INVITETHEPARTY.com

Hand Knitted Wire and Bead Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:31:00 +0000

I proudly present my new line of jewelry. This jewelry is hand knitted with wire and glass beads. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. What a great Holiday gift. Check it out at my Etsy store. Invitetheparty.etsy.com

It's All Greek to Me - Spanakopita Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:00 +0000

My father, George Manousos, came by boat, to this country from Andros, Greece in 1923. He was a 17 year old illegal immigrant who didn't speak of word of English. He joined the US Army during World War II to not only fight for his country, but become an American citizen. While he was stationed in England, he meet Anne Milne and they fell in love. She moved to America and they married in December 1946.

I grew up in a neighborhood of immigrants. We had Greeks, Italians, Scots, Norwegians and more. My Mom tried all their recipes. Here is one of my favorite Greek recipes that I grew up with.

Spanikopita (Spinach Pie)

3 (10 oz.) packages of frozen chopped spinach(I take the spinach out of the packages and put the spinach in a colander to defrost overnight. I then press the rest of the water out in the morning)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped dill
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 oz. filo pastry
olive oil for assembling pie
1. Drain the moisture from the spinach.
2. Gently fry scallions in oil until soft and add oil and onions to spinach.
3. Stir in cheeses, herbs, eggs, nutmeg
4. Lightly oil a 13x9 pan.
5. Line dish with 10 sheets of filo pastry, brushing each sheet with oil.
6. Add spinach filling and spread evenly.
7. Place remainder of the filo on top, brushing each sheet with oil.
8. Trim excess filo pastry.
9. Brush top with oil and bake for about 45 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 375 degrees
(This recipes also freezes well. Just put it together (don't bake it) and stick it in the freezer.)

I love to serve Spanakopita with a big Greek salad.

Hope you enjoy it as much a my friends, family and I do!

Hey That's My Luggage, Tag!

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Who hasn't been to the airport and found 5 bags on the carousel just like ours? Well I decided that I would make myself a colorful luggage tag that you could see a mile away. It became such a big hit with my friends (and strangers at the airport) that I put them on my website. These are great for luggage, backpacks, diaper bags and more.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:26:00 +0000

I'm always looking for easy but delicious recipes to make. I find the older I get the less I want to spend hours in the kitchen. I remember years ago cooking elaborate, time consuming recipes with joy. Now I get annoyed when I have to wait 20 minutes for the rice to cook. A friend of mine, who like me used to love to spend time in the kitchen, gave me this recipe. It is so delicious and easy that people will think you spent hours in the kitchen. And isn't that what really matters?

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered or just pieces

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Serve with rice, a vegetable and salad and you're good to go.

Shameless Self Promotion of My Newest Note Card Creations

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:43:00 +0000

In the name of shameless self promotion, I present to you my newest designs for note cards at InvitetheParty.com.

My personalized note cards come in a cellophane bag with a matching ribbon. These are perfect for teachers gifts, birthday presents, wedding shower or baby shower gifts. Can't see what you want, just ask and I can create it for you.

Great Ideas for a Beach Wedding from BHG

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:20:00 +0000

I got my usual Better Homes and Garden email today and I just had to share some of their ideas about a DYI Beach Wedding. I wish I could take credit for them, but sadly I can't.

I just love the starfish boutonniere! All you need to do is glue a pinback to a starfish. What could be easier and more inexpensive.

Who wouldn't love the simplicity and elegance of a candle holder decorated with raffia and a starfish.

How cute is the ring in a shell instead of a pillow? Anyway, check out their ideas they are really great!

Hmm . . . . maybe I'll have to marry my husband again just so I can use some of these ideas? Perhaps for our 20th. That gives me 5 more years to butter him up.

Check out the ideas on BHG for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

The Greatest New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:24:00 +0000

I was looking for one of my tried and true dessert recipes for a party the other day. As I've stated previously, I am not a baker. My ADD brain just don't enjoy having to be so precise. What I have done over time is find a couple of great dessert recipes that keep people coming back for more. So here is one of the best. Please note that if you are looking for a diet dessert, quickly click out of this page. By just reading the ingredients, you will gain at least a pound.

Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons sugar

Cake

5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese at room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling or topping

CRUST: Position oven rack in lower-third of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9" springform pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar; press into bottom and 2" up side of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until golden; remove from oven.

CAKE: Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. At medium speed beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 4 minutes. At medium-low speed gradually beat in sugar. Beat in flour, vanilla and zest. At low speed beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time, until combined. Beat in sour cream. Pour batter into crust. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden and edge is beginning to rise; reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven without opening door (this is the hardest for me) for 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 30 minutes. Run small spatula around edge of cake to loosen. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 4 hours. Remove side from pan; transfer to serving plate. Top with pie filling.

Note: I don't know if this is really true, but I do it anyway. Someone told me to place a pan of water on a rack under the cheesecake rack while it's baking. It is supposed to keep the cheesecake from cracking to much because it adds moisture to the baking. Again, I really don't know if this is true, but that's what I do.

Makes 20 servings.

Your time in the kitchen: 30 minutes

Ready to serve in 6 hours

Not Your Grandmother's Candy Wrappers

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:53:00 +0000

Years ago I bought a candy wrapper program. I started using it and realized something, I hated their designs. They were all so boring with really cheap clip art. I wanted to offer a fresh and new design to candy wrappers. With my party planning experience, I found that invitations, candy wrappers and thank you notes should follow the same theme. It makes your party planning easier when you follow a theme. Luckily my customers have agreed with me. Even if you don't buy the matching invitations, there will be one that will suit your party needs. So check out some of the candy wrappers I’m talking about or check out my website at invitetheparty.com.

Outdoor Movie Party

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:58:00 +0000

My daughter just turned 13. She still wants a birthday party but it get harder as they get older. No one wants to do crafts or anything that might be perceived as embarrassing to another 13 year old. Just the fact that her parents are present at the party is risky to her reputation. So I decided it might be fun to have an Outdoor Movie Party. I really miss being able to go to the "Drive-in". There was nothing more fun than family and friends packing up the car and hanging out watching a movie. So that's just what I did.

First I borrowed a movie projector. You can also rent them. I used a sheet against our swing set to project the movie on.

I decided that the food should only be drive-in movie food. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and had chips and dip, nachos and lots of soda. The kids (21 of them) had a great time just hanging out and talking.

I did put out some things for them to do. I had a bean bag toss game, horseshoes and our trampoline. The trampoline, as always, is the most popular. I also set up a table with tattoos on them. These were tattoo designs for older kids so it was cool to use. I happened upon a sale at Michael's. It was a box of tattoos, body glitter and markers for $3.00. I went crazy and bought 2 boxes.

Once the movie started I brought out bowls of candy (Sam's Club) and popcorn in plastic popcorn containers (Dollar Store 2 for a $1.00). I had some beach chairs, comforters and blankets to sit on.

As far as favors, I had the kids take home their empty popcorn containers and I put loads of the candy in them. The kids where thrilled to get the plastic containers filled with candy.

I do have one tip for thank you cards. I always take a group picture at the party. I like to use that picture on my thank you cards. That way the kids get a second favor and a memory that they won't forget.

These movie parties are also great when you have a pool. There is nothing better than lounging in the pool watching a great movie.

I hope this helps.

New Twist to an Old Baby Birth Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:12:00 +0000

When I was looking for ways to expand my invitation design business, I discovered this great way to announce the arrival of your bundle of joy. If you are tired of the same old birth announcements, or favors then this is the way to go. Send out a baby announcement in the form of a baby driver’s license. Imagine what fun it would be to receive an announcement like this. I have a “baby license” for every U.S. State. I also make candy bar wrappers the same way. Why give out cigars when you can give these out? It’s a great favor for a baptism, christening, bris or naming ceremony. (this is available on my etsy store site www.invitetheparty.etsy.com)

A Fantasy Faux Beach Wedding on a Budget.

