You read right- the CASSETTE TAPE.  It is 2010, who uses cassette tapes?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I bought this came on sale back in the 90′s.  The Class of ’54w mystery as dated as 1996.  Cassetes were more popular in the 1990s, but that could explain why the game was on sale.

We tried the tape player our friend brought- nothing happens.  My husband digs out ours, nothing happens.  We could not play the game without hearing essential game information on the tape.  So, all dressed up and no mystery.

So, we ended up just having a 1950′s dinner party.  Dinner included meatloaf, green bean casserole, mac and cheeses, lasagna, roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts, iceberg wedge salad with Russian dressing, and the famous jello-mold.  It was tasty in a retro sort of way, not the typical food I would serve together on a Friday  night to guests (besides the meatloaf of course, and lasagna- I guess I would make the food- just not altogether.) We ate more, we drank more.  Then we had dessert.  J made delicious adult milkshakes to accompany  dessert.

After dessert we decided we need to find out what happened to Rock N. Roley.  We read the solution.  The night was definitely fun.  I think I will search for an 80′s Mystery that comes with a CD next.  Too, bad one isn’t available on itunes!

Tomorrow night, J and I are hosting another Murder Mystery!  After writing about it, I located the box that I had bought on sale, and J loved the idea.  So, we are having a 5o’s Murder Mystery at our place.  (The meatloaf is cooking as I write.)  The only downside is that we could only invite 3 couples.  I am trying to get in a 50′s mindset now, pearls, sweater set, etc.  Anyway, prepping for that is distracting me from Sunday’s event… D’s Bowling Bash.

D turns 5 on Sunday and we are doing his family friend party then.  (Because one party would not be enough.)  He decided he wanted to do bowling at Lucky Strike since he goes every weekend.  J ran with that and basically planned this party.  All I had to do was order cake and party favors.  (Which I will write about after the party in a recap.)  However, I still am trying to organize for it, and that is distracting me from the big event on Monday- D’s Birthday Playdate with Mr.Met!

Yes, on Monday there will be 35 children ranging in age from 3 to 5 at my house all waiting to meet Mr. Met.  D wanted a playdate birthday party (like the 20 Child Playdate) and we decided to add Mr. Met to the mix.  D loves Mr. Met, and I must admit, I have always wanted to have Mr. Met at a party.  D has also gotten very particular and decided that I should not order the food (except for cake) but rather I should prepare everything.  So, now I am cooking for 2 parties in 4 days.  This should be interesting.  I am hoping to go out and unwind with girlfriends on Tuesday night- if I make it:)

The planning for this Tea was quite simple.  To start, we picked a time when we knew everyone could make it- the time and day of the dance class that had just ended.  Then, we sent out an Evite- one that was super girly- to all of her guests inviting them to come over dressed as their favorite princess.  As the evite stated, we served sandwiches, cookies and tea (I also added some salads, fruit, and veggies.)  Next I researched some activities and bought decorations.  I went to Party City and looked in their expansive “Princess Section.”

While H was in school the morning of the party, I decorated the house.  I hung a castle backdrop, made a princess ballroom floor, and hung sparkly accessories and balloons all over.  I set up the food on the table and gave each girl her own tea-cup.   When the girls arrived, they were handed their own wand, and directed to their tea table where they colored their own crown while they waited for friends to arrive.  Once everyone was there, they ate lunch.  After lunch, they went on a “jewel hunt” (I dumped sparkly beads on the floor of my loft and the girls had to find them and put them into their princess bag) then ate cookies and mini-cupcakes.  To finish the party, they watched The Disney Princess Sing Along Songs (which is actually tea party themed as well), and sang right along with the princesses.  As each princess left they were given a rose.

Looking back, I really enjoyed all the planning that went into this party almost as much as the joy that shone in each child’s face.  The 3 and 4 year old girls and their love of princesses is something I find sweet as well as infectious (I always want to be a princess again, too!)

Looking forward, I really hope TJ falls for the princesses so that I can hold a “Princess Tea Party” for her,too!

