Sunflower Cheese Ball with Olives

Sometimes I find a recipe, make it,  and my family loves it.  It becomes an instant hit.  Then I make it just about every week, or at least every month, until another recipe comes along and replaces it.  Sometimes, there is no replacement, but the recipe just doesn't fit as well in with the season.  As it is made less frequently, I might forget about using it.  Then one day, something reminds me of that favorite recipe.  I ask myself, "Why haven't I made that in forever?"  This is one of those recipes.

Cheese balls may seem so out dated, but this is really a good combination of flavors.  The olives are a great accompanying taste to the mild cheese.  The thing I really like about this cheese ball is the coating of roasted sunflower seeds.  Most cheese balls are covered with pecans or walnuts that are coarsely chopped.  The sunflowers are tender, both in texture and taste.  This is a terrific treat to make and have on hand for a spring time snack or for nibbles with some friends.  It is a great make ahead recipe for a shower, too!

Sunflower Cheese Ball
original recipe from allrecipes.com
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 c shredded Monterey~Jack cheese
1/2 c sliced green olives with pimentos
2 tbsp chopped green onions
1/2 c salted, roasted sunflower seeds
crackers {recommend pretzel thins}

Beat cream cheese and mustard until smooth.  Stir in the cheese, olives and green onions.  Shape into a ball.  Roll in sunflower seeds.  Refrigerate until time to serve.  Great with crackers, pretzel things and crisp veggies.

1.  Place the combined ingredients for the cheese ball on plastic wrap {makes it easy and neater}.

2.  Using your hands, gently shape into a ball.  Quick transformation from blob to ball.

3.  Sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds around ball.  Gently roll around to cover cheese ball with seeds.

4.  Refrigerate cheese ball til time to serve.  Transfer to serving plate.

5.  Surround with crackers or pretzel thins.

Tips and Tricks~
*Work with the cheese on plastic wrap.  Sprinkle seeds around and roll to easily cover cheese ball.
*Serve with carrot and celery sticks for a gluten-free or low-carb treat.
*Substitute other herbs in place of the green onions.  Try parsley or chives.
*Instead of a cheese ball, mix up the ingredients without the sunflowers.  Top pieces of toasted bread that have been cut into spring shapes with cookie cutters for a spring tea sandwich.

TJ's has my favorite pretzel thins, Everything Pretzel Thins!  Great with a cheese ball.

Make Ahead Brunch~ Simply Elegant Crab Strata

I used to have more time to plan somewhat lavish meals for guests.  Like having 70+ people over without catering, making all the food and decorations myself with the help of one or two of my daughters.  Those times seem to be fading quickly into the abyss of my blog and memory.

Sometimes the simplest gatherings are the most gratifying for me and most pleasing for my guests.  But even the simplest gatherings should have something special.  And special doesn't have to be labor intensive.  Not even for an Easter brunch or a spring bridal shower.  Really!

Two things to keep in mind are:
1.  Use dependable recipes.
2.  Use quality ingredients.

I have your covered on the first.  The second is up to your local grocery, and you.

This recipe comes from a small recipe book from my favorite B&B.  The collection of recipes is very much like one you would get from the ladies group at a church.  They are pretty simple, with just one short paragraph of instructions.  It is so simple, that many may overlook it when selecting an elegant dish for their spring entertaining menus.  But it really deserves more than your consideration.  It is delicious.

Remember, use quality ingredients.  Using fresh and quality ingredients can almost always change any recipe into a star, even if you aren't a top chef.  Trust me, I know from experience.  So, before your begin, shop for your ingredients.

Fresh Produce
Use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled.  Mince your own onion, don't use onion powder.  Chop up some CRISP celery.  Keeping your celery in water in the refrigerator keeps it crisp.

Flavorful Cheese
You may be tempted to skimp here, but use some nice Irish cheddar or something that is an aged, good cheese.

Good Crabmeat
Use lump crab meat that you find refrigerated.  Not imitation.  Not frozen.  Not next to the canned tuna.  I use Philips. It's good.

Now you are ready! Assemble the strata the night before.  Put the dish, uncovered, a cold oven.  Heat the oven then begin timing from there.

