Party Planning

Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake

Dear Sis,

My need for thrift often pushes me into new adventures. William wants ice cream cake for his birthday. The idea of buying ice cream cake for 25 people makes me cringe. I can’t be that hard to make I thought! …and I was right. It isn’t hard. It just requires a shelf cleared in the freezer and two days to perform all the freezing between very simple steps.

Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake
Serves 20
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
  2. 1/3 c milk chocolate chips
  3. 2 (1.5 qt.) tubs Cookies and Cream ice cream
  4. 1 jar fudge sauce
  5. 20 oreos, crushed
  6. 2 (8 oz) tubs whipped topping, thawed
  7. additional cookies for decorating
Instructions
  1. One the first day, prepare cake according to package directions. Mix in chocolate chips just before pouring batter into two round pans and baking. Cool. Wrap cakes in plastic and freeze.
  2. Line cake pans with plastic. Scoop 1 tub ice cream into each pan. Top with additional plastic wrap. Press to make ice cream take the shape of the pan. Re-freeze.
  3. On second day, combine fudge sauce and crushed cookies.
  4. Unwrap ice cream rounds and place on serving plates or cake boards. Top each with half the fudge cookie mixture. Spread evenly. Unwrap cakes. Place one cake over each fudge topped ice cream round.
  5. Frost with whipped topping. Decorate as desired. Freeze until frosting is set.
  6. Rewrap in waxed paper and plastic.
  7. Thaw 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Adapted from I Wash You Dry
Adapted from I Wash You Dry
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

I can’t wait to try it with different flavors!

Love,

b

Watermelon First Birthday Party

Dear Sis,

I was super fun planning and preparing a party for Evelyn! She looked adorable in her watermelon dress with her hair braided:)

Her Mama looked lovely too! One would never guess she is expecting Evelyn’s new sister or brother this coming winter:)

Menu

Ice Water & Pink Lemonade

Meatball Hoagies & Chili Dogs

Minted Cucumber Finger Sandwiches with Red Grapes

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels with Carrots, Celery, & Ranch Dip

Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs, & Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Fruit Pizza & Watermelon Rice Krispy Treats

Watermelon Slices

Watermelon Cupcakes & Fondant Toppers

Ice Cream Cones

Love,

b

 

Watermelon Cupcake Toppers

Dear Sis,

Instead of buying fondant in three colors, I bought a box of white fondant and colored it with Wilton coloring paste. I also needed a black edible food marker and  cookie cutter set, with 2.75, 2.4, and 2.25 inch circles, to form each layer.

  1. Knead green food paste into white fondant. Roll as thin as possible and cut with 2.75 inch cookie cutter.
  2. Roll white fondant as thin as possible and cut with 2.5 inch cookie cutter. Add a few dabs of water to the back of the white fondant and center it on green fondant.
  3. Knead red food paste into white fondant. Roll as thin as possible and cut with 2.25 inch cookie cutter. Add a few dabs of water to the back of the pink fondant and center it on the white fondant.
  4. Cut into quarters while still fondant is still soft.
  5. Stand until surface is dry enough to accept edible food marker.
  6. Draw on seeds. Air dry until ready to use.

Love,

b

Memorial Day 2019

Dear Sis,

I like to make a special treat and cook out on Memorial Day. It was a perfect opportunity to test another recipe for Evelyn’s birthday picnic next month:) 

Watermelon Rice Krispy Treats
Yields 12
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Rind Ingredients
  1. 3 T salted butter
  2. 4 c mini marshmallows
  3. green food coloring
  4. 4 c crisp rice cereal
Watermelon Ingredients
  1. 3 T salted butter
  2. 5 c mini marshmallows
  3. red food coloring
  4. 5 c crisp rice cereal
  5. mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Grease two round cake pans with butter.
  2. For rind, melt butter and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Stir in color. Stir in cereal. Press half mixture around outer edge of each cake pan.
  3. For watermelon, melt butter and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Stir in color. Stir in cereal. Press half mixture into center of each cake pan. Sprinkle each watermelon center with chocolate chips and press them in. Stand until set.
  4. Turn each pan out on a board and slice into 6 pieces, just before serving.
Adapted from Thrifty Fun
Adapted from Thrifty Fun
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
While I was in the kitchen, Josh mowed and trimmed for me. William played most of the time, but also got a chance to help. The mower stalls a lot when a two year old is holding down the bar:)

