Beep Beep, It's a Birthday!

Today I'm stepping out of the kitchen and sharing another hobby that brings me joy-- celebrating special occasions.  I love hosting parties and have way too much fun with the details.  To set the stage here,  I'm that girl that threw her dog a birthday party complete with "Golden" Ceasar Salad, Chicken "doodle" soup and "pawty" sandwiches.  If you didn't pick up on the subtle hints, she's a golden doodle. She's also my first baby and deserved to wear that a party hat.

Anyways, as my son's 4th birthday approaches this week, I can't help but to reminisce last year's party. A celebration sans COVID. No knowledge of social distancing or worrying about the weather because we need to celebrate outside. Isn't it crazy how different our thoughts are today?

When it comes to the party details, I'm not one to order custom invites, napkins and balloon arches.  While all that is swoon worthy, part of my love of hosting is getting creative. I love brainstorming and late night scrolling for "pin-spiration." I then take those ideas and think how I could craft or use items that I already have to achieve the same look. This saves me a lot of running around and money too!

Bobby's third birthday was the first "event" that I hosted in our new home.  And while I've gotten my party planning down to a science (knowing what my strengths are and what should be store bought), a new space always throws a bit of a curve ball.  I have to say, however, it was probably the easiest and perhaps most enjoyable party I've done to date. I credit having a system for the planning.  Today I'll walk you through those four steps. I tend to stick to the same things within the following categories: 

• Invitations
• Decorations
• Dessert
• Food

With cars as the theme (the actual vroom-vroom, beep-beep type, not the Disney Pixar type),  I revved up my engine and got to work.

Invitations

For invitations Greeting Island is my go-to.  Using my phone, I customize a invitation template within minutes. I then spend an additional minute saving the image and texting or emailing it out to family and friends. BOOM. Invites done. 

I love this site because not only do the designs feel very personalized, but grandparents can still print a physical copy to display on their fridge. And what a time saver for me!  No making invitations, writing out envelopes and worrying about having them in the mail by a certain date. I also find that people tend to respond to a text, making the guest count a breeze. Oh, did I mention this service is free? I also saved on postage. 

Invitation courtesy of GreetingIsland.com-- just customize and send

Decorations

I always stick to the two same areas for decorating-- the fireplace and the dining room.  The fireplace is obviously in the heart of the home and where we open presents and take pictures. And I fancy up the the dining room sideboard to display the cake and desserts.  With two main focal points, the space feels festive without streamers and balloons hanging from every room.

Now this is where i get crafty and DIY.  I love making banners and decor.  It's such fun way to add personal touches to any event. And it's so EASY.  

Here, I printed out a car image (google.com) and traced a "stencil" onto cardboard. I then cut out the cars, wheels and windows from paper. After gluing the car parts together, I hung each car to the string secured on the mantel. I included a number '3' in the middle to complete the banner.  I also made a few extra paper cars to use as table decoration.

Supplies I always keep on hand:  pack of 12x12 scrapbook paper/cardstock in assorted colors, jute twine (or burlap string), mini clothespins, glue stick and tape or 3m Command hanging hooks.
                       

Image courtesy of google images

Paper cars made from scrapbook paper

I really wanted to incorporate traffic lights into the theme. And while I saw a neat idea that used traffic light lamps, I really couldn't justify investing in those flashy lights. So I headed to my basement instead. I found one tall, slender box (perfect!) and two smaller ones of the same width that I taped together. Using black craft paper, I wrapped each 'stoplight' box like a present.  For the colored 'lights,' I cut out circles from red, green and yellow scrapbook paper and glued it onto the box.

What did I use as my stencil for the stoplight circles you ask? My Fiestaware appetizer plates.  No kidding.  Over the years, I've learned that the 6.5" diameter plate is perfect for serving salads and... creating banners.  Now it also makes great traffic lights!

A few other quick details completed the fireplace. I printed a speed limit sign (google images), painted a 'B' on a random canvas I had, and added race flags (Hobby Lobby party aisle) in a mason jar. I jazzed up the play table with black road play tape (also hobby lobby) and added a few toys.  Decor that is FUNctional at a child's party is key!

