Here is how it works:

1. When your invite your friends, tell them to bring a non- traditional beer – at least a 6-pack (see the previous post for all of the variety we had!!)

2. Set up a fun centerpiece! We used 40s (thanks for the great idea, Mom!). When you go to buy your 40s, make sure to bring your baby and your mom and make sure to stand in front of the beer analyzing it for color and shape for a good 15 minutes before filling your cart. Also make sure your 40s can fit a candle in the top (most will).

3. Buy a large number of small dixie cups and label them with a letter. This should be done ahead of time because it takes longer than you would think.

4. Set out your trays that you are going to use to serve the beer. The best trays to use are plastic (so they are lightweight) and have an edge so when you spill some beer it doesn’t go all over.

5. Label your platters when you set up your table(as you should for all parties!)

6. Ask people to save their beer caps for next year’s centerpiece, so you don’t have to use wine corks for the beer party!

7. Make and ask a few of your great friends to make some simple and absorbing foods to snack on.

Pepperoni and spinach bread

Chips and salsa

Beer Cheese dip

We also had soft pretzels with mustard and brie with apricot preserves.

8. If you have any friends celebrating their birthday, make them a beer shaped cake!

9. Have your auditor husband make a beer rating guide on Excel. Make sure to put a key of what means best and worst.

10. When a majority of the guests arrive, have them place two beers in the kitchen and the rest on the deck. Assign each person’s beer a secret letter (in random order) then start the pouring.

10. Have the guests rank the beers as they go! When they are all done, add up the points. The beer with the most points wins the annual trophy to take home for a year and bring back to next year’s party!

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Then I gathered the necessary baby food making tools.

• KidCo baby food mill or a mini food processor
• organic veggies
• some of Anna’s milk {my milk} to thin out the food. It is important to use the milk or formula your baby is used to when making their first baby food. It is the taste they are used to and their body is comfortable with, so it should make trying new foods easier.

For the apples, my family ventured to our local apple orchard to get local apples! We had fun putting Anna in the pumpkin patch and chowing down on fresh kettle corn while we were there.

The Cooking

There are a few basic cooking methods for making baby food. Baking and steaming are great methods because they allow the food to keep most of the nutrients during the cooking process. They are also easy and convenient.

Baby Applesauce:

• 5 apples
• 1/2 c. water

1. Peel the apples
2. Cut the apples into little pieces, discarding the core.
3. Simmer with water on medium low, stirring frequently
4. Cook until apples are soft and break apart
5. For babies who are newer to solids, puree in the food processor or baby food mill

While the food cooked, the girls got a lesson on football…

Organic sweet potatoes and butternut squash baking

When the sweet potatoes and squash were baked, I scooped them out of the skin.

And put them through the food mill to make sure there were no rough or big pieces.

Then added a little milk, and stirred them up!

Baby Pureed squash and sweet potatoes

• 1 sweet potato
• 1 butternut squash (or part of)
• baby’s milk ( a splash)

1. Bake sweet potatoes and squash at 400 until very soft
2. Scoop out flesh of veggies
3. Smash the baked potato and squash with a fork
4. Puree or process until all chunks are removed
5. Stir in baby’s milk to make smoother

Organic green beans steaming

Baby Green Beans

• organic green beans

1. Steam green beans until very soft
2. Puree or process soft green beans until smooth (they are much more chunky than the potato/squash mash)

While we were making baby food, I also made dinner for us! We had the same meal as the girls, in “grown up” form!

Roasting the butternut squash with sweet potatoes.

The Meal

Addie’s Plate

Maple Mustard Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Whole Wheat (oil free) Pumpkin Bread

Grilled Chicken

Green Beans with almonds

Tossed Salad

Brown Rice and Lentil Combo

Cottage Cheese

Pinot Noir

Addie’s Plate

Addie was able to eat a little of everything except the almonds on the green beans. Her food was cut into little pieces that she could pick up with her fingers and with her spoon.

Anna’s meal – pureed brown rice, green beans and sweet potato/squash

Not sure what to think of things. She sat at the table in her hook on chair.

She was hungry, so it was perfect timing!

Her first bites…

hmm….

She liked it!

Not a fan of the rice…

That was exhausting…

Addie is a professional eater. She loved her dinner.

She even “showed Anna how to use a spoon”!

Our meal was a fall feast for everyone!

Dessert was apple crisp and applesauce. Can you guess who had which treat?!

