My son is crazy about the Wings of Fire book series AND Nutella. He loves dragons so I did my best to make him a dragon on a castle cake!
I made a chocolate cake mix and added a cup of Nutella, I also mixed Nutella into the frosting.
I just used chocolate bars and Nutella Oreo’s to make the castle with chocolate frosting. Then I made the dragon from my marshmallow fondant recipe.
Marshmallow Fondant Recepie
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.
He is such a sweet, empathetic, brilliant, loving boy!
My oldest in now 15 years old! 15 years ago he taught me that it is possible to “fall in love at first sight”! He is a sweet, loving, and brilliant young man.
Ingredients:
9 inch Graham crust
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1 tea. Vanilla
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
Beat in milk until smooth.
Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour into crust and chill for 3 hours.
Top with cherries and refrigerate.
We let the 3 month old play with the balloons. We tied them to her hands and feet, since she is kicking an waving non-stop… She loved this!
My son wanted to have a secret agent spy birthday party with his classmates. It was so much fun, and the weather cooperated with us too!
Crime Scene Gifts
Secret Agent Badges
“First thing you all need to do is to create your Secret Agent Badge. To figure out your Secret Agent name, you will draw a name from this “First Name” can, and then draw a name from the “Last Name” can. Then you can write your Secret Agent Name on your ID card. Next you can add your fingerprint to your ID card. Gently press one finger into the ink pad and carefully place it on the box in your ID card. Last choose a badge holder and place your ID card into it and clip it on your clothing.”
One girl even drew the name “Secret Agent”! I found the Badge Holders on Amazon.
Spy Gear
“Before we get started, we will need to equip ourselves with some Spy equipment. Unfortunately, the equipment has been kept under lock and key, so you will need to work together to release the supplies. To open the cuffs there is a key maze inside each cuff. Insert the lock pick in the maze and the rotate the lock pick left, right, up and down to follow the maze to reach the bottom and unlock the hand cuffs.”
The kids followed the clues around the yard and solved the puzzles to find the laser maze at the end. We used the Spy Code games that my boys already had. There are several spy contraptions in each game that we pulled out and used in our Mission Possible scavenger hunt. They have Spy Code Operation: Escape Room, Spy Code Yulu Break Free, and he got Spy Code Safe Breaker as a gift from Grandpa.
“Things to remember, if you come to a ‘Mission Envelope’ that is not the next number, just leave it alone until you get to that number… the envelopes must be solved in number order. Use the walkie-talkies to communicate and don’t open any of the “Mission Envelopes” until all of your agents are present. Work together to solve the code, and decide who will work on the Spy contraption. Who ever is not working the code or contraption can use the walkie talkies to find the next clue after solving is completed. Do not open the next ‘Mission Envelope’ until both the code and contraption have been solved for the current ‘Mission Envelope’.“
Laser Maze
Licorice TNT
Pop Secret Popcorn
Root Beer Floats
I scooped the icecream into jars ahead of time, so the kids could choose their flavor or icecream and soda. They really enjoyed these!
Party Foods
Basically I put out some of his favorite red and yellow foods to stick with my color theme. Watermelon, pineapple, salami and cheese and crackers, popcorn, and licorice, lemonade, and Koolaid!
Secret Agent Cake
I made a red, yellow, and chocolate checkered cake with my homemade white butter cream icing. Then I made marshmallow fondant to create the decorations.
Buttercream Recipe
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 Recepie
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.
For my son’s 9th birthday, we tried a new ice cream cake recipe. He loves mint, chocolate, and ice cream… and Andys Mints as well! This cake has a brownie base and ice cream and other delicious toppings!
Ingredients:
1 box Brownie Mix
1/2 cup Oil
2 Eggs
1 1/2 quart Mint Chip Ice Cream
1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 bag Andys Mint pieces
Green Food Coloring
Andys Mints
Directions:
Make brownies according to directions on the box. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake according to the box directions.
Cool completely, then place in the freezer to chill.
Stir the ice cream until it is smooth enough to spread.
Gently spread evenly over the brownies, then place in the freezer again.
Heat the cream over medium heat until hot and bubbly.
Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth, then add peppermint extract.
Let cool to room temperature (so it doesn’t melt the ice cream).
Drizzle an even layer over the ice cream.
Sprinkle some of the Andys mint pieces over the chocolate and freeze.
Add a layer of cool whip and more Andys mint.
I made some of the cool whip green to write “Happy Birthday” on the ice cream cake.
Freeze for a couple hours. Pull out the ice cream cake to sit out about 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
My nephew came for a visit over his 4th birthday so I made him a #4 Monster Truck cake.
Ingredients:
Yellow Cake Mix
Eggs
Oil
Chocolate Mini Donuts
Chocolate Frosting
Oreo’s
Green Icing
Monster Trucks
#4 Candle
Directions:
Bake the yellow cake according to directions in a 9×13 baking pan.
Let it cool and cut the cake in half longwise so you have 2 long pieces of cake. Then cut one of the pieces in half. Shape on your cake board in the shape of the number 4.
Cover the cake with chocolate frosting.
Crush up some Oreo’s to create a Monster Truck track on top of the cake.
Place the donuts around the side of the cake and us the green icing to add some grass between the donuts.
I also used the green icing to write “Happy Birthday”.
Place the number 4 candle and the Monster Trucks on top of the cake.
My boy is 8!!! He took some of his buddies to play laser tag and then we came home for chocolate “8” cake.
Laser Tag Cake
I baked a 9 inch and an 8 inch chocolate cake with a cup in the middle to create a donut shape for each circle cake. Then I put them together and added chocolate icing. I used blue icing to write on the cake and added glow sticks to look like laser tag! AND of course 8 candles too.
My “Brilliant Boy” is 12 now. It goes by so fast… and I love him so much! He loves playing Nerf with his friends, so they all came over for a few hours and they had fun playing Nerf!
I used homemade marshmallow fondant to decorate his cake!
Marshmallow Fondant Recepie
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.