Call Me Mrs. Blue Ribbon

It seems like the blog has been abandoned for a while.  Sorry to all my followers for not updating my blog more often lately.  I I have been really sick these couple weeks; and I finally feel a little bits better today and would like to share some good news with everyone.  If you have been following my blog or our facebook page, you might recall I submitted my first ever OC Fair fondant decorative cupcakes for a contest last month.  And guess what, I W-O-N!  I got the first place and my first blue ribbon.  I wanted to share the good news with everyone earlier; however, I would love to wait until I get my blue ribbon first. 

Here some pictures I took at the fair and would like to share with all of you, and I don't mind to be called Mrs. Blue Ribbon=).  When I picked up the blue ribbon, they also gave me the comments and the score from the judges.  12/12 full marks with all the positive comments!  I was in cloud 9 and I felt so happy that someone appreciate my artworks. 

P.S. The OC Fair will be ended this weekend, so if you want to check out my "awaard winning" decorative cupcakes along with other amazing exhitbits, you still have few more days left.

My award winning cupcakes

I got the comment notes from the judges when I went to pick up my blue ribbon. 
I got 12/12 full marks on my cration!  Very proud of myself.

Under the Sea Baby Shower Cupcake Toppers

I made these cupcake toppers for a baby shower.  My customer gave me the shower invitation card, and I came up with the idea to match the invitation.  The cupcake toppers turn out so cute!

Once again, if you want to order cupcake toppers alone, please visit my Etsy shop.  I could customize items (cupcake toppers/picks), matching party banner or party supplies for you.  Click here for my Etsy shop.

“Color * Smell * Taste”

COLOR, smell and taste are the 3 important characteristics of real Chinese cuisine.  These 3 characteristics also apply to all baked goodies.  Researchers stated that COLOR does play a very important role in food.  Let’s find out how COLOR affects our appetite!

Blue m&m’s?!

Several years ago, the makers of "m & m's," added Blue colors to its assorted colors-candy bag.  Blue? Why Blue? Although they reported that this was the result of a vote by the fans, it raises a few questions. It may very well be the last color left in the bag after the novelty wears off.  Of all the colors in the spectrum, blue is an appetite suppressant.

Research backs up the idea that certain COLORS suppress your appetite while others excite it. Gary Blumenthal from International Food Strategies reports that, “COLOR and the appeal of various foods is closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus.  For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried.

Here are some COLOR and psychological effects on appetite, as reported by Lifemojo, Wednesday (05/11/2011):

RED    Red is the COLORof the full emotional and very energetic COLOR. This COLOR can increase the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure, and also can increase appetite.

ORANGE       Orange can help increase the supply of oxygen to the brain, producing a refreshing effect and stimulates mental activity.  The COLOR of orange makes people feel comfortable and are associated with healthy foods and can stimulate appetite.

YELLOW       Yellow is a bright cheerful colors. Yellow improves concentration, also stimulates the appetite, because this is related to happiness.

GREEN          Green is associated with natural colors, health and often used to demonstrate product safety. Because of its relationship with nature, green is considered as calming and relaxing COLOR.

TURQUOISE This COLOR can stimulate appetite. This color and orange COLOR combination could even be a combination of colors that ‘delicious’.

After a long reading and learning how all the COLORS affect our appetite, it's time to try our lemon zest vanilla cupcakes topped with orange frosting and home-made candied orange.