Baby Shower Success

I've been planning a baby shower for a friend at work who is having twins. Twins! We have been so excited for Kathy as we watch those babies, and Kathy's baby bump, grow.

We held the shower at a hotel near the office, because all of the guests were coworkers. We invited both men and women as Kathy's husband also works for the company and we wanted to include everyone who wanted to wish Kathy well.

In my previous entry (Baby Shower - First steps in planning) I described how I was starting the planning for a baby shower. 

I answered the foundation questions for the party (from Party and Event Planning - Lay the foundation) and determined the following:

Guest list:  Approximately 15 people, both women and men
Nursery Theme: Jungle
Colors: Soft blues and greens 

In my second post on planning the shower, Party Planning: Next steps in planning the baby shower We found the following napkins at a local party store and from the design I created an invitation.

We used these as the inspiration for the remainder of the decorations. 

I also showed the spreadsheet I created to track the food order with the hotel. Using the spreadsheet, it was easy to adjust the amount of food as the headcount changed.

The Friday before the shower, I contacted the hotel with the final headcount and made sure I wasn't ordering too much or too little food or drinks. 

We served heavy appetizers, wine, and beer. The hotel did a lovely job setting up the buffet table. The weather was chilly and misting so we moved the party indoors. The appetizers were a range for all palates. We included Ahi Martinis for the seafood eaters, Macaroni and Cheese balls, cheese-stuffed African peppadew peppers and avocado tacos for the vegetarians, 2 varieties of flatbread pizzas for the meat eaters.

We ordered a cake from a local bakery and used the napkin and invitation as inspiration.The bakery did a wonderful job in matching the designs, as you can see in the pictures below. 
 
Be sure to order a cake that fits with the current tastes of the mother-to-be. I asked her for her favorite flavor and filling so I could make sure it was something she would enjoy.

We had an area reserved for us in the restaurant. It set with a large square table where everyone could see each other and interact. The bottom table cloth was black and the top was a beautiful light powder blue that complimented the shower colors. They also provided hydrangeas in low vases and candles for the centerpiece.

Another friend at work made an adorable diaper cake which we put in the center of the table surrounded by the flowers and candles provided by the hotel.

The diaper cake was made to match the design of the shower and was filled with small gifts of clothing, blankets, and other essentials.


The two stuffed elephants on the top will make wonderful first toys for the twin boys and added a touch of whimsy to the decor. 

Kathy was showered with gifts which were displayed on a shelf waiting to be opened. 

It was nice to have a place for the presents that was away from the food and separate from the table where we ate. 

We ended up having a few more guests than we thought but had plenty of food and drink for them to enjoy. Everyone mingled, and enjoyed the social evening. We didn't play games at this shower because Kathy, and the guests, would not have been comfortable. 

The party ran like a birthday or cocktail party with cake and present-opening after the appetizers and drinks. Everyone enjoyed themselves and Kathy was showered with much-needed items and best wishes for a smooth, healthy, happy birth. 



I have 2 parties in the works which I will be describing shortly: one is a tea party for a 4 year old, the other is a bridal shower. Such fun! 

Make sure you celebrate the events in your lives and the lives of those around you. Imagine the wonderful life that you want, really see it in your mind's eye, then do it. Create the life you want.

Celebrate life!
Laureen 

A doughnut by any other name would taste as sweet

Oh I soooo want a doughnut! I have been craving them lately. I haven't eaten a doughnut in years. I miss them, or, really the thought of them. I miss the warm cakey sugary goodness of a fresh doughnut.


But alas, the reality is not the memory. The last time I ate a doughnut it made me feel ill and it didn't taste like I remembered it. It was light and fluffy like I wanted it to be, but the taste was overly sweet. And this wasn't from some grocery store or chain doughnut shop. This was a wonderful family owned shop in my neighborhood. Apparently in my search for healthy eating, I lost my taste for overly greasy and sweet.  

But lately I have craved that wonderful taste that is in my mind. I wanted the aroma, the flavor and sweetness without the upset stomach afterwards. I searched the internet to find something that could match what was in my head; a recipe that I could adapt to a healthy version without losing that taste. 

I found my base recipe in a muffin. I found it with slight variations under different names: French Toast Muffin, Coffee Cake Muffins, and Cinnamon Sugar Muffins. But one thing was consistent in all recipes: the person writing about the recipe said it tasted like a doughnut.

