September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. We made a fun pirate themed lunch for the kids at school. The lunch staff also wore pirate hats and we bought eye patches for the kids.
Sea Shaped Fish Nuggets
Our food supplier doesn’t have fish sticks, but they do have fish nuggets in the shape of sea creatures.
Treasure Map Cheese Sticks
We just used Sharpies to draw a red X on the cheese sticks with black dotted lines for the trail.
We placed blue Jello in the bottom of clear plastic cups and added an orange wedge on the top. Then we added a Pirate Flag to the orange wedge to look like a Pirate ship.
Carrot Stick Planks
We cup up carrot sticks and called them “Carrot Planks”.
This girl likes butterfly and she has memorized the book, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. We decided to use this for her 4 year old birthday party. I found this fun little butterfly wings at the Dollar Tree for the girls to wear, they love them!
I used red and Green Party Paper Fans to make a caterpillar. I also used red and green paper plates to make a caterpillar and used my Cricut to spell out Storm’s name. I created a sign with my CANVA program that says, “Storm is a beautiful butterfly!”
I took a large box and painted a big red circle on it, then I cut a whole for the caterpillar’s mouth and added eyes and ears. The kids could toss the fruit into the caterpillar’s mouth. Storm and I also looked through all of her toy food and found some from the book to feed the caterpillar box as well.
Very Hungry Caterpillar Food
I used my CANVA program to make some labels for the food table too. I also served salami and cheese sliders and hot dogs for lunch as well.
“A little egg lay on a leaf.” I made deviled eggs and placed hem on a lettuce leaf.
“He ate through one apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries, five oranges.” I placed the fruit out with the sign sticking up with a picture from the book attached.
“one piece of chocolate cake” I made these Buckeye Brownies…
Buckeye Brownie Recipe:
Ingredients:
2½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Spinkles
Cherries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare your dish by lining a 9-inch square pan with heavy-duty foil then spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Place a cup of water in a small saucepan and place it on medium heat. Place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan with the hot water in it and combine 1½ cups chocolate morsels and ½ cup butter in the bowl. Turn off the stove once the water starts bowling, be careful of the steam. Stir the chocolate until it is smooth.
In a mixer you can add sugar and the chocolate, stirring to combine.
Add eggs, 1 at a time; add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, stirring well.
Mix in the flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir for several minutes.
Pour into the 9×9 baking dish.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, remaining ¼ cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, milk, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, stirring until blended.
While brownie is slightly warm, spread peanut butter mixture over top in a smooth layer. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat cream until almost boiling. Remove from heat, and add remaining 1 cup chocolate morsels, stirring until smooth. Pour over peanut butter layer, spreading into a smooth layer.
We added chocolate sprinkles.
Refrigerate for about 4 hours, until chocolate layer becomes firm.
Using edges of foil as handles, lift whole brownie from pan. Carefully remove foil, and place brownie on a cutting board. Press down firmly in one motion to cut into individual brownies, about an inch apart.
Add the cherry if you choose.
“one ice-cream cone” I filled the cones sitting on the table with pink cotton candy and later we ate strawberry ice-cream in our cones with the cake. I was able to hold up the cones with Cone Holder.
“one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of salami”
Place muffin cups in 12 muffin holders. And fill ¾ full with batter.
Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
“and one slice of watermelon.”
“The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf” I made a salad with cucumber and tomato slices arranged on top to look like the caterpillar.
Butterfly Nectar
Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake
I used a strawberry cake mix and strawberry icing for her cake. I sliced kiwi and strawberries to place on the top to look like a caterpillar. Storm also found some fun pink and green sprinkles to put on her cupcakes.
My Sweet Boy is not 14! He loves Jesus, Lord of the Rings, spending time with family, computer games, and watching The Big Bang Theory. He is getting ready to start a big new adventure- High School!
Chocolate Freezer Pie
Ingredients:
8 oz. Hershey’s bar
8 oz. Cream Cheese
16 oz. Cool Whip
2 Prepared 8 inch Graham Crust
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
Heat the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted.
