My oldest daughter may be too old for the typical themed birthday party with cake and ice cream, but she’s never too old for me to make her day special.
It seems like just yesterday when I planned fun and elaborate birthday parties for Rayana, like her 13th birthday when I sent out invitations with just a tater tot glued to the front (sprayed with clear paint) for her Napoleon Dynamite swim party. A dozen girls swam, snacked on “gosh-darn quesadillas” and tater tots, and delighted at the ice-cream sundae bar. Then when the sun began to set, they sat on towels in the grass to watch an outdoor showing of the movie while being served buckets filled with popcorn, licorice and glow-in-the-dark bracelets. Sigh, I miss those days.
Even though Rayana and her friends now “go out” for her birthday, I always hold a special gathering where everyone can stop by and share in a “casual” celebration with food, cake and punch before heading out for whatever college kids do nowadays. This year I decided on a “Breakfast at Tiffanys” inspired party.
Breakfast At Tiffanys Party Cupcakes
The Tiffany’s necklace is actually Rayana’s. She received it as a gift from my husband the day the twins were born. The inscription reads, “You Will Always Be the #1 Girl”, and it still brings a tear to my eye. It’s been seven years ago since she got that necklace, and a while since she’s worn it. So, for decoration, I retrieved it from her jewelry drawer and had it shined to put on display, and to remind her that she will always be number one.
There’s no need to go buying expensive party decor. I used a mannequin from my closet and wrapped it with ribbon, then put a crown on top. I used beautiful frames that I already had to insert custom-made signs that I printed myself. And of course- it wouldn’t be a party without my favorite chandelier cupcake stand…. I love that thing (thank you, HomeGoods!) Come to think of it, the mannequin, frames and cake stand are all from HomeGoods as well.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Party
This Tiffany-colored punch is my recipe that is super simple to make. For more on the recipe visit here:
Breakfast at Tiffanys Party Punch Recipe
Our snack- a Mashed Potato Martini Bar where guests got a martini glass with a scoop of mashed potatoes, then selected their toppings of cheese, bacon, green onions, chicken and/or olives. I have no doubt Holly Golightly would approve.
Mashed Potato Martini Bar
Chocolate-covered strawberries add elegance to any occasion, but gave my party table a beautiful contrast in color.
Chocolate-covered strawberries bring a nice touch of contrast to the pale Tiffany-blue colors
And here it is, my shining-star photo of the day- The Breakfast at Tiffanys Cupcake. Beautiful. The diamond ring?- $2.99 at the party store.
Breakfast at Tiffanys Cupcake
Happy Birthday to my “number one girl”… I’m already thinking ahead to next year!
With a high protein value and creamy-rich taste, Greek yogurt is the perfect snack food to have handy when hunger strikes. And did you know that you can easily substitute Greek yogurt into many recipes for a healthy alternative to mayonnaise or sour cream?
Here are three of my favorite recipes using Greek Yogurt:
Swedish Meatballs with Spinach Pasta and Yogurt Swedish Sauce
Ingredients:
Meatballs
ground beef, 1-2 lbs
onion, white- 1, peeled and minced
seasoned bread crumbs- 1 cup
eggs- 2
salt- 1 tspn
nutmeg- 1 tspn
olive or canola oil
Pasta
spinach pasta- 1 lb
Swedish Sauce
Plain Greek Yogurt- 16 oz.
cream of mushroom soup- 1 can
milk- 1/2 cup
paprika- 1 tbspn
grape tomatoes- 1 pint, sliced in halves
Directions:
In large mixing bowl combine beef, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and nutmeg; mix well
Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
Hand roll beef mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place in skillet to cook, turning each one gently with a spoon until all brown all over and cooked thoroughly, approximately 15-20 minutes
Boil pasta in salted water until tender
Drain pasta reserving some (about 1/4 cup) of cooking water in the pan; return pasta to warm pan and water, and toss
For sauce, warm soup and milk in saucepan over medium-high heat until hot
This week is The Organized Cook’s first-ever Weekly Meal Plan from a guest chef. I wrote about my day with rockstar chef, Adam Kaswinder, aka Chef Kas in “A Day with Chef Kas” where we cooked up some “awesomeness” in the kitchen.
Chef Kas recipes are super healthy with fresh summer ingredients, and- with a dash of “Organized Cook” to the menu to make it simple and easy for us busy moms- we appropriately titled this Weekly Meal Plan from The Organized Cook “Eat. Live. and Be Well”.
So if you’re a subscriber to The Organized Cook, a little awesomeness is what’s on your dinner menu this week.
Day 1: Seared Soy Ginger Salmon with Vegetable Soba Noodles
Day 2: Chicken Cutlets with Whole Wheat Pasta and Tuscan Vegetables
Day 3: Sesame Chicken with Noodle Salad
Day 4: Mexican Black Bean Ground Turkey, Corn, Tomatoes and Pasta
Day 5: Rustic Chicken and Roast Vegetable Brown Rice Pilaf
To read more about my day with Chef Kas:
A Day with Rockstar Chef Kas
Busy Moms Rejoice- Chef Kas Is In The (Organized) House
Chef Kas provides local custom cuisine consultation, cooking classes and meal preparation in the Las Vegas area. But busy moms and families can rejoice, because Chef Kas is teaming up with The Organized Cook for some custom meal plans as part of The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System.
In the meantime, to get your own taste of “awesomeness” from Chef Kas, visit his website at CustomCuisineLV.com:
visit customcuisinelasvegas.com for more #EatYourLife
Family meals are important. Iʼll show you easy ways to spend less time and money at the grocery store, less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.
Three months of our most popular menus from The Organized Cook™ Weekly Meal Plan System including grocery shopping lists, cooking instructions and lots of time and money saving tips in one book that's easy to fit in your purse.
Start saving now! Save time and money at the grocery store and in the kitchen. Order Now.