I’ve finally got my burger recipe perfected, so I guess it is time to share it:)

Cheesy Chive Burgers
Yields 12
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Ingredients
  1. 3 lb. ground beef
  2. 3 c shredded Cheddar Jack
  3. 1/2 c fresh parsley, minced
  4. 1/4 c fresh chives, minced
  5. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1 1/2 t hickory salt
  7. 1 t ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
  2. Press into a dozen burger patties.
  3. Grill, panfry, or layer between waxed paper and freezer for later. Thaw in fridge before cooking.
  4. Serve with buns, cheese slices, and all your favorite burger fixings.
Adapted from From Freezer to Table
Adapted from From Freezer to Table
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
Happy Memorial Day!

Love,

b

Watermelon Cupcake Test

Dear Sis,

Today has been a fun day at our house. There are cupcakes everywhere! …which is okay with William and Josh:)

The colors are flipped in cupcakes 1 and 2, because the component that contains the watermelon flavoring, is the component that has to be pink. 

CUPCAKE ONE

Chocolate Chip Watermelon Cupcakes
Yields 24
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box white cake mix
  2. 1 c buttermilk
  3. 1/3 c oil
  4. 3 egg whites
  5. 3 T watermelon gelatin
  6. red food color
  7. 1/2 c mini chocolate chips
  8. 1 recipe Swiss Buttercream, colored green
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 dozen cupcake tins with parchment liners.
  2. Beat together cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and egg whites until smooth.
  3. Stir in gelatin and red food color, until desired color is reached, but remembering that the color will appear slightly darker after it is baked.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
  5. Frost with Swiss Buttercream, recipe link below.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Swiss Buttercream

Gelatin in cake creates a very moist, but slightly denser cake. Baking the chocolate chips into the cake makes the chocolate flavor much richer. In my opinion, I taste chocolate first with a hint of watermelon flavor. If my panel of taste testers picks this cupcake, I will add fondant toppers to complete the look.

CUPCAKE TWO

Watermelon Cupcakes
Yields 24
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Cupcakes
  1. 1 box white cake mix
  2. 1 c buttermilk
  3. 1/3 c oil
  4. 3 egg whites
  5. green food color
Watermelon Frosting
  1. 1 batch Swiss Buttercream, colored red/pink
  2. 1 pkg. watermelon Kool-aid
  3. mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 dozen cupcake tins with parchment liners.
  2. Beat together cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and egg whites until smooth.
  3. Stir in green food color until desired shade is achieved. I even like to add a bit of yellow to brighten the green. Keep in mind that the color with be slightly darker after baking.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
  5. Prepare Swiss Buttercream as directed in the link above, but leave out almond extract, and add Kool-aid in its place. Color with red food color to desired shade.
  6. Pipe over cupcakes with a large star tip. Sprinkle each frosted top with some chocolate chips.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
The cake is lighter in this cupcake, since it doesn’t contain any gelatin. The Kool-aid adds a very slight grittiness to the buttercream, but the watermelon flavor is very apparent in this presentation. The chocolate chips take the back seat and become part of the ascetic. 

 

I will post the results in the comment section:)

Love,

b

Recipe Testing for Evelyn’s First Birthday Party

Dear Sis,

I am super excited to be working on recipes for Evelyn’s First Birthday Picnic! We tried one of our watermelon theme desserts and a sandwich option.

