BRONZE BUDGET BRIDE

Want a favor box that's sure to impress your guest? How about this Gable Box that can be personalized with a photograph of you and your future husband! You can also use a symbol you love or that custom a logo you had created for your special day at Ten23Designs. Keep in mind that this box only comes in the natural, cardboard color but it's just $40 for a set of 50 here at All Custom Gifts! I consider this to be a very fabulous find because the average price for personalized Gable Boxes is $2.99 and that's something to keep in mind.

In the photo above are the Homemade Caramel Popcorn with Peanuts I made Sunday with my kids. They were very easy to make and were crisp, sweet and delicious. As a matter of fact they tasted way better than Cracker Jacks, they were the best caramel popcorn I've ever had!

If you are having a Popcorn Buffet you should definitely try this recipe at home because they are really good! You can even make them a day or two ahead because we still have some saved in the refrigerator and they are still crisp and delicious!

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 cups of popped popcorn
• 2 cups of peanuts

Directions:


You can buy 25 of these Retro Popcorn Bags for $3.50 but if like the idea of making your own cones then you'll need:

• Solid Card Stock Paper
• Tape
• Scissors

To make one cone, draw a circle almost the same size of the card stock using something with a circular shape, I used a stove top cover. Once you have the circle drawn, cut it out with your scissors. Fold the paper in half and cut the circle in two. Now you roll one of the halves into a cone and tape in place! The larger the paper, the larger cone.

You can find Solid Card Stock Paper or Scrap Book Paper at Staples, Walmart and ScrapBook.com!

This is definitely the time of the year where I do the most baking and I've been browsing online for some for some new recipes to try this holiday season. I've found some awesome cookie recipes and a few of them I wanted to share with you because whether you are doing a Cookie Buffet, a Dessert Bar or looking for a favor that you can make yourself, these recipes are worth taking a peek at.

Cherry Blossom Cookie Recipe
courtesy of Martha Stewart



I think these cookies are so cute and you can find the Cookie Cutters you'll need here at DownTownDough.com! While you are there browse through their selection because they carry over 1600 types of Cookies Cutters. For this recipe though you will need the Cherry Blossom Cookie Cutter Set that they are currently selling for $10.99!

Ingredients:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk sugar and flour in a bowl. Add egg whites, then butter; whisk until smooth.
2. Line baking sheet with nonstick baking mat; coat with cooking spray. Thinly spread batter onto prepared baking sheet to cover. Bake until edges begin to turn light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from oven; place sheet on a wire rack. Working quickly and carefully, cut shapes into cookie with cutter. If it becomes too hard to cut, return baking sheet to the oven for about 30 seconds until it becomes more pliable. Once cookie is filled with cut-out shapes, return to oven, and bake until most of cookie is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
3. Remove from oven; transfer individual cookies to a tray. To shape some of the cookies, mold into a cuplike shape, and set in a small shallow bowl to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.
4. Shortly before serving, stir a small drop of food coloring into melted white chocolate to tint. Dip each cookie into tinted chocolate using a chocolate fork. Place on a piece of acetate so chocolate stays smooth; transfer to refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe

• 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, melted
• and slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 or 2 drops red food coloring
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Find the instructions for this recipe here at MyBakingAdventures.com!


Pumpkin, Cranberry, Pecan Cookie Recipe



Not only do these cookies look delicious but they are perfect for this season when pumkins, cranberry and pecans or on sale for as much at 50% off at one point or another during the holidays.

For this recipe you will need:

• 3/4 cup pecan halves
• 1 stick, unsalted butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large organic egg
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (but not flavored pie filling)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries

If you would like to bake a batch or two of these then go here to get the directions and don't forget to let me know if you make some this season!

While shopping at an Aldi's store this weekend we picked up a few packs of delicious, candied apples for only 99¢! There are three apples in each pack so that's less than 35¢ for each apple. They would make such great wedding favors at a Fall wedding. They are not too tart and so much fun to eat! So check online at www.AlDI.com to see if there is a store near you.