I wanted TJ’s 1st Birthday to be special, but not over the top.  Basically, TJ is a third child and has less friends her own age at a year than my other children.  My other children wanted to have their friends at her party, that is when I decided to simplify.

TJ and Lexi (our beloved family dog) share the same birthday.  Lexi is very special to TJ.  ”Doggie,” was her first word and she hugs her every chance she gets.  With that in mind, I started planning.  Their birthday fell on a Saturday, so I decided they would have a co- party, celebrating Lexi’s 11th and TJ’s 1st birthdays.

The planning was very easy.  I took a picture of them both wearing party hats and made a photo invitation. The people invited were family and life long friends.  There were 12 children and 36 adults.  Every child present had a grandparent at the party.  Basically it was a triple generation party- a group of people who would be in her life forever. The party was going to take place in my home, so I needed decorations to give the house a party vibe.  To accomplish this, I ordered party sets from Birthday Express.  One Deluxe Lady Bug Set and one The Dog set.  My SIL and BIL volunteered to bring the cake.  As far as party favors, my friend sells desserts and had made me delicious decorated cookies when I gave birth.  I ordered cookies in the shape of 1′s and decorated with lady bugs from her.

The food for this party was perfect, if I do say so myself.  Since TJ and Lexi love bagels, I decided to do a bagel brunch at 10:30 am.  I ordered huge Party Bagels (the same ones I had for H’s 5th Birthday) and mini bagels.  In addition I ordered platters of cheese and cold cuts.  Since it was a party at my house, I had to make something.  I made 2 platters of Creme Brulee French Toast (which you make the night before), Belgian Waffles in my new waffle maker, a Weight Watchers Quiche, and breakfast cous-cous.  I also served fresh fruit.  For dessert there was a 30+ lb cake , peanut butter balls, mandel bread, and gluten free goodies from 3 Dogs Bakery (a local gluten free bake shop- who also made me a gluten free 1 cookie as a party favor).

The only food left was the cake.  We had a little bit of everything else, but it was gone by the next day.  The cake was really big and really tasty.  However, I learned that many people don’t eat cake.

The day of the party was very smooth.  Decorating, setting-up, guests arriving.  Because it was small and in my home, I got to relax and talk with everyone.  TJ woke at 7 am and smiled all the way until 1 pm when she went down for a 3 hour nap.  She was super happy, very friendly, and playful.  It was just what I wanted for her.

By 3 pm there were 12 adults and 26 children (8 and under) all at Casa Z.  The Blizzard had left us all powerless and weary, but now in a house filled with heat, food, libations, and friends it turned into a real party.  Everyone brought over food (I brought homemade cookies, brownies, cheese and meatballs) which led to a feast of a Cocktail Hour.  The hosts then cooked dinner (and their neighbors brought the most amazing Stew over as well) of pork, chicken, rice, cauliflower, and other sides for this big crowd.  The children feasted on chicken and pasta.

What is remarkable about this, is that The Z’s were not planning on having a party, but because of how stocked up they are on paper goods, beverages, etc. it was effortless.  Basically, I feel that almost all entertaining should be that way.  All anyone really wants is to have a good time and relax, why else would they be going out?  So the lessons learned are: 1- You can have a party in any situation, 2.  A relaxed host/hostess makes for a relaxed party, 3.  Make sure you are stocked up on the basics- beverages, paper products, and snacks- everything else can be added later, 4.  It is more fun to roll with a situation then to fight it.

To continue with “Snowmageddon”, by 8 almost everyone had cleared out still without power.  Some families forged over the bridge to be with relatives with power, some went to hotels, and some went back to there cold homes and roughed it out.  My family, as well as one other family, chose to stay at The Z’s.  The Z’s were gracious hosts and the children all thoroughly enjoyed their slumber party.  For us the party extended through Sunday night.  Our power went back at 9 pm so we were able to move back on Monday.  Lots of people told me that I had a rough weekend being shut out of my home.  Honestly, it was one of the most fun weekends I’ve had!