And be ready to give out the recipe.  Everyone will want to make it once they find out how easy it is.


Simply Elegant Crab Strata
1 small loaf fresh sourdough bread, cubed {about 8 cups}
1 lb lump crab meat
1 c chopped celery
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c real mayonnaise
juice from 1/2 lemo
1 tsp hot sauce
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
2 c milk

Grease a 9x13 or a 3 quart casserole dish.  Spread the bread cubes in the prepared dish.  In a large bowl combine crab, celery, onion, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce; stir well.  Using a blender or food processor (even a hand mixer), combine eggs and milk well.  Add the egg mixture to the crab mixture and stir well.  Pour over top of the bread cubes.  Top with shredded cheese.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.  In the morning, place dish in cold oven.  Heat oven to 350F.  Cook for an hour from the time oven reaches 350 or until lightly browned.  Serve with additional hot sauce and lemon wedges.

Note- I made this recipe and divided it into two dishes.  But, I recommend using just one 9x13 dish.

DIY Sandwich Platters~ How to Make them Attractive

Sandwich platters are an easy option for entertaining but can be rather boring or canned even if you make them yourself.  Without paying a local sandwich shop or deli to make your party platters, you can make your own from your favorite sandwich recipes or some that I've included below.

In the past I've made sandwiches and cut them up, arranged them on a platter and was quite dissapointed that they either looked just like the platters I buy or they looked like my 7 year old threw them together.  Not that my boy isn't talented.  He could be quite creative but quite messy, too.  Here is an easy trick to make diy sandwich platters eye catching without compromising the ease of putting them together~ leave space on the platter and fill in gaps with garnishes.  Actually, I think this is a quick method and will make any sandwich platter more appealing.
 

First, make your sandwiches.  If you are making a day ahead of time, you want to pair the bread with the proper ingredients so the sandwiches do not end up soggy.  For example, if you are using a spread you'll want a drier bread such as a Ciabata or crusty French.  Also, don't use fresh lettuce and tomato; leave those on the side.

Choose a platter.  Many platters are round and big.  If you are making only one kind of sandwich or similar sandwiches that can be stored overnight together without effecting the flavor, a large platter is fine.  I would use smaller and separate platters for different types of sandwiches, placing only one type of sandwich on each platter.

Also, line the platter with something that won't compromise the sandwiches, such as wax or parchment paper.  I keep deli sandwich paper on hand for lunches and use them to line a sandwich platter with.

Arrange sandwiches.  This used to be the difficult part about arranging a sandwich platter for me.  Then I realized the key to it all~ leave space between the sandwiches.  Don't try to layer them or overlapping in an effort to hide the platter itself.  Place the sandwiches flat on the platter so they don't smoosh each other.  Don't worry about the spacing between and parts of the platter showing.

Fill in gaps with garnish.  Choose a fruit or vegetable or non wilting herb to fill in gaps on the platter.  Look at ingredients of the sandwiches for ideas.  The muffaleta recipe uses a tapenade which has olives and peppers.   For the muffaleta platter, after cutting the sandwiches in halves I spaced them around a ramekin of olives.  the space between was filled in with mini sweet peppers.  The olives and peppers both add needed color to the platter.

The curry chicken salad croissants were also cut in half {halves make a nicer portion size for party platters}.  They were arranged in alternating rows with space left between so the delicate croissants wouldn't be smooshed.  The space was filled with green and red grapes.  Although this recipe doesn't use grapes in the chicken salad, they still compliment it nicely.

Here are two recipes to get you started on your own sandwich platters for your next party or get together.  For best flavor and texture, follow the cooking directions for the chicken used in the chicken salad.  I use this method whenever I am making chicken breasts to be used in another recipe.

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich on Croissants

Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 green onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 c dried cranberries
8 croissant rolls
red and green grape clusters for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F.  Rinse and pat-dry chicken; place in glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine thyme, salt, pepper and onion powder.  Sprinkle on chicken.  Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour.  Turn off oven and let chicken sit for 20 minutes before removing.  Once removed, place on cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes to ease handling.  Discard skin; remove chicken from bone.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Set in bowl to the side.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, pepper and salt.  Add to chicken and stir.  Add green onions, celery and cranberries.  Stir well.