The original recipe is a traditional one with white flour, white sugar, oil, etc. I use organic ingredients and like to mix as much nutrition into my food as I can while still having it taste good. I modified this recipe to add more fiber, less white flour, healthier fats and less sugar. 




Doughnut Muffins (makes 12)
1 cup organic unbleached white flour
¾ cup oat flour
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut oil
¾ cup organic evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 egg
¾ cup coconut or almond milk

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup soy butter, melted
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, egg and milk.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine.

Coat your muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray (preferably organic olive oil) and divide the batter evenly among the cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Tops should be lightly browned and muffin should spring back when you lightly touch the top. 

Run a knife around the sides of the muffin and shake them out of the pan while still hot.


Melt the butter in a bowl.

Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl (I used a shaker so I could sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar on top instead of dipping).

Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool. Eat immediately.



The muffins are warm, cinnamon goodness with that wonderful flavor of a fresh doughnuts without the grease.

They are very moist and taste fabulous the next day as well. They hold their moisture and flavor for at least 2 days after baking--which is when we devoured the final muffin.

A little about Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil has many health benefits that other oils do not. There is a lot of research on the internet, a good source being CoconutOil.com

The picture on the right shows the coconut oil in the jar. It is solid to about 78 degrees F. 

The picture on the left shows it scooped into the measuring cup. It smells incredibly good (if you like the smell of coconut) and is said to be used by the body as energy instead of stored as fat. It has the same caloric values as other oils. I plan to use coconut oil for most of my cooking, but you can read the information and make your own choice.


I will continue to refine this recipe until I have the healthiest "doughnut" I can make. I will share future successes with you.

Happy Sunday!
Laureen

 

Party Planning -- Next steps in planning the baby shower

In my previous entry (Baby Shower - First steps in planning) I described how I was starting the planning for a baby shower. My friend Kathy, who is also a coworker, is having twin boys! We are all so excited for her.

I answered the foundation questions for the party (from Party and Event Planning - Lay the foundation) and determined the following:

Guest list:  Approximately 15 people, both women and men
Nursery Theme: Jungle
Colors: Soft blues and greens

I have contacted a hotel near the office and determined we can have the event near their pool. I live in Southern CA so am hoping for nice weather, or at least nice enough to have the event outside. 

Cute twins napkins from Party City

We found a cute elephant jungle pattern at Party City that had napkins for twins. The design has elephants that just happen to match the design on the blankets Kathy chose for the cribs. I still can't believe that there was a design that matches the nursery and is specific for twins. What a lucky find on our part. I will use the design as the basis for the rest of the party.


One of the most important things during party planning is staying organized. You can organize parties for free using some great online programs. Evite is one site with some free electronic invitations and party planning ideas. Punchbowl is another site with similar information. Both allow you to send invitations from their site and manage your guest list there. 

I used Punchbowl for the last Baby Shower I planned, but the evite went to the junk mail folders at work, making it difficult to know who had received them and who had not. So be careful if you use a website to plan your party and send the invitations to an office email. However, it was nice to have the tracking of acceptance done online.

Invitation created from party decorations

I use email to send the invitations because I work in high tech and we communicate electronically. The guests are all from work, making email the best media to use for this event's invitations. I couldn't find an electronic invitation that I liked so I took images from the party supplies we bought and created an invitation to match.  

I sent a separate email to all who are invited asking them if they would like to go in on a bigger gift and letting them know where Kathy is registered.
I will purchase more expensive gifts with the money I receive from those who go in on the larger gift. If there is money left over, I will purchase additional small items that are always needed like burp cloths, clothes, etc. 

The hotel let me know that we can host the event around the pool so I am working with them on the site. I will also have them provide heavy appetizers and some wine for guests. I like to create a spreadsheet to manage my food options, costs per item, and totals. Here is a sample of the simple spreadsheet I created for another party.

Spreadsheet to calculate food

Be sure to ask the mother-to-be if there are any foods that she doesn't care for at this point in her pregnancy. At times there are foods that a pregnant woman can't tolerate and in extreme cases those foods can trigger her gag reflex. It's very important that the guest of honor is comfortable and relaxed through the party so make sure the menu reflects her current tastes. 

You can use this spreadsheet for future parties because it is easy to update. Enter formulas to multiply the number of items ordered by their cost to see the total for each appetizer. And then add a Sum to the total column to see your full costs. 

It's surprising how much you can do for under $100 even at a hotel. For this amount, I will easily have appetizers for 15-20 people. Drinks are separate, but a bottle of house wine is $20 making the cost very reasonable considering this includes all food preparation, plates, flatware, buffet tables set, serving pieces, and clean-up.