Recipes

Maple Mustard Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

• 5 sweet potatoes, diced
• 1 large butternut squash, diced
• cooking spray
• 1 T. EVOO
• 2 T. dijon mustard
• 1 T. maple syrup
• salt and pepper
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and cover with diced veggies
2. Roast diced veggies in the oven at 425 for about 40 minutes. until soft. Check and move veggies around throughout cooking.
3. Make dressing by combining EVOO, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper and vinegar.
4. When veggies are done, drizzle dressing on top
5. Serve warm

Homemade Local Apple Crisp

• 6 large apples, peeled and cut into pieces
• cooking spray
• 1/4 c. white sugar or stevia baking mix
• 1.5 t. + 1.5 t. cinnamon
• 2/3 c. oats
• 2/3 c. multigrain baking mix
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. coconut oil

1. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine apples, sugar of choice, 11/2 tsp. cinnamon. Stir to coat
3. Place apples in the 9×13.
4. Make topping: combine 1.5 t. cinnamon, oats, baking mix, brown sugar and oil.
5. Stir topping until crumbly.
6. Cover apples with crumb topping.
7. Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes [until golden brown and bubbly].
8. Serve!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

• 2 cups sugar of your choice
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of oil)
• 4 eggs, lightly bean
• 16 ounces canned unsweetened pumpkin
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray two bread pans with cooking spray.
3. Stir together sugar and applesauce.
4. Stir in eggs and pumpkin.
5. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
6. Blend dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, alternating.
7. Divide batter between two bread pans.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
9. Let stand 10 minutes.
10. Remove from pans and enjoy!

Green Beans and Almonds

all measurements are approximate and according to your tastes

• 1 lb. fresh, rinsed, snipped green beans
• sliced, toasted almonds
• Good Seasonings Italian dressing (the dry packet), made as directed

1. Blanch green beans – cook them in boiling water for a few minutes – make sure they are firm
2. Drizzle with dressing
3. Sprinkle with almonds
4. Enjoy!

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appetizers:

Chips and salsa

Carrots, pita chips and hummus

meal:

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with rolls

Coleslaw (for sandwiches)

Quinoa Lentil Salad

Cheese Potatoes

Caesar Salad

Green Beans with Almonds

dessert:

Cake

Sugar cookies

drinks:

Coffee

Lemonade

Water/Pop

Everything turned out great! We set card tables out on the deck for people to eat.

Chips and salsa

Spicy artichoke dip

Cashew clusters

Carrots and hummus

We didn’t have too many appetizers because it was lunch.

I made almond sugar cookies in the shape of crosses.

Wrapped silverware

We had a variety of rolls to fit whatever kind of sandwich people were in the mood for: wheat, white, buns and rolls!

Brady’s mom got pulled pork for our main dish and it got great reviews!

I made coleslaw to go on the sandwiches.

Classic cheese potatoes, perfect for a big group of people!

Green Beans and Almonds – a great make ahead dish!

My mom’s famous caesar salad.

I made a quinoa lentil salad.

Brady’s mom got the cake and had Anna Banana’s picture on it! We couldn’t eat her face so we gave it to our friends!

It was a great time to hang out with family! I could tell Anna really enjoyed it. Recipes to come!

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I have made the cookies (but not frosted them yet).

I have fixed the silverware.

I am working on getting everything set in our house and making food for the 35 people that are coming, but it is tough when you are constantly distracted by this little girl…

Thankfully my mom and Brady’s mom are doing the lunch with me! They have been a huge help, as always!! We are having lunch after the service on Sunday.    

Anna’s Baptism Luncheon Menu

appetizers:

Chips and salsa

Carrots, pita chips and hummus

meal:

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with rolls

Coleslaw (for sandwiches)

Autumn Lentil Salad

Cheese Potatoes

Caesar Salad

Green Beans with Almonds

dessert:

Cake

Sugar cookies

drinks:

Coffee

Lemonade

Water

—

We are looking forward to everyone coming in town! The boys are going to the OSU game tomorrow and the girls are going shopping, we will see what else happens!

What are your weekend plans?

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• 1 block 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1 8oz. container of sour cream
• 1 green pepper – diced
• 1 red pepper – diced
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 3/4 large packet or 1 smaller packet of dried beef, diced

1. Let cream cheese get to room temperature and mix with sour cream.
2. Add all of the other ingredients to the cream cheese/sour cream mixture.
3. Stir together until combined.
4. Place in a oven safe serving dish.
5. Cover with a few chopped walnuts
6. Bake at 350 until warm and bubbly – about 15 minutes.
7. Serve with crackers or fresh veggies

My Aunt Sharon said she found it in a Taste of Home magazine at one point and then lightened it up.

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When we got there Ash (the hostess with the mostess) had TJ’s Flax chips, hummus, veggies and salsa out for appetizers! We munched while she cooked.

Johnny was in charge of the grill and did a great job despite the flooding rains and tornado sirens that were going on. Luckily their porch is HUGE and so we could still cook out!

Everything was perfect! It was such a nice summer meal: Grilled Salmon with a special mustard sauce that was amazing(I’ll see if I can get the recipe!), sweet potato wedges and broiled asparagus.

I couldn’t have been happier with my dinner!

For dessert, I knew we would want something light so I made an old recipe. It’s such a summer dessert:

Jello/Yogurt Pie

• 2 fat free yogurts (same flavor, I used raspberry)
• 1 sugar free jello (same flavor as the yogurt)
• 1/3 c. boiling water
• 1 tub of fat free cool whip
• crust: graham cracker or I made a pretzel crust with pretzels, butter or spray butter and sugar or stevia
• frozen or fresh berries

1. Boil water and mix with jello until dissolved
2. Add yogurt to jello and water and stir until mixed together
3. Fold in Cool Whip until mixed then fold in berries
4. Put filling in the crust of your choice
5. Keep in the fridge until it is time to serve

Anna was wide awake and hanging out with me in the kitchen while I whipped this up yesterday!

