This is the snail cake I made for my son’s fourth birthday. I made two six inch round cakes and stuck them together. Then I used pieces of a rectangle cake for the head and tail. Marshmallows on top of two broken off skewers for the eyes and stalks.

Flowers were done by Connie Sparks and Hostess Du Jour.  Thanks Connie for all your help!

Old windows were bolted together and staked into the ground.  Pictures of the parents to be as babies were nailed to the windows.  Comfy chairs for the parents to sit in while opening presents added to the family room feel.

Dinner for the event was served after 45 minutes of hourdorves.  The food was catered by Auten Boys BBQ and Catering.  Dave’s food, as always, was fabulous.  We had grilled chicken breast, asparagus spears and shrimp topped with hollandaise sauce.  The entrée was served with salad and rice pilaf.  If you have an event to cater, Dave is a great choice!  Favors were chocolate truffles in tiny gift boxes placed at each person’s plate. Toasts were made by the grandparents to be, and there might have been a few tears in the touching moments.

The cakes were BEAUTIFUL, not to mention delicious.  The cakes were courtesy of Amanda Craner.  Chocolate (she does the best chocolate around), carrot cake and a lavender cake with lemon curd.  Absolutely divine!  Amanda is amazing.

Amy Wellenkamp photographers took pictures of the new parents to be and created a “belly book” for everyone at the shower to sign.  Everything Amy touches turns to gold.  The book was a work of art.  She is one of the most talented photographers in the area.  Thanks, Amy!

This was such a fun event to plan.  Thanks to all who helped.  We could not do these parties without all of you!

The event was after dinner, so we served hors d’oeuvres.  Prosciutto wrapped caprice sandwiches, beets with goat cheese, pine nuts and balsamic served on arugula, brie and fig tartlets, shrimp cocktail and marinated asparagus and bell pepper (not pictured).  For dessert we served homemade brownies and lemon bars.  Drinks were served in mason jars – lemon-lime aid and triple citrus mojitos.

The food table was in front of a fabric draped frame.  A large branch that Summer found in a fire pit served as a base to wire small white flowers to and hang candles in mason jars.  The drinks were in mason jars in buckets of ice to the left of the table.

The dessert table had tea, coffee and hot chocolate as well as a basket with blankets for people who were cold.  The same white flowers decorated the dessert stands.

An old mirror invites the guests to use a blanket.

The tables were set with white linens and burlap.  Homemade mixed berry jam were the favors.  The white flowers served as a centerpiece.  Lights were strung and we were ready for the event!!

Lots of fun kitchen gifts to start of the new couple’s home!

Thanks to all that helped!  It was a great night.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/2 onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 C. dry white wine

30 oz crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)

4 C. chicken stock

3 sprigs fresh oregano

1/2 C. milk or half and half

In a soup pan melt butter and saute onion and garlic about 6 minutes.  Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated about 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, stock and oregano and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes.  Remove oregano and process in blender as much or as little as you want.  I blended all but about a cup of the soup so there were still some small chunks of tomato.  Add milk or half and half.  You can add more that 1/2 C. if you want it to be creamier.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with cheese topped croutons.  (recipe below)

Baked Cheese Croutons

1 loaf of focaccia bread cut into 1/2 inch wide slices

3/4 C. grated Gruyere cheese

3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place sliced bread on a cookie sheet and bake about 10-15 min until slightly golden and dry.  Sprinkle bread with cheese mixture and bake 8 more minutes.  The bread should be very crunchy.  Serve immediately.

This recipe is an alteration of a recipe found in Martha Stewart Living.

Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove

1 C. dry white wine

1 Tbs. lemon juice

8 oz. shredded Gruyere cheese

8 oz. shredded imported Swiss

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 Tbs. Kirsch or Sherry

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh grated nutmeg (optional)

Rub the inside of a fondue pot with the peeled garlic.  Add white wine and lemon juice until gently bubbling.  In a bowl toss the Gruyere, Swiss and cornstarch.  Slowly add cheese mixture into the pot and stir continually until smooth.  Stir in Kirsch or Sherry, pepper and nutmeg.