Beat the cream cheese and add the remaining milk. Add chocolate mix and beat until smooth.
In a bowl, fold the chocolate mix into the cool whip and blend until smooth.
Spoon the mix into the crusts. I decorated the pies with some extra cool whip and shaved chocolate bar for my son’s birthday.
He got a Nerf gun for his birthday and his little sister was al about helping him open it! She also helped me wrap the gift in her Pink Minnie Mouse wrapping paper! He loves her so much, he has been her primary babysitter every summer since she’s been born!
He informed me that it is technically not a Nerf Gun, and that it is better than Nerf.
He is turning into such a handsome young man! He has the sweetest heart, and the most empathetic teenage boy that I know. He brings joy to whomever he comes into contact with each day. I love you, My Sweet Boy!
Here are a few other birthday parties posts that you might enjoy:
Éowyn is 2 years old now, and is a joy to have in our lives. She loves music, sugar, Mickey Mouse, cuddling with Grandma, and playing outside.
Éowyn is very excited for her pink birthday cake. She is a very playful, pretty, and peaceful toddler.
I just blew up lots of different shades of pink balloons and dressed her in the birthday shirt that says “I’m two cute“. I hung a white sheet for the background and used a white toddler size rocking chair.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are her absolute favorite thing right now. Pink is currently her favorite color, but I tried to decorate with red also since her dress is red.
We decorated mostly with pink and white polka dots with a little red and black added. I found these Pink Bow Balloons that matched perfectly. I used a pink and white polka dot table cloth to create a giant bow on the food table too.
I used strawberries and red grapes and placed them on sucker sticks.
Minnie Watermelon Berry Mix
I cut off each end of the watermelon to use as the mouse ears. Then I scooped out the watermelon from the inside. I placed a mix of strawberries, cherries, red grapes, and watermelon balls inside of the watermelon. I used toothpicks to attach the mouse ears. Then I added a napkin bow.
Minnie’s Bow Tie Pasta
Ingrediengs:
1 box bowtie noodles
4 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
Garlic Salt
Parsley
Pink food coloring
Directions:
Boil noodles for 10 minutes and drain.
Add pink food coloring, oil and butter, then stir.
Season with garlic salt and parsley.
Hot Diggity Dogs
We served Chili and Hot Dogs with cheese, onions, tomatoes, relish, Fritos, and Cheetos for toppings.
Minnie Mouse Cake
Candy Bows
I melted strawberry candy melts in a glass bowl sitting on a pot of boiling water. Then I put some white candy pearls into my bow mold and poured the melted pink candy in the mold. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and them pop them out.
My boys are obsessed with Lord of the Rings, so I wasn’t surprised when my 13 year old asked to have a Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movie marathon weekend for this birthday. He invited 2 of his friends over and, of course, I made 2 days of feasting. Since there are 6 movies all together, we tried to take fun breaks between the movies and eat our meals during the movies. We went swimming, out to shoot the bow, and hiking in the woods.
We watched the Hobbit trilogy on the first day and the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the second day. Both days I followed the Hobbit meal pattern and tried to make only foods that were written about in the original books (the dessert table is the exception to this, being fun teenager sweets).
In this post I will tell about the decorations that I made and give all of the recipes that I used to make the food. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed having this party for my son.
Dragon Archery:
I printed out the dragon from The Hobbit and attached it to Titus’s archery target. Then he and his friends went on a “dragon hunt” with his recurve bow.
No Admittance Except on Party Business:
I printed out a sign on some resume paper that said “No admittance, except on party business.”
I hung a disposable green table cloth behind the table and cut slits up it to look more nature like. I hung 3 signs on this green back drop that told the menu.