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Even Anna made it the 5 miles. Brady pushed her while we ran.

Then we came home and showered. I got to work on our rib sauce while the boys went golfing. When they got back from golfing, we got things set and took them up to the Mackey’s house. They brought the grill, the tools, the sauce we made, the ribs that had been cooking for a few hours and some competitive spirit.

Everyone set up their station around the yard and got to work.

Team 1: Brady in action:

Team 2: Carl (who started cooking his ribs at 1pm and they weren’t due until 6pm.)

Team 3: Karen and Matt

Team 4: David (check out his smoker – this is serious competition and he won last year!)

Team 5: Big Jim (the host of the competition)

Team 6: Adam and Kara (the future newlyweds!)

Team 7: Tom (makes his ribs like we do – keeping it in the fam!)

Team 8: Ryan and JP (joined forces since last year in attempt to dominate)

Team 9 – Mike – why weren’t you at your grill Mike? Where were you?

While the ribs were cooking, there was lots of hanging out!

At 6pm all of the ribs were due to be turned in the kitchen. We were happy with how ours looked! Good Work Brady!

So each team loads their 4 racks into metal trays and drops them off at the kitchen door. There they are secretly given a letter to identify them. No one is told the letter.

Jim thinks he is going to be the champ…we will see!

To show their support of their dads, we dressed Anna and Addie up!

Can you read their shirts? They say: VOTE 4 My Daddy!

Once the ribs are in the kitchen, they are cut into single pieces. Each person is allowed to get one rib from each sauce at first. (We have a crazy amount of food.) They then take a ballot and vote for their top 3 entries.

The behind the scenes secret kitchen prep time is hard work!

When things are ready, you label your plate and make your way around the island.

You have to make room for 9 different sauces and ribs. Usually I just taste the sauces and vote according to that. Brady and I share a plate so we can consult.

Then I got in and fill up my plate on the sides and salads, which most people are not as interested in!

Smoked salmon plate with veggies and antipasto

Strawberry spinach salad

Tossed Veggie Salad

Laura’s cheesy mac

Roasted potatoes

Peanut noodles

The spread:

My mocktail – diet tonic with lime! It feels like a drink and it won’t make it harder for me to get up in the night.

Anna was cozy for the evening!

Back to normal posts today!

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The luncheon was hosted by my Aunt Kim’s good friends, Susan and Linda. It was at Susan’s house on her back porch, which overlooked this amazing scene.

Her porch was huge and easily accommodated all of us comfortably.

The tables were beautifully set with chargers, china and cloth napkins. Fresh red and white flowers were the centerpieces.  They may have had the flowers delivered to make things easier!   Each guest had a name card, and the black and white with red was stunning!

Everyone was having a great time!

Lunch was amazing as well! The food was all homemade and it was perfect for a girly lunch. We had fresh zucchini bread sandwiches, balsamic strawberries and a shrimp salad with rice and celery.

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, Linda and Susan appeared with some of the best pie I have ever tasted. It was frozen but it was not hard, it was smooth and creamy. Susan was kind enough to share the recipe with me so I could share it with you! I think my challenge for the week will be to lighten this up and see if it is still just as good as it was!

Thank you so much to our amazing hostesses with the mostess! They did such a wonderful job with everything from the food to the place settings! It was so nice to get to have lunch together before the real wedding festivities began! I know I could learn a lot from both of them!

Linda:

Susan:

Recipes will be posted!

This was just the beginning of a very indulgent weekend! I just enjoyed myself and decided I would get back on track when I returned home. I will let you know my plan for that very soon!

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In her Moses basket:

Having fun with her hands:

Kara kissing her little ducky bottom:

We also stopped over at our neighbors happy hour last night. The theme was Cinco de Mayo (the party was rescheduled from last week) so I thought lime cupcakes would be fun to try! Here is what I did:

Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix

12 oz margarita mix (liquid) – non alcoholic because that is what I had

2 eggs

1 Tbsp grated lime zest

1 Tbsp. lime juice

Lime Icing:

1 container of vanilla frosting

4 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. lime zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. Combine margarita mix, cake mix, eggs, lime zest and lime juice. Stir ingredients together.

4. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Since these have no oil, they will be better lighter than more cooked so they are not dry.

Icing:
6. Mix frosting with lime juice and lime zest.

7. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with a lime.

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We had the best time in the world! It was great to catch up and enjoy a fun lunch. I had the salmon salad but didn’t take a picture because I was more interested in taking pictures of my friends and Jackie’s cute decorations.

My place setting:

Kara’s place setting:

A few table decorations:

Jackie and I :

Kara and Jackie:

The girls! The mom’s aren’t pictured but we apparently all got the memo to wear black.

I got some adorable baby gifts – organic cotton crib sheets, receiving blankets, books, stuffed animals and adorable outfits in white and yellows! Thank you so much girls!!!

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