February 24th, 2010
Party Food
PARTY FOOD
I think most parents don’t grasp just how exhausting a child’s birthday party can be until they have hosted a few themselves. The frenetic energy and excitment of the kids will leave you totally drained. That is why I suggest that you do as much planning and preparation in advance.
Not only do you have to decide on the party theme, book the venue and think of the party bags but you will also need to organise the food. Party food for childrens birthday parties is a huge topic in itself which I could not hope to cover in one post so please keep checking the blog for updates.
First off, what quantity of food should you plan for. Well you will have a very good idea of the number of guests and their ages. For younger
children, up to the age of four, don’t forget to include an adult supervisor, probably their mother. A rough guide to quantities per person is as
follows
QUANTITIES FOR PLANNING
1 X Helping of Jelly & Ice Cream (an old favourite)
1/2 X Packet of crisps
3 X Small Sausages (up to 4 yrs old)
3 X Savory Sandwiches (small, basically 3 qtrs)
1 X Chip Scoop of Chips (Available in shop)
2.X Mugs of Juice
2X Chocolate Crispies
2X Happy Faces / Hash Browns
1 X Slice of pizza (optional)
When planning the food you should also consider how you will serve it. There are a number of options. Firstly there is the traditional party plate. These days there is a huge range of tableware in the latest themes, including clone wars, hanna montana and spiderman. As an alternative there are combi food boxes which hold both food and drink.
As I said above party food for childrens birthday parties is a topic that I will be returning too on a regular basis.
Tags: Childrens parties, Party Food, party supplies
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February 22nd, 2010
PARTY CAKES FOR CHILDRENS BIRTHDAY PARTIES
In my opinion the highlight at a child’s birthday party is the blowing out of the candles. Children love the excitment, the singing and the noise. Eating the cake is secondary, although anything with chocolate will be demolished.
So what type of cake should you go for. I suppose the first thing to keep in mind is the theme of the party. If it is a pirate party them a cake in the shape of a treasure box is perfect.
With all the fiss of organising the party you may feel under pressure when it comes to preparing a cake. There is the shop bought option but if you want something unique then it will be a matter of rolling up the sleeves. Don’t worry if the cake have a few lumps and bumps, look on them as “character”
To help you on your way I will be posting a few basic cake recipies that will act as a great foundation to your cake building activities.
Let’s start with a basic Victoria Sponge.
Start off by greasing a cake tin, this can be any shape, and then line the base with greaseproof paper. Then pre heat the oven to 180C
INGREDIENTS
6oz Soft Butter / Margarine
3 Large Eggs
6oz Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
6oz Self Raising Flour
1 Tablespoon of MIlk or Water
Mix the butter , sugar and salt untill light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly after beating them in a seperate bowl. Finally add in the flour. Once all the ingredients have been mixed well pour into the baking tin and cook until ready, aprox 10 mins.
For birthday party cakes a victoria sponge is perfect. Next you will have to cut and decorate the cake. This is a subject I will deal with in later posts.
Don’t forget the party decorations as well as the cake decorations when organising the birthday party. These can all be purchased in the Bestbirthdays.com fully secure online shop.
Tags: Childrens parties, Party Cakes
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February 20th, 2010
PARTY CAKE IDEAS FOR CHILDRENS BIRTHDAYS
The climax to any child’s party is surely the candle blowing and singing ritual. The actual eating of the cake is secondary. Don’t be disappointed if you are left with plates full of cake minus the icing / chocolate covering. However the more interesting the cake the more likely it is to be consumed.
The cake should be consistent with the party theme. Which comes first? , the party theme or the cake. There is no set rule and in some cases the child has their heart set on a particular cake, for example a rocket. It then makes sense that the party theme should take it’s lead from the cake.
Once the cake design / theme is confirmed then it is time to start thinking about the rest of the food. Don’t forget about the party box option.
They can be used insead of plates and are great for giving each child their party food.
If you want to go down the self bake route then keep an eye out for future postings. I will be writing about simple, stress free recipies that even I can
bake. The great advantage of some of them is that they can be prepared a few days in advance.
You will also need a cake borad for the birthday cake. These are readily available but don’t worry if you forget you can always wrap a choppingboard in tinfoil.
I am looking forward to writing more about birthday party cakes but in the meantime please feel free to visit the Bestbirthdays.com online party supply shop.
Tags: Childrens parties, Party Cakes, party supplies
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February 19th, 2010
PARTY DECORATIONS
These days parents are asking how they can cut the cost of hosting a child’s birthday party without looking mean. They want the guests to have a great time but don’t want to spend a fortune. That is where party decorations come into their own.
Most party themes on sale these days have a complete set of complimentary tableware, decorations, party bags and invitations. In short you can go online and purchase all the matching decorations you require.
Just as an aside, if you do purchase party supplies online make sure you open the box once it arrives. Don’t leave it in a corner to be opened on the day of the party. Mistakes do happen and you do not want to find a range of disney princess party supplies in the box if you are hosting a soccer party.
Decorations come in many forms, banners, streamers , hanging swirls etc but probably the most effective decoration are balloons. Large bunches of ballons really “fill out” a party venue and kids just love them. It is also possible to get helium canisters which are perfect for filling a large quantity of balloons. They are also very cost effective.
When planning the decorations don’t forget the “Tea table”. This is where you can really go to town and again it will not cost a fortune. Themed tablecovers, plates and napkins can be used liberally, some kids even love taking them home.
Whatever decorations you decide upon I would advise that you prepare them the evening before, especially the balloons.
If you are short for time don’t forget that you can purchase a complete ranhe of childrens party supplies in the Bestbirthdays online shop.
Tags: Birthday Parties, Childrens Party Supplies, Party Decorations
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February 17th, 2010
ST PATRICKS DAY PARTIES
The 17th of March is the date when the whole world turns green. In case you hadn’t realised, it is St Patrick’s Day. In a recent newspaper article the writer was pondering on the fact that what was a very local Irish festival is now a worldwide event with buildings in the major capitals been illuminated with green light and parades been organised in places as far away as the Pacific Islands.
So if you are planning a party in the near future then St Patrick’s Day is as good an excuse as any. The big advantage been that the party theme is already decided.
As long as your decorations, tableware and general party supplies are green then you just about have it covered, and of course don’t forget the Irish music.
If you are inviting children to the party then you should pay attention to finer details such as party games, both indoor and out. A few suggestions would be “Leprechuan Soccer”, all you need is a ball, some nets and some kids in fancy dress costumes. On the “Leprechuan” theme you could also have a “Leprechuan” treasure hunt. Basically it is very easy to adapt any standard party games to a St Patrick’s Day theme.
You should also consider some party bags for the children, however don’t forget the adults as well. One friend of mine invited some non Irish work colleagues to her home for a St Patrick’s Day party and as they left she gave them a lovely green paper bag filled with little Irish treats. It was a real hit.
Of course when it comes to organising a party you will get all the St Patricks Day party supplies you need at Bestbirthdays.com
Tags: particks Day party Supplies, St pat's day, St Patricks Day Parties
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