Bakerella Cake Pop Printables!

Today is a great day!  Bakerella, Queen of Cake Pops, is giving away FREE PRINTABLES!  Check out her website HERE to download one or all 16 templates.  So great!

Thanks Bakerella!!





Check back tomorrow for our Giveaway from Be Sweet Confections!!

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Staying healthy is more than just nutrition and exercise

Staying healthy and living longer doesn’t just mean eating healthy and staying fit. Dr. Howard Frumkin, the Dean of Public Health at the University of Washington, suggests we should create healthier communities to help people stay as self-sufficient as possible.


Everything from housing and parks to transportation systems can be altered to promote a healthier lifestyle. Frumkin explains that by helping the growing elderly population stay healthy, it will positively affect everyone in the community.

Research in Japan showed that the death rate amongst the elderly was significantly lower in neighborhoods with parks, tree-lined streets and green spaces. Similar research in Indiana found that the greener the neighborhood, the slower the weight gain in children who lived there.

Public transportation systems can also be changed, giving the elderly other alternatives when driving is not an option anymore. Decreasing traffic congestion is an obvious advantage to public transportation as well as the health of the entire community.

These factors need to be applied when planning for our future. Considering that almost one-third of the population will be over the age of 55 by the year 2050 (aarp.com), it is imperative that public health management is put into place in all of our communities.

By Dr. Kathy Johnson
From Home Care Blog

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), Hamilton, Toronto, York Region, and surrounding areas.

Interview with Alzheimer's Society of Canada

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), Hamilton, Toronto, York Region, and surrounding areas.

Sweet Trends: IZZE Pop

Day 4 of 2011's hottest sweet trends is a drink?  Really?

Yes!!  Izze is one of the hottest sweet drinks around.  It's bright, vibrant colors, all natural ingredients and classic soda pop bottle make it perfect for any party or sweets table.  This sparkling drink coordinates easily with a multitude of color palettes and can be displayed in various ways.  The bottles are so pretty you almost don't want to hide them in the typical ice tub!  Not only are they pleasing to the eye, they are easily personalized for your special occasion.  You can hang a note from the neck of the bottle, wrap personalized label around the bottle, or place a cute straw in the drink adorned with a customized straw topper.  Your guests will love this refreshing and unique drink.  They need something to wash down all the sweets, right??

This post makes me want to pop an Izze for myself and build it into Sweet Nothings next sweets table!

{Photos courtesy of PHOTOSMASHING and Whimsical Thumb}

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Sweet Trends: Handmade Lollipops

Jump on board folks because the Good Ship Lollipop has arrived!  Woot!  Handmade Old Fashioned Swirl Lollipops are one of my favorite candies and are quite the trend in the party scene.  Not only do these works of art look beautiful, they add such character, personality and a flair of whimsy to any affair. 

Don't these lollies make you happier just looking at them??

Stay sweet my friends.

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Sweet Trends: Homemade Pie

We're continuing this week's series featuring the hottest trends in sweets for 2011.  And today's sweet warms my soul just thinking about it.  

Homemade pie.  

Pies are an American tradition, dating back to the early Pilgrim settlers who brought their pie recipes with them to America.  Their first pies were based on berries and fruits and today, not much has changed.  Some of the most popular pies remain to be the fruit-filled pies: Apple pie, Berry Pie, Cherry Pie, Peach pie...  The list can go on and on.  

Pies are becoming the new "it" dessert at wedding receptions, bridal showers, baby showers and family gatherings.  They signify love, home and tradition, something each host hopes to express to their guests.    

There's something so sweet and so special about a homemade pie.  The simplicity of the dessert and the love put into making it will surely touch a special place in anyone's heart.

{Images courtesy of Sparkle & Hay, Bustle, Ruffled, and Elizabeth Anne Designs}

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Sweet Trends: The French Macaron

This week we're kicking off a week long special featuring this year's hottest trends in sweets.  What's hot?  What's not?  What will you want to make to sure include in your dessert menu when entertaining for your favorite guests?  This week you're about to find out...

As you may have noticed over the past few years (how could you not?) that cupcakes were ALL the rage.  It seemed as though all of a sudden the single serving piece of cake took the entertaining, baking and wedding industry by storm.  Cupcake shops were popping up left and right.  New reality TV shows were based solely on cupcake bakeries and cupcake wars.  Insane!  Well folks, I'm here to tell you that the cupcake is has had it's 15 minutes of fame.  Move on over Little Miss Cupcake, here comes one little treat that is packed with a big punch...

The French Macaron.

Not to be confused with the Macaroon, (a chewy mound of coconut goodness) the macaron (mah-kæ-rhon) is a sweet confectionary made with a mixture of egg whites, sugar, ground almonds and food coloring.  The petite delectable is commonly filled with delicious buttercream or jam filling and sandwiched between two cookies.  This fragile little dessert is quickly becoming one of the hottest sweet treats for weddings, showers and birthdays.

Oh, so sweet.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's hottest trend in sweets.  It's an American tradition...

Any guesses??

Be Sweet!

-Kristy

Cupcake Love

{Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Multicolored Frosting}

I'm gearing up for this weekend as there will be much to do to in preparation for Sweet Nothings Valentine's Day Sweets Table and photo shoot.  In keeping with amorous festivities, it's Cupcake Love on the Martha Stewart website.  Check out some of these amazing cupcakes and their recipes.  

My fave, the mini rainbow cupcakes.  So precious!

