Fancy Nancy Birthday Party How To

Wow! My daughter wanted a Fancy Nancy themed party this year and I just have to say that it was so fun and easy to put together! Not to mention a very affordable theme!

For those unfamiliar with the Fancy Nancy book series by Jane O'Connor, she is a young girl who uses items from around her home to make her room, family, and life more fancy! So instead of buying decorations, expensive party food, and cake toppers...you can make a fancy party using items from around your house!

Now, I bet a lot of you are thinking...yeah, but that means you need to have fancy things in your house! But trust me, when I started walking around the house with my daughter we found fancy things in the strangest places :-) So I thought I'd do a blog post on some of the things that worked well for us!

1) Fancy Nancy Birthday Cake

I love to decorate cakes! I've done a ton of different styles and I have to say that this was one of the easiest I've made and came out looking the most elegant! Once the cake was baked it really only took about 45 minutes to build and frost it start to finish! As far as cake pans go I used two 9-in. rounds and two 6-in. rounds. I used two cake mixes to fill up the four pans and baked them according to the box directions. (of course my daughter picked funfetti because that is fancy!) The top layer is simply a 4 in. round gift box that I found at the Hallmark store. The only real
decorating I did was to frost it pink and purple and piped on a few words and trim. The bottom layer was actually my favorite and took no time at all because it was just random squiggly lines! After that I topped it with gold ribbon leftover from a Christmas project, costume jewelery from my kids dress up bin, and few make-up items from my bag! Ooh-la-la!

2) Fancy Nancy Decorations

Get creative in where you look! We got a lot of our party decorations out of our holiday decoration boxes. Especially Christmas and Valentine's day. The Christmas stuff provided us with with lots of gold colored items as well as a white beaded garland! While the V-day decorations obviously provided us with hearts, and frills, and pink galore! I also found a box of old materials I used to make bouquets for my wedding! That gave us pink ribbon to curl! We also found some purple tulle in my fabric scraps that made our light fixture look quite fancy! We also hit up the girls dress up box for some of the other table decorations!


3) Fancy Nancy Party Food

The food for this party was a big money saver over ordering pizza or something of the like! In fact there is even a Fancy Nancy tea party guide that can give you some more ideas! The biggest thing that made it fancy was instead of forks, we cut everything small and the guests ate with toothpicks! Because "everything tastes better when you eat with frilly toothpicks!" according to Nancy herself! Plus you can take a lot of kids favorite foods fancy by miniaturizing them! Here are a few things that we did!

- Banana and peanut butter finger sandwiches (use a heart shaped cookie cutter)
- fruit and dip (don't forget the frilly toothpicks!)
- raspberry lemonade (I sliced a lemon and added that with some frozen berries)
- pepperoni and cheese kabobs on toothpicks
- cheese and crackers
- party mints

4) Fancy Nancy Party Favors

Some of our table decorations doubled as party favors! I did buy 2 dozen fresh roses (on sale at Smiths for 12 dollars) that were used as a centerpiece, flower petals, and as party favors. I also bought a dozen small tiaras from Amazon for 8 dollars and some extra doilies for 4 dollars. I used them on the table and then sent them home with the girls! So instead of spending a ton of money and time putting together party favor bags that will be thrown away within a day by the other moms...I sent each guest home with a tiara, a necklace, and rose! Pretty fancy!

5) Fancy Nancy Activities

For activities I referred to Fancy Nancy books! In The Fabulous Fashion boutique they have a birthday party for her sister where they play fashion show and walk around with bananas on their head for posture! Each girl came dressed fancy so we had fashion show and had relay races with bananas on our head! I also found a Melissa and Doug alphabet necklace set on Amazon. It was 10 dollars and came with enough supplies for all of the girls to make a necklace and take it home! If you are more crafty than I am I'm sure you could come up with a craft from supplies you already have! Some other ideas that I didn't do but read elsewhere were to have an etiquette school, have the girls decorate old pairs of sunglasses with jewels and feathers, or make tiaras.

Well, those are my random thoughts about throwing a Fancy Nancy party! I'm sure other have come up with many more creative ideas!! I just couldn't believe how much fun it was to put together this party! I think my daughter enjoyed finding the decorations and making the food as much as she enjoyed the party itself! That's the magic of Fancy Nancy though! Taking everyday things and making them fancy with your family!

