baby shower

This Saturday I put on my hostess shoes and held a baby shower here in our little apartment for my friend Sofia, who will be having a baby girl in November.

Grattis means Congratulations in Swedish.

Diaper cake. It's a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of body wash (for baby) with rolled up diapers to form the cake. Then I bought a very sweet etsy blanket and draped it over. Then adorned it with an etsy hat and etsy booties. Very easy but a cute way to present gifts!

Cupcakes, honey roasted peanuts and chocolate, cinnamon and sugar popcorn. Super easy but delicious!

I personally do not use paper plates when I have a party. This is one of my favorite things. I have a cabinet full of antique plates, all mixed and matched. For this party I got out the flowery, girly, pinkish plates. I also found the pink candle holders at our second hand store for 3 kr a piece! That's 45 cents!

This is one of my favorite things to do and it's really easy. If I'm having a themed party I always buy a package of paper that I want to use as the decorations, invites, etc. I made the invites with this cute pink themed paper, made the congrats sign, made the cupcake flags, these glass flags, and even switched out all my pictures in the living room with the paper. It's so easy and you can always save the paper and use it for other stuff later!

All I had to do was switched it out and it added a lot to the room!

These were for the lovely guests. Bought these cute 35 cent travel soaps from etsy. They made the room smell great, and added a nice decoration! The *tack* stamp was also bought from etsy! Buy handmade! It's the best!

Sofia opening all the lovely gifts every body brought her!

Now who wants the recipe to these gorgeous little cupcakes! This is my go to, never fail, always tastes delicious cupcake recipe. It's from http://www.joythebaker.com/. This is one of my favorite food blogs!

Vanilla Cake (or cupcakes)

preheat oven to 350

2 sticks softened butter

1 3\4 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 c. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 vanilla pod

2 3\4 c. flour

1 1\2 tsp. baking powder

1\2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time beating for one minute after you add each one. This seems ridiculous but it really makes the cupcakes fluffy and light.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.

Combine milk, vanilla and vanilla beans in a separate bowl.

One low, start by adding 1\3 flour and incorporate. Add half the milk and incorporate. Add another 1\3 of the flour and incorporate. Add the rest of the milk and incorporate. And yup, you guess, add the rest of the flour and incorporate!

Divide into 24 cupcakes tins or into two 10 inch cake pans.

For cupcakes bake for 25-30 minutes. For cakes 35-40 and let them cool for 15 minutes in the pan before taking them out. Cupcakes can just jump right out into your mouth straight from the oven.

You can use whatever frosting you like. For the cupcakes above I used about 1\2 c. butter, 8 oz. cream cheese and uhm...some powdered sugar. I don't really measure when it comes to frostings. Just a lot of tasting!

For the cakes I think it's light, fluffy and delicious to simply use whipping cream for the middle layer and top and add fresh fruit.

This recipe is so great because you can add whatever you'd like. Chocolate, cinnamon, berries, the sky is the limit! :)