Our preparations are currently well under-way for two very important summer birthday parties. Tiarnán will turn seven next week and Fionn is turning five in July. The excitement levels are rising and every day a different theme or plan is being hatched up, by these ever enthusiastic party planners. I almost always host the birthday parties at home; it does entail a lot of cooking and some amount of cleaning before and after the big event, yet I always feel it to be worth it. There are only the few short years when each child will really want to have the birthday party with all of the trimmings and if I were honest, I enjoy these party days nearly as much as the kids.
Tiarnán is the sportiest out of all my children, so it was no surprise when he decided on a 'Sports Day' theme for his big day, with some school fete ideas also thrown into the mix. I could certainly find a few boxes that would make perfect bric-a-brac, that the attending kids could take home for free, however, I'm not sure if the parents would be too keen on that idea. There are just so many great activities to choose from and Tiarnán wants them all. So from sack making to DIY wheel of fortune stands, our kitchen is starting to resemble a workshop, of some degree.
Naturally my interest tends to be more of the food planning side of such events. The kids and I love to scan through books and the web to find party food that will impress. At past birthdays I have made these ice-cream cupcakes and they are always a winner, especially with the kids. I use my Basic Bun Mixture and follow the same method, but bake in the cones in place of the muffin cases. Place the flat bottomed ice cream cones into a muffin tray. It is important to only fill the cones two thirds of the way, with the raw bun mixture, then bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool, on a wire rack, then top with some Vanilla Buttercream add sprinkles and finish with a mini flake. Delicious!
I was lucky to have the creative help of Jack & Tiarnán, who decorated the blackboard for this shoot, and didn't they do a great job!
If you are on either Twitter or Instagram you will find me there sharing lots of food photos and of course, next week, there will be plenty of party food photos. Do say hello!
10 Comments:
Beautiful shots Nessa, the birthday parties that you host at home require a lot of effort but they are definitely the ones that make the fondest memories, good luck with all the prep, Sheila
Thanks Sheila. I think so too! Jack hasn't had one of those big parties for the past two birthday{his own choice} but he still loves to get involved organising one for the boys!
These years go by so fast and they grow up so quick.
I'm blown away by your photos, Nessa! My two kids would love these cupcakes, I must give them a go this summer. We have a birthday coming up as well - time to hit the cookbooks for this year's birthday cake inspiration!
Thanks Kristin! They are pretty little things, so they photograph nicely! We haven't yet decided on a cake, so that's a job for one of these evenings :)
I have always loved these ice cream cone cupcakes, but I have to say, I never managed to make them work when my kids were little...yours look perfect!
Thanks Sue. I thought that these may go soggy but they turned out fairly good. I did add a little too much batter to the cone, but they can easily be levelled off before icing.
Loved this idea . Kids blackboard was a fab backdrop. Will try this. Thanks for sharing Rosemarie
Thanks Rosemarie! My brother-in-law made that blackboard for me, with some leftover slate. The boys were only delighted to decorate it for me!
These cupcakes are so cute Nessa, they look fab. Your photos, as usual are stunning, I look forward to seeing what other treats you conjure up for the boys birthdays. They grow up so fast!
Thank you Nicola. The time goes by so quickly, but I absolutely love putting in a big effort for each of their birthdays and make sure to take plenty of photos so as they remember :)
Post a Comment