DIY

Monochromatic Easter Basket’s

April 9, 2020

The post is sponsored by Ghirardelli. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.

I feel like we need Easter and Spring more than ever this year. A sign of hope and a reason to celebrate is definitely what I need. This is definitely going to be a weird Easter, I don’t know about you, but I want to make sure my kids really have some fun to wake up to Easter morning.

This year I had a lot of fun with my kid’s baskets. I started with their favorite Ghirardelli chocolates and then ran with a monochromatic color scheme for each basket. I took each of their favorite colors and customized the basket and then selected Ghirardelli treats to go with that color. It was really such a fun challenge, and my kids were really excited when they saw their baskets for the first time.

To start, I purchased some chipwood baskets and some fabric dye. And really, dying the baskets took just a couple minutes. I simply filled a large plastic container with hot water and about 1/2 a bottle of fabric dye. Then I immersed the basket in the dye for just a minute to achieve the desired colors. I was pleasantly surprised, because the color actually turned out more vibrant and saturated after the basket had dried completely out in the sun.

Here’s what I used for dye to get the colors I did:

Once the baskets were completely dry, I added a complimentary ribbon around the center of the basket. I’m not a huge bow person, but these basket’s would look adorable with a big bow as well.

And then the fun part began, filling the baskets! I used the bright orange, green and teal bags of Ghirardelli Easter Chocolates to inspire the color of the baskets and all they other treats I added. I started with coordinating paper grass and then layered in Ghirardelli Easter treats and a few little toys and treats for my kids.

My kids are at 3 very different stages of life, so I’ll share some of the gift ideas I put in their baskets. Mostly just some yummy chocolate and then a few items that I know they will use.

THE ORANGE BASKET – Olivia is 8 years old and in 2nd grade:

  • Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Eggs (they are in a bright orange bag)
  • a stuffed bunny toy
  • hair clips and a headband
  • nail polish
  • mechanical pencils
  • a squishy, bouncy toy
  • plastic eggs filled with even more chocolate

THE TEAL BASKET – Denali is 18 and a Freshman in College:

THE GREEN BASKET – Dylan is 16 and a Junior in High School:

And then finally I added some fresh flowers to each of the baskets.

These are probably the prettiest Easter baskets my kids have ever gotten. And I’m actually excited to use the baskets for storage and farmer’s market shopping once they’ve enjoyed all the treats.

Food & Drink

2 Week Meal Plan

March 14, 2020

Before I say anything else here, I just want you to know that I am sharing this as a resource to maybe alleviate some stress at this time. I do not, in anyway, what to add to the panic or worry that you my be experiencing.

This is a crazy time for our world. Covid-19 has brought so much change, fear and disruption to our lives lately. I don’t know about you, but I feel better when I have some sort of tangible action I can take (and that is not hoarding toilet paper). And to be completely honest, we are actually down to 2-3 rolls, and I haven’t been able to find any at the stores. But, life can be lived without toilet paper, we can survive that. Stocking up with some food to feed my family for the next couple of weeks did feel like an action I could take. And, I fully understand that I am coming from a place of privilege, that I even have the resources to do this for my family.

I shared on IG stories, a couple days ago, that I was headed to the store armed with a list of meal ideas. And quite a few of you asked for me to share that list. This list is not recipes, but more just ideas. I know I often head to the store or try to plan meals and can’t think of a single thing my family likes or that I know how to make. So, maybe this will help you as you prepare for a couple weeks of social distancing.

2 Weeks of Meal Ideas

  1. Loaded Nachos + Guacamole
  2. Tuna Melts + Tomato Soup
  3. Sausage, Potato + Kale Soup
  4. Chicken Pad Thai
  5. Swedish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy + Peas
  6. Chicken Curry, Rice + Naan
  7. Veggie Frittata
  8. Pesto Chicken Pasta
  9. Salmon + Roasted Veggies
  10. Loaded Ramen
  11. Spagetti
  12. Breakfast for Dinner – Biscuits, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
  13. Dumpling Soup
  14. Mac + Cheese

I planned meals, kind of the way I would for camping. I bought items that have a long shelf life, don’t need to be refrigerated, or are frozen. Please know that I did not stockpile 6 peanut butters or 18 loaves of bread, just enough food to make meals for a couple weeks. And if for some reason, life goes back to normal very soon, this is all food that I can use and not waste.

And since my kids will probably be home more (with schools closing left and right), I also stocked up on lunch supplies.

