Owl Birthday Party

When Peachy turned one we had a big party with friends and family. And so we set the precedent of having birthday parties every year starting at one. I know that one year olds really don't understand the fact that people are there for them and their birthday, but I look at it as an excuse to have a party and celebrate the blessing of your child in your life.

And so, we invited our playgroup friends over for a fun party to celebrate our Cream. A while back I decided on an owl party. Someone asked if Cream liked owls, I laughed and told them she could care less and the early years are the years that the parents get to choose the party theme and I chose owls! Since owls are so popular right now, I really had fun finding all sorts of owl items to add to the party fun. I also decided that I would go with the colors of green and pink. Again, just because I really like that color combo. (Maybe the party was more about me than Cream.)
I started by buying a set of clip art owls from the Etsy shop Saraink.

Using this clip art set and photos from the girls' shoot in July, I created this invitation.

As usual, I used Publisher to create the invites and had them printed at Office Max.

After the invitations it was on to what Cream would wear. (Isn't that next on everyone's list?) I thought about making her something, but saw this darling dress and tights at Carters and couldn't resist. I also had a friend here make her an owl clip similar to these that she has on her site. I also used this tutorial to make Cream an owl bib.

With wardrobe taken care of, it was on to the decorations. I made a rag wreath with pink and green scraps I had around using the same method I used for this wreath. The owl is a Cricut cutout I made using one of my friends machines.

I decorated our side table that you see when you first come up the steps. I used some fabric that I had on hand for a sort of runner and also made a fabric garland with scraps from my stash. I included lots of owls, the #1, and a fun magnetic picture board from JoAnn Fabrics.

The pink owl on the bucket and the green owl by the #1 were from The Dollar Tree. They were Halloween decorations that I spray painted.

I made some fun covered buttons to go along with the magnetic picture board.

I picked up the #1 at Hobby Lobby, spray painted it pink, and hot glued pink buttons to it.

I had pictures of Cream sprinkled throughout the house. Some frames I made with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge, some I bought in a pack from Target, and the large pink one I had on hand for anither project I am working on. I also used the owl clip art I bought to make some birthday signs.

The clip art was also used to create Hershey's Kiss stickers. I made up several different stickers in a 3/4 punch format, printed them on a full sheet of label paper and punched them with a 3/4 inch punch. (Actually my mom was here and did the punching in addition to helping with lots of the other projects. Thanks, mom!)

For favors I made owl bags using this Michaels tutorial and for the younger guests I made little stuffed owls modeled after these on Etsy.

 I bought owl items for the favor bags from Oriental Trading along with these great owl glasses.

 Those who know me, know that food art is not my specialty. For some reason, I just can't decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, you name it. However, every birthday I forget this and try to decorate a cake. This time, I found this great tutorial form Family Fun. And I was so happy with the results. It turns out if you decorate cake with lots and lots of store bought candy, anyone can do it. I also served crock pot mac and cheese, pasta salad, veggies, chips, and dip.

 Finally, I made this stuffed owl as a sort of autograph hound/guest book. Before the guests left, I had them use a fabric marker to sign the back. Now Cream has a fun reminder of everyone who came to help her celebrate her birthday. (I used a combination of tutorials for this guy and made him my own. The pattern pieces were from this tutorial.)

The party was a real hoot! (And Cream's favorite gift? The box that her water table came in!)

Foodie Friday: Healthy First Birthday Cake

The thought of a healthy cake for a first birthday had never really occurred to me. It is their first birthday, isn't that traditional time to feed them a healthy dose of unhealthy goodness? And then a friend mentioned on Facebook that she was looking or a healthy recipe for her daughter's first birthday. I also received a baby development email addressing the same topic. Hmm, interesting. After thinking about it, I figured I would give it a try. I did a quick internet search and found a page devoted to first birthday recipes at Wholesome Baby Food. I chose to go with the carrot cake in order to make use of some of the carrots from our garden. It was a bit involved, but I figured it was worth the effort to offer my baby something healthy on the occasion of her first birthday.

And healthy is what we got. The cake was very dense and really tasted more like a nutritious muffin than anything else. It wasn't bad, but I really wouldn't classify it as a birthday cake. The redeeming thing about this cake was the delicious whipped cream cheese frosting. That was delicious. I really should have added more. (But then I wouldn't have had it to spread on my Vanilla Waffers as a nap-time snack!)
In the end, I would say, if you are looking for a birthday cake, make a birthday cake. If you are looking for nutritious, make this. You may say that a baby wouldn't know the difference, but Cream did. She would chew it and then spit it out. It was amusing.

Baby's First Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake)

from Wholesome Baby Food 

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (you may use slightly less)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Vegetable Spray/Shortening
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

1. Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.
3. Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool.
4. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a wee bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Makes 1 frosting for a 2 layer cake 
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened1 cup white sugar1/8 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions1 In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar salt and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.