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:54:00 +0000

Have you always wanted a beach wedding? Dreamed of waves splashing the bottom of your wedding dress. Walking hand and hand with your new husband in the white sand. So what’s holding you back? You don’t have a beach near by? The cost would be too much? Well these problems shouldn't stop your dream wedding. Do you really want a beach wedding or just the feel of a beach wedding?

Do you want an elegant beach wedding, then price and place shouldn't stop you. Whether you are having your wedding at home, a firehouse, clubhouse or reception hall, you deserve your fantasy beach wedding.

Let’s start with the invitations. Let the invitation indicate what the theme is. Let it be known that they should dress as if it were an elegant beach wedding. Your dress should also do the same. No matter how elegant a beach wedding is, remember that they are always elegant on the casual side.

Why not have your guests greeted at the reception with leis. Nothing feels more "beachy" than that. Have a CD player playing the sounds of the ocean when your guests walk in.

Cocktail Hour: Your wedding drinks should also reflect that feel. Why not have daiquiris, margaritas, wine or sangria and beer. If you keep to that, you will keep your liquor budget down. Remember with these kinds of mixed drinks, you don’t use top shelf liquor. Have a sand box or two at cocktail hour so that everyone can feel the sand between their toes. The most economical way to do this is to buy a plastic kiddy pool at the end of the season. Fill it with sand and some shells. Not only will it bring a smile to everyone’s face, but it will get everyone in a beach mood. Have the DJ or band play tropical music during cocktail hour.

Food: What food do you think of when you think of the beach? Well fish of course but I also think of grilled chicken with a fresh fruity salsa or shish kabob. You can have someone barbecue for you. Have a beautiful salad (you can buy flowers to go into a salad that adds to the elegance) a vegetable that’s in season, and rice and you’ve got yourselves an elegant meal on a budget.

Tablescaping: The tables would look great with blue table clothes and white napkins. The center of the table could be as simple as a mound of sand in the middle with tea lights and shells. If you want flowers, how about a couple of tropical flowers stuck in the sand (use a test tube flower vase to keep them fresh).

Cake: Decorate a very plain wedding cake with chocolate sea shells and tropical flowers.

Favors: Have the favors reflect your invitation. You could do candy wrappers with the same theme as your invitation. When you are buying or making chocolate sea shells for the cake why not buy extra to give out as favors. Put a chocolate shell in a little box, wrap it in blue paper and glue a little shell on the top and you've got an elegant and inexpensive favor.

Don’t feel that because you live in the Midwest and don’t have an ocean or you live by an ocean but can’t afford it that you can’t have the feel of a beach wedding. Remember weddings are about fantasy. Live your fantasy!

Grandmom's Italian Easter Custard Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:16:00 +0000

With Easter soon upon us I feel a need to give out my favorite Italian Easter Custard Pie recipe. I got this recipe from my husband's 95 year old Italian Grandmother. I learned as soon as I met my husband that all of the Italian women have their own special cake or pie they make at Easter. Some are delicious, and others, well let’s just say it makes you glad you’re not Italian. This recipe always stood out in the crowd. I went over for lunch one day just so she could dictate her recipe to me. This was a long and slow process since her English is not great and my Italian is non-existent. Trust me it was worth my time.

Grandmom’s Italian Easter Custard Pie

4 cups milk
½ cup rice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Amaretto
1 tablespoon almond extract
6 eggs (beaten)
½ cup almond slices

Put milk in a pan and let it boil. When it starts to boil, put in the sugar, rice and vanilla. Let it boil (very low flame) for about 20 minutes. Put in a bowl and let it cool. Preheat oven at 300 degrees. Beat eggs. Mix together cooled rice mixture, eggs, Amaretto, almond extract and almonds. Grease a glass pie pan with butter and put in mixture. Put the pie in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Charles Schultz Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:30:00 +0000

Someone emailed this to me and I just had to share.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care .

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia " (Charles Schultz)

My Jack-o-Lantern is better than your Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Carving Party

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:20:00 +0000

In my last entry I talked about Halloween Parties. What I haven’t talked about is Pumpkin Carving Parties.

