Warmest welcome! This week on the blog, we will be learning how to make my special, homemade fondant. We will also be learning how to thrift for some special toys… in order to create a vintage-inspired birthday party.
This special vintage birthday party is for my precious little boy. By making homemade marshmallow fondant, a lovely cake can be created. And, by decorating with vintage toys (that I sourced from the thrift store), I was able to create a sweet and inexpensive birthday party for my special boy.
I would be thrilled to have you join along as I share some of my top baking tips and my birthday party planning ideas.
Today you will catch some sticky-sweet glimpses of my family time in the kitchen… and in my home.
Let’s get started then, shall we? Into the kitchen we go…
A Kitchen Homeschool Lesson: Making Homemade Fondant
I love being in the kitchen with my family.
The sweetness of a chubby little finger dipped into a tasty batter, a cheeky lick of icing off a wooden spoon, a bit of flour dusted on a tiny nose, the delicious smells wafting about in the kitchen air, the anticipation of a yummy sampling, and the laughter and learning that happens when loved ones are nearby.
Ahh, how this environment brings joy to my mommy heart.
As an educator, I have always believed that learning does not have to take place in only a classroom setting. I believe that the Creator’s great outdoors, the home, and the kitchen table are all wonderful places to learn and grow. (As is a classroom and school setting, of course).
Therefore, my little homeschool crew will be schooling in the kitchen once again. As mentioned above, we will be making homemade fondant (using marshmallows) for my son’s birthday cake. But first a little side story…
~Storebought Fondant~
Side story: As I have said in previous posts, I enjoy going into different grocery stores- especially in other countries. I remember the grocery stores in Australia- and one thing that stood out to me- was the fact that you could buy fondant, in a box, on the grocery store shelves.
Now, keep in mind this was 20 years ago, but this was a new thing to me. I remember buying a box to try and decorate a cake with fondant. It was very basic- a white, fondant covering- with some colorful, pastel cutouts-but I remember it was an experience that I enjoyed.
That being said, I have never been absolutely smitten with the taste of fondant. I have always preferred buttercream frosting. However, I do believe fondant recipes have come a long way. They seem to taste better now than they did 20 years ago…or perhaps my tastes have just changed?
In any case, I always wondered if homemade fondant would taste any better than storebought.
Some ten years later I would solve this mystery for myself.
~Homemade Fondant in England: My Inspiration~
It was not until I was living in England, that I came across the idea that fondant could be easily made from home.
Even now, I can remember the evening. It was just before my husband left for work. We were watching a television show about making fresh fondant with marshmallows and powdered sugar. I liked both of those ingredients, so I tucked the idea in a corner of my mind for safe keeping.
Finally, a year later, I revisited that area of my mind-and I gave homemade fondant a try. I am ever so happy that I did!
Now, I make homemade marshmallow fondant for almost all my children’s birthday cakes. Usually, I do not cover the entire cake with the fondant, but instead, I use cookie cutters to cut out charming shapes to decorate the tops of my cakes.
~How I Make Homemade Fondant in My American Kitchen:
~Birthday Cakes Decorated with Homemade Fondant~
I feel I should add a disclaimer here: I am not a professional cake decorator by any stretch of the imagination. No-no, this post is about making homemade fondant-not so much the cake.
It is my hope that this recipe may be a useful recipe for those who like to make birthday cakes at home.
In my opinion, this is a much more pleasant, fondant recipe than pre-made, storebought varieties.
At the end of the day, I am just a mom, who enjoys making birthday cakes for her babies.
Naturally, the children like to help me decorate- and are always excited to sample bits of the fondant.
Plus, as a mom, if I am not adding loads of food coloring, I feel better about knowing what ingredients go into the fondant.
Note: this is a sticky recipe so be prepared for a bit of a mess. To help combat this, I have found that a pat of butter rubbed on my hands- and a sprinkle of cornstarch and powdered sugar on parchment paper- help to alleviate some of the sticky-sweet mess- that is sure to exist when working with marshmallow and sugar.
~How to Browse a Thrift Store for Vintage Toys~
Now that our cake is baked- and is decorated with our delicious marshmallow fondant- we can pour ourselves a cup of tea and relax a little.