The Menu:
7am- Breakfast
Strawberries with cream on Shortcake
Apple Tart with Raspberry Jam / Blackberry Tart
9am- Second Breakfast
Sausage Gravy and Buttered Scones
Bacon & Eggs with Honey Buttermilk Bread & Strawberry Jam
11am- Elevenses
Hard Boiled Eggs and Cheese
Elven Lembas Bread and Berries
1pm- Luncheon
Ham & Cheese with Earthbread
Po-Tay-To Onion Soup in a Bread Bowl
3pm- Afternoon Tea
Beorn’s Honey Cake and Plums
Seed Cake and Apples
5pm- Dinner
Balin’s Spiced Beef and Bread with slabs of butter
Start by preparing the strawberries. Add sliced strawberries to a bowl and sprinkle them with sugar. Stir to combine. Let them hang out on your counter for about 2 hours and they will create a delicious juice. I recommend stirring them every half hour or so.
Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray the shortcake molds generously with baking spray. Then, add some all-purpose flour to the molds, shake it around, and discard the excess.
The next step is to whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Then add the vanilla, softened butter, milk, and egg. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for about two minutes.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared shortcake molds. Each mold should be about three-quarters full. In case there are any drips, set the pan on a baking sheet while spooning the batter into the molds. Then place the shortcake pan in the preheated oven.
Bake the little cakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pan before attempting to remove them. Gently loosen each cake with your fingers: then invert the pan to release the cakes.
While the shortcakes cool, prepare the whipped cream (below).
Spoon a generous amount of the strawberries and juice on each shortcake. Top with a dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream. Garnish with a sliced strawberry and sprig of fresh mint, if desired.
Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions:
Add the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
With the mixer on medium speed, whip the cream until it begins to thicken.
Continue whipping for several minutes until the cream is fluffy (medium peaks) but not too firm.
Use immediately or cover tightly and chill for up to 36 hours.
9am- Second Breakfast- Sausage Gravy & Butter Scones
Buttered Scones
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar.
Shred butter into small slices. Add a few to the flour and rub the butter and flour together with your fingers. Add to standing mixer a nd keep mixing in the butter in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add in buttermilk bit by bit, gently stirring until ‘spongy’ dough is formed.
Knead the dough on a floured surface, before rolling it out 1 inch thick.
Beat eggs in a standing mixer until thick. Add the honey and vanilla, mix well.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. add to the mixer.
Mix well. Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool.
Make the icing; mix butter and sugar until creamed.
Add vanilla, honey, and whipping cream and mix.
Lastly, stir in walnuts.
Spread the icing on top of the cake once it is cooled.
5pm- Dinner- Balin’s Spiced Beef & Bread with slabs of butter
Balin’s Spiced Beef
Marinade Ingredients:
2-3 lb. beef rump or blade roast
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Roasting Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
2 carrots, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 russet potato, peels and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 bunch thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
Water as needed to cover
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
In a large zip lock bag, add the beef and all of the marinade ingredients. Squeeze out excess air and seal closed. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate 12-24 hours in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large oven-safe pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Remove meat from marinade and add to pan.
Brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
Add vinegar and broth and scrape up any bits that stuck to the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water just to cover.
Bake covered with foil in oven for about 3 hours, or until internal temperature reads 160F.
Serve garnished with parsley.
7pm- Supper- Pork Pies & Mashed Potatoes
Mini Pork Pies
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup water
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
12 oz ground pork
1 tsp dried thyme
pinch grated nutmeg
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onions small dice
1/4 cup diced carrots small dice
1 whole egg lightly whisked
Instructions:
To prepare the crust, heat the water and butter until it comes to a simmer over medium heat. In a bowl, stir the flour and salt together until combined.
Add 3/4 of the hot water and stir. Stir until it forms a ball of dough. Add more water if needed. Knead until smooth. Set aside 1/4 of the dough in a warm area, covered, until needed.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside.
In a Sauce Pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 3 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the ground pork, thyme, nutmeg, sage, garlic, pepper and salt. Stir to combine. Add the cooked onions and carrots. Set aside.
