Strawberry Fizz Party Ideas: February 2014

Friday, 28 February 2014

Water Balloon Pinata

It's hot in Perth this weekend and I am over it, I am a winter kind of girl or more a rain kind of girl, I'm not fussed over the temperature I just like the rain! It relaxes me.

Here's an idea to keep everyone cool and have a bit of fun! Water Balloon Pinata!! Big tree, even the washing line would work for this one!! When my Madam almost 4 gets home from dance class this morning she will find them hanging from the washing line (we don't have big trees or monkey bars). I plan on sitting just far enough away to enjoy a gentle splash and out of the firing line to be hit with the stick. Enjoy xoxo

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Thursday, 27 February 2014

Princess Castle - Craft activity

If you have a creative streak this is a great idea and a wonderful way to use up those huge cardboard boxes that do no fit into the recycling bin!

You could make this as large or as small as you want and any shape (well just about), this very creative Mum has drawn all the bits for the girls to colour. Just remember if your going to use paint provide aprons!!

Love a craft activity it keeps the kids quiet for ages and I find even the bigger kids enjoy joining in on with this type of activity.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Princess treasure hunt

As you know my madam almost 4 is having a princess party, I have been looking at all things princess!

I came across this and I love it, though I am not doing because A) I do not have endless hours to dye rice pink and B) the most important reason, I am slightly manic and the idea of picking pink rice from all sorts of nooks and cranny's for the next 12 months does not appeal. If you are a more relaxed person than I, go mad!

It would work for so many different themes and I think a rainbow party with rainbow rice would look fab!

Recipe

Measure a teaspoon of water in a sandwich bag.
Carefully drop the food coloring (2-3 teaspoons depending on the colour you want to achieve) into the water.
Add the rice into the bag.
Zip the bag or securely tie it. Shake and "mush" the rice into the food coloring water. Make sure that everything gets mixed in.
Shake it on a wax paper lined baking sheet. You may use a paper plate instead of a baking sheet. Spread the rice or pasta around to avoid clumps.
Let the mixture dry for 30 minutes before using

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Any time treats

No need for a party to make these, they would be enjoyed in this household as often as I could make them, you can use white chocolate to dip them but these have just been dipped in icing and 100's & 1000's mmmm.

With the amount of different coloured 100's & 1000's available these days you could make them for just about any themed party.

Monday, 24 February 2014

Evening party - Glow in the dark paint

Are you having an evening party and want to add that special touch?

I love these, so pretty and a lot cheaper than additional mood lighting!

They have been sprayed with Rustoleums glow in the dark paint! They warm up with the sun and glow from 2-6 hours after dark. I know you can get the Rustoleums from thepaintstore.com, I am sure Bunnings probably sell something similar!

I just have to be careful not to go over board or my house will be the one that illuminates the street.

Sunday, 23 February 2014

Rainbow party/party bag alternative idea

Don't feel like to doing party bags? I love these (though other parents may not be too thrilled with all that sugar!)

They would also look fab at a rainbow party, so colourfull!! If you dont want to have this much sugar, cut the skewers in half.

Gluten free sugar cookies with royal icing! If you dont mind!!

Its sugar cookie day!! And I am all prepared and ready to go, STOP... I do not have fresh lemons for the icing, I have bottle lemon juice but the recipe says use fresh lemon juice and one thing I have learnt about baking is never, ever, ever stray from the recipe not by a gram, not by a drop and certainly not by a different ingredient (sort of, that's the hysteria I am injecting to his lordship), so even though it's his mothers birthday and he is taking her out for lunch he has very kindly (and a little begrudgingly) gone off to get me a FRESH lemon and calm has been restored.
As you can tell I am petrified of baking, I love to cook, ask for something and I will have a go at whipping it up with great confidence but ask for a muffin and I go all white and clammy. Baking is a very exact thing and Im not an exact person.
His Lordship who has a sweet tooth very thoughtfully bought me a Thermochef in an effort to increase the amount non-existent cakes that where being baked and that has helped but the fear is still ingrained so today is a very big day in this household!

I am using a ThermoMix the recipe the ingredients are:

Sugar Cookie Dough

200 grams unsalted butter softened, at room temperature
200 grams caster sugar
1 egg
400 grams plain flour
1 cap-full Vanilla Extract

EDC Royal Icing (double quantity)

500 grams white sugar
2 egg, whites
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

All done and ready to go! Always start with coffee, there is not point going into this with a caffeine withdrawal.

First ingredient I have the unsalted butter but of course it is not at room temperature! So I hit the fast forward button on the butter getting to room temperature (microwave style).

If you have a Thermomix or chef here is the recipe if you don't, I imagine there will be 100 similar but this what I used.
Place Thermoserver on top of Tm and weigh in flour. Put aside
Place butter and sugar in Tm and beat 8sec/sp5. Do not beat longer as it will cause your cookies to spread.
Add egg and vanilla and beat 3sec/sp4. While beating at sp4, gradually add flour through hole in the lid. Once all the flour has been poured in, mix for a further 3sec to combine properly. Scrape down. Knead 1min/
Tip out onto lightly floured Thermomat and work into a smooth ball. Wrap in gladwrap and refrigerate for 30mins-1hr. Preheat oven to 180degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

I used gluten free flour, always a risk but it means his lordship can try them and its the least I can do after getting me my fresh lemon and as this point I was calming down, it wasnt so hard.

Roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper using thickness guides of approx 8mm. Cut Shapes out using cookie cutters and place on prepared trays 2-3cm apart. If time allows, or dough is too soft to handle, refridgerate whole tray for another 30mins.

My little shapes going into the oven, the stars where easy the dough was getting a little to warm when I started to cut the crowns and they where harder, the little tips kept falling off, I found a little extra flour on my board helped. Having a screaming 1 year old ready to get out of bed and Madam almost 4 asking copious amounts of questions was not helping. Finally they went in the oven and I breathed normally again.

Bake for 10-12mins or until very lightly golden

12 minutes latter and they havent turned out too bad YIPPY! It turns out that was not the hard part.

Decorate with EDC Royal Icing.

Place 250grams sugar in TM bowl and mill 30sec/sp9.
Place remainder 250grams sugar in TM bowl and mill again 30sec/sp9. (If it is still not super fine enough, let TM rest for a few minutes and re-mill 30sec/sp9)
Add egg whites and lemon juice and mix 5sec/sp7.
Pipe or spread onto cooled cookies.

The very nice people at Sweet Bakes advised me patience is key and they were not wrong! I had Madam almost 4 helping me decorate and Miss 1 clinging to my legs and wanting to be picked up and the icing is hard hard work, it doesn't come out of the piping tube all nice and evenly and it certainly does not come out sharp when you get to the edges but here it is, my best shot! It's not awful and it is certainly not any were near professional and next time I will do them when the kids are in bed!
This has not cured my fear of baking but it has given me a little more confidence.
Now off to cook dinner with my slap happy way of cooking and enjoy the relaxing feeling it gives me.

Friday, 21 February 2014

Party Idea - Magic fizzing rocks

I love these, I'm saving them for one of those days where my kids are driving me up the wall with boredom. Most of all I love them for a party, they are so versatile you can use them for just about any kids party. They would be perfect to hide pirate treasure in or fairy treasure or to be collected by the pick up trucks and take to the treasure freeing yard at a construction party.

Enjoy, they are a lot of fun.

Magic FIZZING Rocks

MAGIC Treasure Rocks Materials

Baking Soda
Water
Food Coloring or washable watercolors
Treasures

Add the desired amount of baking soda to a bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring if color is desired. Then slowly add water and mix. SLOWLY add more water until the mixture is damp and mold-able, but not too wet. It is easy to add too much water, so you definitely want to add it slowly. If you do accidentally add too much water just add a touch more baking soda.

Once mixed mold the baking soda dough into balls, hiding treasures inside. Then lay the baking soda rocks out on a cookie sheet or similar to dry. Drying will take roughly 24 hours. Once dry you can either give them right to your child, OR you can bury them outside and let your child go on a treasure hunt.

To free the treasure either spray the rock with vinegar for a slow fizz or for a fast fizz eruption put the rock into a bowl of vinegar.

- See more at: http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/01/magic-treasure-rocks.html#sthash.MxUBNptM.dpuf

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Princess Party - Princess Cookies

My almost Madam 4 wants a princess party!(gulp)

She has several request, one of those being she wants princess biscuits!!(several others will not be agreed to including fireworks and large quantities of chocolate!) No probs, I purchase the cookie cutter and I was just going to bake some biscuits, cut them and pipe some icing on (the icing sugar mixed with water icing).

NO!!!

It's a good thing I am very aware I can not bake and thought I better look it up!! Also a good thing I did this prior to the night before the party because I need to make sugar cookies and royal icing!! Yup never heard of either!!

So this weekend Im going to give it a go, I have a horrible feeling it is going to look like one of those "nailed it photo's!!

So stayed tuned and if it is not a complete disaster I will share the recipe for all those other non bakers out there!!

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Tween Sleep over idea's

A girlfriend's tween daughter was having her first sleepover party and Mum was on strict instructions not to embarrass her! Mum wanted to do something special but by her own admittances was clueless. Here are a few of my tween sleep over idea's!! (A whole new world for me too)!

Love these personalised breakfast packs, if you don't want to personalise the spoon you can always just add some bling to pretty it up!

Its been a long time since I have made them but here a video link on how to http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Friendship-Bracelet

A bit of fun but just remember to put something on the floor you don't mind getting nail polish on because it is a nightmare to remove!

A novel breakfast idea and you could have a choice of toppings mmmm

I love this but even without the tents the mattress and stars would look fab! I would also add some glow balloons latter in the night!

A Late night snack!

Monday, 17 February 2014

Wheelbarrow Esky

Are you having a party and run out of esky space? Try this, a lot easier to move around too!!

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Red Carpet Entry

Planning a party for your up and coming star? Here is a great entry to the party! You can add all your guests name to the red carpet, or have them do it themselves as they arrive (you will just need to pre-make the star and add some Velcro if you are using carpet or double sided tape if you are using paper to the back!)

Friday, 14 February 2014

Spiderman game

Looking to keep your Spider-man and their superhero mates occupied! All you need is string and duct tape!!

Valentines Strawberries

It's valentines day, I think these Strawberries dipped in white chocolate and pink sprinkles would do the trick or dip them in some pink popping candy and you would have your very own Strawberry Fizz!! Happy Valentines day!