{Raspberry Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream & Lacy Chocolate Hearts}

{Frosted Chocolate-Buttermilk Cupcakes}

{Strawberry Cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes}

{X's and O's Cupcakes}

{Pink Meringue Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd}

{Photos and recipes courtesy of Martha Stewart}

Be Sweet!

-Kristy

Recipe: Raspberry Meringue Hearts

{Photo by: Anastassios Mentis}

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and this there's no better way to say "I love you" than with a heart-shaped dessert.  Check out the recipe below for these delectable Raspberry Meringue Hearts.

Recipe Ingredients:

Whites from 3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar or cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp raspberry extract

1/8 tsp liquid red food color

Garnish: Confectioner's sugar

Supplies:

2 Large baking sheet

Parchment Paper

2  1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter

Pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-in. plain tip or large sturdy ziplock bag with 1/2-in corner snipped off

Pencil

Recipe Preparation:

1. Position racks to divide oven in thirds; heat oven to 225ºF.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  With the cookie cutter and pencil, trace 16 hearts evenly spaced on each piece of paper.  Invert parchments so tracing are face side down.

2. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.  On high speed, gradually add sugar and beat 8 minutes or until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture no longer feels grainy.  Beat in extract and food color until blended.

3. Spoon mixture into prepared pastry bag.  Using the heart tracings as a guide, pipe an outline, then continue to pipe concentric smaller hearts within the outline until the heart is completely filled with meringue.

4. Bake 2 hours or until meringues feel firm.  Turn the oven off; leave meringues in over 2 hours or overnight until the hearts are crisp and dry.  Peel off parchment.

5.  To serve, arrange on a plate and dust lightly with confectioner's sugar.

A sweet note: You can make these delicious hearts up to 2 weeks ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months.

Delish!

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Ruffled Tea Party

This tastefully sweet Sweets Table comes from Melissa of The Loveliest Day who styled this shoot for the Ruffled Blog.  I absolutely love everything about this table.  The color palette of pinks, yellows and white offer up such a cozy, shabby chic feel.  The desserts are so dainty and perfectly stylized.  I adore the little button accents on the favor boxes.  It's amazing what simple little things can do to dress up something so plain.  A wonderful touch!

One hot trend I'm seeing across many parties is the use of vintage-like fabrics that have been ripped and tied onto a rope to create a "rag swag" effect.  This type of backdrop is one of my favorites!  Another great idea was including the window pane in the backdrop to create an illusion of being inside, yet keeping with that lovely outside garden feel.  Incorporating the window pane and curtain of fabric helps add dimension and depth to the overall look of the table.  Gorgeous!!

The ruffled cake.  So beautiful.

{Photos courtesy of Ashley Rose}

Sweet Nothings Sneak Peek: Valentine's Day

Happy Monday!!  Hopefully you had a fabulous weekend.  And for all of you who get to enjoy the day off, I'm super jealous.

Here's a sneak peek of what Sweet Nothings has planned for our Valentine's Day Sweets Table.  

Stay tuned.  There's more to come...

Be Sweet.

-Kristy

Researchers identify dementia gene

Researchers in Vancouver have identified the gene that destroys brain cells in people with Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and usually affects people over age 60. More than 238,000 Canadians are believed to suffer from Alzheimer's. By 2031 that and other forms of dementia are expected to affect about 750,000. The study was completed by researchers at UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

"It will likely take years to find a therapy or drug that could block the spread of the disease and that's our next target," said Dr. Weihong Song, Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer's disease at the University of B.C.


The team found that the excessive production of a protein called Regulator of Calcineurin 1 sets in motion a chain reaction that kills neurons in the hippocampus and cortex regions of the brains of people with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's.

"Neuron death is the primary reason for the memory loss and cognitive impairments of Alzheimer's disease and it's the main reason people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease long before most people, usually in their 30s," said Song.


Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that impairs cognitive ability and physical growth. About one in 800 Canadian babies are born with it, according to the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

Source: Montreal Gazette

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Home Care Assistance offers the highest quality 24/7 live-in home care in the Region of Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Milton), Region of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), Hamilton, Toronto, York Region, and surrounding areas.

Milk n' Cookies Sweets Table

Cookies are made of butter and love.
-Norwegian Proverb

This stylized photo shoot by Love and Lavender is fantastic.  These ladies did such a great setting the scene for a Milk n' Cookies themed sweets table.  It's not likely that a party or reception will be hosted in an alfalfa field, but for a photo shoot this location was the perfect setting.  The concept is so simple, yet a few detailed touches go a long way in making "utterly" fabulous.  

Old scraps of wood and white acrylic paint are all you need to create a custom labels like the ones above.  It's dirt cheap and really ties in with the many wood elements incorporated in the table.

This cake topper is so precious.  Using only two hard boiled eggs, part of an egg carton, markers, a mini hair flower and bow tie, you too can have this super cute topper.  You can include the wooden heart or any other wooden cut out, found at Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics, to customize your topper to your liking.

The milk stand included Strawberry, Chocolate and Regular milk.  I'm loving these mason jar dispensers!

Accessory pieces like the "Recipe for Love" and recipe cards doubling as the guest book are a great way to put a twist on traditional elements found at a reception.

These favors are milk bottles with layers of ingredients for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  Love it!

{Photos by Jonda Spurbeck}

This ring shot is so perfect (and yummy!)

Have a wonderful weekend.

Be Sweet.

-Kristy