Saturday was a big day for us. Our little Emma, who it seems we just brought home from the hospital, turned 5. Like most (if not all) children her age, she has been planning her birthday party for months. So like many parents, we indulged her in many of her whims.
But -- don't tell her this -- I rather enjoy the whole process. The treks to the party store, the grocery store, Target, wherever -- it really is fun because she and I do it together. We certainly have had our battles this year, but we still ended up with awesome party.
We opted for a party at the YMCA in Pleasant Hill. We couldn't have been happier with our choice. The party coordinator and her staff helped us with everything. They had a bounce house for the kids, and an awning with table and chairs outside so the guests could do an art project when they weren't bouncing. And they let us have water balloons -- probably everyone's favorite part on that hot afternoon.
I, of course, started worrying about what to serve. The party was from 3 to 5 p.m., an ideal time, but that got me to overthinking the situation. Do I get pizza for everyone? Is just cake and ice cream enough? How about sandwiches? Being on a budget ruled out several things -- for instance, no Baskin-Robbins cake this year. Plus, I had one additional twist I hadn't planned for: a party guest with an egg allergy. Hmm.
So, after hours of thought, I opted for snacks. Chips with guacamole and salsa. Pita chips with tzatziki and hummus. Vegetables with ranch dip. And a big tray full of fruit. Unfortunately, a sick child prevented me from making most of these dips. So off to Trader Joe's, where they offer delicious, low-cost and very convenient versions. I did, however, make my own tzatziki. It's too fast and too delicious to not take the five minutes.
I think the snack food was a good call. Everyone seemed to enjoy all the treats. And they certainly weren't too much on a hot afternoon.
For her cake, Emma wanted an ice cream cake. She's had them for the past few birthdays, and I love to serve them -- mostly because of the temperature in August. Who wants to get the oven going when it's 100 degrees? We found a delicious ice cream cake at Safeway, and at half the price of Baskin-Robbins. Another good choice.
As for the party guest with the allergy, I did a little online searching and found a great recipe. It's a Depression-era cake that eschews dairy products and eggs due to their high costs. Emma and I whipped the recipe up in about two minutes and had cupcakes half an hour later. We iced them using the recipe on the back of the C&H box (for the recipe, see the blog entry on cupcakes), which we doctored up a little. We added pink food coloring and a little raspberry extract. They were delicious! Unfortunately, our guest with the allergy was unable to make it to the party. However, a few others at the party opted for the cupcakes. And Emma and I have been enjoying the leftovers.
The party was an absolute blast -- lots of great friends, wonderful family, fun and games, gifts and, of course, yummy things to eat.
Yeah. It's good to be the birthday girl.
I've included two recipes that I served at the party. The first is for the tzatziki, a Greek cucumber dip that is one of my very favorites. The other is for the egg-free cupcakes.
This recipe is from the April 2004 issue of Cooking Light magazine.
Tzatziki
1 (32 oz.) container plain fat-free yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded cucumber
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Place a colander in a large bowl. Line colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth or paper towels, allowing excess to hang over edge of colander. Spoon yogurt into colander. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 hours. Spoon drained yogurt into a clean bowl, and discard liquid from yogurt. Cover and refrigerate.
Place cucumber into colander. sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Toss well to combine. Drain 15 minutes. Place cucumbers on paper towels; squeeze until barely moist. Combined drained yogurt, cucumber, remaining salt, mint, pepper and garlic. Drizzle with oil.
This recipe is one I found years ago. According to my mom, my grandmother used to make this cake all the time. I just wish it was her specific recipe!
Wacky Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into sifter. Sift into an ungreased 9-inch square pan. Make 3 wells in pan with your finger. Put vanilla in one, oil in another and vinegar in the third. Pour cold water over top. Mix with fork until dry ingredients disappear. Batter should be thin. Bake 30 minutes. Cool, then frost and serve from pan.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment