Bunnies in the Grass Cupcakes

Tomorrow is our big annual

 Easter Egg Hunt

and these Bunny Bum cupcakes

are going to be perfect for the lunch.

Bunny Bottom Cupcakes

Just make your favorite cupcake and your favorite 

white frosting.  

Butter Frosting

1/2 C. softened butter

4 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. almond flavoring

2-3 T. water, milk or cream

(water will give the easiest to use frosting as it

will be a little stiffer, cream will make the softest)

Mix all in a mixing bowl and beat with the

wire whip until smooth and fluffy.  You want

this a little on the stiff side so that you can pipe it

and it will hold its shape.  I choose water when I 

want the frosting to hold its shape better.

Add more or less water as needed depending on

where you live.  We live in the desert west so we often

have to add more liquids to our recipes.

I frosted the tops of the cupcakes and then piped

using Wilton's 233 tip, which looks like grass for

the rabbit fur.  Pipe a little extra for the tail.

For the ears and feet just melt a little white chocolate

(I prefer discs to chips.  I think they melt better and

create a smoother finished product)

and pipe it into oblong shapes for the feet and

long pointed shapes for the ears.  Using a little pink

or red food coloring, color some of the white chocolate

to make the bottoms of their feet and use a toothpick

to make the pads of their feet with the pink.

I made the mistake of doing pink on the 

undersides of the ears, but since they are headed

down into the grass, only the back sides of their

ears should be showing.

Growing up our Easter Bunny always left

 trails of jelly beans and candy 

to help us find the baskets.  Sometimes

the bunny even hopped across our beds - we sure remember

that year.  That tradition continued in our home.

Well, I had better 

hop along

as I have more fun treats to make.

I will be posting this with

Weekend Wrapup

Pink Saturday

Sweets for a Saturday

Seasonal Sunday

Foodie Friday

Country Bunny Tablescape

You know how some books that your mother read to you

as a little child just touch you and stay with you forever?

Well this lovely book

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

by Du Bois Heyward

is one of those books for me.  

We didn't have a copy of it when growing up so when

I started having children of my own I wanted so badly

to own a copy of it.  It took a lot of research as I didn't

quite remember the name.  This last year I gave each

of my children a copy to have for their homes.

This edition came with a little charm on the front

cover that is the Little Gold Shoes.

Today's tablescape is built around the Country Bunny.

It is a story of a common country bunny who has 24 little babies

that she has trained to care for everything in the house.

This bunny with a baby on her shoulder reminds me of this

wonderful mother bunny.

I have filled the table center with bunnies, especially

little baby bunnies to represent the bunnies in the book.

The Country Bunny's desire is to become one of the

Easter bunnies who deliver eggs to the children, so

our cute polka dot egg cups are filled with candy eggs.

Polka dot edged plates in pink and green make up the

place setting today.

The center of the plates feature a cute little country bunny

nestled in spring flowers.

Little square polka dot side dishes have a glittering

egg nestled on them.

Green bubble glasses are at each place setting.

I love these little foil covered bunnies that look like

they are chocolate bunnies ready to unwrap.  This little

baby is trying to pick up an egg that is his size.

This cute baby bunny has wings and sits on a rocker.

Pink and green napkins are layered together to pick up the

colors of the plates.  I think pink and green is such a pretty

color combination.

All kinds of bunnies and eggs fill the table from Mama bunnies

to baby bunnies.

If you haven't read this book, check it out.  Aren't they they

cutest, most well-behaved babies you have ever met?

As she goes to try out to be one of the Easter bunnies she must appear

at the 

Palace of Easter Eggs

before 

Grandfather bunny.

Everyone laughs at her because she is just a little country

bunny not one of the long legged jack rabbits.  She proves to

them that she can be fast and that her little ones can care for the

home because she has trained them so well.

My favorite part of the book is when she tries and tries to reach

this little child who has been sick for over a year.  She fails

time and time again and finally Grandfather bunny appears

to her and makes her his Gold Shoe Easter Bunny and

with the gold shoes she can jump high enough to bring

the little boy his egg.

Mother Cottontail returns home just as dawn breaks to

bring Easter eggs to her children.