Roll out the larger portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds with a round cutter 1″ larger than the muffin tin mold. Press the pastry circles into pan.
Fill each with some of the pork mixture.
Lastly, roll out the second portion of dough and cut out circles for the tops of each pork pie. Seal the edges with your fingers or with a fork.
Brush the top of each pork pie with the lightly whisked egg. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Let it cool before serving.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 pounds golden potatoes peeled and halved
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
minced chives optional
Instructions:
Place the peeled and halved potatoes in a pot of cold water. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until a fork easily pierces the center of the potatoes.
Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in a Sauce Pan until hot. Set aside.
Drain the cooked potatoes and return it to the warm pot.
Mash the potatoes until creamy. Add the cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
DAY 2 (Lord of the Rings Movie Marathon)
7am- Breakfast- Tarts
Apple and Raspberry Tart
Jam Ingredients:
2 cup raspberries
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Jam Instructions:
In a Sauce Pan, add raspberries, white sugar and lemon juice, over medium heat.
Stir, keeping the mixture moving to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Slowly it’ll break down and mix together, and come to a boil.
Keep the slow boil going, stirring for about 10-15 minutes, until thickened.
Turn off the stove, place the jam into clean glass jars and pop into the fridge.
Tart Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup cold butter (shredded)
cold water
Raspberry jam
3 medium-sized apples
brown sugar
Tart Instructions:
Start by taking your whole apples and placing them in a Sauce Pan of water. Boil for half an hour, then remove the whole apples and let cool.
Stir together the flour and salt, before cutting the cold butter into the flour.
Mix the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Then add cold water, drop by drop, and mix until a dry dough is formed. (If you make it too wet, add more flour.)
Knead for a few minutes (there will be crumbs in the bottom) . Set aside 1/4 of the dough in a warm area, covered, until needed.
Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside.
Roll out the larger portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds with a round cutter 1″ larger than the muffin tin mold. Press the pastry circles into pan.
Spoon in raspberry jam into each muffin tin hole.
Core and slice your apples, then layer three slices on top of the jam.
Sprinkle with brown sugar over the apples.
Lastly, roll out the second portion of dough and cut out circles for the tops of each pork pie. Seal the edges with your fingers or with a fork.
Preheat oven to 425F, place apple tart in the oven. Reduce heat to 350F after 15 minutes and let cook for another 30 minutes until pastry is browned.
(I added a bit of jam on the top to tell them apart from the Blackberry ones that I made.)
Blackberry Tarts
Ingredients:
4 c. blackberries
Sugar to taste
Lemon zest to taste
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup cold butter (shredded)
Cold Water
Instructions:
Wash berries, lightly toss with sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside.
Stir together the flour and salt, before cutting the cold butter into the flour.
Mix the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Then add cold water, drop by drop, and mix until a dry dough is formed. (If you make it too wet, add more flour.)
Knead for a few minutes (there will be crumbs in the bottom) . Set aside 1/4 of the dough in a warm area, covered, until needed.
Roll out the larger portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out rounds with a round cutter 1″ larger than the muffin tin mold. Press the pastry circles into pan.
Fill with the berries.
Lastly, roll out the second portion of dough and cut out circles for the tops of each pork pie. Seal the edges with your fingers or with a fork.
Preheat oven to 425F, place apple tart in the oven. Reduce heat to 350F after 15 minutes and let cook for another 30 minutes until pastry is browned.
9am- Second Breakfast- Bacon & Eggs with Honey Buttermilk Bread & Strawberry Jam
Bacon & Eggs
The kids wanted scrambled eggs so I made some with the eggs that I gathered from my chicken. Then I fried up some bacon too.
Honey Buttermilk Bread
Ingredients:
1 TBS Yeast
1 pinch powdered ginger
1 teas sugar
1/4 cup warm water (105 F)
2 C buttermilk
1/3 C honey
1 teas salt
1 teas baking soda
6 C flour
1/4 C melted butter
Instructions:
Mix in a standing mixer sugar, ginger and water then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it set for 10 minutes.
