Monkey Cake {Kids Party Ideas} March 20, 2012

I’ve been on a monkey kick for parties lately – between a sock monkey theme baby shower and a monkey themed 1st birthday party – there are a lot of cute monkey ideas swinging around in my head.  Today I’m sharing a recipe for a monkey cake, which is amazingly impressive and doable even for non-bakers.  This cake doesn’t require any real shape trimming: The cake is baked in a metal bowl and a cupcake is used to create the ears.  Even if you don’t pipe the frosting perfectly, it will still come out looking great.

Monkey Mix {party favors} February 27, 2012

Here’s a super simple party favor idea for a monkey theme party.  Buy or make a great trail mix (mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s make this mix special), fill glass jars with the mix, then add a label and some ribbon or yarn (or a combo like I did here).  A lovely party favor created in just minutes!

Sock Monkey Shower {party theme} February 22, 2012

The classic sock monkey is a great backdrop for a gender neutral baby shower.  It’s slightly retro with a modern, handmade feel.  I chose this theme for a coed shower I recently hosted for one of my favorite couples.  I purchased a few inexpensive, classic brown sock monkeys in a few different sizes (one large, two small) and a few modern, lime green singing sock money-inspired toys for variety (my daughter is the proud beneficiary of the leftover party decorations). I used a few things from our nursery to add to the decore, including a red wagon, sock monkey book, sock monkey ornaments and glass baby bottles.  The cupcakes I had made were the coolest cupcakes ever!  For the favors, I went with homemade cookie stacks, wrapped in cello bags and tied with yarn as a nod to the sock monkey threads.

Sock Monkey wine sleeve used as a vase cover; singing green stripe sock monkey; cupcakes by the amazing Cowie’s Confections; cookie favors by the Hip Hostess; and Caspari alphabet napkins featuring “M” for sock monkey.

It’s A Boy! Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails Baby Shower January 8, 2012

Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails.  That’s what little boys are made of.  And that’s the nursery rhyme that inspired this baby shower for a very hip mama-to-be with a baby boy on the way.  This mama already has a little girl (soon-to-be Big Sister) and has most of the essentials.  A boy themed shower was the perfect way to hint at showering mom and baby with adorable boyish goods.

I used the rhyme as my inspiration for the invites, decore, favors and dessert (check out the amazing cupcakes below), and served a killer brunch menu.  Here are some of the details from the party.  I’ll write a follow-up post with a how-to for the favors.

Cupcakes by the amazing Cowie’s Confections; wooden frog pull-toy by Melissa & Doug; favors by the Hip Hostess (how-to post coming soon); flowers are mix of hydrangeas and hypernicum.

Hamburger Cupcakes September 10, 2011

There’s still ample time and good weather for grilling, and I have a fun BBQ theme dessert idea, courtesy of one of my hip baker friends – hamburger cupcakes!

Hamburger Cupcakes
1 batch vanilla cupcakes (made from mix or homemade)
1 batch chocolate cupcakes (made from mix or homemade)
1 container vanilla icing or homemade butter cream frosting
1 package shredded sweetened coconut
Red, yellow and green food coloring
Toothpicks
Sugar in the Raw (optional)

1. To make buns: Prepare a batch of vanilla cupcakes but be sure not to use paper liners (grease the baking tin instead). Use a mix or make them from scratch using your favorite chocolate cake recipe.  Sprinkle tops with Sugar in the Raw before baking to create the look of sesame seeds on the tops of the buns (optional).
2. To make burgers: Prepare a batch of chocolate cupcakes but be sure not to use paper liners (grease the baking tin instead). Use a mix or make them from scratch using your favorite chocolate cake recipe.
3. To make ketchup: Mix red food coloring with ½ container of vanilla icing.
4. To make mustard: Mix yellow food coloring with ½ container of vanilla icing.
5. To make lettuce: Place shredded coconut in a ziplock bag and squeeze several drops of green food coloring into the bag; seal the bag and mix until coconut is coated with coloring.
6. To assemble, cut the “buns” (vanilla cupcakes) in half vertically and cut the “burgers” (chocolate cupcakes into thirds. Use a piping bag to put the “ketchup” on the bottom bun, then place the burger on top of the ketchup and then use a different piping bag to put the mustard on top of the burger. Sprinkle the lettuce on top of the “mustard.” Finish by placing the top of the bun on top and then secure with a toothpick to hold it all together.
Note: You’ll have extra “burger” parts – they’re great for the pastry chef to enjoy!

Apple Picking Picnic September 23, 2010

Early fall is the perfect time to host an apple-picking party—a fun outdoor activity that will get everyone outside
to enjoy the crisp, sunny weather. Make it an early-afternoon event and plan a post-picking picnic if the weather
permits. Or, plan a late-afternoon picking and head back to your house for a casual apple-themed dinner. Apples
are grown in all 50 states, with California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington as the top
apple producers. To find a local orchard in your area, visit www.pickyourown.org.

Check out my September column on The Family Groove for more tips and ideas for hosting an apple picking picnic.

http://www.thefamilygroove.com/sep10_EntertainingOnTheEasy.htm

Hip Tip – Save Time, Serve Cupcakes May 1, 2010

Save yourself the trouble of having to cut and serve a cake at your next party by serving cupcakes.  Cupcakes are a huge hit for many reasons, but they really are a very practical dessert to serve.  It can take a while to cut and serve cake to a large group of people (trust me, I know!).  Consider serving cupcakes when hosting a large birthday party, shower or other event where cake is the norm.  Streamlining dessert means more time for you to enjoy the party.

Hip Tip: At a loss for words? January 27, 2010

Stop spending your precious time pondered the words for your party invitations.   Use the sample invitation wording from any of the great sites listed below.  They offer sample invitation wording for weddings, showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, save the dates, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, corporate events, retirements, fundraisers, birth announcements and more.  Now you’ll have the perfect words for all your special occasions.

Sample Wording Sites:

www.tinyprints.com/sampleverses.htm

www.invitationconsultants.com/sw-main.aspx

www.lcipaper.com/invitation-wording.html

www.colorsbydesign.com/store/WORDING/wordlist.shtml

www.mygatsby.com/wording_for_invitations.jsp

Photo credit:  www.tinyprints.com