I will order the cake today and bring in a sample of the design we are using. This week I will also be collecting the money for the big gift and will make purchases based on the amount I receive. I never set an amount when asking people to go in on gifts. Everyone is at a different place financially and the purpose of the shower is to celebrate with the mother to be, not cause guests stress by requiring them to give a certain amount for the gifts. 


I will purchase the gifts this week so I can get them wrapped over the weekend. I will also follow up with those that have not responded and give the final headcount to the hotel on Friday. The party is coming together nicely and has taken just a few hours of my time to pull together.  

I am feeling well prepared for the shower on Tuesday.  I will create an entry next week to show you how the event went. Wish me luck!

Make life a celebration!
Laureen

Multi-tasking at it's best: Organic gardening AND softened hands!

I don't know anyone who has a bunch of spare time on their hands. We all seem to be running around like crazy and working hard to give ourselves better lives, so we need to do as much on the weekends as possible. 

If you read my last post (Waste not, want not: Free vegetable garden) you know I am growing my garden this year using only kitchen scraps and seeds from fruits and vegetables purchased from the grocery store. No seeds or seedlings purchased this year. 

I am also making my own compost, but that topic will be for another day. Today though I will show you things you can use to quickly amend the soil. 
 
Coffee grounds and egg shells are both items that can be dug into the soil to amend it immediately. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen and also contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, and other trace minerals. I drink organic coffee and unbleached filters so I can dump the grounds into the garden and compost the filters. Pretty cool, huh? 

Egg shells provide calcium for your garden. According to www.mamashealth.com, egg shells can be used in all sorts of ways:

• Use egg shells in the bottom of plant pots instead of stones. Egg shells are much lighter than stones and they are a great source of nutrition.
• Place egg shells in a circle on top of the ground surface around tender plant stems such as peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage to deter slugs and cutworms. 
• Place egg shells in the soil near tomatoes. Calcium is very useful to tomatoes because the extra calcium will help prevent blossom end rot.   

Together, egg shells and coffee grounds can provide many of the nutrients that store bought fertilizers include. I love saving money by using something I would otherwise throw away. 

I mentioned in my last post that I hadn't kept up my garden during the holidays. I hadn't even looked back there. The truth was, well, ugly. 

My beautiful raised garden bed was amassed in weeds and dead plants--except for the parsley which is taking over. I said I would show you the successes and failures of my gardens and this is a fail. Sigh. 

I pulled out my tools and prepared to weed whack my way through the rubble of last year's garden. Then I realized I could give my hands a spa treatment at the same time. Score extra points for me! 

Hand Treatment

These are the tools of my spa treatment: a really good lotion (I use NuSkin) and disposable plastic gloves. My husband and I began using the plastic gloves instead of the gigantic rubber gloves years ago. They work just as well to keep hands soft but you can still have dexterity. We get ours at CostCo.

Slather on a good amount of lotion and put on latex gloves. Then gather the rest of your tools you will need for gardening. I put the pink gloves over my plastic gloves to give me added protection.

 

 

Back to Gardening

My weed whacker was out of string so it was all by hand for me today. I pulled up as many weeds as I could using my hands, cut down the tall stuff and piled it all into a pile.  

I added removed all dead plants from my raised bed and cleared the area around it. I added the egg shells and coffee grounds to the bed and dug them into the soil. 

My drip system still looked good so I didn't need to do any work there. In a future blog entry I will describe how I put together my drip system. It was so easy and I know have a cute tackle box with all my supplies in it.

Planted celery

I planted my three little sprouting vegetables into the newly amended soil.

I planted the root line of the celery under the soil. There are no roots yet so I am a little concerned it won't take. I will keep taking pictures so you can see the progress. 

Planted cabbage

I did the same for the cabbage. The cabbage end is looking pretty good, with it's root buds and some new green leaves starting to show.

Planted onion

I made sure the roots of the onion were under the soil and a bit more. I wanted to make sure that enough was in the ground so the roots could take. Next came turning on the drip system for about 5 minutes and adjusting the nozzles to make sure each sprout was watered.

When I was done I took off my gloves and my hands look gorgeous. They really do look like I just came out of the spa. My garden is on it's way to looking better and I will continue to see how the remnants grow.

Next up is planting seeds from the vegetables and fruits I have been eating. I use the egg carton show above as seed starter pots. Look for that blog in the near future.

May your week sprout with joy!
Laureen