Lunch

  • Bread
  • Cheese
  • Lunch Meat
  • Peanut Butter
  • Crackers
  • Nuts
  • Dried Fruit
  • Apples

And for breakfast I made sure I had these items.

Breakfast

  • Cereal
  • Milk
  • Oatmeal
  • Bread
  • Green Juice (that my kids LOVE)
  • Granola
  • Yogurt
  • Protein Powder + Spinach for Smoothies
  • Powdered Milk or UHT milk for backup

And if we are going to be home for a few weeks, we are probably going to need to make cookies or brownies, so I double checked my pantry to make sure I had the staples.

Baking Staples

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Brown Sugar
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Cocoa

And then because this is a virus we are dealing with, I stocked up on some vitamins to help us keep our immune systems in good working order and some basic cleaning supplies

Vitamins + Supplements

  • Elderberry Chewable Supplements
  • Multi Vitamins
  • Kid’s Immunity Chewable Supplements
  • Emergen-C
  • Pain Reliever
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin C

Cleaning Supplies

  • Bleach
  • Disinfecting Wipes
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Anti Bacterial Hand Soap

I know this list may have some holes and I’m sure I’m forgetting something really important, but hopefully it can help you start to plan as you brave the grocery store this week. Please add an items I missed in a comment below, and I’ll update this ASAP. Please don’t let fear steal your joy, but feel empowered with a little preparation. And then enjoy sometime at home with your family. Stay healthy and well-rested friends.

I’m also putting together a list of home projects that you can tackle if you are healthy and just practicing social distancing. That blog post is coming SOON!

DIY

Valentine’s Day Sweet Pea + Poppy Arrangement

February 9, 2020

One of my goals for 2020 was to really invest in my blog again. The last couple of years I have explored ways to take my work more offline and experimented with a lot more local design work and freelance photography. I’m definitely a 42 year old that is still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I TRY a lot of things. And one thing I have really discovered after dipping my toes in a lot of different waters, is that I LOVE blogging. I am almost 9 years into this, and I’m not ready to give up on Oleander + Palm yet. I know folks don’t read blogs as much as they did even 3 years ago, but I’m proud of this little corner of the internet that I’ve put so much time and energy into. So, let’s have some fun again, and I think I want to start a new series.

My goal is to share a floral arrangement every month here. I am NOT a florist and definitely don’t think I am an expert in this field at all. It’s just a medium I want to play with more. So, I thought I would take you along with my little creative experiment. Because, who doesn’t like flowers? Even if I mess it up, how can it not be pretty when you are working with flowers?

In the future, I will shoot a lot more step by step for you.

I’m going to do my best to share the “recipe” for this arrangement I put together. I used my favorite vase which has a floral frog top to it. I love this vase because I can get a full, wide arrangement without using floral oasis (which really is not great for the environment).

It’s February, so all I wanted was to add PINK to our home. I went to my local floral wholesale shop and just shopped for inspiration. The sweet peas where the first thing to catch my eye. We got married in the summer of 1998 in Alberta, Canada. For our table centerpieces at the reception, we gathered sweet peas for neighbors yards. So sweet peas feel nostalgic and familiar to me. Sweet peas are delicate and fragile without being too exotic. They are wild and untamed and that’s really how I like more flowers best. And is there really any better smell on earth than sweet peas in a garden? Once I had the pink sweet peas, I just started adding layers of colors and textures that seemed to work together. I like the idea of breaking rules, so adding a protea felt a little quirky. Poppies and sweet peas feel a lot more country garden than the tropical vibes a protea gives off. So, I went with it.

I started off by foraging boxwood stems from our yard. Most arrangements need a base of green foliage to help them look full and alive. This is the part of an arrangement where I feel like you can save some money. Greenery can often be gathered from shrubs, trees and even weeds. I added 6-8 branches of the boxwood to the vase.

Next I placed the Protea just the the right of the center. This is a very large heavy flower, so I kept it quiet low.

My florist had very long stems on the sweet peas, this not always the case, especially when you grow them yourself. But, I kept these as long as I could and placed all 10 stems and started to create the shape of the arrangement. I like one side to be a little heavier then the other.

The Astilbe is a fantastic filler and this blush adds so much color. I kept most of these stems a little shorter than the sweet peas.