This is the perfect time to share a few new thrifted finds (that I bought for my boy’s room)- and in honor of his birthday celebration. I have collected these items over time to decorate areas in my boy’s bedroom. However, I also like to use these vintage toys to decorate a birthday table.
Pairing the vintage toys and finds with a homemade fondant birthday cake- creates a special birthday table for a special little boy.
Care to tag along?
~Thrifted Toys and Antique Finds to Celebrate a Birthday Boy~
Right, as you may have learned by now, I am always on the lookout for treasures. Treasures in the kitchen and treasures in the home.
As far as I am concerned…any occasion is AN occasion to pop into a thrift or antique store. Certainly, birthdays are the perfect excuse to have a quick browse through the storied isles.
I receive a lot of joy from uncovering an unexpected, little gift that is worth preserving.
~Antique Books are the Perfect Little Boy Birthday Gift~
I love thrifting for old books…especially children’s books. In my opinion, books are the perfect anytime gift, but they make spectacular birthday gifts.
I collected this particular stack of books with the birthday boy in mind. The Voyages of Christopher Columbus novel is from 1950, and it does show signs of its age- so this will be put away for decoration, as opposed to a book that we read and learn from.
The Playmaker novel– I liked the light green color of the hardback cover…as it is a complementary color to my boy’s bedroom. It was printed in 1960, and it is a perfect decorative piece for a boy’s room.
The Emperor’s New Clothes book has a 1949 copyright date and has lovely illustrations throughout. But perhaps even more charming, is the fact that the library check-out card-still located on the back cover- shows the earliest library checkout was April 14, 1969. Wow!
The Andersons Fairy Tales book is from 1958, and equally, has beautiful illustrations.
Perhaps my favorite book find, is the My First Dictionary book that was published in 1964. It has an endearing inscription in the front cover, “Happy Birthday (4) Linda 9-28-69.”
The early dictionary book is useful for homeschool and also very lovely. Plus, the sweet written note to Linda, makes the book a real treasure in my book.
These are the kind of thrifted finds that create a romantic story in my imagination. Stories about their possible previous lives. And how many years later, the books found me and my children. So cool!
*A second disclaimer: I have not actually read the two novels, so I cannot recommend them in any way other than the fact that I was solely drawn to them for their decorative appeal and charm.
~Using Vintage Toys to Celebrate a Birthday Boy~
After scoring a big collection of thrifted books, I turned my attention to sweet toys for the birthday boy to enjoy. This search led me to also find a wooden giraffe that was carved in Kenya. He was the dumpiest, little giraffe I had ever seen- and he had an adorable, miniature smile.
I had previously purchased another carved, wooden giraffe-from another thrift store-several months before, and I thought he needed a friend…enter the sweet, dumpy giraffe.
I also found a unique, carved, wooden turtle. Turtles are among my son’s favorite things.
The turtle needed a little tender loving care. So, I cleaned and lightly sanded him and then added a bit of wax to make his shell shine once again.
Anytime I see something solid and hand carved, I find it hard to pass by.
These little, wooden, trinkets can be handy for decorating console tables, desks, shelves, bookcases, you name it.
~How Vintage Toys Tell a Timeless Story ~
The last thrifted item I have to share for this week, is a likeable collection of a mother duck and her two ducklings. let me introduce you…quack, quack, a mother duck and her sweet pack
From what I can gather, they are probably from the 1930’s and hand painted.
I thought they would be adorable on my boy’s shelf or on their dresser top.
I also love thinking of all the past children that it may have been owned by- before my own.
A piece of real history- bought by me and my clan- almost a century later.
~Until Next Time~
I hope this post again inspires you to get in the kitchen and learn new things. Hoemade Fondant is easy to make and can transform a birthday cake into something spectacular! Keep your eyes peeled for treasures that are silently lurking on thrift store shelves… and always remember to enjoy time with those you dearly love!
For more ways to get into the kitchen, check out my ultimate guide to traditional English recipes here. And, for more ways to use thrifted items in your home, check out my Ultimate Guide to English Cottage thrifting here.
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See you next week!
~Elizabeth~