If you are making your own wedding favors or a cookie buffet at your wedding, these are easy to make and so very cute, so I've added the recipe below for you!!

Ingredients

• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon(s)salt
• 1 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar, for decoration
• 1/2 cup(s) seedless raspberry jam

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just until blended. Shape dough into 2 disks; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Between 2 sheets of floured wax paper, roll 1 disk 1⁄8-inch thick. With floured 3-inch heart-shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Cut out centers of half cookies with floured 1 1⁄2-inch heart-shape cookie cutter. Slide cookies on wax paper to another large cookie sheet and refrigerate about 15 minutes, or until firm. Remove heart-shape centers from cookies; place cookies on prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Cool on parchment paper on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps.
3. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies with cut-out centers. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on each plain cookie; top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches.

courtesy of delish.com

I first saw these Message-in-a- Cookie Cutters at The Dessy Group fan page a few weeks ago and thought they are fantastic for making personalized cookies for your dessert table or as wedding favors. You can add your names or just a simple "Thank you" if you are using them as favors.

There is a really great instructional video on the product's page online here at William Sonoma that's a must see because you will be blown away by just how easy this product is to use.



To decorate your cookies I've found Wilton Cookie Icing and it's one of those products that made me say "Yes" when I came across it because decorating cookies have always been a step I gladly skipped but now I don't have to that anymore. I have not tried thisyet but the instruction says that you simply heat it in a microwave and squeeze it onto your cookies using the cap that's in place. The Icing sets in 45 minutes so there's plenty of time to be creative.

The Cookie Icing is here at The Party Works website but don't forget that you can always find eco-friendly, Cello Bags and cute cookie boxes for your edible favors online at Nashville Wraps!

If you are planning a Fall wedding these mini cheesecakes would make a really great edible favor for your guests of a great compliment to your dessert table and look how easy they are to make.

I found this Cookie Cutter Mini Pie recipe that is so simple and easy to follow that it was a no brainer for me to decide to make this for the kids. However, I thought I'd let you small budget brides know about it since these mini tarts, as I prefer to call them, would make some really great favors.

For this recipe you will need:

• Pie crust dough, store bought or homemade
• 1 egg white
• Sugar
• Flour
• Cookie cutters
• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin

Stove Top Apple Pie Filling:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons  sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

You can find a heart shaped set of cookie cutters  here on Amazon.com for $6.99 but you can certainly find them in a local store, probably even Walmart, for less.

For the directions click  here to find it on VoKnit.com and be sure to let me know if you gave this recipe a try!

If you are using them as favors, then you can find 100 Clear and Printed Cello Bags for less than $10.00 at NashvilleWraps.com!

When I came across Bliss Weddings Market my first thought was that they have lots of cute wedding favors and favor bags at a decent price but I am equally impressed by the favors that they offer for under $1.00!  In the selection you can find Mini Bird's Nests, Wedding Tea, Palm Leaf Handle Bags, Love Knot Bubbles, Plastic Favor Boxes and much more. I hope that's enough to give you an idea of what you can find not just on Bliss Wedding Market but on the entire internet for under a buck.

I love these Hand Engraved Glass Stones that can be use not just as beautiful place cards but they double as a memorable wedding favor for your guests as well. They are certainly something that wedding planner Jung Lee from TLC'S Wedded To Perfection would adore since in every episode she find a unique ways to display the escort "card" table.



The stones are available in different colors but the engraving is filled with either gold or silver for $4.00. The price is great when you think about all the work that's involved and if you want artwork added, you pay $1.00 more which would bring each favor / place card at $5.00 per stone. That may be outside the budget for a few of you but if you can afford it, these stones will certainly be wonderful for your guests and it's a piece of art that they can use for years to come.

You can find them HERE at ArtfulCelebrations Etsy shop!