Thursday, May 21, 2009

Flower Pot Dirt Cake

Michele's Flower Pot Dirt Cake.

Remember making mud pies as kids? My sister and I used to spend hours making mud pies in our G.G's (Great Grandmother's) back yard. I remember we even had little toy baking pans for our culinary creations!
Well memories of mud pies came back to me the other day. I went to a knitting luncheon at my knitting friend Michele's house. Michele made the cutest dessert...a Flower Pot Dirt Cake! I loved Michele's version in a big (plastic) flower pot complete with it's own trowel! What a great idea for garden party!

Dig in!

You can get quite creative when making a dirt cake. It is essentially a layered cake made of chocolate pudding mixed with cool whip and crushed Oreo cookies for the dirt. Michele's tasty version started with crumbled brownies for the bottom layer, then pudding layers, heath bars crumbled in and then the crushed Oreo cookie topping.

Are you inspired now to make a dirt cake for your summer parties? If so, there are plenty of recipes and variations on the Internet. I found a cute one for little dirt cups with gummy worms here.   I especially like the idea of individual flower pots filled with dirt cake and gummy worms!

So go ahead, get creative, get your hands dirty and make a fun dirt cake this summer.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May Day!

The May Pole Dance!

Happy May Day!

Dancing around the Maypole is an ancient rite of Spring. In Victorian times it was performed at women's colleges. In America it was celebrated at at elementary schools up to the late 1950's. My Mother remembers in grade school celebrating May Day. The sang "May Day, Play Day" and danced with ribbons around a tether ball pole!

May Pole Cake & Cupcakes
Martha Stewart

Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with an adorable May Day cake! This would be pretty easy to replicate (with a wooden dowel and ribbons) if you just happen to be going to a May Day Garden Party!

No matter how you chose to celebrate May Day...be sure to wear a flower in your hair and do a little dance!