I have a great neighborhood. Years ago, we started doing parties to make the kids holiday more fun. It has, of course, now turned into an adult competition. Since this is my blog, I’ll tell you mine is always the best. We all chose a holiday (yes, Julia you still have to do Easter, even if it means blowing out thousands of eggs) and I picked, surprise, surprise, Halloween. About a week before Halloween I have my Pumpkin Carving Party. I supply all the tools and patterns. Just an FYI, every year after Halloween, I buy all the pattern kits at 75% to 90% off. I now, after all these years, have quite a few (to say the least).

I send my invitation out a few weeks before the party.

My guests know to bring their own pumpkins to carve. I set up a large table (or two) and spread out everything they need. I’ve also learned that you need a couple of garbage can to get all the pumpkin inners. We don’t, but you could, take all the seeds and roast them. For younger children, I usually put out paint, brushes and smocks. That way they can decorate their own pumpkins.

Because this is a very casual party, I have my guest either bring appetizers or dessert. That way all I have to worry about is the entrée. I always make stew. I feel like stew symbolizes the start of Fall. Each year I search the internet for new and interesting kinds of stew. I have never served the same stew twice. I make sure I decorate the table that we eat on in a Halloween theme. Since I am a dish-aholic, I have a set just for this occasion (well two but we can discuss my dish addiction at another time).

After dinner we light the pumpkins on my porch and admire our work.

Try this party and you too will suddenly find yourself doing this fun holiday party year after year.

Elizabeth

A Screaming Good Halloween Party

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:12:00 +0000

Last year, for the first time, I decided that my 11 year old daughter and her friend could throw a Halloween Party. I was scared for many reason, none having to do with Halloween. She and her friend originally wanted to invite 35 of there closest friends. I vetoed that idea. I felt that 35, 6th graders, in my house, would be a disaster. So over much crying, whining and complaining (on my part), I agreed to 20 guests. In the end it turned out great, but to save you any headaches, I will share my knowledge.

As you can see I designed two different designs for Halloween Invitations (as always on my website).

The girls decided that it would be a costume party. Truly I like nothing better than to dress up for Halloween. Much to my children's chagrin. Oh well, embarrassing your children is part of a parents job.

Evidence marked Exhibit A:

The girls wanted pizza but besides the expense and trouble going and getting it, I wanted something that looked kind of gross. So I made spaghetti and put it in a big plastic cauldron. I lined the cauldron with aluminum foil just in case there was some kind of crack in it. I also made a Punch. One girls complained that it looked gross. I said "Thank you. I obviously did it correctly because it's Halloween, it's supposed to be gross". Of course that was the same girl that once she tried it, couldn't stop drinking it. Bunny, the other Mom participating in the party made fantastic gross food.

Here are just a few of her "gross" creations.

Finger Cookies

Rice Krispies Eye Ball

I had lots of fun decorations. I bought a drop down spider that was sound activated. I put it above the toilet tank. Whenever someone went to the bathroom we would all hear a scream. I don't think my 58 year old brother has gotten over it to this day. I had a motorized rat that I had run across the floor while everyone was eating dinner. I had a "Screaming Skeleton" that I put at the bottom of a flight of stairs. As soon as the kids got to the landing it light up and starting moaning. My genius moment came when I found my old fish tank. I filled it with water and some red food dye and then put in a mask (bought at the dollar store) and other body parts. It takes a minute for people to figure out what is in there but then . . .

As for party games, we had Twister and we also did a Mummy Wrap. A big hit as always.

The winner of the Mummy Wrap contest.

To end the night I let the kids roast marshmallows to make S'mores using our fireplace.

So, all in all, it was a big hit. Hope this helps you do your own Halloween party.

Elizabeth

Wine Novices have no fear, Gary from Wine Library TV is here

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:08:00 +0000

While surfing the web, I can across this fantastic (and slightly bizarre) blog by Gary Vaynerchuk at WineLibraryTV. For the wine novice like me, his information is invaluable. There is nothing worse than being at a liquor store before a party and not knowing what wine to buy. I start wandering the aisles looking at all the pretty labels. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think you're suppose to pick a good wine by its pretty label. Anyway, hopefully this will help you (and me) to choose the right wine for your next party.

Elizabeth

The Most Perfect Lemony Lemon Cake - Ever!!

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:59:00 +0000

As I’ve stated previously, I don’t particularly like baking. People think I’m good at it because I have just a few really good (and easy) recipes. This is one of them. This is the most perfect Lemon Cake, ever. It is very lemony and really light (not in calories). The thing about this cake is, you really need to beat it. I know, it goes against the grain of baking philosophy. So put the mixer on and walk away and do something else. I beat usually about 5 minutes or more between adding ingredients.

2 lemons
8 tablespoons (1 stick), salted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons sugar, for lemon syrup topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8 inch loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.

Grate the lemon rinds and set aside. Combine the juice of 1 lemon with 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and set in a warm place until the sugar dissolves and forms syrup with the juice. (This makes it seem more complicated that it is. I just combine the sugar and lemon juice and put the bowl on top of the stove. The heat from the oven does the rest)

Cream the butter and the rest of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the grated lemon rid and flour; beat again thoroughly (the longer you beat, the softer the cake). Add the milk and beat again.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour; the cake should spring back when pressed gently in the center. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, prick the top with a long-tined fork (I make rows of holes so the syrup really gets into the cake) and pour the lemon juice/sugar syrup all over the top until completely covered. Cool in the pan to allow the syrup to be soaked up and create a moist tangy cake.

When you are ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. I like to decorate the top with fresh berries.

Hope it helps,

Elizabeth

Bridal Showers with a Twist

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:07:00 +0000

My name is Elizabeth, and I’m a “theme-aholic”. I love to theme parties. Now that that has been said, let’s move on.

Some of my friends are now thinking about getting remarried and some are older and thinking about marriage for the first time. The have everything they need and more for a new "blended" house. So why not put an interesting twist on the old Shower.

"Stock the Garage" Bridal Shower
Invitations – I think this is the perfect invitation. It clearly defines the party. As with all the invitations on my blog, they can be purchased at www.invitetheparty.com

Decorations – How about tarps as tablecloths. Paint cans can hold a flower arrangement. Or better yet, if it’s a spring or summer shower, how about plants they can put in their garden later. Buy a few boxes of nails and screws and nuts. Not only will they look great sprinkled around the table, but can be used by the couple later. You can get some paint sticks for free so why not put those on the table too as a decoration. If you don’t want to use china, how about something fun like Bob the Builder paper plates.

Food: This is a totally casual party. How about barbecue ,6 foot hoagies or even pizza.

Favors: Why not give out a variety pack of picture holders. They are inexpensive and useful. How many times have you received a favor that you just didn’t know what to do with and had to throw away. You could wrap each favor with the color of the day or if you go with the Bob the Builder plates, use Bob the Builder wrapping paper and a pretty ribbon to wrap the favors.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party – How about having everyone sign a Home Depot or Lowes Apron. What a fun way to remember all the guests who came.

"Stock the Bar" Bridal Shower

Invitations –I designed the above invitations to capture the spirit of the party.

Decorations – This kind of party speaks for itself. Decorations would be what you usually do for a cocktail or dinner party. If you wanted something a little different, what about a “Retro” theme. Pictures of the Rat Pack, Retro decorations, lounge music.

Food – You can really go two ways. Either hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, or a full out meal. It’s up to you and your budget. It would be fun to set up different stations with different kinds of drinks. If you are going “Retro”, find recipes from the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s.

Favors – How about a cork screw, bottle of cocktail olives, swizzle sticks.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party - You can buy a platter that everyone can sign. There are pens that you can purchase at the craft store that are made just for this. They can use it at their next cocktail party. Or people could sign cocktail glasses. Either one would be fun to look back on.

"The Wine Enthusiasts" Bridal Shower
Invitations – I designed the above invitations to capture the spirit of the party.

Decorations – Again, this kind of party speaks for itself. Decorations would be what you usually do for a cocktail or dinner party.

Food – There are a few ways you could do this. One would be a wine tasting party. These can be set up from companies in your area. They usually supply the wine and an appetizer. You could also serve you own wine and hors d’oeuvres. Lastly a full out meal. Basically it depends on your budget and how many people.