This can be served with bread squares, sausage rounds, blanched broccoli or asparagus.  Pour cheese into the fondue pot and put it on the table.  If you don’t have a fondue pot, you can put your saucepan directly on the table, but consider putting a low burning candle under the pot to keep it warm and keep the cheese from hardening.

For dessert, whip up a pan of chocolate!

Chocolate fondue (Rachael Ray)

1/2 C. Heavy whipping cream + 1/4 C. reserved

15 oz. Milk chocolate (or bittersweet or white)

2 Tbs. Amaretto (optional)

Heat cream in a saucepan until it comes to a low boil.  Remove the cream from heat and add chocolate.  Let the mixture sit for 5-7 min until it softens.  Whisk the chocolate and cream together.  Stir in liquor if desired.  If the mixture gets too thick, add more cream.

Serve the chocolate with pound cake squares, salted pretzels, bananas, strawberries or fresh pineapple.

2 slices of Shepherd’s bread with

2 Tbs. pesto

Slice and add to the sandwich

3 slices of fresh mozzarella (Trader Joes has a good fresh mozzarella.  Fresh makes all the difference)

3 slices crisp bacon (optional but oh so good)

4 slices of large tomato (preferably from someone’s garden)

Grill the sandwich in a skillet, on a pancake griddle or in a Panini grill.  This sandwich will get soggy very quickly due to the pesto, so you have to eat it immediately.  Enjoy!!  Courtesy of Martha Stewart magazine

As you walk in the door, you see the wall with the window.  I ordered fabric online and made curtains.  Summer drew silhouettes of some of the boys favorite toys and I painted them on a canvas.

Table and chairs that I have collected over the past year were spray painted in several different colors.

The wall to the right has the closet on it.  The inside of the closet is painted orange and baskets ordered from Land of Nod.  Closet doors are removed.  Cork squares are hung on the wall to hold the boy’s work.  We purchased the squares at Michael’s.  They were thicker than the ones we found online.

The wall on the left has cubbies that Ryan made.  You can find them ready to assemble at Home Depot, but they don’t fit the baskets from Land of Nod.  The other  cubbies are made for baskets from Martha Stewart that are in pastels.  I painted an armoire white that I already had.  This houses the movies and TV.  I bought a large canvas for each boy and let them have at it.  They are hung over the cubbies.  The clock was purchased from Target.

Labels for the basket are made from name tags and clips from Office Max.  I found images of each of the toys online and pasted them into a document with the names.

The door wall is painted green with a sofa sleeper from IKEA.  The bed is really comfortable with an egg crate on top.  The bed works like a futon, but the mattress is actually in two pieces so it doesn’t get folded and have a big bump down the middle.  No crazy bar down the middle like regular sofa beds, and the mattress doesn’t slide down like a futon.  It comes in several different colors.

The boys love it and they have lots of space to play.  It was fun to design and it has a fun feel!  Thanks Summer!  Back to party planning soon!

My favorite pic from the whole day!

Our friends Loren and Courtney just got married on September 11, 2010.  Although we did not have anything to do with the planning or vision, except to recommend a vendor here and there, we must show off this wedding.  Courtney did an absolutely fabulous job coordinating her perfect wedding.  Her colors were brown and orange.  The day was elegant, tasteful, and beautiful.  Kudos to Courtney, a fellow lover of party planning.

Her vendors are as follows:

Venue: Dana Powers House, Nipomo CA

Flowers: Lori Boe Floral Design, Arroyo Grande CA

Dress: David’s Bridal

Hair & Make-up: Debra Angell, Los Osos CA

Tuxedo Rentals: A Heart’s Desire, San Luis Obispo CA

Caterer: Phoenix Fine Catering, San Luis Obispo CA

Cake: Windy City Cakery, Orcutt CA

Photographer: ME!!  Summer Schmitz, Nipomo CA

I am a second shooter for Amy Wellenkamp Photographers on the weekends.  I don’t usually shoot weddings on my own, but these two are my friends and I just couldn’t say no.  A big THANK YOU goes out to Amy though, she came out and helped me shoot the ceremony,  two photographers is always better than one.  Here are some photos I’d like to share with you.

Thank you Loren and Courtney Radis for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful day.  You are such a sweet and loving couple, so happy for you two!!