Slice croissants from the back to the curled tips, leaving the tips intact {see pictures above}.  Fill the croissants well; lightly press down.  Slice in half.  Arrange on a platter and fill in gaps between halves with small grape clusters.  To make ahead, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and enjoy within 24 hours.

Italian Muffaleta with Tapenade

Ingredients
8 Ciabata rolls
1/2 lb mortadella
1/2 lb sandwich salami
1/2 lb sandwich pepperoni
8 slices mozzarella cheese
1/2 c tapenade
olives and mini sweet peppers for garnish

Slice Ciabata rolls in half horizontally {to open for sandwich making}.  Spread one tablespoon of tapenade on the middle of each bottom slice of the roll.  Add mozzarella, three slices of mortadella {I folded into fourths for a 'pie' shape then layered on}, three slices of salami and four slices of pepperoni.  Top with other half of roll.  Press lightly and slice in half.  Arrange on platter and garnish with olives and peppers.  To make ahead, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and enjoy within 24 hours.

Reuben Dip~ Just Like the Sandwich But Easier!

Reuben sandwiches, loads of corned beef with Swiss cheese and cabbage, are the essence of a game night for me.  Have you ever tried to make Reuben sandwiches for a crowd, though?  It's not too easy.  Here's a great alternative and one of the best last minute dip recipes~ Reuben Dip.  Ingredients are readily available at your local deli, and the dip can be made quickly.  Either cook it in the oven or in the slow cooker, which is useful in keeping the dip hot throughout the game.

I will often grab the corned beef from the deli, but if you have leftover corned beef, it would be excellent in this dip.  Another way to fancy up this dip is by making your own thousand island dressing.  Simply combine mayonnaise and ketchup in a 2:1 ratio then add about some chopped up sweet pickles and pimentos.  Of course, to keep it last minute friendly, just use the dressing from the bottle.

Serve with traditional pumpernickel or dark rye bread.  Another easy option is using the pumpernickel or rye cocktail bread.  They are dip~serving~size already.  If you want this to be over the top scrumptious, serve it with everything bagels.  Just cut them into big bite size pieces.  The chewy bagel with all the onion flavor is sooooo good with Reuben dip.  And to satisfy those who want a crunch, use everything bagel chips.  Having some sweet gerkins and extra dressing on the side is a must, too.

Off to win the next bout of Twister.  Oh, did you think I was talking about a different kind of game?  Well, this dip is a winner for any kind of game.

Reuben Dip
16 oz sauerkraut, drained
8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
3/4 lb corned beef, {about 3 c} chopped or shredded
1/2 lb shredded Swiss cheese {about 2 c}
1/2 c Thousand Islands dressing

Combine all ingredients by hand or with paddle attachment of mixer.  Spread in 2 qt baking dish or two smaller dishes.  Cover and cook in 375F oven for 25~30 minutes, or til hot and bubbly.  In slow cooker, heat on high for an hour; reduce temperature to warm once melted and stir before serving.

New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies

Here's an easy way to add some festivity for children to your New Year's Eve~ Countdown Cookies!  I am certainly no master cookie baker or decorator but these are relatively simple {as far as shaped and decorated cookies go}.  I use a basic sugar cookie dough.  It's a great recipe to use when you will be decorating cookies with sprinkles or frosting since the dough isn't too sweet.  There are a plethora of recipes and tips out there for cookies, but I'll give you some of my own to add to them since I really suffer in the shaped cookie making department.

*When making your cookie dough, do not add all of the flour called for.  Wait and see how the dough balls up.  You may not need all the flour.  If your dough is too dry {too  much flour} the cookies will crumble.  Baking is affected by the humidity in the kitchen as well.  Just add a half cup at a time {already mixed with the baking powder} until the dough starts pulls together in a ball.
*Have cookie trays, sprinkles, cookie cutters and any other equipment you will be using ready to go before removing dough from refrigerator and beginning to roll.
*Work with half or a third of the dough at a time, leaving remainder of dough in the fridge.  Soft dough is your enemy when rolling and cutting cookies.
*Transfer cut cookies from work surface to prepared cookie sheet using a large metal spatula.  You can easily tear excess dough from around the shaped cookie after the spatula is carefully slid underneath of shape.
*Use powdered sugar on cookie cutters and spatula edges to 'flour', making removal of dough easy from cutter edges.
*Don't use leftover dough {from around the cut shapes} for more cookies.  Conserve space when doing initial cutting.
*Sprinkle cookies with sugar crystals once they are on the tray but before they are baked.  Don't worry about extra sugar crystals around the the edges.  Lightly press them into the cookies to keep in place while baking.
*Place cookie trays in freezer for 10 minutes before baking to help keep cut shapes while baking.

