Monday, February 29, 2016

Pink and Gold Blinged Strawberries


Blush pink and gold are hot, hot, hot 
for weddings this year.  Isn't it fun to 
see gold come back in fashion, design and
even food?


I gave a shower for my niece who is
getting married in March.  Her colors
are blush pink and gold so I had a lot
of fun with the table and the food.  I
will show you the table in my next post,
but I wanted to start with these gorgeous
strawberries.

Pink and Gold Blinged Stawberries

1 1/2 C. white chocolate discs (or use all pink discs)
3-4 red chocolate discs
1 quart strawberries, wiped clean with damp cloth, then dried
Gold dust, decorating sugar, dragees and edible gold spray

Place the discs in a microwave safe bowl.
Heat on high for 30 seconds and stir, whether
it looks like it needs it or not.  You don't want the
chocolate to scorch.  Stir and melt again for 30 seconds.
Continue to do this until there are just a few lumps, then
stir until the lumps are gone

Place a piece of parchment paper on a pan.  Dip the dried
strawberries one at a time into the chocolate, letting them
drip a little.  Carefully place on the parchment pan so that
you don't have a lot of excess chocolate under the berry - a
skirt.  Continue until you have coated about 30 berries.
They should be dry by now.

Place some of the remaining chocolate in a pastry
bag and just barely snip the end off.  Drizzle some
pink chocolate back and forth across the berry, one
at a time.  Then sprinkle the desired decoration on
the berry.  I do this over a plate for each different
sprinkle so that I can save any excess and place
it back in the container.  

Let cool and set up in the fridge, at least
15 minutes.  Serve the same day you make them.
and 


They were perfect for our table.


Here is a sneak peak, but you are going to have to wait
to see the rest of it.   I think she was blown away!



Hugs and Kisses until then!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you return often to
Purple Chocolat Home!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Love Post from Hubby - Happy Valentine's Day

A Valentine Post from my dear husband.

He has totally embraced blogging - his is
just personal, and sent to family and friends
through texting.  I had to share his "post"
that he sent to me and the kids this morning.


Seven reasons you are my Valentine.


#1  You started dreaming with me, and you have never stopped.  
You have given me wings to fly.


#2  You became my teacher and you have taught me
everything, and I love you for that.


#3  You always wanted to be a mom, have a family
and spend time together.


#4  Your heart has always been true blue and
faithful to living the gospel, and you taught me to serve.


#5  You have said in word and deed... "Entreat me not to leave
thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou
goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge."


#6  You are the music of my life, spiritually,
mentally, physically, in every way.


#7  You are beautiful, you always turn my head and I feel
like I can fly when I am next to you.


P.S.  I love you, and that means forever.....


Be my Valentine with a golden Kiss.....


Or kisses!

What a romantic, and how beautiful that he 
would share it with our children!

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with
giving and receiving love!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Birthday, Birthweek, Birthmonth - Birthday Table


Now this is a table for a queen, or at least
I was treated like one!  

You may remember that over a year ago, I was invited
to join a crafting group after we did a Christmas 
Home Tour.  Since then we have also added in
celebrating everyone's birthdays, and since I always
choose to run away someplace warm for my birthday,
and the other ladies have busy, busy schedules too,
this week we finally got together to celebrate
my birthday.  I love extending it, now it has to become
my birthday, birthweek, birthmonth and BEYOND!

The birthday girl always gets this huge crown on her plate.

I am happy to accept celebrations long past the day!!
As I get older, there is so much more to celebrate and
each year is a blessing.


Since it is winter and we can't enjoy Joanne's back yard,
she and Laura put together this royal table at Laura's house
where Laura said she had to get a new dining table and
chairs.  In over 25 years, she said she never had a real
dining table.  Glad I could be her excuse!!! Haha!!

Joanne is magical at festooning everything, even the
window is draped.  


The chairs were also decked out for royalty.  
What a beautiful setting.  


They wouldn't let me go into
the dining room until it was all ready.


The table was done in golds with pink and vintage 
Valentine's accents.


This time, each plate had a crown atop it.