I'm back and making Fried Ice Cream!

Well, my twinners are now 9 weeks old and doing great!! And after a 3 month blogging break I am back in the kitchen and cooking again!

I've noticed that some new people are beginning to read my blog and I hope they will come back now that I'm getting it going again. Feel free to leave comments, questions and suggestions on posts! Also, you can click on the right hand side of the page and become a follower! When I first started this blog I had hoped that it would become a community where women could talk about cooking, decorating, cleaning, books, kids, etc. I hope that now that my health has returned and I'm able to update more that we can get that going again.

So...Let's start it off right with a yummy summer treat! I got this fried ice-cream recipe from my Mom. We usually have it for the 4th of July but with all the goings-on this year, I hadn't made it all summer. So it was a great treat last weekend. I hope you enjoy it too!

Fried Ice Cream
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cups rice krispies
1 1/2 cup coconut (shredded and sweetened-in the baking aisle)
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 half-gallon containers vanilla (I usually only use about half of the second half-gallon)
1 1b. strawberries (sliced)
1 container strawberry glaze (you can usually find this in the produce section. It comes in a small container about the size of a normal sour cream container)

Remove ice-cream from freezer and allow to soften while you make the topping. Melt butter in a large pot. Add brown sugar and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add rice krispies, coconut, and chopped pecans. Press 2/3 of mixture into a 9x13 pan. Spoon softened ice cream into pan and level. Top with remaining cereal mixture. Freeze at least 1 hr. Meanwhile, stir sliced strawberries with strawberry glaze and refrigerate.

Remove ice-cream from freezer 5 minutes before cutting. Top with strawberry mixture and serve!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins

I found this recipe in my Garfield Recipe book. It's called "I'm in the Mood for Food: In the Kitchen with Garfield". I bought it for Alex as a wedding present because it combined Garfield and food. It has recipes, cartoon strips, and more! Part of the present was that I would cook too!

Anyway, I bought it as kind of a joke but it really has a lot of great recipes inside! I use quite a few recipes out of there so I'm sure it will come up again. Any mini-muffin is a hit when it comes to kids but I love this one too! They bake quickly, add a little whole wheat to the diet, and use up the old bananas in the pantry.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375. Coat mini-muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. In large bowl combine first 5 ingredients and set aside. In another bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in bananas, milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Spoon batter into muffin cups. (Don't overfill or it will be hard to remove muffins after baking). Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffin tin and let cool for 5 minutes on wire rack. Remove muffins from the tins. Serve warm or cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Cream Cake

So this isn't the greatest picture ever...maybe I was just in a rush to eat some cake! :-) I found this recipe in an old Taste of Home recipe book. The little recipe books at the check out in the grocery store are my weakness! Anyway, it's a fun twist to a plain chocolate cake and has even replaced the triple chocolate bundt cake as Alex's favorite. Those who know about him and his love affair with the bundt cake know that is a big deal! My friend compared it to a homemade hostess cupcake...which is a pretty good description. It's a little involved to make but uses only basic baking ingredients which is nice. It's for sure worth the extra effort!

Chocolate Cream Cake

Cake and Filling:
1 box Devil's food cake, prepared according to package directions
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk, heated to about 140 degrees and cooled for two minutes
1 tsp. vanilla

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare cake according to package directions, making sure to grease and flour the 9x13 pan well so that cake can be removed easily. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

To start the filling: cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. In a small pan heat milk to 140 and then cool for 2 minutes. (Just FYI, I tried making it once without heating the milk to see how important it was and the cream eventually worked out but it took much longer to whip than when it was heated. So it's worth it to heat the milk) Gradually add heated milk to creamed mixture. Beat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla.

Split cake into two horizontal layers and place bottom layer back in 9x13 pan. Top bottom layer with filling and top with remaining cake layer.

