c. water pureed together to form a paste. (you can do this with a blender or food processor)

Ingredients: (For the Filling)

One can full fat coconut milk, top open and covered with plastic wrap, that has been sitting in the fridge over night

sweetener of choice-maple syrup, stevia, honey, agave, powdered sugar

Ingredients: (For the Coating) (Double amount for thicker coating)

1 -85% cocoa chocolate bar (you can do sweeter if you prefer, but I love dark chocolate) (3.5 ounces) (about 1/2 c. chocolate)

1/8 c. coconut oil

1 TB. sweetener of choice (I used agave) (optional)

Directions: (for the cake)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl, and wet ingredients together in another. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until incorporated. Don't overmix.

2. Spray a cake pan/square pan(8x8) etc. with non stick spray and pour batter into cake pan. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until center comes out clean. *Note: These aren't going to rise super high, so for a higher cake, you can use a smaller pan or use a cupcake muffin pan.)

3. Once cake is done and cooled and released from pan and placed on cookie sheet, use a glass/circle cookie cuter and cut out circles.

What you do with the leftover cake is up to you...Whether you eat it, or...eat it...or eat...It's up to you...

I promise...I won't judge. That would be hypocrytical.

4. Set aside and make filling.

Directions: For the Filling

1. After can of coconut has been sitting in the fridge overnight, remove it. With a spoon, scoop out the full fat cream that thickened overnight and put it in a bowl. Add a few TB. of your sweetener of choice and whisk together. Put back in the fridge while you make the chocolate coating.

Directions: For the Coating:

1. Add your chocolate, oil, and sweetener in a bowl that is sitting over a pot of simmering water. (double broiler.) Continue to stir until melted. Set aside. (You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave.)

Directions: For the assembly:

1. Take your cream filling and put it in a pastry bag fitted with any tip that has a smaller hole. I use this long skinny one that has gotten in a few fights with the garbage disposal.

You can also cut out a center of the ding dong if you would like, if you don't have a tip.

2. With your pastry bag, poke a hole in the cake a squeeze a bunch of cream into the cupcake. Squeeze hard...

I like a lot of cream in the center of my Diva Dong.

You can also poke more than one hole in the cake so filling get's through out the middle.

Be Patient...We are almost done...

Once all the cupcakes are filled, it's time to coat them.

Make sure your chocolate is sitting in a deep bowl so it will be easy to dip them. Simply hold the bottom of the cake with two fingers and dip into the chocolate. Set down and let the chocolate drip down to coat the sides.

It's really messy, and not very pretty. You may have to lick your fingers a few times...darn.

If you feel it isn't coated enough around the bottom, take a spoon or cooking brush and brush some more chocolate coating around the cake.

Set in the fridge for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate set, and then they are ready to eat.

The chocolate will stay hardened after and you won't have to leave it in the refrigerator.

Look at all that creamy yummy goodness....

If I were making these for friends, I might have done a prettier job...But these were for me, my butt, and I...So I didn't care how they looked, just how they tasted...

And I can assure you...They tasted amazing.

And if you have leftover cream filling, well don't be shy...use it up!

Gumpaste 101: Beginners Basics and Cookie Cutter Flowers

October 6, 2011 Arielle

**Excuse the bad pictures :(! I was doing this project at night, and my house lighting is not sexy/flattering at all...**

Frequently my kitchen is a disaster.

I try and blame it on my small apartment kitchen, but let's be honest...

I'm freakin' messy.

I'm a 7 bowls out, 9 different spoons, dirty sticky measuring cups, and flour all over my face kinda girl.

And if you think that's bad, you should see my closet.

Well, no you shouldn't, because you might not want to be my friend.

But one of the biggest messes I make in the kitchen is when I am doing cupcake decorating. Occasionally, I have friends/family on the side that allow me to bake/make/decorate cupcakes for a special occasion.

I've done simple things like baby showers:

To big things like weddings:

I'm no fancy pants, and it's really just a hobby, but I love to do it. One of my favorite things to use is gumpaste.

Gumpaste is basically sugar, and hardens when dry unlike fondant. It doesn't taste good, like fondant, and it's really just for decorations. Primarily, gumpaste can be used for really anything, but it is most often used to make flowers.

Today, I am going to share with you the Beginners of Basic Gumpaste.

Where to start. How it works? and simple cookie cutter flowers.

To start off, you need some gumpaste.

I buy mine pre made from Wilton, because it's just easier that way. You can definitely make it home made if you would like, but it's more work.

To start off, just rip off a piece of gumpaste, and roll it into a ball. Gumpaste get's kind of sticky, so I always have corn starch or powdered sugar near by to rub on my hands.

Next you will need some cookie cutter. ANY cookie cutter will do! If you want to get more into it, you can by really cool cutters online, but they aren't necessary. These are my favorite cutters so far.

They are gerber daisies, and the cutter is called a plunger. The way it cuts, kind of reminds me of a punch card. You can find them online HERE.