We save our small frappuccino and juice bottles to make festive drinking containers on such occasions as these.  Add party ribbon and curl.  The final touch is a festive straw in colors to match the occasion.

Another easy yet festive decoration is a 'clock' plate.  Any plastic plate {or inexpensive ceramic plate} will do.  Use a permanent marker to mark the numbers around the plate edge.  I found it worked best to start with 12, 6, 3, then 9 and fill in the remaining numbers.  The children will love snacking on these New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies as they wait to ring in the new year!

New Year's Eve Countdown Cookies

1 c unsalted butter, left at room temperature for 45~60 minutes
1 c white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 c white flour
1 tsp baking powder
powdered sugar {for working with dough instead of flour}
tinted sugar crystals for decorating

Blend butter and sugar in stand mixer til grainy but smooth.  Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla.  Blend well, scraping sides and bottom of bowl again to incorporate all ingredients.

In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder with a whisk.  Working with a half cup at a time, blend into creamed butter and sugar.  Once the dough starts to pull together into a ball, remove from bowl.  Working on lightly floured surface {with powdered sugar}  shape dough into a smooth disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour {dough should be firm but not too hard}.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare cookie sheets {I like to line with foil and spray with a nonstick spray}.  Roll cookies to 1/4" thickness.  Cut, using a bit of powdered sugar on cookie cutters to keep from sticking.  Transfer to prepared cookie sheets.  Place cut cookies, on cookie sheets, in freezer for 10 minutes before baking.  Bake in 350F for 8~10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.  Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Makes enough dough for about 2 dozen large {2"~3"} cookies.

I don't throw out the leftover but allow my younger children to use them for making their own sugar cookies.  They did all the rolling, shaping, cutting and sprinkling them selves and there were no worries about wasted dough or mistakes.  And a multitude of sprinkles hides any mistakes!

Holiday Snack Food~ Mini Grilled Sandwiches

Making holiday menu plans isn't always easy.  As I was planning my Thanksgiving meal, I knew I would need some snacks to bridge family and guests from breakfast to dinner but not overwhelm them.  Sometimes veggies and fruit may not be enough.  Anything more and I am have an abundance of leftover turkey, potatoes and green beans.  And, I always want to do something a bit different.

My children really inspired this idea.  They like small food.  Small amounts of food at a time.  Small food because it's cute.  Small food helps them try things they may not otherwise try.  But mini food doesn't have to be for the children only.  These mini sandwiches are perfect for holiday snacking.  They are also perfect to have while watching the football game.

Need more inspiration for grilled sandwiches?  Check out the Grilled Cheese Academy for more grilled cheese sandwich ideas.  Cocktail bread can be found in rye, pumpernickel and sourdough.  Check back in a few days to see what I did with the sourdough cocktail bread {your kids will love it}.

Mini Grilled Sandwiches
Rye Cocktail Bread
Deli Roast Beef
Muenster Cheese
Coleslaw
Thousand Island Dressing
Butter

Preheat griddle to 325F {or a frying pan over medium~high heat}.
Assemble sandwiches by cutting a slice of Muenster cheese into four equal pieces.  Place one piece of cheese on a piece of rye cocktail bread.  Add some deli roast beef {just tear it into smaller pieces to fit on top of the cocktail bread}. Add a bit of coleslaw, then top with a second piece of Muenster cheese.

Melt a few tablespoons of butter on griddle. Grill the mini sandwiches for about 1 minute, or until bottom piece of cheese begins to melt. Top with second piece of cheese. Add a more butter to an empty spot on the grill and flip the sandwich to grill the other side. Remove from heat. Either serve with a small ramekin of Thousand Island dressing for dipping.