Because poppies can have a fun quirk or twist to their stems, I chose to add these right at the end. I wanted them to stand out and add a little architectural interest. And then at the end, I added a few pink roses from my yard. I don’t even know if they really were necessary, but any excuse to add something that we actually grew is fun.

Here’s the flowers I used:

  • White Iceland Poppies (10 stems)
  • Pink Sweet Peas (10 stems)
  • Boxwood (foraged from my yard)
  • Protea Ice Pink (1 stem)
  • Blush Astilbe (10 stems)
  • Optional – Pink Roses (3 stems)

As the week has progressed, this arrangement has just gotten better with time. A lot of the poppies where still just buds when I assembled it, but they have all opened now. I’ve had this arrangement on my mantel for 6 days now and it’s still very pretty. It is out of any direct sun, so I feel like I’ve prolonged it’s life a little.

So, here’s the question, do we like this as a new series?

Food & Drink

Mini Chocolate Heart Cakes

February 4, 2020

This post is sponsored by Ghirardelli. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

Is there any better way to say I LOVE YOU then with cake? Chocolate Buttermilk Cake, with Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling and Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing – now that combo has to express your affection.

I teamed up with Ghirardelli to make these sweet little Valentine’s Day cakes. They are perfect for a little Galentine’s Day get together, a romantic dessert for two, or box them up and deliver them to the folks you love. Each cake is topped with a Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Caramel Duet Heart and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Duet Heart and then lots of fresh fruit and edible flowers.

And while these look like something you might buy at a fancy bakery, they are actually very easy to make. This chocolate cake is my go-to recipe that I’ve been making since I was a teenager. And the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing is my mom’s recipe that she has perfected over the years. And it might be my all time favorite frosting. You don’t need to have a special heart shaped baking pan to make these, I simply baked the cake on a large sheet pan and then cut the hearts out with a large heart shaped cookie cutter.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large cookie sheet pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

In a small pan, bring the water and butter to a boil and then simmer until the butter is fully melted. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and cocoa. Mix with a whisk to combine.

In a small dish, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk. Add the eggs and beat with a fork.

Add the water and butter mixture and the egg and buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and there are no lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. at 400 F.

All the cake to cool completely. Using a large heart shaped cookie cutter (mine was 4 inches wide) cut out 12 hearts.

Then the cakes are layered with dark chocolate ganache in the center and a generous amount of buttercream piped all over the tops of the cakes.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tbsp. strawberry puree

In a blender or food processer, place about 6 strawberries, blend until a pureed.

In a stand mixer, place the room temperature butter and beat. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and strawberry puree. Beat on high for at least 4 mins. or until the icing is very light and fluffy.

To assemble the cakes, place the first tier on a plate, pipe the outside edge with the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream and then fill the middle with Dark Chocolate Ganache. Then place a second heart shaped cake on top and pipe the entire top of the cake with the buttercream.

Then embellish the tops of the cakes with Ghirardelli Chocolates, fresh fruit and edible flowers. Here’s some ideas for fruits and flowers that work well on cakes.

Fruit

  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines
  • Kiwis
  • Blackberries
  • Gooseberries
  • Blueberries

Edible Flowers

  • Camomile
  • Pansies
  • Violets
  • Mint Leaves
  • Lavender
  • Hibiscus
  • Carnation
  • Nasturtium
  • Peony

Easy Dark Chocolate Ganache

Place the heaving whipping cream in a small pot and heat on the stove top till it just comes to a simmer (do not bring to a boil).

Place the chocolate bar in a blender or food processor and pulse until the chocolate bar is small crumbles. Pour in the very warm cream and pulse again until the chocolate melts completely.

While the ganache is still warm, spread the ganache in the center of the bottom tier of each cake. You can be quite generous with this.

Note: I piped a little wall of buttercream on the bottom tier to start, this helped hold my ganache in the center of the cake. (see image above)

And these little cakes are perfect for gifting. Box them up, add a bow and deliver them to all the folks you love. And now I’m ready for Valentine’s Day!

DIY

DIY Spice Rack House

January 13, 2020

Sometimes I just get to make fun stuff. And while my spices are tucked away in a cupboard, I was challenged to come up with a creative storage idea for spices for small spaces or someone just looking for something a little more unique. I love a DIY and especially one that is an IKEA hack as well.

IKEA’s Dollhouse is such sturdy, generous sized piece of furniture and it can be used for so much more than just toys. I love that this spice rack can sit on the counter, or you could mount to on the wall to clear up space a little more space. And with different sized cubbies, olive oil and vinegars can easily be stored in this DIY Spice Rack House.

The full instructions for this DIY Spice Rack House is over on Hunker. And while you are there, check out their latest posts, you are sure to be inspired.

DIY

Month of Minimizing

January 7, 2020

Last year I started the year with a full month of cleaning out, sorting, organizing, and purging different areas of my home. It felt so good to give myself that challenge and stay on task everyday. So, I’m doing it again this year! Everyday, for the month of January I am tackling one area or space in our home.

Month of Minimzing

Mostly, this is happening over on IG stories. I’m sharing in real time, each space as a work through them in my home.

We just finished Week 1, but it really isn’t too late to join in. You don’t have to do all the daily tasks, you can pick and chose – no judgement here. I just want to encourage you and help you find a little more order in your life.

I know for myself, my mental health and stress levels are very closely related to the state of my home. If my house is messy, I’m usually feeling overwhelmed in life. And the less stuff I have to worry about, the better.  I really believe a clean and tidy home is where a stylish home begins. And I think a lot of us want to have stylish homes. So before you go shopping, let’s donate a load to your local thrift store and make a little room.

I’ve created a check sheet here for you to print off and keep on track with all the daily tasks. You can done load it HERE.

Now, who’s ready?

Food & Drink

Festive Fall Brussel Sprout Salad

November 21, 2019

This post is sponsored by Fetzer Wines. Thank you for supporting the awesome brands that help make this blog possible.

I’m back with another Thanksgiving side dish that is a crowd pleaser. Earlier this week I shared yummy a Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake and today I’m sharing a fresh + festive Fall Brussel Sprout Salad. Even if you think you don’t like brussel sprouts, I’m pretty sure I can convert you with this crisp, loaded salad.

This is another “twist on a traditional” Thanksgiving recipe that I came up with for Fetzer Wines. As I mentioned before, their Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer White Wine pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving’s star – turkey! So, they challenged me to come up with some fresh, new sides.

My family loves brussel sprouts when they are finely shaved and eaten raw like in this salad. It’s when the are boiled or even roasted sometimes that they get stinky and a little less appealing. A raw brussel sprout is a whole different veggie.

While you can definitely drink a glass of Fetzer’s Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer  with your meal, I took it one step further and created a salad dressing with the base being a white wine reduction. It’s a very yummy dressing if I do say say so myself.

Festive Fall Brussel Sprout Salad

  • 6-8 cups brussel sprouts, finely shaved
  • 1/2 cup asiago cheese shavings
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 6 dates, pitted and finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Dijon Maple Dressing (see below)

Start by candying the pecans. In a hot skillet or fry pan sprinkle the sugar in an even layer. Set the heat to medium high, and watch until the sugar begins to melt and liquify. Immediately add the chopped pecans and toss in the molten sugar to coat all the nuts. Remove from the heat and immediately pour out the nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper. Allow them to cool completely and then break apart the nuts that have stuck together. 

In a large bowl, toss the brusel sprouts with all the Dijon Maple Dressing. Add the remaining ingredients, but set aside a little of each ingredient to add to the top of the salad. Toss gently. Serve on a large platter and sprinkle with the set aside pomegranate, dates, candied pecans, and cheese.

This salad holds up quite well even if it is made a couple hours earlier. The brussel sprouts do not get soggy.

Dijon Maple Dressing

  • 1 cup of Fetzer’s Gewurztraminer White Wine
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. course sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

Start by putting the wine in a small sauce pan and simmer until in reduces to 1/2 cup. Set aside and let come to room temperature. In a large lidded jar, place all the ingredients. Shake vigorously for at least 1 minute to combine. The dressing should thicken a bit as the oil emulsifies. 

And to totally brag, you guys, these pomegranates are from out tree! Ya, living in California is not so bad.

Oh and I have one more side dish to share with you, come back tomorrow for an easy, quick bread recipe. Buttery, herby biscuits are so much easier to make than yeast rolls and no one will be disappointed with this shortcut.

DIY

Jessie + Woody Halloween Costumes

November 20, 2019

I’m pretty much just looking for any opportunity to share cute pics of my kids here! And somehow I didn’t post this year’s Halloween costumes, and I always do. So, we are just going to put this here so that next year, when you are looking for some DIY inspo for your kid’s costumes, this blog post will be here and ready!