Festive fireplace decor made from paper, boxes and items around the house

The dining room sideboard was simple. I swapped out the seasonal decor in my tiered tray for car theme items-- flags, a book, a picture of my son dressed as a race car driver. Again, things I already had. I also used more paper cars from my mantel decor as table decoration. The desserts act as decoration too (more on that in a minute).  And balloons add quick color and interest to any space. 

Supplies I keep on hand: mini chalkboard stands to label dishes, mini photo holders to display decor or photos, and air filled foil balloons in numbers and initials (dollar store or Target). 

Displaying desserts away from the food adds to the decoration

Dessert

For the cake, the answer is always the same-- store bought.  I use the local grocery store down the street who always produces beautiful, delicious, custom cakes.  Very reasonable priced too! I show them a picture of what I want but then add my own touch to it.  Here, I used toy cars that I also handed out as favors.  I find ordering the cake as basic as possible keeps the cost down and allows me to incorporate my theme. 

My go-to cake order:  8" double layer cake with one layer white cake and one layer chocolate cake. It's pretty and absolutely delicious.  I also prefer it for display purposes. It fits on my cake stand while the double layers maximize the amount of servings. 

Add toys onto the purchased cake at home to save money

And of course, no dessert table is complete without chocolate.  I opened up a bag of those delicious shelf stable chocolate donuts for 'spare tires' and baked a pan of brownies for 'stoplights.' Aside from adding extra fun to this space, these treats were easy to eat. And especially perfect for little hands. 

Tip: refrigerate pan of brownies overnight for easy to cut rectangles 

Don't over complicate desserts--have fun with store bought items and colored candies 

Food

I may blog about food but this is one area I don't get too involved with for parties. Like the cake, I save myself the hassle of the prep, the mess, and the logistics of storage. And have you seen how much little kids can eat?  It's much easier to open another bag of pretzels then try to plate a fancy creation. 

My number one go-to is a tray of sandwiches. Order an assortment and there's something for everyone. I do prefer to create my own fruit and vegetable trays.  Store bought trays are great but they are often heavy on broccoli and cauliflower, which tends to be left behind.  For side dishes, I stick basically chips, crackers and dip.  I do re-plate as much as I can on platters and dishes.  Looks great and so easy. 

Tip for trays:  Stick to just a couple fruits and veggies but alternate them on the tray.  This creates a nice visual but is easy to manage. Also, wash and slice food the day before and store in containers. This makes for easy plating and easy cleanup-- just put any leftovers back in containers. 

Related to serving, I usually hit up the dollar store or Walmart for tablecloths and paper goods. Both have great selections of colors and prints for a dollar or less. And I love nothing more than quick clean up. Roll up the mess with the tablecloth and toss it away. 

Easy to serve and easy to eat food  + plastic tablecloths for easy clean up 

So there you have it. Following the same steps within those four categories, I keep myself sane and also thoroughly enjoy the planning process.  I had so much fun with his party that I actually hosted a play date the next day for his best buddies.  This was a great way to bring out all the leftovers and continue the fun.  The kids had a blast playing with the decorations--cars, flags, balloons, etc.  And I had a blast knowing my efforts could provide so much joy. It was the perfect way to celebrate two ways for our number one kid.   

I hope this post inspired you to get a little creative for your next event. While simple, these tips truly create something much bigger-- a celebration of love and laughter, memories and excitement. And no virus can take that happiness away.  So, Bobby-- this year we'll don our party hats (er, masks?) and have a ball. Happy Birthday, buddy!

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Crockpot Lasagna

When I think of lasagna the following words come to mind: birthdays, laughter, friends and family, warmth, dining room, holidays, wine...

My mom is known for her huge pan of lasagna which is certainly a staple for celebrations.  While I love eating it, I have to be honest.  These following words also come to mind:  too much work!

The recipe that I'm sharing today is one that I've been making for years.  It's another one of those that my family knows me for because at one time, I think everything I made was in a slow cooker (back to my philosophy of not wanting to spend time cleaning dishes!) I received the "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook" as a gift and came across a meal concept that I knew I had to try--Lasagna!

