Creative food craft ideas
First I want to apologize again to those that were offended by yesterday’s post. I did place an apology on that post and renamed the dessert.
Here is a great dessert that you can make with the kids! So easy! Quick trip to the market to purchase the ingredients, including pretzels
and let the fun begin. Jessica Weible has the recipe on her blog jwillustrations. She has some other yummy recipes that you might want to check out besides this one.
Elegant flavour cubes to add sparkle, colour, and effortless glamour to your next glass.
Champagne has a way of making even the smallest moment feel worth celebrating. But if you’ve ever wanted to dress up your bubbles without turning your kitchen into a full cocktail bar, flavoured ice cubes are a beautiful, simple upgrade.
They melt slowly, add subtle flavour, and make your glass look like something you’d order in a rooftop bar — except you’re probably standing in your kitchen, still wearing comfy pants, hiding from the dog who’s trying to steal the cheese board. Relatable.
And the best part? You can freeze these weeks ahead, so when guests arrive (or when you finally collapse after a long day), all you have to do is drop in a cube and top it with Champagne.
Here are 10 elegant Champagne-friendly ice cubes, each designed to add colour and sophistication to your favourite bottle.
Per cube:
• 1–2 strawberry slices
• 1 rose petal (optional)
• Fill with water
Adds a soft pink blush and gentle berry sweetness.
Per cube:
• A curl of lemon peel
• 1 tiny lemon segment
• Fill with sparkling water
Brightens up drier Champagnes and adds brunch-energy sparkle.
Per cube:
• 1 pear slice
• A sliver of vanilla bean
• Fill with water
Soft, elegant, and perfect for cosy winter evenings.
Per cube:
• 2 raspberries
• ½ tsp elderflower cordial
• Fill with water
Adds subtle sweetness and makes a stunning brunch cocktail.
Per cube:
• 1 thin slice blood orange
• Fill with water
Turns budget bubbles into a chic citrus cocktail.
Per cube:
• Pinch of culinary lavender
• 1 piece lemon peel
• Fill with water or cooled chamomile tea
Smells like a spa, tastes like a holiday.
Per cube:
• 2 blackberries
• 1 mint leaf
• Fill with water
Gives Champagne a jewel-tone glow.
Per cube:
• 1 small edible rose petal
• Pinch of edible gold dust
• Fill with water
If “Champagne but make it fancy” had a mascot, it would be this.
Per cube:
• 1 small grapefruit segment
• 1 rosemary tip
• Fill with water
For those who like a more grown-up, botanical sparkle.
Per cube:
• 1 canned lychee (halved)
• A tiny lime twist
• Fill with water
Light, fresh, and beautifully aromatic — perfect for summer Champagne.
Arrange bowls of colourful cubes on a platter beside the chilled bottle, and let guests build their own glass. It’s simple, stunning, and makes even a casual gathering feel like New Year’s Eve.
These cubes freeze beautifully for at least a month, so they’re a brilliant little “do it now, enjoy it later” trick — especially helpful when life gets busy and you still want a touch of sparkle.
I’ve tried cheap trays, weird silicone ones that smell like the cupboard, and everything in between. These are the ones that never leave my freezer, especially in December:
Large Square Cocktail Ice Tray – perfect for rosemary sprigs, citrus slices, and whole cranberries.
Sphere Ice Mold for Festive Cocktail Balls – this makes those gorgeous big cocktail spheres that look so elegant in champagne coupes or gin glasses.
Jumbo Ice Cube Tray With Lid – great when you’re prepping for a party and don’t want your ice smelling like last week’s leftovers. I love the ones with the lids as I can stack them and make bulk batches, but putting the lid on does mean you can’t have sprigs sticking out. So I mix and match.
For something a little extra special , I have this rose mold and love it.
These dried flowers are also great for popping into drinks- Dried ones mean you can buy them ahead of time , ready to go.
Use whatever shape suits your drink style — cubes feel classic, spheres feel bougie, and no one is mad either way.
I have no idea what offended anyone yesterday, but people are so easily offended these days, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Thank you Karen! It was due to the reference to the Irish Car Bomb title and the Irish history. The recipe was in reference to the American drink, but I should have considered the feelings of the International readers that may not be aware of the drink.
Thanks for featuring my Shamrock Pops today!! ?
Please feel free to send any other recipes to us for future features. Creative and quick do well here.
You apologize that’s all can do, got so every thing say anymore is offensive,and most people don’t mean any thig of what they said,have good weekend,Thank’s
Irish Car Bombs is a name that brings back very bad memories for those of us whose family was affected by “the troubles”. So that is why we are trying to rid the world of those types of references. It’s no different that other ethnicities who want to change references to their culture.
Those drinks are sold all over Europe too. Especially this time of year.
By ridding the world of these references you also rid the world of the history as people begin to no longer use those terms the history of the culture tends to disappear too. 9/11 and ground zero bring back horrible memories for thousands and thousands of Americans should we rid the world of those terms too?
Education is the key, not getting rid of everything that brings back bad memories.
OK so I guess we need to rename the drink, “hurricane” that is served in New Orleans since some may be offended by what katrina and other hurricanes have caused.
You know, I agree with Donna about the 9/11 & Ground Zero references, and Fran about “Hurricane”…I’m so fed up with everyone being offended by every little thing someone says…time to lose that over-sensitivity and just take things at face value instead of trying to create inferences of a word or comment…it’s fine to be sensitive when speaking to someone not to intentionally hurt their feelings, but if you have to always run everything through your mind & consider that someone, somewhere in the world might be offended by you comments, then you may as well stop everyone talking. There are always going to be people who can find an insult or untoward meaning about any spoken or written word. Grow up, realize that not everyone is out to insult you, your race, your heritage or your family.
For crying out loud, that’s what’s wrong with all this “Politically Correctness”…it INSULTS ME, but you don’t see me sitting around snivling about it or trying to get it removed from the world…worry about important things, not perceptions.
Well put Fran. We all need to be more tolerant and less sensitive.
I have days…. If everything that offended me was eradicated, I’d be one lonely person on this planet. So grateful that there are those who still follow the “live and let live” philosophy of my great grandparents. They had things that bothered them too but it had more to do with survival than their psyche/feelings.