This was a weird year – ONLY 2 KIDS! With Denali off to college, it was a little strange to not think about including her. If you are new around here, I’ve always dressed my kids in matching or go-together costumes for Halloween. We love a good theme around here.

Here’s a look at some costumes from previous Halloween’s:

This year we decided on a Toy Story theme and figured Olivia would make a pretty cute blonde Jessie. Dylan is 16 and wasn’t sure if he really wanted to match his little sis, understandably. So, Lonnie and I decided to go as Mr. + Mrs. Potato Head with her. And then at the last minute Dylan asked to go as Woody. And I’m so glad he did. He’s a very handsome Woody and Olivia had a very rough week leading up to Halloween.

If you missed it, we had a bit of a bummer month in October. To make a long story short, the week leading up to Halloween Lonnie broke his hand on a field trip and had to have major surgery on it, our kitty Pumpkin died, Olivia broke her arm and then Halloween morning we woke up to Olivia’s bunny, Pepper, dead as well (we know think a raccoon tore into his cage). Anyways, that just the tip of the iceberg, pretty much everything that could go wrong did.

Needless to say, we wanted this Halloween to be a GREAT one for Olivia and Dylan choosing to dress up with her was a big help. She adores he brother, and Dylan is really a great big brother.

So, literally the day before and the day of Halloween I SEWED! And by some miracle we pulled off 4 Toy Story costumes. They were very simple, but I think they worked.

For Olivia’s Jessie costume. I made her shirt and chaps. I used a long sleeve white T for the base and stitched on some yellow fabric and red rope trim. Because of her cast, I had to add the cuffs of the shirt just with safetly pins, but it totally worked. For the chaps, I lined some cow hide print cotton with white felt to make them a little stiffer and then just attached them to some elastic around her waist and also at her knees. The hat we found on amazon for $6 and she wore her own jeans and boots. We wanted to make a red yarn wig, but we just ran out of time and steam, but I think our little blonde Jessie is still pretty darn cute.

For Dylan’s Woody costume, I just made him a super simple vest with the same cow hide cotton and felt that I used on the chaps. He wore his own jeans, one of his Dad’s yellow checked shirts and my hat and red bandana. You really don’t get easier than that with a costume.

And Lonnie and I went as Mr. + Mrs. Potato Head. I ordered two camel colored sweaters from amazon and then cut out all the face parts in felt. Olivia decided we should wear our faces all mixed up because of the crazy week we had just experienced. Because I didn’t want to ruin the sweaters, we just adhered the felt eyes, ears, lips, etc. with duct tape and everything stuck all night.

Anyways, thanks for humoring me with these very late Halloween pics. I hope yours was memorable. Now, do you think I can get one more year out of matching costumes with Dylan?

Food & Drink

Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake

November 19, 2019

This post is sponsored by Fetzer Wines. Thank you for supporting the awesome brands that help make this blog possible.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I feel like this holiday season has literally snuck up on us. Like, wasn’t it just Halloween? And now, here we are ready to baste that turkey and bake those pies.

This Friday, my son is having his friends over for a Friendsgiving, so technically I need to be a head of the Thanksgiving game. I’ve had a few of you message me asking for some recipe ideas for Friendsgiving. I think Friendsgiving is a great chance to play a little with the Thanksgiving “classics”. You can be a little more adventurous with Friendsgiving.

I’m a huge sweet potato fan, but I’ve never been able to get behind the overly sweet, marshmallow topped versions. Chevre (goat cheese) is a much more sophisticated take on the marshmallow, don’t you think? It’s still creamy, but instead of being sugar-loaded, it’s tart and adds a nice contrast to the smooth mellow sweet potatoes.

I partnered with Fetzer Wines to create some twists on Thanksgiving classic side dishes. Their Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer pairs perfectly with turkey, so this was a really fun challenge to take on.

This Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake is really very easy to make. And the best part – you can totally make this ahead and just have is ready to pop in the oven about an hour before you eat. Any dish that can be prepared ahead when you are juggling all the components of making a huge meal, is a WIN in my books.

Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake

  • 4-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 tsp. course sea salt
  • 1/4 black pepper
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup pepitas
  • 1/2 cup Chevre (goat cheese)

Start by peeling and slicing the sweet potatoes. A mandoline slicer can be very helpful, but you can also just slice with a knife as well. Stack the sliced sweet potatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish. They can be packed in very tightly. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the chopped sage, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 mins at 350 F. Remove and stick a fork in the sweet potatoes to make sure they are tender and fully cooked. Remove the foil and pour the heavy cream all over the sweet potatoes and then top with the goat cheese, dried cranberries, and a couple more fresh sage leaves. Return to the oven and bake for another 12-15 mins or until the goat cheese is creamy and melted.