H’s birthday is in July.  That means we can take the chance of having an outdoor birthday party.  The year she turned 5, it also meant the first time I did not invite the whole class to her birthday party- since the next year they would be split up in kindergarten.  Having a smaller party, with only 20 children, meant that we could hold her party at a local farm.  Muscoot Farm is nearby.  You can reserve a spot at the farm for your party from 10-12 on Saturday mornings.  A party spot was one price for an indoor space and another price for an outdoor space.  The catch was that it was 15 PEOPLE (adults and kids) per space.  Since I was having 20 children I reserved both an indoor and outdoor space.  That way I also had use of a refrigerator and freezer.  I also added a 20-30 minute tractor ride for an additional cost.  It was well worth it.

The party timeline was as follows:

9 am we pick up the food (which I will get to later)

9:30 we arrive at the farm and set up

10 am guests arrive and can decorate a party hat at the picnic table or dance on the stage to H’s Birthday Mix

10:30 am guests go on hayride, I set up food

11 am guests eat

11:30 guests go on a scavenger hunt of the farm

11:45 cake and pinata

12 noon the party ends and the guests collect their party favors

Since the only piece of the party blocked out was the hayride, I had to create the timeline to organize what would be going on.  It really worked well.  I had purchased hats that the children could decorate instead of regular party hats, and they really enjoyed it.  It was the perfect warm-up activity as we waited for everyone to arrive.  The hayride allowed us to clear the table of crafts and set up for food.  The exploration of the farm, once again allowed us to clear and set up for dessert.  The cake and pinata were a great closing activity.  The party ran extremely smooth.

Since the party was in the morning, and at the time my kids hated pizza, I decided to serve breakfast.  I thought a fun idea would be to serve huge party bagels (big bagels that are sliced into sandwich wedges and serve about 20) and mini bagels.  For the kids I got a party bagel with cream cheese and for the adults I got a party bage with lox, onion, lettuce, tomato, and cream cheese.  In addition, I got mini bagels with jelly and butter on the side for kids who wanted something plainer.  All of the food, except a few mini-bagels , was devoured.  I must say, it was the best ordering I have ever done.  For dessert there was birthday cake- half the cake was chocolate with cookie and cream filling, half was vanilla with vanilla buttercream filling.  A My Little Pony theme was on the cake (I know, very obvious.)  I also served fruit.  The beverage choice was water, juice, and coffee (for the adults.)    I tried to keep it simple, yet interesting.

That was the first year my daughter was into real music.  So, we made a mix of her favorite songs which we played at the party, then each guest got a copy to keep.  They also got a mini-clipboard with their name and a box of crayons as a party favor.  I know my kids used it when we went out to restaurants.  I was going for simple and useful with the favors.

As I look back on this party I remember how much fun my daughter had.  I can picture her dancing with her friends.  I had so much fun planning this party and she really appreciated it.

It ended up working fabulously- we had 2 birthday parties today, so unless I used the crock pot it would have been difficult to cook.  We ordered 30 minutes before the guests were due to arrive from The Oriental Diner.  The food arrived 3 minutes before they did.

To start we had boneless spare ribs, steamed dumplings, and spicy wontons.  Dinner consisted of moo shu pork, vegetable lo mein, prawns hunan style, sesame chicken, beef teriyaki, vegetable fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and chicken with broccoli.  Moo shu pork and vegetable lo mein are two dishes that I have eaten since childhood and thoroughly enjoy to this day.  The kids enjoyed the sweet and sour chicken since we had the sauce served on the side.  It was an Oriental version of chicken nuggets.  They also ate the fried rice, white rice and lo mein.  My oldest daughter devoured the beef teriyaki which she considers steak.  The hit among the grown ups was the spareribs and prawns.  It was a very easy meal.

After the kids played and the grown ups chatted we ate dessert.  Dessert was also quite simple- fresh fruit that my friend R brought over ,a pie that I purchased that read Meredith’s Homemade Pie (a joke since my name is Meredyth), hamentaschen, and Dibs for the kids.

