For the last four years, my two darlings and I always have so much fun planning and preparing their birthday parties. This year, my youngest daughter wanted a ballerina theme for her 3rd birthday party. First the invitation. It took us a few trips to Joann and Michaels before my daughters and I could find all the materials necessary for the invitation. A few touch ups here and there and the invitation was completed; actually it took many long hours of detailing and help from my friend Ann before producing the final invitation.
This year I wanted to try something different instead of the paper strimmers and balloons as in the previous birthday parties. So, off I went to A Dollar Tree Store and got some wrapping tissue papers to make hanging tissue-paper flowers. I was very pleased with the end result and ecstatic at how beautiful they hung on the ceiling and the hallway.
My sister-in-law who's many passions include baking made this exquisitely beautiful Ballerina cake accented by a pair of ballet shoes and fine details. Surrounding the cake were these adoring cupcakes. As always, I like to set up a separate table just for the birthday cake. Everyone wanted to taste the cake as it was so visually appealing. Thank goodness for pictures.
Yummy Mocha Butter Cream Cake
A tutu handbag
Next came the food. Every birthday party, I like to prepare food for both the parents and the kids. Planning food for adults is easy but food for the kids required more brainstorming. I wanted to make fun food and treats that would appeal to the kids. Since my daughters love lollipops, why not make several of them. There was a Pasteso lollipops, Marshmallow lollipops and Strawberries lollilops. I also got Vic's gourmet Apple and Cinnamon Popcorns and packaged them into small bags. Add a nice ribbon and I have another decorative display.
Marhmallow Dipped in Chocolate Lollipops
Vic's Gourmet Apple and Cinnamon Popcorn
Strawberry Lollipops
The Strawberry lollipop stand is made with ribbons wrapped around a foam cone.
A Dollar Tree store has lots of beautiful ribbons in variety colors.
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwich
The festive pink lemonade drink stood out on the kid's table. I love the two color tones of the drink. They both had the same ingredients, but the deep pink lemonade had frozen blueberries. I also made these butterfly straws to celebrate the coming of Spring.
Ingredients: 2 liter Sprite, 1 can frozen pink lemonade, 3 cans of water, 1 package kool-aid lemonade, 3/4 cup sugar, fresh or frozen berries, frozen or fresh cranberries ( I used my left over cranberies from Christmas), strawberry slices, lemon slices and ice
Butterfly Straws
For adults, the main dishes were Grilled Beef and Pork Meatball served with noodle (Bún Thịt Nem Nướng) and Shrimp Cake (Chả Tôm Huế) served with dinner rolls. The Aspargus Crab Soup, Egg Rolls, Masago Sushi Rolls, Pate Chauds and Papaya Salad with Beef Jerkey were served as side dishes. The Masago Rolls were supposed to be on the kid's table since Masago is my birthday girl's favorite but I guess it was also everyone's favorite. LOL.
Click here for Nem Nướng (Grilled Pork Patties) recipe
Click here for Gỏi Đu Đủ Khô Bò (Papaya Salad with Beef Jerkey) recipe.
As for the adults's drink, nothing is healthier than water. So I made a jug of water with slices of Cucumbers and Oranges. The water was not only tasty but fresh, crispy and beautiful. Sometimes it's the simple things like this that suprise you. As everyone enjoyed the food, the cake and the drinks, I actually enjoyed the Bubble Lady with her exotic bubble show told through wonderful dialogues, stories, and captivating bubble magic.
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Big Sis helped Lil Sis blow out the candles
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Happy Birthday to my little Ballerina!
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I am so glad I found your blog! Your recipes are wonderful and your talent for putting together parties is amazing! Please keep posting and sharing your lovely ideas and food! Happy Birthday to your little one! She is precious.
ReplyDeletewow.. how long did you have to prepare for all of the food? that's really amazing!
ReplyDelete@Myha: Thanks for your kind words and your birthday wish. She did have a very happy birthday. A few days after her birthday, she said:"mommmy I don't want to be a ballerina anymore. I want to be a princess now". :-)
ReplyDelete@Anh: I prep most of the food a night before the party (the party was at noon). In the morning, I just put everything together. Food like Pateso, I premade them a week ahead and freezed them. I baked them in the morning of the party. I made the marshmallows and strawberries a night before. All the decorations and little cute stuffs such as butterfly straws, lollilop stand, the hanging flowers didn't take much time to make them. I made them while I watched tv :-). But preparing food did take lots of time though.
There was a lot of detail and effort that goes into this and it did take lots of time but I enjoyed it very much.
Happy belated birthday, An Hy!
ReplyDeleteLoan, you are a great party organizer. Everything turned out beautifully. The foods looked good too.
I am so glad I found your blog. I've tried 4 recipes from your site so far and they all came out deliciously! Thank you for sharing your recipes with all of us. Keep on blogging please. :)
I LOVE your blog post. I'm vietnamese & I don't know how to cook vietnamese food much, but your blog is an inspirational to me. Keep the blog post coming! Your little girls are very cute!
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