I had my doubts at first, but I have to say-- Lasagna is definitely one meal that should be made in a slow cooker.  With some adjustments, I've made it my own and continue to be surprised at how well it turns out every time. 

This lasagna has every bit of the traditional flavor of mama's but is far less work. For one, you don't even have to boil the noodles!  Open the box, break them up and add the layers. Once the meat is browned, it's just a few minutes of prep and the slow cooker does the rest.

And don't overthink the layers too much when assembling. Break up the noodles and place them to fit the majority of your crockpot. You can use more or less, depending on your preference. I personally like to play the game called "cover every visible surface of the slow cooker with a noodle." I end up with smaller pieces and more overlap. To me, it adds structure and a bit more pasta taste.  Which is never a bad thing, right?! 

I also like to break up the spinach a bit. I find it more appealing when cutting into a piece and serving.  But don't spend time chopping.  Just tear the leaves as you layer them in.  

Lite ricotta cheese is the best cheese option in my opinion.  In the past, I have used cottage cheese and/or greek yogurt for a "healthier" version.  Still delicious, but those do change the texture and taste, however. Ricotta helps build a thicker, more structured dish. Plus, with a the lite option, you still save on fat and calories while maintaining a traditional taste. 

Follow the main pattern to this recipe, but feel free to switch up ingredients.  I've made it so many ways, it's actually pretty fun!  For example, switch out ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.  Or, skip the meat all together and added in pieces of zucchini, squash or mushrooms. I'm always up for a hearty vegetable lasagna, especially in the summertime.

I think my favorite thing about this meal (aside from being quick and easy) is the fact that I actually enjoy a piece of lasagna . So often slow cooker meals are categorized as "messy" because they end up as big ol' gloppy messes in the end. Not this one.  Even if I cut into right at that four hour mark, I'm able to slice it out.  And the longer it sets, the more firm and easier it is.

So like traditional pan lasagna, leftovers are just as good, if not better!

Basically, you can't go wrong however you decide to make this. But the recipe below is by far my favorite.  It provokes all those happy feelings and good times celebrating.  

And I'll let you in on a little secret.  Even my mother, who finds pure joy in spending a whole day in the kitchen for a meal that's gobbled up within minutes, has come over to the slow cooker side.  It's THAT good.

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I use frozen)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1- 24 oz jar pasta sauce
1/3 cup water
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
15 oz lite ricotta cheese
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Spray crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Break noodles and place half in bottom of crock-pot. 
3. Cook ground beef in skillet. When almost brown, add in onion and finish cooking. Drain. 
4. Return meat to pan and stir in Italian seasoning. Spread half over noodles in crock-pot
5. Layer half of sauce and water, half of spinach, half of ricotta cheese and half of mozzarella cheese over meat.  Repeat layers.
6. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours.

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French Toast Bake (Easy like Sunday Morning)

"Sunday. A day to refuel your soul and be grateful for your blessings. Take a deep breath and relax. Enjoy your family, your friends, and a cup of coffee.”

And the perfect compliment to your family, friends and that cup of jo is this french toast bake. Imagine pieces of flaky biscuit upon a savory cinnamon egg blend and baked to perfection. This five ingredient breakfast bake is the ultimate holiday, special occasion or weekend breakfast!

Breakfast foods are without a doubt one of my favorite foods. And french toast is high on the list. While easy to mix up, I often opt for other options as I don't love standing at the stove, dipping and flipping pieces of bread one by one to serve the family. That might work during the week when mornings are already hectic, but weekends run different around here.  

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Sundays mean a slower pace, including enjoying breakfast together. It's the one day I strive to sit down rather than waitress, wipe up spills and answer to "more please." Thanks to this bake, I bring it to the table and leisurely enjoy...while it's still warm. 

I have fond memories of french toast breakfasts growing up. While striving to maintain that taste of childhood, I've incorporated the same ingredients-- egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. This simple bake tastes fancy, yet prep is a breeze. 

And there's a star ingredient here-- canned biscuits!

Five simple ingredients already in  your kitchen

Biscuits stand out for several reasons.  One, they're easy to store with a long shelf life. So no need to plan ahead and purchase a specialty loaf of bread like in other casseroles. They also don't require any special concocting. No drying out, soaking, or chilling overnight. Just cut each biscuit into small pieces and you're good to go.