Once dessert commenced we ended the night with pac-man, and the Olympics.  Everyone left full and satisfied.  Vacation is over and everyone is ready for school to begin.

This Friday night, we journeyed to one of our go-to-places, Portobello Restaurant in Montrose.  J found it several years ago via a restaurant search and we have been going ever since.  It is a small space that has about 10 tables.  Often you will find yourself talking to the other diners which adds to the charm, of course this happened on Friday night.  The chef/owner is Francine and her husband Luis is the waiter/owner.  They greet you when you walk in and always remember customers.  It features 7 different dinner choices, 4 appetizer options, and 5 desserts.  It is BYOB.

The food is amazing and fresh.  The menu changes daily with a couple of staples.   This week I started with Cactus Salad and Portuguese Sausage, and J started with Lamb Consomme.  Both were incredibly tasty.  My cactus salad and sausage was served warm and it was quite savory.  I ate most of it on top of crackers which added extra texture to each mouthful.  J’s consomme smelled delicious.  However, he finished it before I could get a bite.  (He did offer me the last bite but I had filled up already.)  For our entrees, I had Mexican Potroast and J had Panko encrusted Pork Chops.  Let me say that there was not one bite left of either!  The pot roast was super tender and served with carrots and potatoes.  The sauce was a chocolate coffee that I mopped up with the bread.  It melted in your mouth.  Speaking of melting in your mouth, J’s pork chop did just that.  It was moist, flavorful and the panko added a crunch which worked well.  It was served with jasmine rice and vegetables.  Dessert was decadent.  We had the Bongo Bongo Cream Puff for two.  It was a cream puff stuffed with banana chantilly cream and topped with chocolate.  On the side we had chocolate balsamic sorbet.  The cream was just rich enough and the chocolate added some extra sweetness.  It was nothing short of amazing.

Over dessert we chatted with a neighboring couple who ordered very similarly to us.  They were also delighted with the meal.  We discussed local places and skiing out west.  It was the perfect way to end the week.

Since this was one of my first get-togethers, I had way too much food, which is what my friend M remembers most.  For the 5 of us, I served the 7G orzo salad, cous-cous salad, green salad,curried chicken salad, potato chip chicken fingers, spinach balls, a stir fry, and a platter of homemade cookies for dessert.  The food was yummy, easy to make and obviously plentiful.  It was also dairy free.  (I could not eat dairy until 2004.)

At that time of my life, if I had people over, I made everything.  I did not have children and loved to spend time in the kitchen.  Though most of the dishes are easy, some take awhile to prepare.  I must say that many of the dishes I served I still make today, however some are really too time consuming- like the curried chicken salad which is a 2-day recipe.  (Today I would serve a rotisserie chicken salad instead.)

What is key with this event is that the 2 major “ingredients” will always remain the same- good friends and good food. The excuse to celebrate, in this case, a new house, is simply what adds to the fun.  Basically, I look for any excuse to celebrate.

This week, my friend E hosted a 7G lunch at her house.  This was the first time the 5 of us have all been together in a few years (for some reason, someone was always absent.)  She planned the perfect lunch, it was tasty and so us.  She made an orzo salad that we have at all of our events. It is orzo, sundried tomato, corn, and capers.  She also added quinoa which was a great addition.  Another friend, K, made a delicious citrus salad with a yogurt dressing.  For the main course, E went to Roosters’,  a local deli, and ordered the sandwiches we always ordered while teaching- the Conchello, the Balboa, and the Veggie Tuna Wrap.  She also served a spinach quiche on the side.  Dessert, which I contributed to was Milanos, and brownies which E made.  She served a choice of beverages which included coffee and tea.

Lunch was fabulous and the atmosphere was awesome.  To go along with the snowy day, E made a fire and a gaggle of dogs kept us quite entertained.  It was a perfect cozy place to catch up with long time friends who I met a decade ago.  The best part was we made it a point to set up our next together which I am hosting.  I already sent out the evite:)