Product Placement Wednesday - Crate & Barrel Stacking Acrylic Wine Glasses

If you have read my previous posts over the years, you know that I LOVE picnic season! Yes, I realize it is January and picnic season seems very far off to many of you but GREAT deals on picnic items don't wait for the sun to shine!

You may already be familiar with some of my other picnic favorites from the past such as Steady Sticks and the Table in a Bag. Well this little steal goes perfectly with those items.

Crate & Barrel Stacking Acrylic Wine Glasses

These glasses great for picnics, pool side, or anywhere you don't want to take glass wine glasses. The alternative of drinking wine out of a red Solo cup just doesn't work for me! They fit perfectly on a Steady Stick for all of you fellow picnic lovers out there! Also, they are stackable so they take up very little cabinet space!

So why am I sharing this item in January? Because Crate & Barrel has them on super sale! Normally they are $3.95 a piece but right now you can get them for a fraction of the cost! Clear and blue are marked down to $.97 and green & red are just $.47!

Of course you don't have to save these cute glasses just for outdoor use! With the colors available they also lend themselves nicely to both Christmas and Hanukkuh. At this price you can pick up enough for next year's holiday party or any other occasion!

I personally picked up some blue glasses - which color are you getting?

Don't forget to check out my picnic recipes here, here and here!

Angel Food Cupcakes - 2 Ways with 1 Box of Mix!

I'm back! I have been MIA for so long due to a wrist sprain (of course when that finally healed work/life got busy!) but my wrist is more or less better and I'm so excited to share this fabulous recipe with you. It's actually a recipe x 2 and is perfect for spring and summer gatherings!

I do not profess to be a baker. Baking is science and while I dig science, I'm more of a mad scientist. This year I decided to make Champagne Cupcakes for the Oscars which was risky for sure. The recipes I found online were all 100% from scratch so I started to think how I could reconceptualize this idea. What is light like champagne? Angel Food! Do they make it in mix form? Yes! What else do you mix in? Water. Perfect! Champagne is my usual substitution for water anyway!

Instead of full sized cupcakes, I decided to make minis which had I used the entire box would have made about 70 - too many for the Oscars. Instead I made half the box and therefore used 1/2 the water/champagne. For the frosting, I found a great recipe for a Champagne Buttercream on The Curvy Carrot however I tried to make from memory (and with butter that wasn't quite room temperature) so my frosting didn't look quite right but it tasted GREAT. This is my common problem in baking - taste 10, looks 5. Plus I threw in some additional champagne so that might have also been part of the problem. Enough of the prologue, let's get to the recipe!


Champagne Cupcakes (Makes approximately 70 mini cupcakes if you use the entire box)

1 box Angel Food cake mix
1 1/4 cup champagne (or other sparkling wine)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin pan with liners. Angel food cake is a little sticky so I would not recommend using silicone baking cups without liners.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture for 30 seconds at a low speed to moisten and then 1 minute at medium. DO NOT OVERBEAT. This will make it too airy.

3. Add batter to liners, filling about 3/4 full. DO NOT OVERFILL. They will be misshapen and stick to the pan. Bang the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. Very important or you will have giant holes in your cupcakes.

4. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Each oven is different so I suggest checking them at 10 minutes and determining how much longer by the look. When done, they will be golden brown and the cracks will be dry.

5. Cool on a wire rack.

Champagne Buttercream

3 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature (I used a bit more for flavor)

1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes.

2. Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.

3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes using your favorite pastry tip or just by filling a plastic bag and cutting of the corner to create your own pastry bag.

Before you look at the final product, remember that I did NOT follow these directions as I should have. Learn from my mistakes and have prettier cupcakes!

Angel Food Cupcakes with Blueberries

For the second Angel Food cupcake preparation, it is more in the presentation than changing the recipe. Angel Food and berries are a natural and classic combo however I wanted to serve them together without a frosting. Transporting frosted cupcakes is always a challenge so I came up with this simple yet attractive way as an alternative.

