Apple of My Eye - Back To School Treats

It is that time of year again - the time that has kids groaning and parents cheering! It is Back To School time! Here are some fun apple treats that look tasty & easy to make.

Gourmet Mom on the Go created these clever rice krispie treats:

 These adorable apple cupcakes have a donut surprise:

 Watch out for the worm in this apple:

 Love these jelly bean filled apples:

Happy Back To School Week!

Bollywood Cookies & Milk Adoption Shower

Recently we hosted a baby shower for a dear friend. Since the baby was adopted from India, we thought it would be fun to incorporate a Bollywood theme, full of bright & cheerful colors. To make it even more fun, we had a menu of cookies and milk.

Gold elephants flanked each side of the dessert buffet and were spruced up with little blankets.

A Wishing Well greeted guests as they arrived and the table provided a spot to place gifts. Glass vases filled with Cookie Crisp cereal (ties in with cookie theme) and daisies were scattered throughout the party.

The table centerpiece was created with painted branches, tissue pom poms and butterflies.

Guests were able to write a message to the family on colorful elephant and monkey die-cuts and then hang the message on the tree.

Beverages included coffee and three flavors of milk: white, chocolate and caramel.

The cookie buffet consisted of lots of yummy cookies displayed on pedestals and  in varying sized jars tied with ribbon.

It was a lovely afternoon to welcome a new baby to the family!

2010 Christmas Cookie Exchange

Last week I shared the Save the Date invitations for my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. Here are some pictures from the party (please ignore the hideous wallpaper, we are in a rental property while our new house is being built!).

I used white tablecloths on the tables with wrapping paper runners for the center (Target Dollar Spot roll wrapping paper is just the right width & price).

The savory buffet included sweet & sour meatballs, mini pigs in a blanket, pepperoni dip with bagel chips, holiday tortilla chips with hot queso dip and vegetable tray with ranch dressing. The dessert buffet included peppermint chocolate cupcakes, Oreo cheesecakes, mini eclairs, dipped Milano cookies, Rice Krispie Treats and Rolo pretzel turtles.

The beverage station. I also had a Hot Cocoa Bar set up (oops, no pictures).

The Bakers:

Mmmm...cookies! Bakers were asked to bring 1 package of 6 cookies for each guest with attached recipe card.

Creative packaging:

Most Creative Packaging winner:

Most Festive Cookie winner:

Favors were mini containers filled with chocolate and jingle bell rings. Tutorial for container here.

I am so excited to have 2011's Cookie Exchange at our new house!

Save The Date ~ Annual Cookie Exchange

For the past few years, I have hosted a Christmas Cookie Exchange for my friends and family. Even though the party is always on the 2nd Sunday of December, I still like to send out Save the Date invitations in late October.

The holidays can get so jam-packed with parties, decorating and shopping that I always look forward to a laid back afternoon with cookies and my girlfriends!

This year the Save the Date was a recipe card with a mini Christmas cookie cutter attached. I purchased the Wilton cookie cutters on clearance after Christmas last year 6 for 80¢. A magnet strip on the back makes it perfect to hang on the fridge. The recipe card reads:

Recipe for: Save the Date for a Cookie Exchange
From the Kitchen of: Brenda

Ingredients:
1 Calendar and pen
1 Refrigerator
3 tsp Holiday Excitement
5 cups Christmas Cheer
20 Great Friends
Lots of Cookie Recipes

Recipe Instructions:
1. Take pen and mark calendar for the 3rd annual Holiday Cookie Exchange on Sunday. December 12th at 2pm
2. Place this recipe card on your refrigerator as a reminder.
3. Stir together Christmas Cheer and Great Friends until Holiday Excitement bubbles to the top.
4. Search for the perfect cookie recipe and creative packaging.
5. Check email November 30th for Evite with party details.

Ice Cream Inspiration

Aren't these ice cream bowls and spoons awesome?? We used these for my daughter's Daisy Girl Scout Ice Cream Social. The best part....they are from Dollar Tree and come 3 bowls & 3 bowls to a package for ONLY $1.oo!

Just think of all the fun parties you could use these adorable spoons and bowls for. They are even perfect just to use for your own bowl of creamy goodness after the kiddos are in bed!

Bingo Inspiration

How fun would these be at the Old Fogey Potluck Bingo? A paper & plastic place setting becomes more dynamic with just a few print-outs from your computer.

These little treats are doughnut holes dipped in white chocolate with piped on letters and numbers.

See more Bingo party inspiration in the May 2010 edition of Parents Magazine.

Old Fogey Potluck Bingo

Inspired by this Real Party: Bingo Night Birthday over at Birthday Girl, my husband & I thought it would be fun to throw an Old Fogey Potluck Bingo party (seriously, do any of our husbands ever really want us to throw a party??). It is a great opportunity for my girlfriends' husbands to finally all meet and hang out. Since getting a sitter isn't always easy (or cheap), we've made it a kids optional event.

I have to say, hunting down geriatric party decorations is WAY more fun than I thought it would be! I am so looking forward to putting plastic on the sofas, doilies on everything, and lots of decorative afghans all around!

To keep the budget down, I sent invitations using Evite. I love the instant gratification of knowing who has looked at their invitation and who is able to attend. Another way of keeping costs down was to make this a Potluck Dinner. I plan on having a homemade pot of chili in the crockpot and providing basic drinks, but we've asked guests to bring a dish or dessert to share and to BYOB (the adult kind).

Guests have been asked to come dressed as their favorite senior citizen - I can't wait to hit up the local thrift stores for my "Thelma Harper" outfit! Bingo prizes will include denture cream, corn cushions and prune juice! I am so excited for what is sure to be a fun & memorable party!