Favors – How about wine bottles from a local vineyard with a label with the event on them. You could do a corkscrew or a wine glass filled with candy.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party - Wine Glasses signed by all the guests. . There are pens that you can purchase at the craft store that are made just for this.

I think any of these theme would be fun, but please remember never mix the “Stock the Garage” Party and”Stock the Bar, power tools and liquor never mix. LOL.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Fresh From The Garden Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:59:00 +0000

What do you do when you have a scary, hip high, basil plant and a tomato plant with lots of cherry tomatoes? Make Pesto, of course. As you can see I have a rather enormous basil plant. I took this picture after I made pesto so it was missing quite a few leaves. You can also see my tomato plant. Sadly I used all the tomatoes for this dish, but there are plenty more in the very near future. Of course that’s if the deer don’t get them, again. I used pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts, because my son has a nut allergy. I had never tried this before, but it turned about wonderfully.

Before I give out this recipe, I just want to remind everyone that I don’t cook with exact measurements. Taste it, smell it, see what’s good for you.

3 cups basil leaves
4 cloves garlic (less if you don’t like garlic)
1/3 cup of Romano cheese
1 cup pumpkin seeds (see how you like the consistency)
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (enough to make it paste like.)

Pasta of your choice
1 cup cherry tomatoes (give or take or not)

Put on the pot of water for your pasta. While that’s getting ready to boil, put all the ingredients in the food process. Chop into a paste like consistency. Put half in a large bowl. Make pasta. When pasta is ready and drained, put it in the bowl. Put the other half of the pesto on top, the tomatoes and then mix it all together. That’s it. Enjoy the time with you family and friends and not slaving in the kitchen.

If you are looking for other interesting pasta recipes, check out http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com/2007/04/presto-pasta-night-roundups.html. This blog has it's readers send in their favorite pasta recipes.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Roaring Good Dinosaur Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:45:00 +0000

I was looking through some pictures and found my son’s Dinosaur Birthday Party. So it inspired me to write about it.

Invitations:

As you can see, these are the invitations and thank you cards I used.

Crafts:

They decorated there own goody bags with dinosaur stickers, dinosaur stamps and drawing their own dinosaur scenes. The kids love being little Picasso’s.

Games:

Dinosaur Dig. I had an old kiddy pool and I filled it with sand. You can use a large box or plastic bin. I bought dinosaur eggs at www.orientaltrading.com.

I love this store for party items. I blindfolded the kids and had them dig for the eggs. I did it one child at a time and gave them a minute to dig. They loved it! Whatever eggs were left over, I put in the goody bags at the end of the party.

Pin the Horn on the Triceratops- I made my own. I found a picture of a Triceratops and enlarged it. I then cut off the horn and made enough copies for the kids. I had the kids write their names on them so we would know who won. I placed the enlarged picture on a poster board. You can give any dinosaur prize to the kids. I happened to have found dinosaur puzzles at the Dollar Store. This game is always new and different because you change the theme with each party.

Dinosaur Mask – I bought dinosaur masks and had the kid’s act the way the dinosaur would. Please note: WEAR EAR PLUGS! By the way, the dinosaur masks also make great table decorations.

Piñata – A Dinosaur Piñata filled with candy is always the perfect way to end the party.

Cake:

I just bought a simple sheet cake and decorated it with dinosaur figures that my son already had.

Decorations:

For table decorations I again used dinosaur’s my son already had. It certainly saved on cost. Another fun thing you can do is lead your guest to the the party with cut outs of dinosaur prints. Start at the driveway and take them all the way to the front door.

Goody Bags:

After the kids have decorated their bags and put their names on them (very important for your sanity), I put them aside until they need them. I have them at the dinosaur dig to collect their eggs. I also make sure they have them for the piñata. After that I place a personalized party candy bar in their goody bag along with the mask they had.

This is one the most inexpensive birthday parties. There are so many inexpensive dinosaur toys around. I started at my local dollar store and of course Oriental Trading. (Note to self, check to see if Oriental Trading has an affiliate program, since you mention them so often. There has got to be something in it for me. LOL).

