As a producer for the Martha Stewart Show I believe I am held to a higher standard when it comes to invitations, party favors and goodie bags. Do you really think a pre-printed Barbie Thank you card is going to do? I am sure for little 5 year old (you can fill in a name) it is just perfect. But for her mom—she’s going to talk behind my back…I can hear it now. “Can you believe the thank you card we got from Mrs. Deyo? I nearly died when I opened it and saw a store bought card. I mean doesn’t she work at Martha Stewart? You would think she would know better. We should really turn her into the Martha Stewart Police…they’d be shocked. She should be given 5-10 on that one…no she should be given life without parole of ever having a party again!” Well maybe the conversation doesn’t quite go like that (didn’t I tell you I was dramatic?)…but the point is that I believe my cards, my party favors and my goodie bags need to be better than anyone else’s (did I mention that besides being dramatic I’m also competitive?). So today’s post is about party favors.
I am very fortunate to work for Martha Stewart. I am surrounded by GREAT ideas on a daily basis. And almost every idea that is put forth on our show can be adapted to my life and my kids. For example, we once made these adorable purses out of scrapbook paper. They were for Mother’s Day and they held gift cards. Wonderful for Mothers Day…but also makes a great birthday invitation to my daughter’s birthday. Inside the purse I created a little card that read: if you’re in “purse”suit of a good time…come to my 9th birthday party. Even our wedding ideas can be turned into party ideas.
So one day we made homemade lollipops on the show. We also made molds for the pops. I became obsessed with the pops and knew I had to incorporate them somehow into an upcoming birthday party. I thought they were the sweetest things…and that’s when it hit me that they would make the perfect thank you… I would make these pops as flowers and then on the leaves I would write “thank you for your gift…it was so “sweet” of you. Here is the lollipop recipe…that’s simple, and quite foolproof. Although you will need a candy thermometer (which can be found at the supermarket).
Lollipops
Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar
½ tsp. of cream of tarter
1 cup of water
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/8 tsp. gel food coloring in desired color (available at Michaels/AC
Moore, Cake and Bake etc)
2 tsp. lemon extract/or desired flavor
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cream of tarter. In a medium saucepan bring water, corn syrup and sugar mixture to a boil. Continue to stir. Continue stirring slowly till mixture reaches 310 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).
Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand till cooled to 295 degrees. Add gel food coloring and desired flavor and mix.
Pour combined mixture into lollipop molds with sticks. Let set at room temperature. Once set (approx 30 minutes), remove pop from mold and continue with remaining candy mixture. ***Keep remaining candy mixture in a 250 degree oven to prevent it from setting in the pan.
Now I mentioned that you could make your own candy lollipop molds. These are actually quite easy to do. There’s a great company that sells mold kits…its called http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/ . Now if you don’t have time to be that adventurous there’s also a great company that sells lollipop molds and they’re very reasonably priced. It’s called http://www.candylandcrafts.com/
If you have any great favor ideas…I’d love to know about them. Email me at threepluskids@aol.com
I am very fortunate to work for Martha Stewart. I am surrounded by GREAT ideas on a daily basis. And almost every idea that is put forth on our show can be adapted to my life and my kids. For example, we once made these adorable purses out of scrapbook paper. They were for Mother’s Day and they held gift cards. Wonderful for Mothers Day…but also makes a great birthday invitation to my daughter’s birthday. Inside the purse I created a little card that read: if you’re in “purse”suit of a good time…come to my 9th birthday party. Even our wedding ideas can be turned into party ideas.
So one day we made homemade lollipops on the show. We also made molds for the pops. I became obsessed with the pops and knew I had to incorporate them somehow into an upcoming birthday party. I thought they were the sweetest things…and that’s when it hit me that they would make the perfect thank you… I would make these pops as flowers and then on the leaves I would write “thank you for your gift…it was so “sweet” of you. Here is the lollipop recipe…that’s simple, and quite foolproof. Although you will need a candy thermometer (which can be found at the supermarket).
Lollipops
Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar
½ tsp. of cream of tarter
1 cup of water
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/8 tsp. gel food coloring in desired color (available at Michaels/AC
Moore, Cake and Bake etc)
2 tsp. lemon extract/or desired flavor
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cream of tarter. In a medium saucepan bring water, corn syrup and sugar mixture to a boil. Continue to stir. Continue stirring slowly till mixture reaches 310 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).
Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand till cooled to 295 degrees. Add gel food coloring and desired flavor and mix.
Pour combined mixture into lollipop molds with sticks. Let set at room temperature. Once set (approx 30 minutes), remove pop from mold and continue with remaining candy mixture. ***Keep remaining candy mixture in a 250 degree oven to prevent it from setting in the pan.
Now I mentioned that you could make your own candy lollipop molds. These are actually quite easy to do. There’s a great company that sells mold kits…its called http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/ . Now if you don’t have time to be that adventurous there’s also a great company that sells lollipop molds and they’re very reasonably priced. It’s called http://www.candylandcrafts.com/
If you have any great favor ideas…I’d love to know about them. Email me at threepluskids@aol.com
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