 Her home can always be recognized by the little gold shoes 

hanging in her cottage.

I hope you enjoyed 

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes

table with me today.

I will be posting with

Let's Dish

Open House

Tablescapes Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday

Pink Saturday

Seasonal Sunday

Sources

Green and pink plates - Home Goods

Ruffled place mats - Home Goods

Napkins and rings - Home Goods

Green polka dot square plates - Home Goods

Egg cups - local grocery store

Green goblets - Tai Pan

White chargers - Z Gallerie

Bunnies - Home Goods, Tai Pan

Book - Amazon.com

Flatware - Tuesday Morning

Did Someone Say Peeps?

Marshmallow peeps are so cute and come in such 

fun spring colors, but I have to admit that I 

haven't ever loved to eat them.  They are a hit

with the family so I buy them every year.

I saw these white chocolate dipped ones all

over the internet and since they looked so cute

I thought I'd give them a try.

Guess what?  A little dip in white chocolate really takes

the taste of marshmallow peeps over the top.

Yes, I really liked them.  I couldn't stop eating them.

Here they are presented in the baskets I have had for

my children for at least 20 years.  I have no idea where

I found these, but I have carefully protected them

over the years with their delicate wicker ears.

Talk about a fun and easy project to do with the kids.

My daughter and I whipped these up in just minutes.

White Chocolate Dipped Peeps

Melt 2-3 C. white chocolate discs in the microwave 

using a microwave safe dish and stirring every 30 seconds.

If you want to read my tutorial on melting chocolate in

the microwave click here.

Stir until smooth.  Use a kitchen shears to cut the peeps

apart.  Then holding them gently by the heads, dip their

bottoms in the melted white chocolate.  Scrape the excess

chocolate off the bottom and then sprinkle with desired

candy sprinkles or sugars.  Place on a piece of

parchment paper to dry.

They really like a little dressing up too.

Bag them up as little neighbor gifts.

Even if you are not a huge marshmallow peep fan give this a try.

They are cute and delish.

I will be posting these with

Foodie Fridays

Sweets For A Saturday

Glittery Easter Tablescape

Silver glittery Easter Eggs inspired an unusual 

twist on this Easter Tablescape.  

They are hanging from the chandelier,

and are nestled on the table.

Silver and white are thus the color scheme of this 

dressy Easter table.

White and silver always add an elegance and together they

create an unexpected holiday table.

The eggs look so elegant nestled in footed bowls with

Spanish moss tucked in.

Our sweet silver and white bunny looks over the

table with approval.

She just has the cutest face

and she carries her goodies in her glittery Easter basket.

She is standing on a tray that also has a few silvery

glass eggs scattered around it.

These silvery glass eggs were the beginning of this

table as I found them early in the season at

Home Goods.  I don't think I had ever seen silver

Easter eggs before, especially jeweled ones.

More are nestled in the mercury glass urn.  

Don't you just

love the jewel encrusted tops of the eggs.  They 

would be gorgeous hanging on a tree too.

I carried the silver and white theme

through the glasses with

my pewter goblets and my bubble glasses.

Bunny's little Spring sign she carries matches the 

glittery eggs perfectly.  They look like they were made

to go together.

Silver beaded square place mats and fancy silver plated

flatware add to the elegant table.

I created napkin rings out of crystal flowers that I found

and used them with white and silver trimmed napkins.

Are you getting started on Easter?

I hope this unique table inspires you .

We are just beginning to decorate and this table was a great way

to get me going.

Come join Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen for her new

party Let's Dish where she's going to celebrate each week

table and dish related things - (Oh, that just feeds into

my addiction doesn't it!!!!)

I will be celebrating by posting with

Let's Dish

Tablescapes Thursday

Feathered Nest Friday

Open House

Sources:

White plates- Tai Pan

Bubble glasses - Tai Pan

Placemats - Home Goods

Glass eggs - Home Goods

Bunny and glitter eggs - Emporium at Thanksgiving Pt.

Flatware - Horchow

Pewter glasses - gift

Tablecloth - homemade

Napkins - Home Goods

Napkin rings - made from Z Gallerie flowers

Silver salad plates - Z Gallerie

Tray - Tai Pan

Footed bowls - Wal Mart