Hope it helps,

Elizabeth

Grocery Shopping at Amazon.com

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:39:00 +0000

So I decided to become an affiliate member of Amazon. I figured that I buy books from them anyway, so why not try to compensate what I spend with what you, my readers, might buy. Anyway, lo and behold I found that they now sell groceries. From what I can see, the prices are cheaper than my local grocery store. Also, you get free shipping. How cool is that. So instead of me describing what they do, I cut and pasted their description. If you click on the Amazon Grocery icon, you can see what kind of grocery items they have. If anyone has tried this, I would love to hear what it was like. I’m definitely going to try and then I’ll tell you my experience.

Shop Amazon Grocery Today

We offer more than 22,000 non-perishable grocery items--and our selection is growing every day

We can ship all products for free, via Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, or free standard shipping

We have great everyday prices plus special offers on your favorite brands

We make it exceptionally easy to find products you buy routinely, or to discover new items we think you'll like

As an Amazon customer, you expect to find an unparalleled combination of selection and value, no matter what type of product you seek. That's exactly the premise we started with in building Amazon Grocery. To that foundation, we added features that would create a new kind of shopping experience, one where it's easy to keep track of the groceries you want and easy to discover new favorites, and then have them delivered to your door free.

SelectionAt Amazon Grocery, you'll find longtime staples, from Kellogg's to Jiffy Pop. You'll find new entries, such as Kashi cereals and Kraft Easy Mac microwavable snack packets. And when we carry a brand, we'll try to carry every flavor available: For example, you'll find all varieties and flavors of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn, from Smart Pop to Pour Over Cheddar. We're also making regional favorites like El Sabroso available nationwide, and making hard-to-find specialties like Zico Pure Coconut Water a standard part of our mix.

We also have an extensive selection of natural and organic products. If you haven't heard of Immaculate Baking Company or Bear Naked, let us be the first to introduce you to these earth-friendly brands and their fantastic products.

ValueOur goal at Amazon Grocery is to make sure you find the products you want, available at a competitive price. To do this, we're working with our manufacturers on ways to keep per-unit costs low. For example, items you purchase might come in larger packs than you see at a traditional grocery store, and we might ship a product in a manufacturer's original case.

All products offered in Amazon Grocery are eligible for some form of free shipping. Most are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime. Some exceptionally heavy or bulky items, such as paper towels, have been excluded from these programs to avoid inefficient air transportation. For these items, we offer free standard shipping, so you will receive them within three to five days of ordering.

Because we only carry products when we can offer great prices and free shipping, we don't carry everything (yet!). For example, we don't currently offer perishable items such as milk, fresh meat, or peaches, because we can't ship these for free. But, we work on improving our selection every day, so check back often to see what we've added.

A New Way to Shop

long with this new category of products, we're highlighting a feature we call Your Shopping List, which you'll find under the "Your Lists" link on the top of every page. Your Shopping List makes it easier to locate and keep track of items you purchase routinely--products such as coffee and tea, cereal, paper towels, and cookies. You can order one or all of the products directly from your list, and you can add and delete items with the click of a button

Pretty Neat Little Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:13:00 +0000

I received an e-mail from a friend with these tips. I don't know where it originated, but these are great. Thought you might be interested. To whomever wrote these, THANK YOU!

Bed Sheets
After drying my sheets, I put both of the neatly folded sheets and one of the pillowcases in the other pillow case. The next time you change sheets, you just take out the one pillow case with the sheets and the other pillow case inside. No need to look for matches.

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal the bag and mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze the mixture into the egg. Then simply throw bag away when done, easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes.You can double it in size.You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat fewer sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating Refrigerated Bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper Weeds-Away
Start by putting in your plants. Work your normal nutrients into your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds WILL get through some gardening plastics. They will NOT get through wet newspapers. (This one I use and it really works. Just make sure you don't put the recycling out the week you plan on doing it or you'll be calling neighbors begging for their old newspapers. Yes, the voice of experience.)