Tips and Tricks
*Make a mini Reuben with corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on pumpernickel cocktail bread.
*Make a mini Rachel with pastrami, Swiss and coleslaw.
*Let the cheese and meat sit on the counter while you are assembling the other ingredients and heating the griddle.  The sandwich with heat through better and the cheese will melt easily if it isn't straight out of the fridge.
*Per two mini sandwiches I used one slice of Muenster and one slice of roast beef. Use this to calculate how much you will need to buy from the deli for the amount of sandwiches you plan to make.

Layered Taco Dip

Seven layer dip, or taco dip, is an old favorite that has been made for years now and probably has even been forgotten by some. I actually forgot about it even though it was a staple appetizer from my kitchen for years. My sister recently asked if I would make 'Your Taco Dip' for a family get together. So I did.

One of the few things I do differently is omit the taco seasoning and use my own mix of herbs. It is healthier {less sodium} and you can adjust the heat and flavoring to your liking. In place of a taco seasoning packet I use ground cumin, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Garlic would be a great addition but my husband has issues with garlic so I don't use it. I also like to serve the dip in a glass bowl rather than a rectangular dish. I really like to heap on chopped lettuce and you cannot add much if this is served in a casserole dish.

Layered Taco Dip
1.5 lb ground beef
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup water
1 4 oz can green chilies
1 16 oz can refried beans
2 c chunky salsa
1 pt sour cream
1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 c shredded cheddar~jack cheese
chopped black olives and green onions for garnish

Season ground beef and brown it in a large frying pan. Do not drain; add water, green chilies and can of refried bean. Stir and heat over medium~low heat till well combined. Remove from heat. Place bean mixture in bottom of a large, clear, glass bowl. Let cool.

Top cooled bean mixture in this order: salsa, sour cream, lettuce, cheese and garnish. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with chips.

Tips and Tricks~
Divide the bean mixture and other layers into clear cups or jars making it easy for guests to grab along with a bag of chips.
If you omit the lettuce and serve this in a casserole dish, it changes it completely by heating in a 350F oven for 25-30 minutes before serving.
Change the layers~ use corn or jalapeno peppers or your favorite taco topping.

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Birthday Party Planning Tips

I've been planning to share some spectacularly exciting ideas with all of you, really I have. Unfortunately I have spent more time than I really have doing those wonderful things and have not had a chance to blog about any of them.

At the moment I am finishing the tenth 'cake' I have made for a party in the last month. One weekend I even had two parties, one of which I thought had been scheduled for another day. Thankfully it was brought to my attention a couple days ahead of time, and I had already done much of the planning and buying so it went well.

Instead of the few posts I had planned with lots of step-by-step how to and a bounty of inspiring pictures, here's a list of things I have kept in mind over the last month while planning my children's birthday parties and friends wedding/baby showers.

Colors
Decide on your colors first. They can be theme inspired (spring baby shower for a little girl~ pastel pink and celery green) or favorites of the guest of honor (bright orange and aqua blue for a thirteen year old boy).

Use chosen colors for everything: plates, napkins, table clothes, banners, food, ribbon, etc. Everything.



Table
The table should be the focal point of the party. Drape a table with a white table cloth then use a plastic table cover in one of the party specific colors as a table runner. If you don't have platters and bowls in the chosen colors, use clear bowls or vases adorned with a ribbon in the party colors. Stick with one color of platters: white, silver or black. Use baskets or buckets and fill them with snacks placed in theme colored sacks.

Have a variety of heights to get the eye to travel across the table. This can be achieve with tall and short vases, cake stands, tiered servers, etc. Also, place balloons or streamers or banners above the table to attract attention to it.

Food
Let your theme inspire you with food choices. You could choose foods that match the colors of the party; make a list of food items that would be similar colors or at least complimentary. Think of snacks and recipes that go along with the theme. For a bright orange and aqua blue theme: cheese balls, carrot and celery sticks with dip, chicken tenders with sweet and sour sauce, cantaloupe wedges, cheese cubes and popcorn colored blue. Adding a third complimentary color allows for green apples, green grapes, and kiwi.

Don't forget drinks. You can be even more creative with colors of your drinks. Not only the beverages, but straws and cups come in a huge variety of colors. My favorite are striped straws; you can find some here (along with other party supplies). I've ordered them in lime green, bright blue, and red. They make an instant party with kids.

Activities
For a great party all you need is an attractive table with a few snacks and something to drink and then have something simple but fun to do. When planning games or activities, keep the age of the participants in mind. Younger kids will need things that will keep them active, otherwise they will be jumping all over the place during your party. I have found Simon Says to be an excellent activity for preschoolers and the younger crowd. For slightly older traditional party games or board games work well: Twister, Telephone, 30 Seconds, etc.

Don't restrict your party to games, think of activities as well. For my 12 year old daughter's party, I had the guests help with cooking and cupcake decorating. They had a fantastic time. At my son's birthday party we set up a couple of chairs with a white sheet as a backdrop and left a bucket of props for a make shift photo booth. I raided the dollar section at the party store and found some neat things like plastic glasses for 10 cents each. The pictures make a nice party favor.


Cake
At the beginning of this post I placed cake in quotes because I haven't actually made ten different cakes. In all honesty my children do not enjoy cake. For their parties and actual birth day treats I made other goodies such as pudding cups, banana splits, brownies, and provided ice cream bars. We even did floats for the blue and orange themed party: orange soda with vanilla ice cream. It was a treat.

The most important thing is to keep guest of honor in mind and plan around his favorites and have fun with it.



Party Links
Children's Party Games Ideas
Paper Party Supplies
Make Your Own Cake Mixes and Decorating Tips
Dr. Seuss Toddler Birthday Party
Bug Birthday Party
Pinocchio Party

Any helpful tips? What has been super easy and turned out just to be a delight at a party you planned?

Colossal Meatballs and Spaghetti

We watched it in the theater. We watched it at on dvd. We even celebrated with it. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a fantastically fun movie. The weekend we saw it in the theater, I made a dessert for the children which was inspired by the movie. The fun did not stop there. Once out on video, I decided to make a dinner the family could enjoy, something like a party.

The colossal meatball was the centerpiece of the dinner. Most children are finicky eaters and like simple flavors. Keeping with simplicity, I used few ingredients. But building on the idea of BIG food, I made the meatballs HUGE.


Each meatball is a quarter of a pound, a meatball Flint Lockwood would be extremely proud of, and without the danger of a food storm. To thoroughly cook a meatball of this size, you need to simmer it for a while in sauce. Once done, serve atop buttered noodles.

Colossal Meatballs and Spaghetti
2 lb ground beef
1/2 c grated parmasan cheese
1/4 c Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 c marinara sauce
1 lb spaghetti, prepared and buttered

Combine all ingredients. Shape into 8 quarter pounds meatballs. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Pour marinara sauce over meatballs and cover pan with lid. Simmer for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Place noodles in bowl and top with a colossal meatball.

Along with the spaghetti we had, what we have now come to call in our house, Cloudy Cups. These are made of pudding that has been mixed with freshly whipped cream to make a lighter pudding. Then they are topped with gummy bears and candy sprinkles.


I am certain one of the children will want a Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs themed party. So anyone else thinking along these lines, here are a few ideas.
Food~
*Colossal meatballs with buttered noodles
*Sardine drink~ blue punch mixed with gingerale with Swedish fish and a cocktail umbrella added
*Cloudy Cups {as described above}
*Cucumber Boats~ cucumbers hollowed out and filled with cream cheese mixed with chopped carrots

Decorations~
*Blue tablecloths and plates, utensils and napkins
*Cloud placemats~ cut white poster board
*Hanging clouds from ceiling or taped on walls.
*A few colorful umbrellas here and there

Games~
*Food eating contest~ whipped cream pies or spaghetti with no hands
*Build a burger~ like pin the tail on the donkey, but everyone gets a different piece of the burger {made from paper} to tape on the wall in a designated spot
*Make clouds see link for this easy and neat activity

Party Favor~
*Fish in a bowl
*Tornado Tube
*Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett
*A book about weather here is a recommendation

Any other ideas? Share them in the comments.