Whisk in buttermilk, then honey, salt, and baking soda.
Add 3 cups flour and mix until smooth on low for about 5 minutes
Pour in melted butter and mix well.
Add flour, 1 cup at a time, on low.
Knead until dough pulls away from the sides.
Grease a bowl and place the dough in it. Place it in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down and form 2 loaves in greased loaf pans. Let them rise for 45 minutes.
Cut out 3-inch squares and transfer the dough to a cookie sheet. Criss-cross each square from corner-to-corner with a knife, lightly (not cutting through the dough).
Bake for about 12 minutes or more (depending on the thickness of the bread) until it is set and lightly golden.
Let cool completely before eating, this bread tastes better room temperature and dry.
Also for more flavor you can add more cinnamon or other spices.
1pm- Luncheon- Po-Tay-To Onion Soup in a Bread Bowl
Bread Bowls
Ingredients:
2 (.25 ounce) packs active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
2 tbl vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbl cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes (should look creamy).
Add salt, oil and 4 cups of flour to the yeast and beat well; then stir in the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time.
When the dough forms a ball, dump it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes (until smooth).
Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Turn the bowl until the dough has been covered with oil.
Cover it with a damp cloth for about 40 minutes in a warm place. It should rise to about double it’ size.
Punch down the dough, and divide it into 8 equal parts.
Shape each part into a round ball about 4 inches in diameter.
Lightly grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Place the 8 dough balls on the sheet and cover again. Place in a warm place for about 35 minutes, should double in size again.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl beat egg white and 1 tbl water.
Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash.
Bake for 15 minutes then brush with more egg wash again.
Bake fore 10 more minutes and then let cool.
Cut about 1/2 inch in around the bowl. Cut with your knife straight down about 3/4 inch from the bottom.
Then scoop out the bread in the middle.
Po-Tay-To Onion Soup
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 cups milk
5 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ cups fresh chives, chopped
½ tsp celery seeds
¼ tsp dried thyme, whole
1 cup light cream
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water
½ cup fresh chives, chopped
6 slices bacon, crisply fried and chopped
Instructions:
In a large stockpot, melt butter and sauté onion until translucent (do not brown).
Add potatoes, milk, chicken broth, chives, celery seed and thyme. Cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes.
Mix cornstarch and water, stirring well. Add to soup, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.
Using a potato masher, mash potatoes into small pieces. Add cream, salt and pepper. Heat about 5 minutes.
Garnish with chives and/or bacon pieces.
3pm- Afternoon Tea- Seed Cake and Apples
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients:
2¼ cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup canola oil
½ cup half & half milk
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Position the oven rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour a 8 inch cake pan and set aside.
Measure flour into a large bowl. Whisk in the baking powder, lemon zest, poppy seeds, and salt together until blended and set aside.
Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment beat the eggs on medium for about one minute until frothy.
Add the sugar and beat on high for about 3 minutes until fluffy and light yellow. While the mixer is running on high, stream the oil a little at a time until thoroughly combined.
Change out the whisk to a beater attachment. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour mixture a little at a time until just mixed.
Add the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla until everything is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give the batter a few stirs by hand.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center part of the ring comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it. Once inverted on a cooling rack, allow the cake to cool completely, about an hour or so.
5pm- Dinner- Chicken & Pickles
I didn’t make this chicken, I went to the local deli and bought a rotisserie chicken for the kids. I placed some little sword picks in the pickles for easy grabbing.