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass, the fibers catch ones you can't see!

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. To keep them from eating all of your bird seed, add red pepper flakes to the seed.The birds aren't bothered by it, but the squirrels hate it!

Easier Thank You
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of Thank You cards for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mother gets ready to write out the thank you notes, they're all addressed!

New Bike
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place his/her picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is ever stolen and later recovered, you can remove the grip and there is your proof who actually owns the bike.

Flexible Vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get into those narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. The same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose.Place the pin in seam of slacks and "voila!" static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient (such as peanut butter) and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog up, rub with the eraser! It works better than a cloth!

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner that you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Good-bye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass and fill it to ½ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home" and can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so (especially if it rains) but it works and you don't have to worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Sand Gone
Take baby powder to the beach. Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder. The sand will slide right off your skin.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Ahoy Matey, It's a Pirate Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:53:00 +0000

It has been pointed out that I have not given equal time for boy’s birthday parties. For that I apologize. Without further ado, I present a boy’s party.

What boy doesn’t a some time or another enjoy being a pirate?

Invitation: Sadly I couldn't upload the invitation I sent out. I'm still trying to figure out what the problem is. What you are seeing is the thank you note that we used. If you would like to see the invitation, please look at it on my website at http://www.invitetheparty.com/. As with most of the invitations I design for my kids, they end up on my website.

Crafts: I always like the kids to decorate their own goodie bags. I give them plain white bags from the craft store and then put out lots of markers and stickers. They can decorate any way they think a pirate theme should be.

We decorated blank bandannas but Oriental Trading now has lots of fun pirate crafts to choose from.

Games: The kids always love a treasure hunt. I end up doing them at every party because it is always requested. Having a treasure hunt helps you in two ways

1) You don’t have to assemble goody bags before hand
2) It takes up a lot of party time for the treasure hunt.

Depending on the age of the child, there are different ways to give clues to find a treasure box.

1) For younger kids, I have taken pictures of the location of the treasure boxes. That way they try to figure out the location from the picture.
2) I’ve given clues that would say, hop 10 times or take 15 steps to the left. It helps with the party fun to be able to jump, hop or crawl.
3) Another fun one is to rip up the clues and put them in different balloons. They have to pop the balloons and then all the kids get together in order to put the clues together.

The key is the make it interesting for your age group. I usually put out about six treasure boxes with goodies or candy in them.

Another game is the piñata. My son’s birthday is in March and I still send them outside for the Piñata.

Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate.

You can also put tattoo on the kids. What’s a pirate without a tattoo?

Paper Goods: There are so many different kinds of paper goods for a pirate party that it really is up to you.

Cake: I made the cake following Family Fun’s Pirate Cake recipe. They even have a video how-to so definitely check it out. http://www.familyfun.com/

I certainly had fun doing this birthday. There are so many ways to go with this, I just hope this helps you get your creative juices flowing. If you have any questions, let me know.

Elizabeth

My New Invitation Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 23:58:00 +0000

I just thought I would show some of my new invitation designs I just posted on my website, http://www.invitetheparty.com/. No story just hawking my wears. I know, shameless.

Elizabeth

No Cook Summer Spaghetti Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Invite the Party) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:04:00 +0000

I was reading Ruth Daniels blog (onceuponafeast.blogspot.com) and she has been doing something called Presto Pasta Nights. The recipes look delicious so I decided to enter one of my recipe.

I know people will find this hard to believe, but New Jersey has the best tomatoes. We are called the Garden State for goodness sake. So with summer here, I feel need to give out my Summer Pasta recipe. The thing about this recipe is if you want to add more add it, if you don’t then don’t. You can’t make a mistake with this because it’s personal preference. The only thing you cook is the pasta.

Fresh mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz or more if you like.) cut into bite size pieces
Tomatoes (about 4) cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2-4 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic, personally I love it)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti

Make spaghetti as per package instructions. Place cooked pasta and all the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine together and serve. It’s great with a salad and Italian bread.

Even if you don’t have Jersey Tomatoes you will enjoy it.

Elizabeth
www.invitetheparty.com