As long as you keep a can of biscuits on hand, you can roll out of bed and then decide to make this. Perfect for a last minute person like myself.  

Biscuits contribute to a healthier dish.  Without completely soaking up the egg mixture like bread, you can get away with less egg and liquid. For example, this bake only uses 6 eggs (and I've even gotten away with 5). Many many casseroles use 8 or more. And the heavy cream?  Save it for your coffee. One cup of nonfat milk is all you need here.    

You also won't consume large amounts of sugar. A light dusting of powdered sugar on top is all you need to sweetly ease into the day. 

Puffy cinnamon bread upon layer of custard-like egg

I personally love how this bake maintains its shape. I despise a dish that looks beautiful but when you go to serve it, it falls into awkward soggy fluff. Here, the biscuits puff up beautifully every time, making it ideal for a buffet line. Or with toddlers. My son loves when I cut his into sticks. He forgoes the fork and has too much fun dunking into syrup.  

And since some evenings just beg for breakfast as dinner, this is an easy one to add into your rotation.  It'll be prepped before the oven is warm. 

Alright, perhaps some of you are wondering if this could be prepped the night before and baked in the morning. A recent trial revealed that answer:  Yes!  But I did learn a couple things. 

French toast bake after sitting overnight and baking in the morning

Apparently biscuits deteriorate after a couple hours of opening (who knew)!  This doesn't mean that they are bad, they just don't rise as expected. Because of this, some of the biscuit pieces appear more dough-like than others (don't worry--an internal temp check confirmed it was indeed cooked). Still a very delicious bake just a slightly different consistency. 

But one big drawback?  I was starving by the time it was done due to a longer bake time.

All in all, you can't mess this bake up no matter how you prefer to prep it. Either way, you're still enjoying that contrast of textures that you crave in a slice of french toast. I'd love to know which way you prefer!

Just the thought of this recipe makes me giddy for the weekend. I hope you love it as much as we do! May you enjoy the company beside you and the blessings before you. And always keep it Easy like Sunday Morning. 

xo, 
Brit

French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

1 can biscuits (10 count)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp Vanilla

2 tsp Cinnamon
Powdered sugar, optional
Syrup, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 9x13 baking dish
2. Cut each biscuit into 1/8th pieces, line pieces equally in dish
3. Scramble egg and milk together, add in vanilla and cinnamon
4. Pour egg mixture on top of biscuits
5. Place dish into oven. 
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes
7. Sprinkle with powder sugar and or serve with syrup

Notes

• Any milk can be used
• Give a quick stir before placing in oven as ingredients can shift (helps with equal distribution of biscuits, cinnamon)
• If you do chill bake overnight,  bake for closer to 40-45 minutes

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Chicken Gyro Wrap

If you've been following me on social media you know that I love to start off the week with #MakeovermealMonday.  I believe Mondays are for fresh starts and new beginnings and they certainly shouldn't be stressful. For mealtime, I love taking something already prepared and making it better. Usually this involves just a few tweaks of extra color, nutrition and TASTE.  Mondays made easy are my absolute favorite way to ease into the week. 

This week I featured these Mediterranean inspired wraps.  My love for Greek cuisine runs deep. So I'm thinking outside the bun with these chicken patties and paying tribute to my favorite--gyros.  Each wrap is a flavorful combination of protein, crisp vegetables and a luscious yogurt dill sauce.

These Mediterranean style chicken patties are AMAZING.  I find them in the frozen section at ALDI Grocery Stores.  

The box contains 6 uncooked patties and I love how they are divided into two packages inside the box.  On Sunday we tossed a pack (three patties) on the grill along with our other meat. Now I have them to grab and re-heat during the week. You can also broil them or cook on stove top if you're not grilling.

Found in the freezer at ALDI

Each serving is a excellent source of protein and infused with red roasted peppers, feta cheese, red onion, spinach, olive oil and sea salt. And they are HUGE!  Upon splitting one with my daughter, I was inspired to transform this patty into something more.