Snowman Cupcakes With the Best Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes can be incredibly fun to decorate but may also easily be a huge hassle. If using icing alone, I do not produce an attractive product, much less a photo worthy one. Nevertheless, cupcakes are pleasing to decorate because one does not have to use icing alone to decorate with.

Here is an example~
The Snowman Cupcake


Is he not completely adorable, so much so that you could just gobble him up. . . literally? And what is even more wonderful about this little guy is how easy he is to create. My nine year old daughter had a fantastic time icing and decorating these cupcakes to share with her friends.


To help you get started, here is the best frosting recipe in case you need one or haven't seen it when I used it for this Bird's Nest Cake. It is just the right sweetness, not overly sugary sweet. And the perfect texture for holding its shape after it has been smoothed on or piped. It gets just a little bit stiff after setting but not crunchy and really holds onto any added garnishes.


Best Buttercream Frosting
1 c butter, room temperature
1 c vegetable shortening
6 c powder sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz heavy whipping cream

Place butter and shortening in mixer. Beginning on low speed and gradually increasing to a high speed, whip for 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Lower speed to lowest setting and mix in powder sugar one cup at a time until well blended. Add vanilla. Increase speed to medium and slowly add whipping cream. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 8-10 minutes until light but stiff. This makes an ample amount of icing for at least 24 cupcakes.


Snowman Cupcakes
Twizzler Rope
Life Saver Hard Candies
Chocolate Chips
Mini Chocolate Chips
Orange Slice Gummy Candies
raw sugar {for dipping}

After you have given each cupcake {any flavor you care to make} a good layer of frosting, roll them in raw sugar to give each a snowy effect. Set to the side.


Pull the Twizzler rope apart and cut each rope into thirds. This will be used to connect the Life Saver ear muffs. Also, slice the orange slice gummy candies into wedges then each wedge into halves; these will become little 'carrot' noses.


Place a third Twizzler rope segment at the edge of an iced, sugared cupcake and gently press into the icing to hold. Add a Life Saver hard candy to each end of the rope at the sides of the cupcake to create a pair of ear muffs.

Use two chocolate chips to form eyes for your snowman and five mini chocolate chips to make the mouth. Place the chocolate chips upside down, so that the tip of the chip is in the frosting.

Lastly, place an orange wedge piece in the center of the snowman's face for his nose. You could stick this straight up or lay it on its side, whatever suits your fancy.

Now you have an adorable snowman cupcake to give away or enjoy yourself. I immediately wrapped two up for our neighbor's little boys. I have found that the easiest way to package cupcakes neatly is to place them in a small clear plastic cup, the sort you use for punch. Then the cupcake in a cup can be placed in a bag and tied closed for gift giving.


Hoping you have a happy holiday season!

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

. . . this is the best chocolate cake EVER!

My daughter just turned the big 10. To celebrate we had a wonderful outdoor party with a bird theme. This birds nest cake played the part, too.



For the past few years I have been using the same recipe whenever I make a chocolate cake, Sandy's Chocolate Cake. The taste appeals to a more mature taste as it has a bit of a sweet-tart taste. I wanted to use something that would certainly appeal to younger children but would be delicious, not just sweet.

This cake was terrific! Lots of chocolate and a great buttercream frosting. It used only brown sugar which added a subtly pleasant taste compared to other chocolate cakes I have made. The frosting was "just like bakery frosting" according to many taste buds.

I asked my oldest daughter if it looked like a bird's nest on top. Her response was, "It must be for one prolific bird!" There were quite a few eggs, but I thought it was beautiful. Maybe not as beautiful as the birthday girl though.



Chocolate Bird's Nest Cake with Buttercream Frosting
adapted from foodnetwork
Cake Ingredients
3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable shortening
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 ounces heavy whipping cream

Directions for Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three round cake pans.
2. Combine the brown sugar and oil. Mix at low speed and add the eggs one at a time. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.
3. In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. 4. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes about 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
5. Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until ready to frost.

Directions for Frosting
1. Place shortening and butter in mixing bowl. Beat at low speed, slowly increasing speed to medium high. Cream butter and shortening until light and creamy, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add salt and vanilla. Blend. Add sugar, one cup at a time and mixing after each addition. Mix on low and slowly add whipping cream. Once well mixed, increase speed to medium high and beat for an additional 5 minutes till fluffy.