The stack started with Joanne's aunt's scalloped
gold rimmed plate.  They are so beautiful.  She found
the other plates in the stack at thrift shops.  They said they
were glad that I was fancy (think Fancy Nancy), so that
they could do this elegant table in gold.

I don't know why they would say that - haha!!


Each place setting had vintage Valentine's cards too.




A vintage Valentine cookie tops this clear plate, under
which was another vintage Valentine, dated from 1906.

The cookies were made by the beautiful and talented
Amy at _thebakeaholic on Instagram.

Her cookies literally melt in your mouth.


Each of us had a different one.  Some said they were 
too pretty to eat, but you know me, I didn't have any problem 
eating them!  They were fantastic.


The beautiful pink for Valentine's Day was
carried out in the glasses and the raspberry lemonade.



I loved Laura's fun gold flatware, where every
item was a different pattern.


This cherub is eyeing a delicious Shirley's roll - 
a local bakery here.


We each received a Valentine's Day bottle brush tree to
take home with us.



Laura had a virtual forest of the beautiful bottle brush trees,
on her tall buffet,
 that she had made.  Aren't the colors just beautiful?

Click here for a tutorial on how to make those.

I wouldn't have even though to make them for 
Valentine's Day and they are stunning!  
I want a forest of them too.
  

What a lucky birthday girl to be treated like royalty
with friends who all brought dishes for the dinner.
We had Brie en Croute, Pickled Asparagus wrapped
in Ham and Cream Cheese, Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad,
Herb Crusted Chicken Breast, with Broccolini, and
Gruyere Potatoes.


But the piece de resistance was this gorgeous
gold encrusted birthday cake.  Also made
by Amy Perkins.


It was a Raspberry Cheesecake Cake.  It featured
a layer of cheesecake flavored cake, a layer of crunchy
graham cracker, a layer of cheesecake filling, a layer
of raspberry frosting, repeat and repeat!! 

Wow - what a flavor explosion.  
I have never been so amazed by a cake as I
was by this.  And lucky me, I got to take
some home.


With friends like this, getting older is easy!



I will be sharing this royal table with


















Monday, February 8, 2016

Hundreds of French Macarons - a Valentine's Cooking Class at Purple Chocolat Home


I wanted to share my 
French Macaron Cooking Class
held in my home.


If you are unsure about how to make them,
just prepare for a class of 20 plus people!!
Haha!!

I was in a panic, as I had successfully made
them before, but of course if you are going
to teach, everything is going to go wrong,
right?




The class was advertised on Instagram
and in less than a day, we had more than our 20 
spots full.

My oldest granddaughter is on a competition 
cheer team and they are competing in
March in LA.  My daughter and I were talking
of making and selling French Macarons to
friends and neighbors as a fund raiser, but we
ended up deciding to host a cooking class as
a fund raiser.


We literally made hundreds, so that each person could
have a box to take home.


We also filled the kitchen with them as 
part of the Valentine's Day decor.


We even included how to add a touch of
real, edible gold.




The furniture was taken out of the living room so that
each participant could have a seat and decorate their
own macarons.












Each place setting had a beautiful Macaron box,
a paint brush, a paper plate, and access to
the plate of decor items.



The demonstration part of the class took place 
in the kitchen,


After demonstrating the technique, everyone had
a turn to give it a try.
The macaron silicone mat can be purchased







Then we moved into the living room 
to the table set up for 22 to begin
decorating. 

Our little cheer competitor stands at the head of the work
table, decorating her own macarons.

She also handed out prizes, as we had
drawings throughout the night including
a digital scale, a candy thermometer, piping
bags and tips, and other fun Valentine's related
items.  Over half the people received a prize.

Everyone decorated and ate and had a great time.

They each went home with a fancy box
 of six beautiful macarons.
To purchase the boxes click here.

(Screen from Home Goods - 3 years ago.)

The class was a huge success and a fun evening
to get together, learn, eat and socialize.

We already have requests for more classes.



We showcased the piece de resistance,
and the last four, (who stayed
for the final clean up) got to eat it.  I am definitely
making these for a party dessert in the
future.

I will post this table with

Follow me on Instagram