Since these beauties were such a hit at my little one's birthday party a few weeks ago, I wanted to pass along the (super-simple) recipe for you all to enjoy!
I picked up the Ball jars at my local grocery store for $8.99 for 12. I used the 4 oz. size, which was perfect for the dessert buffet, where people helped themselves to a few things each. If you were serving these as the sole dessert, you might want to consider the 8 oz. size.
All you shortcut lovers will love the fact that this is a quick & easy recipe. I was tempted to make true banana pudding from scratch, but due to the amount of desserts I was making myself, I was delighted to find this recipe that claimed it tasted homemade while requiring very little time! They were fun to both look at AND eat, and I'm already planning all the other fun desserts I can make in the Ball jars... individual apple crumb pies? Peach cobblers? The possibilities are endless! Enjoy :)
PUDDING
2 - 3 oz. packages instant French Vanilla pudding
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups milk
8 oz. Cool Whip
4-6 bananas, sliced
1 package vanilla wafers (the recipe I found used the mini Nilla wafers, but I went ahead and used the regular ones!)
Mix the vanilla pudding with milk and mix per package directions. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and fold in the cool whip. In the Ball jars, layer wafers, bananas and pudding mixture until you reach the top of your container.
MERINGUE
3 egg whites
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
In a bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar until stiff peaks have formed. Spread this on top of the banana pudding and brown in a 425 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes. Watch them carefully to achieve your desired level of toastiness!
Let the puddings cool, then return to refrigerator to keep chilled until you're ready to serve.
A while ago Megan posted about Amy Butler’s incredible fabrics. Well I have another love to speak of. Michael Miller’s fabrics are amazing. They make me want to quit my full time job (never mind that I just started two weeks ago and actually like coming to work everyday) and become a full time seamstress or fashion designer or craftress (yes, I just made that word up). His prints are vintage, mod, whimsical….and everything else I love. The possibilities are endless. For instance, take a look at this adorable burp cloth idea over at How Does She (my new favorite blog). I almost don’t even want to mention this idea because I am certain I will be bringing this affordable homemade gift to the next baby shower I attend. And yes, I want everyone to ooh and ahh and not have any idea that I didn’t come up with the idea myself. Tell me what you’d do with this (or any other fun) fabric? And give me a shout if there is another line of fabrics that Megan and I should add to our ♥ list?!
Ok I have to force myself to stop...I could upload pictures of his gorgeous fabric all day. To see more of his collection, go to fabric.com.
Recently this little lovely turned one.....
One of the very first things I knew I wanted to do was make sure that there was plenty to entertain the kids. I also know firsthand from my own experience at little kid's birthday parties that as a parent, you usually spend most of the time chasing your own kids around, while not really being able to relax, eat and socialize with the other adults. It's just how it works! I really wanted to see if there was an alternative to that however, so I ended up making my best party move potentially EVER and hiring two of the most amazing teenagers that we know through a family at work. These kids ROCKED. They were the best party entertainers ever, and delighted the kids with everything from balloon animals to face painting to active games and more. I had set up the children's area in a big grassy area on the bottom of the decks where the adults would be, so parents were able to still see the kids and what they were doing, while still being able to socialize.
Yes, I'm obviously biased. However, this little sunshine party, full of cheery yellows and spiked with accents of hot pink, would be great for any little one! I was inspired initially by this lovely spread over at the Hostess Blog, and then took it in a few of my own directions.
One of the very first things I knew I wanted to do was make sure that there was plenty to entertain the kids. I also know firsthand from my own experience at little kid's birthday parties that as a parent, you usually spend most of the time chasing your own kids around, while not really being able to relax, eat and socialize with the other adults. It's just how it works! I really wanted to see if there was an alternative to that however, so I ended up making my best party move potentially EVER and hiring two of the most amazing teenagers that we know through a family at work. These kids ROCKED. They were the best party entertainers ever, and delighted the kids with everything from balloon animals to face painting to active games and more. I had set up the children's area in a big grassy area on the bottom of the decks where the adults would be, so parents were able to still see the kids and what they were doing, while still being able to socialize.
Kids favors were a variety of kid toys/treats, such as coloring books, crayons, twirly straws, punching balloons, etc., in bright beach pails that I found in the dollar section at Target.
Of course the grown-ups weren't forgotten. For adults, I feel there's really no better entertainment than good food. Especially when guys are involved, I am a big believer that although decor is definitely crucial, having a solid menu with great food is almost even more important! To follow the light-hearted and summery theme, I decided on doing pulled pork sandwiches, along with corn on the cob, honey cornbread, potato salad, cole slaw and chips. Let's just say that 20 pounds of pork and 40 satisfied adults later, I was pretty sure the menu was a hit. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but basically all hands were either working or eating... no time for the camera!
I love being creative with the drink stations at parties, and what better end of summer treat than lemonade? A Lemonade Bar set up with 4 different simple syrups (strawberry, blueberry, lavender and basil), fresh berries and fresh herbs was one of my favorite parts of the party.
It is usually guaranteed that at a first birthday party some of your guests will still be the kind not yet on solid foods. Since our party had 8 little ones under the age of 1, I set up a Baby Snack Bar with an assortment of puffs, yogurt melts and dried fruit.
And oh, the Dessert Table.... Amy Atlas I am nowhere near, but I can aspire. I was very luckily able to borrow some amazing cake plates from my mom, sister and friends, which really made the whole tablescape. One of my favorite parts were the too-cute-for-words individual banana puddings in tiny ball jars, complete with a dollop of meringue on top. Let's just say I hope they tasted good, because they were gone in minutes so I never tried one! :)
And of course you can't forget the crucial play list.... putting together a soundtrack for your soiree can set the tone and mood for all the guests, so don't overlook this detail. Sunshine songs were so much fun to put together and added a lighthearted mood to the beautifully sunny day.
All in all, it was a delight celebrating our little girl, who truly IS the sunshine of our lives... isn't it obvious??
Batter:
1 Package (18 ¼ ounces) chocolate cake mix1 ¼ c water*
1/2 c peanut butter
1/3 c canola oil
3 eggs
24 miniature peanut butter cups
Frosting:
6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
1/3 c peanut butter
Additional miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water*, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake. Cover each with 1 TBs of batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 10 minutes. (I had to stick in the freezer for a few minutes because it was still too soft after 10 minutes).
5. Spread over cupcakes; immediately sprinkle with additional peanut butter cups. Let stand until set.
*I used homemade buttermilk
Editor’s note: Reduced-fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe (and really why would you try to save a few tiny calories anyway?!).
