Sunday, September 2, 2012

Marshmallow Madness: marshmallow pops


Marshmallow Madness: marshmallow pops Great idea from Popcosmo.com

marshmallow madness
Most candy companies haven’t caught up with the trend just yet, so for the boldest neon, dye white candy melts with electric shades of the rainbow. Refer to the end of this post for candy-dying tips and how to achieve neon colors.
Two-Tone Effect. Hold the marshmallow by the top edge, and dip it halfway into the first color. Using your free hand, insert a lollipop stick into the just-dipped side of the marshmallow, and put it in your KC Bakes stand (or Styrofoam) to dry. Once the first color chocolate is dry, dip the marshmallow in the second color, right up to the edge of the first color.
marshmallow pops
Sprinkle on some Cheer. After coating the marshmallow completely in a neon color, dip the top of it in some rainbow sprinkles to make those colors pop even more.
how to make marshmallow pops
Happy Birthday! Put the secondary neon chocolate into a Ziploc bag, snip the tip, and pipe it on like you’re decorating a cake. Trim neon candles in half, and before the top color chocolate hardens, insert the candle, allow everything to dry. Remove the candle before eating, of course.
marshmallow recipes
So Sweet. On a last-minute run to Party City, I came across these candy-coated sunflower seeds, and for some reason, they just spoke to me. They’re simple, cute and somehow sophisticated. And you know, these may be my favorite pop in this whole post.
marshmallow recipes
Having a neon party, but don’t have time to order candy dye? No problem! There are a lot of bright candies that will take your marshmallow pops from drab to fab!
Nerds come in huge multi-colored boxes, or you can buy them by specific flavor and color.
marshmallow recipes
Candy buttons are great because you can stick them onto the pop in any pattern you like… it’s like a candy Lite-Brite! Do they still make those?
marshmallow recipes

Pop Rocks have the trifecta… sight, taste and texture! Word to the wise, don’t make these too far in advance. If left out for too long (more than 36 hours), the pop rocks begin to dissolve and instead of having that spiky glacier-like texture, it looks like a thick gel. Learn something new everyday!
how to make marshmallow pops
Pixy Stix aren’t the brightest color candy out there, but they add a great punch of tart flavor, and they are so easy to use… just tear off the paper-end, and pour. To enhance the color, dip the top of the marshmallow in colored chocolate first; the pop on the right was dipped in pink first, and then sprinkled with a red Pixy Stick.
marshmallow pops
When it comes to taste, Fruity Pebbles were my #1 favorite. They gave the marshmallow pop some great crunchy texture, but the fruity flavor definitely brought it home.
marshmallow recipe
Now while I was at Party City, I spotted a big box of Ring Pops, and I immediately knew what I could do with them… marshmallow rings!

Marshmallow pops
To get just the plastic ring part, put an unwrapped Ring Pop into a paper or thick plastic bag. Holding the ring part to keep it steady, take a hammer and bang on the candy part a few times. After two or three whacks, the candy split clean off.
ring pop recipe
Put a little chocolate on the flat-side of the ring pop, and push it into the top of the marshmallow. ‘Mallows can be a little springy, so you may need to hold it there for a few moments until it adheres onto the ring.
marshmallow recipe
If you want to get fancyyy, dip the marshmallow in white candy, coat it with clear sanding sugar, and violá – marshmallow bling!
marshmallow ring pop
For your next get-together, neon or otherwise, remember that marshmallow pops make the perfect blank canvas to match your party theme… dip them in melted candy and go crazy (with toppings)!
Marshmallow Madness Supplies
- Kraft Jet-Puffed Jumbo Marshmallows
- White Candy Melts or Vanilla Candy Coating
- Assorted Candy Toppings
- Neon Candy Dye
- Lollipop sticks
KC Bakes Stand (or Styrofoam)
- Ziploc sandwich bags
Tips:
1. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into melted candy, then insert them into the marshmallows. Let them firm up for a few minutes before dipping the pops; this will give the pops a little bit of extra support.
2. Consider your toppings and your timeframe carefully. Marshmallow pops that are fully coated in candy can sit out for quite a few days with no problem. However, certain toppings will go stale (like cereal) or can get gooey (like Pop Rocks) if they are exposed to the air for too long.
3. For the green and yellow neon dye in this post, I used AmeriColor “Electric” Soft Gels. Unfortunately, these dyes have water in the ingredients, any type of water will make chocolate seize into a hard lump. To get around this, AmeriColor makes a product called Flo Coat, which you add to the chocolate prior to adding the dye.
4. For the pink neon dye in this post, I used Make’n Mold pink candy dye, which can be found at most local craft stores. It is oil-based, and mixes into candy beautifully. Its actually marketed as their “pastel” collection, however keep adding more dye for an intense neon-like hue.

How to do a French Manicure: quick and easy sticker or tape tutorial!

This is a great article from http://www.popcosmo.com

How to do a French Manicure: quick and easy sticker or tape tutorial!


Nothing beats a clean, crisp manicure, but they can get expensive at a salon. So here’s a fail proof way how to do a french manicure, as inspired by this gorgeous a Rue La La Tumblr post. Well, why not neon? Of course, the tips could be any color, but we wanted to funkify a plain-jane manicure and try something different. Our foolproof way how to do a french manicure is simple and so easy that you’ll be doing it for fun every day this summer. Well, maybe not every day, but we can imagine changing nail polish more often than we used to. Our photos shows how to do a french manicure using paper hole reinforcements for a curved line, but we have also usedblue painter’s tape for a straight line. (It’s also great to use to extend a manicure.) Although many of you have said you had success with regular tape, our french manicure doesn’t end up as clear and crisp as we would like when we use regular tape. Since painter’s tape and paper reinforcements are so easily available, we suggest giving them a try! Here’s what we did .. . and we’d love to hear your tips too!
Neon French Manicure
How to do a French Manicure
Step 1: Apply a base coat and let dry. It’s important that it is completely dry before you proceed.
Step 2: Apply either blue painter’s tape or paper reinforcements to your nail.
Step 3: Paint a neon color on the tip, or whatever color you would like to use. Use 2 light coats for coverage. Thick coats are not advisable because it leaves a ridge (you can see one in our ring finger… oops!)
Step 4: Remove tape or reinforcement AFTER the polish has dried.
Step 5: Apply a clear coat and enjoy!