To make a bird's nest cake, simply toast 1 1/2 cups of coconut. Sprinkle in a round on the center of the cake. Add some pastel egg shaped candies such as almond M&M's. Garnish the bottom of the cake with remaining toasted coconut.

Slice and enjoy!

A Buggy Birthday Party

Four children's birthday parties down in the past few weeks, one more to go! My youngest turned two a few days ago. He has been interested in living things, but not ones that are larger than he is {unless they are his family members}. So I thought it would be great to have a bug birthday party for him. The funny things is, and I did not realize it until we picked up his balloons, that he does not like bugs! He was a bit terrified by the smiling lady bug balloon. Despite that oversight, he had a great day.

For younger children, I believe it is best {and sanest} to keep to fewer guests, so we only invited some family members to the celebration. We still had games and lots of food. The food was very much geared towards the younger crowd, but the adults thought it was not only adorable, but surprisingly tasty.

Food
I love coming up with cute foods for little kids to eat. I think if it looks fun, they will try it and eat it!

 
Ant Hill~
1 cup cream cheese, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup chocolate chips mixed together and formed into a cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball in graham cracker crumbs, then poke a hole in the top. Place a line of chocolate sprinkles from the ant hill hole, down the side and around the edges. For an extra cute touch, sprinkle praline crunch around the bottom of the cheese ball. Serve with Bug Bites {graham cracker bug shapes}.

 
Caterpillar Kabobs~
Again, sweet and simple. Ball a canteloupe and a honeydew, then thread onto a wooden skewer.

 
Ants on a Stump~
An apple, sliced into rings, then cored; dip in lemon juice to keep from browning. Drizzle a bit of honey around the top {sap, of course}, then add some craisins. These were very tasty.

 
Dragonflies~
Celery stick with four mini heart-shaped pretzels attached with spray cheese {I don't know what it is really called}.

 
Centipede Sandwich~
Super hero sliced and shaped into curving shape with pickles added under and on the side of each piece for legs, green olives for eyes and celery sticks for antennae.

I think this looked more like a sick fish or turtle, but it tasted great!

Bug Juice~
I simply served limeonade. It is green. It is sweet. The children liked it.


Games and Activities


Put the Spot on the Lady Bug~ Very simple, just like the donkey version
Cut out from red poster board a ladybug shape. Add a head and face if you like. All you need are enough black spots {cut from black poster board or construction paper} for each participant to have one or two.

Buzz, Buzz, Sting!~ Again, like the traditional game, just different words
This is very easy for little ones to play, even if they don't catch on to taking the seat in the correct place.

Making Antennae~ Simple, creative, and fun
Only four things needed for these cute little things~ headband, pipecleaners, pompoms, and glue. Securely wrap one end of each of two pipecleaners around the top of the headband. Then glue one pompom to the other end of each pipecleaner. Allow to dry for a few minutes before wearing.

Other Ideas
We did not have time to get to other games I had planned to play, but here are some of them for those interested.

Bug eating contest~ Fill a plate full of chocolate sprinkles or other colorful sprinkles. With hands behind backs, children eat the sprinkles as quickly as possible. If you have various ages, give the older children more sprinkles than the younger ones.

Caterpillar Crawl~ Children, one at a time, manuever through an obstacle course or just across the room while in a sleeping bag.

Decorations and Cake
These were simple. Green tablecloth with little plastic bugs. Plates and forks and balloons in bright colors. The most elaborate decoration were the napkins.

A wooden clothes {not the spring kind} was used as the body of a butterfly. A bright yellow napkin {any color could be used} was folded accordion style, gathered in the middle, then inserted into the middle of the clothes pin. The napkin was spread apart to form the wings of the butterfly.


The caterpillar cake was made from about eighteen cupcakes, each iced in either bright yellow, green or blue. They were arranged to form a caterpillars body with the front one decorated with m&m's as eyes, nose and mouth. I few slivers of chocolate bar were used as antennae.

The cupcakes were perfect for serving up cake and ice cream quickly.

Hopefully these ideas will be helpful for your own buggy birthday party.

He wasn't so fond of this happy lady bug. I don't blame him; she kind of looks freaky.