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Children’s Hospital Table-Top Event at the Ritz Carlton St. Louis

April 22nd, 2014

Each year, an incredible event takes place at the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis.  The Children’s Hospital Table Tops Annual Spring Event.  This stunning event is the most talked about event of the spring with very elaborate table tops created by local designers. Best of all, proceeds benefit the Friends of St. Louis Children’s Hospital Endowment Fund for Camp Rhythm, a summer camp specially designed for children with heart problems.

Here are a few photos from some of my favorite designers who participated this year.  There were a lot more table tops, but these are some of my favorites!!

Mary Tuttle’s – The Art of Living is a stunning store in Chesterfield Commons, which may just be the most amazing experience you will have, shopping for beautiful home decor, flowers, and fine china.  If you are in Chesterfield, make sure to stop by their beautiful store.  Their table-top was a garden theme with a variety of potted flowers and plants.  The Juliska china was a show-stopper!

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The St. Louis Service Bureau – Is a beautiful non-for-profit boutique in Ladue, Missouri that benefits local charities.  If you love unforgettable stationery, unique home decor items, gifts, and jewelry, this store should be on your list to visit!  And the fact that it benefits local charities, is icing on the cake!  Their theme at the Table Top Event was the May Pole.  It was colorful, stylish, and a breath of fresh air!  Just looking at this table makes me happy!  I especially loved the mint julep cups and the long tapered candles.

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Cosmopolitan Events is a St. Louis based special events planning company.  The team at Cosmopolitan Events are incredible at making their clients’ vision a reality! This year, they created a beautiful table with the most stunning color platte.

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Wildflowers, a custom floral designer in St. Louis, created this gorgeous design… need I say more?!  It’s no wonder their  floral masterpieces grace the halls of the St. Louis Art Museum.

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Last, but certainly not least, is Belli Fiori’s wedding jaw-dropper!  The entire design is dripping with opulence!  Orchids, hydrangeas, diamonds… seriously, what else can a girl ask for? Are those sequins on the tablecloth? I’m in LOVE!

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PEEPS … Oh Easter PEEPS!!!!

April 17th, 2014

For some people, when Easter comes, it’s time to dye the eggs!  In our household, it’s time to buy the PEEPS!!  We don’t eat a ton of them, but we LOVE to craft with them!  I have made a lot of fun PEEPS items over the years.  This year, we made a PEEPS bouquet out of sugar that we colored.  The result, was a fun sugar design and a fun PEEPS bouquet.  I demonstrated how to make this bouquet on Better Kansas City, a local TV show.  If you would like to see a step by step tutorial, just go to my VIDEOS page and look for the EASTER PEEPS VIDEO.

 

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Matzo / Matzah Cake

April 14th, 2014

I was inspired by a similar recipe off a Manischewitz Matzah box.  I’m not sure if this is Kosher for Passover, but if you’ve never had Matzah / Matzo before, and you are not keeping kosher, this is a great way to enjoy it! If you need this to be Kosher, I would do a little more research or ask your Rabbi if modifications need to be made. I did read that they sell kosher for Passover caramel, as well as chocolate.  Someone told me that “Kosher” and “Kosher for Passover” may be different.  The Cool Whip tub does have the circle K on it, to say that it’s Kosher, but I don’t know if it’s kosher for Passover.  My goal with this recipe was to have my friends, who are not Jewish, try Matzah / Matzo for the first time, so keeping kosher was not the goal.  I also think this is one of those “surprise” desserts which can be eaten year round and the fact that it is made out of Matzo is the best part!!

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MATZO / MATZAH CAKE

2 pkgs Matzo / Matzah
1 extra large tub – Cool Whip
1 bag of crushed or slivered almonds
1-2 bags dark chocolate bars or chips
1 jar caramel  (you can purchase the kosher variety available on-line)
1 bottle of grape juice or wine

Melt the chocolate bars/chips in a double boiler. In a bowl, empty out some of the melted chocolate and fold in 1/2 the tub of the cool whip. Keep folding until most of the chocolate is mixed in with the cool whip. You can play with the amount of chocolate by your preference. Add more chocolate for a chocolatier taste and less for less chocolate. This process doesn’t create a very smooth spread, but, once you spread it on the matzo and cover it up with another matzo, no one will actually see the cool whip and chocolate spread. Reserve the other 1/2 tub of cool whip for your layering.

Place a pile of matzo in a container and pour wine or grape juice over it. Give it about 15-35 seconds to soak in.

It’s time to layer. Take your matzo (which has been soaking in the wine/grape juice for 15-35 seconds) and spread the chocolate/cool whip frosting on top. Sprinkle some almonds on the frosting. Place another matzo on top and spread just cool whip on it. Take your caramel and pour a few drops on the corners and in the middle of the second layer. Place another matzo on top and repeat with the chocolate cool whip mixture with the almonds. Repeat with the plain cool whip and caramel. Continue with these steps until you have reached your desired height. On the very top matzo, spread just the melted chocolate and top off with a couple of strawberries.

Your last step is to refrigerate the matzo cake for at least 4 hours.  I actually had mine in the refrigerator for 24 hours and it came out great.  In fact, we even ate it 2 days after I made it and it was still delicious!!

For impact, I surrounded my matzo cake with strawberries.  But you can do raspberries, or any fruit!