Next you will need food coloring.

There are different brands of food coloring, and you can technically use any of them. BUT, I prefer the gel kinds. The ones you get in the grocery store are really watery (those are the ones with the pointy tops to the right of the picture). The gel colorings are really strong, and a little goes a long way.

When it comes to tinting your gumpaste, simple take a toothpick and insert it into the gel. Just barely dab it in, because a little goes a long way.

Then wipe the toothpick onto the gumpaste.

Roll and knead your dough until the color is fully incorporated into the gumpaste. You can add more coloring if desired.

Next, take a cutting board mat and rub down with powdered sugar. (Any mat will do, just make sure it's non stick.) Using a small roller (which you can also pick up at a craft store), roll out your gumpaste to desired thickness.

You want it thin..but not too thin.

Next, take your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes.

Don't worry about all the powdered sugar, you can just brush it off with a little paint brush! :-)

You can also layer flowers, which I think it really pretty, whether it's the same color or different color.

Now, in order for them to have more of a flower shape, instead of being perfectly flat, there are two things I like to do.

One, is using a cotton ball. I just lay the flower over it, and let it dry to that shape.

That little gadget next to the flower helps soften the edges by simply thinning it out, like so:

These tools can be found online, or at a local craft store.

I also love to use recycled egg trays. They are perfect for giving flowers shape!

Once the flowers have dried, which could take up to an hour or two, you can glitterize it!! :-) My favorite part!

I buy some edible glitter dust from a local store, but it can also be found online HERE.

So to prepare your flowers, first layer them by dabbing a bit of water on top of the bottom layer. Then place the top flower directly on top. The water will make it stick.

Then, to glitterize, simply wet the flower (lightly) with a paintbrush dipped in water.

Then dip your paintbrush in the glitter, and coat the flower until you've reached your desired glittery-ness! :-)

(Glittery-ness is now a word.)

You can also put a dot of frosting in the middle, or what I like to do is use little silver sugar balls, (I buy mine locally, but you can buy those HERE online too.).

You just wet the middle, and press them in!

After you have glitterized it, the flower will be sticky because it's wet. Leave it to dry again for a few hours or overnight. You can put it back into it's the egg carton to shape it if you would like. Not the cotton ball because it will stick to it since it's wet!

There ya have it! SO easy! Come back soon to see what these pretty diva's are going on top on! :-)

Vintage Circus First Birthday

August 8, 2011 Arielle

It seems like just yesterday that I was holding my brand new 6 pound baby girl in my arms...

And it's hard to imagine that ONE year has flown by..and I no longer can cuddle with her unless she's asleep..

Now, she is all grown up. Talking non stop, using words like..."Ah..No!" and calling every moving animal, "Dog", but pronounced more in a British accent..Apparently in this past year she has also spent some time over seas.

And then today, as she paraded around church, disrupting the peace with her shiny pink toms and fluffy pink tutu, she started rubbing the older lady sitting next to us smooth shaven legs..up and down..Ooohing and Aaaahhing..

People were staring at me wondering if they had recently seen her on "Toddlers and Tiaras," as I fluffed her ruffles and fixed her abnormally large pink bow, all the while handing her a pink mini purse filled with rings and bracelets...

And I realized that as sad as I am to see her little self turn into this independent little Diva...I couldn't be happier, and more honored to be her Mama. And it was I who was LuCkY to have been given the most BEAUTIFUL, happiest, silliest, and spiciest daughter a Mama could ever ask for. I look forward to cherishing every moment in life with her.

And before you know it, we will both be parading around in Pink tutu's, large bows, and purses filled with diamonds..

Well..maybe only her. I'll be dressed in rags.

Haven't you ever seen Toddlers and Tiaras?

It gets expensive.

So here is to you Baby Boo..

I hope you enjoyed your 1st birthday that you won't remember, but Mama surely will..

But don't worry. I'll remind you every year :)

Vintage Circus Themed 1st Birthday

The Food:

On the menu we had An array of different salads; Green, Pasta, and Fruit. Then we had Chicken Kabobs with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce and Peanut Dipping Sauce, and PB& J sammy's for the kiddos and...me :). We also had a ton of candy, cupcakes, cake ball cones, and a cotton candy machine..

The Decorations:

With the help of Grandmas, we had Banners, and signs painted with pinks and yellows, peanuts, and popcorn boxes, animals, and circus carts, and girly candles!

The Activities:

Although it was only a first birthday, we wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time, adults included. We had face painting, tattoos, cotton candy machine, balloons for kiddos, present opening (this was pure entertainment from Baby Boo) and then the best part..Baby Boo eating her B-day Cake.

Baby Boo needed some help :)

Overall it was a BeAuTiFuL party :) Great time with Great friends, family, yummy food..

and tons of food babies :)

Happy One Year Birthday Baby Boo!!

I love you!

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Welcome to The Diva Dish! My name is Ari and I love Kale Salads and Chocolate Cake. I also love to blog about it...