Ingredients
Instructions
For more “royal” recipes and appetizer ideas, visit our “Royal Affaire-Fare” menu:
A Royal Affair-Fare Menu for The Royal Wedding
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So what did Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, The Breakfast Club and I have in common this past weekend?
We all celebrated my niece’s 14th birthday at my house- 80’s style.
With my husband and kids away for the weekend in Utah, I had promised my gorgeous niece, Mira that she could have a sleepover at my house for her birthday present.
What I learned from this experience of having very little time to plan and make party preparations (thanks to a more-than-usual hectic week) is that a little imagination can go a long way.
With the party seriously just hours away, I had to think- and think quick- about how to make her 80’s Party come to life.
Mira’s only request was that there be neon-colored cupcakes- a request I thought would be no problem thanks to all the recent blitz about cupcakes… thank you Cupcake Wars. Unfortunately, none of my local cupcake boutiques were offering up neon, and it was too late for a special-order request.
With a can-do attitude and a handful of ideas, I headed off to Michael’s Friday night and purchased two black poster boards for $.59 each, a box of Duff neon food coloring, some bright feathers, candy and gift trinkets. And, after swinging by my grocery store for some cake mix and powdered sugar, I was set.
Duff neon food coloring found at Michael’s
watch out Cupcake Wars!
Next, I printed out different images from the 80’s- album covers, movie posters, etc. It wasn’t difficult for me to find these images since I’m a child of the 80’s, my brain was able to remember names easily. I cut out the images, glued them to the poster board and splashed neon paint on it.
bringing back memories
Every party needs a party table. Starting with a base, I built from there.
setting up
just about done- the party is just minutes away!
Along with some pizzas, tater-tots and chicken wings (they are, after all, 14-year old girls), I made some neon-colored spaghetti to serve with either alfredo or marinera sauces. The girls loved it.
neon-colored spaghetti
We are ready! Let the 80’s party begin!
Happy Birthday Mira!
I assumed the girls had a great time, or as I gathered from the laughing- no shrieking- coming from downstairs all night. It sounded like Justin Beiber just walked into my house about every 20 minutes… until about five in the morning. They played Just Dance, called boys on the phone, made random trips outside to the trampoline.. and ate every last cupcake. Oh, to be 14 again.
As I locked myself in my room away from the noise with a glass of wine and my laptop, I watched this video that made me want to shriek myself- thank you, Chromeo and today’s youth for embracing just how fabulous and fun the 80’s were. I’m trying not to feel old, but my niece is throwing an 80’s-themed party the way I would have thrown a 50’s-themed sock hop in my younger days.
Ouch. I feel another glass of wine coming on.
See if you can identify dances from different 80’s movies in this super-fabulous video by Chromeo:
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Serve up simple. Simple and delicious, that is.
If you’re entertaining for Independence Day, I have a recipe to make your life a lot easier. Skip the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs and try this menu:
By marinating the steak a day or two in advance and making the salads which take just minutes to prepare, you’re time will be free to enjoy 4th of July festivities.
What’s great about this menu is that it covers all the basics- steaks, potatoes, pasta. So, when guests ask, “what can I bring?” tell them to bring easy items like fruit or drinks.
If you’re not entertaining, it’s the perfect combination for just you and the family- I know- because this is what we had for dinner this past Saturday night and it was delicious….tasted like summer.
Dice potatoes into quarters
Dice zucchini and squash into halves
Where I got my potato salad inspiration- basically, I think making traditional potato salad is a ton of work. You have to peel, cook and dice potatoes and eggs, dice potatoes, etc. So, unless my mom is here to make it (she makes a great potato salad), then I want to find an easier alternative.
I was shopping in Trader Joe’s and spotted these miniature potatoes and thought how perfect they would be in a salad. I wanted to make it lighter, without mayonnaise, so I decided to try sour cream. With some blue cheese to add to my “red, white and blue” theme, this potato salad came out better than I’d hoped.
Steak
Potato Salad (can be made a day in advance)
Pasta Salad (can be made a day or two in advance)
When it’s time to eat, just grill steak- or hand it off to the hubby to grill like I do.
Happy 4th of July!
If you’re looking for a summer beverage for 4th of July party, try my Summer Sangria!
Summer Sangria from Toni Spilsbury The Organized Cook
And, for the absolute most adorable place setting, check out this Patriotic Place Setting design by Social Couture.
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