Looking for something a bit different for your wedding? Not sure why, but pancakes come to mind when I think of chilly weather. While I like them anytime of year, there's something special about staying in on the weekend and making pancakes for breakfast, especially if it's snowing outside. But, why do pancakes have to be just for breakfast? Why not serve them to your guests as a unique food choice for either your wedding or bridal shower? And, at Southern Living - they have turned pancakes into whimsical layer cakes. They have transformed six classic southern cakes into pancakes with amazing toppings too. Wouldn't you love a food buffet that looked like this?

shown: hummingbird pancakes, carrot cake pancakes, red velvet pancakes,

Mugs of hot chocolate just got a lot more colorful with these creative flavors of marshmallows. Are you planning a hot chocolate bar at your wedding or party?

I am in the affiliate advertising program with etsy which provides a means for me to earn referral fees by linking to etsy's handmade artists. This post was updated on 12/16/17

You can now offer marshmallows that match your color palette. Or, you might like to offer a sampler of all different flavors for your guests to choose from. Wouldn't it be great to serve homemade marshmallows instead of the standard supermarket ones? They will surely become the talk of the party. The marshmallows showcased below are just a tiny sampling of the amazing handmade marshmallow flavors you can find on etsy . . .

These Italian Stracciatella Marshmallows from Viveltre are infused with rich Belgian Chocolate shavings.

An extra dose of chocolate in hot cocoa is always a good thing. These Peppermint and Chocolate Covered Marshmallows from So Cozy Creations are sprinkled with crushed candy canes.

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Margarita Tequila Marshmallows from Sweetniks are made with fresh lime juice, lime zest and of course, tequila.

These Bubble Gum Gourmet Marshmallows from Sugarpop Bakeshop feature a sweet bubble gum flavor that's blended into a classic and fluffy vanilla marshmallow. It's then sprinkled with colorful sugar pearls and dusted with confectioners sugar.

Which gourmet marshmallow flavor is your favorite?

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Receiving packages with chocolate goodies inside definitely makes a day grand, especially when they are Limited Edition holiday flavors from Ghirardelli Chocolate. Their chocolate squares are available in festive flavors for the holiday season and include Pumpkin Spice Caramel, Eggnog, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark and their classic Milk Chocolate Peppermint bark. These chocolate squares literally melt in your mouth and taste amazing. I of course loved the peppermint bark flavors as who can resist the taste of a candy cane combined with the yumminess of chocolate? But, I do think my favorite square was the eggnog. I have personally never tried the real eggnog drink as it doesn't appeal to me at all. But, eggnog chocolate? {white chocolate with a dash of nutmeg} Now, THAT is something I can definitely enjoy!

Below you will find two recipes that make use of the Ghirardelli Squares.

If you are looking for the perfect topping for your ice cream or dessert, you will love Ghirardelli's chocolate flavored sauce. It's also available in white chocolate and caramel. I sampled the chocolate one and not only is it delicious and has a true chocolate taste, it comes in a squeezable container making it so easy to swirl over ice cream or anything you'd like with an added touch of chocolate. This sauce was also created to be used in espresso-based drinks and in hot chocolate.

And, don't forget, Ghirardelli Chocolates make great wedding and party favors.

While Ghirardelli Chocolate is an affiliate with Brenda's Wedding Blog and I did receive chocolates,
the views expressed here are my own and I was not paid a monetary value to share my opinion.

With August here already, I wanted to share with you some yummy summer treats to end the week with. Last week I was so honored when Driscoll's shared my blueberry inspiration board with their twitter followers. I even had a container of their strawberries in my fridge at the time :) On their web site, they have so much inspiration from recipes to berry wedding décor. Today, I've rounded up just a few recipes from the Driscoll's site that incorporate blueberries and/or strawberries. They'd be the perfect sweet treat for any summer party you may have planned. I'm hoping to be able to make a few of these myself very soon, although for the ice cream I guess I would first need an ice cream maker, right? And, if you happen to be looking for a strawberry themed invitation, I have one in my Wedding Girl etsy shop as well as strawberry dessert toppers. {custom designs are welcome too}

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream | Strawberry Ice Cream with Brown Sugar

Blueberry Lemon Tart | Fresh Strawberry Tart with Champagne Sabayon

Blueberry Parfait with Gingersnap Granola | Strawberry Rose with Dark Chocolate Pudding

All photos courtesy of Driscoll's

I'm so loving this trend . . . serving your guests pie for dessert instead of the traditional wedding cake or the popular cupcakes. There are so many flavor ideas to choose from and you can even send your guests home with either slices of pie or their very own mini pie. You might even like to consider making it a family affair and have your family members and friends make their favorite pie to share on the wedding day. You could then offer copies of the recipe for your guests using these blank recipe cards from Jen at Blush Printables. And, if you are looking to label each pie - I've even created printable pie labels for you. This is also a great idea for a bridal shower and you might like to collect all the recipes and present them in a pretty paper booklet or mini book for all guests at the event to take home with them.

And, please don't forget about the current giveaway where you can of course download fun DIY printable pie goodies as well as enter to win your very own personalized pie plate. What a wonderful keepsake.

Image Credits: mini pies, pies on tree stump chargers, sweet pies buffet, fruit pie buffet,
mini pies {photo by Stephanie Williams Photography}, crumble pies, pie pops