7pm- Supper- Mince Pies & Salad
Mince Pies
Mincemeat Ingredients:
2 cups – dice
d granny smith apples peeled and cored
2/3 cup – dried currants
1 1/3 cup – raisin medley
2/3 cup – dried cranberries
2/3 cup – dried cherries
1/2 cup – brown sugar
1/2 cup – walnuts chopped
3 dates pitted and chopped
1 orange juice and zest
1 lemon juice and zest
large pinch of salt
1/2 tsp – cinnamon
1/4 tsp – ground ginger
1/4 tsp – ground cloves
1/2 cup – brandy
Pastry Ingredients:
2 cups – all purpose flour
1/4 cup – vegetable shortening
1/4 cup – unsalted butter cold shredded
juice of 2 clementines
large pinch of salt
mincemeat
powdered sugar to garnish optional
Instructions:
Combine all the mincemeat ingredients in a Sauce Pan over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes or until the ingredients have softened considerably. Cool the mixture until it reaches room temperature and mix in the 1/2 cup of brandy.
Combine the flour, salt, shortening, and cold butter in a bowl. Work the butter and shortening in the flour with your finger tips or with a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter get to the size of hazelnuts. Refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes.
Juice the two clementines and add it to the flour mixture. Mix together until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly grease a muffin tin and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thickness. Punch out circles with a 2 1/2″ round cutter. Gently press the dough into the prepared muffin tin and fill each one with the prepared mincemeat.
Combine and roll out the rest of the dough to 1/8″ thickness. Cut out 2 inch circles and place them on top of the muffins.
Bake the mince pies at 425F for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy.
I made a chocolate cake into 2 nine inch rounds. Then I cut one of the rounds in half and stacked them on top of each other on top of one side of the whole round. I placed my buttercream between the layers. Then I used the grass tip on my piping bag to cover the entire cake with green buttercream grass. I used my fondant recipe to make the front of the Hobbit house and the gray stones in the front. I placed a fudge striped cookie as the door with an M&M in the center. I used fondant to make some gourds in the front of the house and I used white flower sprinkles to decorate the grass. I placed 13 candles on the top of the house.
Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Marshmallow Fondant Recipe
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.
Éowyn’s 1st Birthday! She is such a contented baby, so smiley and sweet. Her father LOVES music, so they decided to have a music themed party.
Éowyn helped me mix up the chocolate cake, and the buttercream. I made the cake in my Giant Cupcake Pan. I added some crushed Oreo’s to the buttercream. I placed white Kit Kat’s around the bottom half of the giant cupcake. Then I placed smaller Kit Kat’s on the white ones to look like a piano. We sprayed the top of the cake to look purple and blue, and place a Pink Sparkle #1 Candle.
Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Storm is so excited to go to her niece’s birthday party! She believes that balloons need to be brought to all birthday parties.
Her dad loves her more than anything, and he was excited to see her dig into her cake.
I tried my very best to give her a zigzag lightning bolt part in her pigtails! She is also wearing her lightning bolt earrings that we got for our X-Men Family Halloween Dress up.
Storm Decorations
I used pool noodles to make a rainbow. White pom-poms for the clouds, then I cut out lightning bolts for the clouds. A cloud table cloth for the background. Then I used a black umbrella with paper rain drops hung with fishing wire.
I used the “Xavier’s School” that I made for our X-men Family dress up last Halloween. Then I printed out X-Men Storm posters and made some “X” symbols with paper.
Crepe paper rainbow with white pom pom clouds. I put in the extra lightning bolts and rain drops that I had.
Cloud and lightning bold balloons.
TWO nado… I hung gray crepe paper from the ceiling fan and then turned it on medium.
Storm Food
We had lots of Storm themed foods!
We had “Rain Water”, “Mini Marshmallow Hailstones”, “Nacho Bugle Tornados”, “Cheetos Lightning Bolts”, and “Cotton Candy Sunset Clouds”!
Rainbow Flavored Drinks
Fruit dip is made with cream cheese and marshmallow cream.
Pizza is made with pepperoni, olives, and cheddar to create and “X” symbol.
Storm Cake
I followed the directions on the white cake box then covered it in my buttercream and then marshmallow fondant. Last I used black buttercream to spell her name and make cracks with the lightning bolt.
Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (if thick)
Directions:
Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
Marshmallow Fondant Recipe
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the rest of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.