So, are you a fan of the classic mashmallowy sweet potato dish, or would you be willing to be a little adventurous this year and try something new?

Come back to the blog later this week for more recipes! I have a fun fresh brussel sprout salad and some buttery, herby biscuits.

Entertain / Food & Drink

Harry Potter Themed Birthday Party

October 23, 2019

Well, my baby is 8. I shared on instagram that Olivia is a big part of the O+P brand. I started this blog when I was pregnant with her. It’s kind of hard to believe that she is eight and that this blog is ever older. Yikes!

Olivia and her dad are ready the Harry Potter books together and they are on book 3, so needless to say, we are VERY into HP right now. And really, this was such a fun theme to play with. I promised that I would share about this party here. Now, I don’t have any step by steps or instructions because I just didn’t have time to photograph that along the way. In a perfect world, I’d share all that as well. But, a few years ago, I gave myself permission to just have a party and not worry so much about having to take pictures as well. If you want to see more behind the scenes, I definitely shared lots of prep on IG stories (they are in the “Food + Drink” highlight.

But, I will share the menu (I’ll link recipes where I can) and the games and activities we played. There are sooooo many great Harry Potter parties out there in the Pinterest world, but maybe some of our ideas will inspire you as well.

Ok, let’s start with the Pinata! I’m a huge fan of a cute candy-filled pinata. My parents used to make them for all our parties and you better believe there was a theme involved. I actually bought a pineapple pinata at the thrift store and stripped it down to make this Hedwig version. But, really you just need a good oval base and starting with a balloon and paper mache would totally work as well.

I layered the entire body with fringed white tissue paper strips and then I added some cardboard wings, eyes, beak and a few black feather to his chest. This really was one of the simplest pinatas I’ve ever made and he might also be the cutest.

Olivia really wanted to set up the meal like a feast in Hogwart’s dining hall.

Here’s what was on the menu:

  • Lightning Bolt Sugar Cookies (cookie recipe + royal icing recipe)
  • Butter Beer Hedwig Cake (my mom followed this tutorial)
  • Pumpkin Pasties
  • Huffle Puffs (Cheeto Puffs)
  • Professor Sprouts Veggies + Dip
  • Fried Chicken Legs
  • Dragon Eggs (curry deviled eggs)
  • Butter Beer

I take ZERO credit for this cake. My mom made it and put it in the freezer for me a week before. And then all I had to do was stick in the chocolate feathers and eyes. Isn’t it adorable?

The chocolate frogs look very impressive, but these literally were the easiest part of the party. I bought this chocolate mold on amazon and then just filled it with Wilton Milk Chocolate Melts.

These Dragon Eggs are just fancy deviled eggs with a little curry powder.

These little Pumpkin Pasties were a great item to make ahead. I made a cream cheese, pumpkin pie filling and just my favorite pie crust. Then I brushed them with an egg wash and sprinkled them with sugar.

The Butter Beer was a hit. I simply filled a punch bowl with a chilled 2 liter bottle of cream soda, scooped in about 1/2 gallons of vanilla bean ice cream and then topped it with 1/2 a can of whipped cream and drizzled some salted caramel sauce all over it.

Here’s the games and activities we played to keep the kiddos busy:

  • Pass the Parcel – This is a game we always played at my childhood birthday parties. You simply wrap a small gift/prize lots and lots of times, putting it in bigger and bigger boxes and wrapping it with lots of different papers. Then like musical chairs, you pass the “parcel” around in a circle. When the music stops, the person holding the gift gets to unwrap a layer of paper. The person to unwrap the last layer gets to keep the prize. I bought a small Harry Potter Lego set and had my husband wrap it at least 20 times.
  • Potion Mixing – My husband had the kids mix vinegar and baking soda to make little potions. He made up clever names for all the ingredients, like the baking soda was unicorn horn. We also made edible slime and called it another clever potion name that I can’t recall.
  • Stupify Tag – really this is just a fancy version of freeze tag.
  • Hegwig Pinata – this always kills at least 15-20 mins of a party.

And finally, for party favors, I just ordered some glasses, broom pens and tattoos and filled little diddy bags that I made with some cute Harry Potter fabric.