And any excuse to mix up this healthy yogurt dill sauce is a win by me.  It's a spin off of my tzatziki sauce (without the grated cucumbers) that I love for dips and spreads. But more on that later.  You're going to love this creamy blend of dill, garlic and lemon juice!

4 ingredients for a creamy yogurt dill sauce

All you have to do is stir the following ingredient in a bowl until well blended. How easy is that?

2 Tbsp greek yogurt
1/2 tsp dill weed
dash of garlic powder
splash of lemon juice

The Chicken Gyro recipe makes 2 wraps.  Depending how hungry you are, feel free to devour both. Or perhaps you prefer to share.  At lunchtime, I pair one with a piece of fruit for a well balanced meal. Such a refreshing way to power through the day!

I love taking a favorite food and brainstorming how to switch it up and serve a wonderful meal for my family. It keeps things exciting. And variety is key to healthier eating. These wraps have raised the bar for Mondays.  And raised the bar for the potential of these lovely chicken patties. 

Look around your freezer. What could you makeover?

Chicken Gyro Wrap

Ingredients:

1 Mediterranean Style Chicken Patty (by Kirkwood at ALDI)
2 Street Taco Flour tortillas (5 inch size)
Sliced red onion
Diced tomato
Fresh spinach pieces
Tzatziki sauce (recipe above)

Instructions:

1. Warm and slice pre-cooked Chicken patty and place 3-4 slices on each tortilla
2. Add red onion slices, diced tomato and pieces of fresh spinach
3. Top each tortilla with 1 Tablespoon of Tzatziki sauce
4. Fold and enjoy

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Sweet Potato Bake

You may be looking at this recipe thinking "really, Brit? It's June."  I know, I know. Sweet potato casseroles often make us think of the holidays. This bake, however, belongs on your table year round.  A true family favorite that is savory, can be made in minutes and offers wonderful nutrition. And while delicious enough to serve on the holiday buffet, this version is lightened up and pairs wonderfully with your summer grilling. 

When I say easy, I'm not just alluding to the handful of ingredients. I'm skipping the cooking, peeling, cooling and mashing of potatoes all together.  Open a can and save yourself an easy 30 minutes.  I'm also taking full advantage that canned yams are already sweetened in syrup.  Blending that flavor with vanilla and cinnamon creates that divine taste without requiring additional sugar.

The sweet and luscious filling is balanced out by greek yogurt and an egg. I love sneaking in that extra nutrition! It not only helps form the substance of this bake, but you enjoy creamy without the heaviness of butter or cream. This also means you can enjoy another spoonful.

Now, to top it off. And if you're like me, you love a special topping. While keeping a traditional feel, this satisfies without being overwhelming.  The combination of almonds, oatmeal, and brown sugar is splendid--sweet, crunchy and browns beautifully. The perk of almonds for me (aside from bursting with nutrition) is that I always have these in my pantry. For this purpose, I use slivered almonds found in the baking aisle. I then crush them a bit more with a fork. What once started as a substitution is now a staple. Have fun trying something new or swap for pecans if you prefer.

My favorite part of this dish goes beyond the taste, however.  I love how whipping this up magically turn any night into a special occasion. There are many nights that all my effort goes into this (which remember, isn't that much) and I quickly microwave something random for the main dish. My family still "oohs and aahs" over the meal. Perhaps there's something about that warm oven and this bubbling sweetness that not only serves comfort, but stirs up precious memories too. 

Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:

1 (40 ounce) can cut sweet potatoes

1/4 cup non fat greek yogurt

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/3 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup crushed/sliced almonds

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP brown sugar

cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease baking dish

2. Drain can of sweet potatoes (do not rinse) and mash/mix in bowl

3. Add yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon and beaten egg, mixing until well blended, spread evenly into prepared baking dish

4. In a separate bowl, mix the oatmeal and crushed almonds together. Drizzle with olive oil and mix until moistened. Add in brown sugar and mix until combined. Spread evenly over the sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

5. Bake dish for 35-40 minutes, top will be golden brown and bubbling

Notes

• Any milk can be substitued for greek yogurt (almond milk is a great option!)
• For dairy free, you could also skip the egg--still delicious, just not quite as firm
• Use 4-5 fresh potatoes, along with some maple syrup in place of canned potatoes 

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