Fruit Pizza
Serves 16
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Sugar Cookie Crust
  1. 1 pkg. Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix
  2. 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
  3. 1 T all-purpose flour
  4. 1 t almond extract
  5. 1 egg
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. 2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
  2. 1/2 c powdered sugar
  3. 1 t vanilla extract
Fruit Toppings
  1. 2 kiwi fruits
  2. 1 lb. strawberries
  3. 2 T semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Sugar Cookie Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and line 2 (9 inch) round baking pans or pie plates with parchment cut to fit the base.
  2. Combine cookie dough ingredients until dough forms. Divide dough into two portions and press one portion into the bottom of each prepared baking pan.
  3. Bake 15-18 minutes. Cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Beat together frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Remove crust from baking pans and place on serving plates or boards. Cut each cookie into 8 slices before frosting. It makes serving much easier later! Spread half frosting over each crust. Chill.
Fruit Toppings
  1. Peel, half, and thinly slice kiwi fruits. Layer sliced kiwi around the outer edge of the fruit pizza.
  2. Wash, remove greens, and slice strawberries. Layer sliced berries in the center of the fruit pizza.
  3. Sprinkle each pizza with 1 T mini chocolate chips.
  4. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
  1. Fruit Pizza doesn't have to look like a watermelon. You can use your favorite fruits in any design you desire!
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Pinwheel Sandwiches
Yields 32
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Cheese Spread
  1. 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
  2. 1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
  3. 1/4 c blue cheese, crumbled
  4. 2 T sour cream
Buffalo Chicken Filling
  1. 2 c rotisseri chicken, shredded
  2. 1/2 c Buffalo wing sauce
  3. 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  4. 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
Cheese Spread
  1. Cream together all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Place equal portions in the center of each tortilla and spread smooth.
Buffalo Chicken Filling
  1. Toss together chicken, wing sauce, and onion.
  2. Spread equal portions over the cheese layer on each tortilla.
  3. Roll up each tortilla and chill 2 hours.
  4. Cut away ends and slice each tortilla into four equal pinwheel sandwiches. Serve.
Adapted from Sugar Apron
Adapted from Sugar Apron
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/
I am going to put these sandwiches on a platter with ranch dip, baby carrots, and celery sticks. The flavors complement each other so well and remind me of eating real wings… only less messy:) 

We went to a library program, while the wraps were chilling, and ate them for lunch. William has an amazing tolerance for spicy considering he is only 2.5!

Love,

b

William’s 2nd Birthday

Dear Sis,

William had a wonderful birthday party! Our guests included a handful of family members, a few neighbors, and his friend Carter’s family. We were a chatting, eating, playing, painting merry bunch.

Lunch Menu

Spaghettios (Train Wheels) & Bread Sticks (Rail Road Ties)

Cheese & Cracker, Fruit, & Vegetable Trays

Bottled Water & Chocolate Milk

Cake & Ice Cream

Cupcake Train

We painted a wooden train engine red and put a number “2” on the side. We baked cupcakes and frosted them with Swiss Buttercream. We sprayed the frosting with edible color. Last we added “Happy Birthday” candles.

Ice Cream Bar

Our ice cream bar consisted of a vanilla party tub of ice cream, chocolate and caramel syrups, gummy worms, homemade strawberry sauce, maraschino cherries, mini honey graham cookies, mini oreo cookies, mini peanut butter cups, peanuts, sprinkles, and a can of whipped cream.

Activities

Train Conductor Hats and Bandanas

Train Toys, Books, & Puzzles

Painting Plaster Trains

Favors

Train Shaped Butter Cookies

It took a lot of tries before his little mouth was well enough aligned to blow out his two candles.

William opened one gift at a time over the course of three hours. We unpackaged each thing and played with it before moving on to the next gift, giving him time to focus on each item before moving on. No mad dash, no tears! But many Hugs and “thank you-s” all around.

Gran recorded what items each guest brought inside the cards, so we would remember who gave each gift when writing our thank you notes.

Gran and her parents concluded day three of their visit, just a few hours after the party. 

Thanks to all the family and friends who helped make William’s 2nd Birthday such a special time! Special thanks to Aunt Angel for taking lots of great photos:)

Love,

b

Party Prep Chugging Along

Dear Sis,

This week we started making party decorations for William’s train themed second birthday party that is quickly approaching. Our train crossing signs turned out great!

We used cardboard and acrylic paints. William enjoyed some of the leftover paint:)

We baked the cupcakes just before bedtime. When I asked William what kind of cake he wanted he grabbed a box of chocolate and white cake mix, so we made mabel cupcakes:) They pasted the taste test!

Love,

b