baby shower fun with begonia burlap favors, menu including recipe for chocolate cake with rosette frosting, and a diy fabric baby sling

I love being crafty and even more than that I love spoiling others with my gifts of time and whatever small quantity of talent I may have! I was so excited to throw one of my very best friends a baby shower. Fortunately, I had lots of help too! Here are the details for the shower that I organized and menu that I planned related to the shower:

Favors: Originally we discussed putting rosemary in the small biodegradable pots ($1.50 for a pkg of 10) to give as favors, but due to budgetary reasons I chose begonias instead ($1.75 for a 6 cell pack). I planted the flowers a week before the shower in the small pots and left them on my porch to soak up some sunshine. They grew some over the course of the week and remained healthy (thank goodness!). The morning of the shower I wrapped each pot in a square of burlap and tied jute cord around the outside. I then wrapped the remainder of rectangular cardboard packaging in brown craft paper and placed them all inside. I looked everywhere for a cute silver tray to put them in, but to no avail.

 I also planted some flowers for myself to enjoy! Thank you Young's Nursery for beautiful lisianthus and double impatiens

Menu:

Non-Alcoholic White Sangria

Fruit

Crudites

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Mini Quiches

Tea Sandwiches

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing

And this is what happens when you don't sleep at night....you make cards with clearly obvious titles for food **Note following in my footsteps in this area leads to merciless quantities of teasing**

The menu was inspired by a baby shower featured on BumpSmitten.

Chocolate Cake

Cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans (I used 2 9-inch round cake pans). Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (I made these cakes approximately 3 days before and froze for a day per Deb's recommendations-they were so much easier to handle and it broke up the workload significantly).

4. The next day I covered the cake in a simple syrup of vanilla and water, then iced the cake with Wilton Buttercream icing to make a crumb coating-another Deb suggestion that really paid off! I then refrigerated the cake until the morning of the shower. 

5. The morning of the shower I followed I am baker's tutorial for making a rose cake using a 1M tip; however I filled in spaces with stars as inspired by BumpSmitten's blog. It was so simple and I received so many compliments, that I felt somewhat ridiculous

Wilton Buttercream Icing

Icing adapted from Wilton (My mom has been swearing on this icing recipe my whole life and it has produced many a shaped cake-even Barbie)

1/2 C shortening

1/2 C butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 C powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

I tripled the recipe, as the roses require a lot of icing! I also reduced the milk slightly for a stiffer frosting. 

The Gift 

My friend chose for me to make her a baby sling. I already owned this pattern and had made previous carriers with success. She chose a light weight knit in an eggplant shade that had a medium quantity of stretch. This is the simplest pattern to sew up, though I am also interested in making carriers that use the ring systems widely discussed on the web. For this pattern you take two rounded oblong pieces of fabric cut out from pattern included, place right sides together, pin, then stitch from along both long ends, leaving a small hole to turn right side out eventually. Then you match up short rounded ends and stitch same color to same color to form a complete loop. Turn right side out and whip stitch remaining hole closed. Press for a more finished look. The carrier is worn over one shoulder with opposite arm through, pocket facing up to hold baby. I made one for my sister and used it while I was visiting her a few years ago. It was so comfy for both of us and it was so nice to be able to snuggle and use my hands simultaneously!