For glaze, combine sugar, cocoa and starch in a large saucepan. Slowly add water. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Spread over top of the cake. Let stand until set. Refrigerate leftovers. (Alex and I both think this cake is better when it's been in the fridge overnight so it's a great make-ahead dessert) Enjoy and try not to eat the whole thing! :-)

Cowboy Caviar (Sandy's Famous Salsa)

My friend Val gave me this recipe for her sister-in-law's salsa! She also put it in our church cookbook...which is good because I'm pretty sure I had lost it by that point. I've changed it a little bit because I love lots of avocado and I threw in some black beans for good measure. It makes a great dip for chips but is also yummy as a summer side dish!

Sandy's Famous Salsa

1 can white shoe peg corn, drained (I've only found this from Green Giant...and it is worth the extra cost!)
1 can black beans, drained (the recipe really calls for black-eyed peas but I just use beans I have on hand)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. red wine vinaigrette (or you can mix red wine vinegar and olive oil)
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 avocados, chopped just before serving
1 lime, juiced to prevent avocado from browning

Mix all ingredients together except avocados and lime. When ready to serve add avocado and lime juice. Mix carefully. Keep chilled. Serve with tortilla chips.

Baked Artichoke Spinach Dip

This is something I crave every pregnancy so I'm always looking for an excuse to make it! My college roomates have been visiting me this week so it was the perfect opportunity! It's quick to make and, other than the artichoke hearts, consists mostlIy of ingredients I have on hand. It's also a nice recipe to make ahead. It can stay in the fridge for 24 hours before baking so you can make it up to a day in advance!

Baked Artichoke Spinach Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
8 oz. cream cheese (softened) (optional)
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 (14 oz.) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
Thinly sliced french bread or crackers (Our Smith's has thin baguettes already sliced in the bakery)

Combine mozzarella, sour cream, mayo, cream cheese,1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and the mustard in an 8x8 pan or 9 inch pie plate. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, and red onion. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, top with tomatoes, and bake an additional 5 minutes until hot and bubbly. OR cover it and put in the fridge to bake later. When ready to serve increase bake time to 30 minutes, top with tomato, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve with thin slices of french bread and/or crackers.

Sausage and Peppers Penne

I adapted this recipe from an old pampered chef recipe that I had. I love this recipe because everything (including the pasta) cooks in the same pot! It also makes a ton so I use it for company a lot! It's one of those recipes that makes great leftovers.

This is one of Alex's favorites. The sausage makes it a little spicy but my kids still gobble it down so it's not that hot! If you want to make it with less spice you can always substitute mild sausage for the hot Italian sausage.

Once you've tried it you will crave it all the time! In fact, this picture is making me hungry right now so I'm going to go ahead and put it on my weekly menu for next week. Yum!

Sausage and Peppers Penne

Ingredients:
5 hot Italian sausage links (they usually come in packs of 5)
1 green bell pepper (sliced into strips)
1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
1/2 medium yellow onion (sliced into strips)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (really just a dash if you don't want it spicy)
4 cups penne pasta (a 1 lb. package of penne is about 4 cups)
4 cups water
1 jar spaghetti sauce (any kind works but I usually use the sun-dried tomato basil Ragu)
dash of salt
dash of pepper
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella (I usually top the skillet with about 1 cup and then have the rest in a bowl for people to top their own with as much as they like)

Instructions:
Remove casings from sausage and then cut meat into 1 inch pieces. Brown meat in a large pan or skillet. When meat is done, add bell peppers and onion and cook until tender. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Stir well.

Add uncooked pasta, water, sauce, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and parmesan until sauce is smooth. Top with 1/2 cup to 1 cup mozzarella. Place the rest of the mozzarella on the table for people to top their pasta with later. Enjoy!

Freezer Meal Prep and Cooking Instructions:
Cook italian sausage until done.  In a gallon sized freezer bag combine sausage, bell pepper strips, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, garlic, spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper.  Cut cream cheese into small chunks and add to sauce along with grated parmesan. 

Pour dry pasta in another gallon sized freezer bag, release any extra air from bag and seal tightly.
Place the shredded mozzarella in a small sandwich bag. Place all three bags (sauce, pasta, cheese) inside another gallon sized freezer bag and freeze.


When ready to serve: Thaw sauce and pour into a large stock pot. Cook until heated through. Add 4 cups water and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is al dente and veggies are tender.  Top with mozzarella and enjoy!