Angel Food mini cupcakes
Blueberries (or any other fruit you prefer)
Powdered sugar
toothpicks

1. Using a sifter or mesh strainer, dust the cupcakes with powdered sugar.

2. Thread three blueberries on to each toothpick and then place the free end of the toothpick into the cupcake.

I love this idea for summer as you can use whatever fruit is in season. For 4th of July you can alternate blueberries and strawberries or raspberries. It is perfect for picnics as you can assemble on site and they are temperature stable. Plus they are actually a pretty healthy dessert - Angel Food cake is fat free!

Product Placement Wednesday - Sur La Table® On-Ice Sectioned Appetizer Tray

As you know I am all about kicking off the summer with picnics! Last weekend my brother and sister-in-law were visiting and I did a little picnic with them. They enjoyed it so much that now they are all about planning more picnics themselves! Of course we are lucky in Los Angeles that it is lovely to picnic nearly all year. For those of you that are experiencing/will experience extreme temperatures this summer, today's item is perfect for you!

One of the tricky things about picnicking is how to keep cold items cold enough without keeping them locked away in a cooler. No one wants to eat warm ranch dip. Sur La Table® On-Ice Sectioned Appetizer Tray is the perfect solution! Keeping your food cold is very simple. Just fill the bottom tray with ice and place upper trays filled with food on top. With three divided food trays (6 total slots) and a 1 cup dip slot (which can be used for a variety of items besides dip), the possibilities are endless! Some options include, veggies & ranch, fresh fruit & yogurt dip, seafood & cocktail sauce, sushi & soy sauce, antipasto, or desserts.

Right now this item is on sale for just $27.96 down from $39.95!

Other similar products included in the photo above that may interest you are Condiments on Ice and the On-Ice Acrylic Sectioned Bowl. Both use the same principal as the Sectioned Appetizer Tray but their varied shapes allow for additional options for use. I like the Condiments on Ice for burger fixings as well as cocktail garnishes. The On-Ice Acrylic Sectioned Bowl is particularly great for salads of all kinds.

Each of these items are also currently on sale too! Now is the time to stock up on new products for the summer before the Christmas items arrive next month! :)

Product Placement Wednesday - Steady Sticks

Keeping with last week's theme of picnic friendly items (as well as my next post), I am pleased to introduce you to Steady Sticks! Steady Sticks are stainless steel in-ground stakes that hold your wine glass. They are perfect for a picnic or even at the beach (don't forget to use a plastic wine glass like these). I am wishing we would have had them for last week's Cinespia cemetery screening of Vertigo. Let's just say that one of our picnic blankets is going to need a visit from a serious stain remover.

While the site above sells the Steady Sticks, I have found better pricing as follows:

Crate & Barrel - $9.95

Amazon.com - $10.07 (available for Super Saver Shipping)

Also offered on Amazon, is the Steady Sticks holder for your wine bottle. This sells for $10.07 and is available for Super Saver Shipping too.

The best deal is the full set by True Fabrications. It is not officially "Steady Sticks" brand but you get two wine glass holders and the bottle holder. It is available via Amazon.com at is $14.99.

Product Placement Wednesday - Table in a Bag

This week's product is one I have been coveting for years! Just in time to kick off of the summer season this Memorial Day Weekend, it is Crate & Barrel's Table in a Bag.

As implied by the name, this table collapses and fits into an easy to carry bag. Crate & Barrel also offers matching chairs should you be opposed to sitting on the ground. This table is perfect for picnics, taking to the beach, or even a fun alternative to the "kids table" for your little ones. I personally am looking forward to getting one to take with me to the Cinespia summer cemetery movies at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Right now Crate & Barrel is offering the Table in a Bag at a special price of $33.96 (normally $39.95) and is eligible for free home delivery! If anyone is looking to surprise me with an early half birthday gift, this would be a great choice!