Light Saber Invitations

Invited You Are to a Birthday Party

For Jedi Knight Christian Lester

Report for Jedi Training

Saturday, December 5th, 2 P.M.

And May the Force Be With You

Christian's birthday invitations were a lot of fun to make. I used textured scrapbook papers from Hobby Lobby for both the handle and blade. I covered toilet paper rolls with silver paper for the handles, then cut strips of vellum printed with party details. Glued to the silver, they made ridges on the handle. A red button glued to the handle completed the look.

When I was working on the text, I asked Christian what levels Star Wars characters achieved in Jedi training. He told me there are Younglings, Padawans, Jedis, Jedi Knights and Jedi Knight Masters. I asked him if he would be a Youngling, and he gave me a look. "Ugh, no, Mom," he corrected. "I would be a Jedi Knight." What was I thinking?

These sparkly red, blue and green papers made great light saber blades. I rolled a half-sheet for each one and secured it with hot glue. I found that using a wooden spoon or wooden dowel helped with this process. Then I glued the blade just inside the handle.

The Force is strong with this one.

Please come back this week for all the Star Wars party fun!

Happy Birthday, Christian!

Happy Birthday, My Darling Christian!

I can't believe my sweet boy is turning 8! We will be celebrating his big day tomorrow, so come back next week for all the party fun.

Make a Handbag Cake

Have you seen the must-have handbag cake of the season?

I made this stylish cake over the weekend for 10-year-old Grace's fashion-themed birthday party. For this posh party, guests were invited to bring their favorite outfits. After visiting stations for hair and makeup, the girls walked the runway in a fashion show complete with lights and music.

To make a handbag cake, bake two square cakes and allow them to cool. Cut each cake in two, with one half a little larger than the other. Put a little buttercream icing on the bottom of the largest half, and place this piece icing-side-down on your serving platter. Spread a layer of icing on the top of this cake piece, and top it with the next largest half. Stack the other layers of cake, largest to smallest, sealing with icing between each layer. Insert dowels into the cake to keep the layers from shifting. Then use a serrated knife to shave away cake to get a smooth handbag shape.

Frost the cake smooth with buttercream icing, use a toothpick to trace a design into the icing, and pipe on details as desired.

Believe it or not, this post inspired my zebra-print look. A hot pink icing monogram and mini-ball fringe add pops of color to the cake, and fun details complete the design. Headbands tucked into the cake make cute handles for the purse, and Grace can recover them as desired after the party. A candy bracelet tucked into the top of the handbag hangs down the side of the cake. A little icing makes it look like a key fob for our fashionable "tenager." The cake started leaning, so I tucked a heavy square vase behind it for extra support. With a few pink flowers tucked in, the vase looks like part of the original design plan. Sunglasses and a couple of tubes of lip gloss tossed alongside the cake complete this year's latest look.

A fashionable cake for a model birthday girl!

Speaking of fashionable finds, my best girlfriend Vonda has just started a blog. Stop by Vonda's Lavish Life to say hello!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This minty hot chocolate recipe holds holiday appeal for young and old alike!

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half
Sweetened whipped cream
6 peppermint candies

Combine cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Add the boiling water, and stir over medium heat until the sugar melts and you achieve a thick liquid. Stir in milk and heat until very hot, but not boiling. Stir in vanilla, peppermint extract and half-and-half, and remove from heat. Divide the hot chocolate between 4 mugs. Top each serving with whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed peppermint candy.

This recipe is Emma-approved!

Thanksgiving Day Recipes

This year's Thanksgiving Day menu incorporated traditional favorites, along with a few new dishes. You can find recipes for orange-sage turkey, sweet potato casserole, cranberry-apple bake and fudge pie in this post. New recipes at this year's feast included a zesty sundried tomato spread served with crackers and fresh carrots and several dishes my sister, Jennifer, suggested. The pumpkin soup recipe above was a hit at her monthly cooking club, and gingerbread trifle incorporates several holiday flavors.

Also a cooking club recommendation, Jennifer brought these Martha Stewart pumpkin cookies with brown-butter icing. We have enjoyed leftover cookies with tea.

Jennifer also tempted us with homemade herb and butter bread. A lady from her church recently offered to teach women from their congregation how to make homemade bread, and we were all delighted to sample Jennifer's work.

Sundried Tomato Cheese Spread

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, I believe in Southern Living.

1 garlic bulb
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (11-ounce) package goat cheese
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Assorted crackers, breads and vegetables

Cut off pointed end of garlic; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil. Fold foil to seal. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until cloves are tender. Let cool slightly. Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves; mash. Beat garlic, goat cheese, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed until well blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with assorted crackers, breads and vegetables. Yields 3 cups.

Pumpkin Soup

I predict this velvety golden soup will become a fall staple at our house.

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
5 whole black peppercorns

Saute onion and garlic in a large saucepan. Add chicken stock, pumpkin puree, parsley, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with a dollop of cream and fresh parsley. Serves 9.

Pumpkin-Gingerbread Trifle

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamon or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps

Bake the gingerbread according to package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir in pumpkin pie filling, sugar and cardamon or cinnamon into the pudding. Crumble one batch of gingerbread into bowl. Layer ingredients, ending with Cool Whip. Refrigerate overnight, and sprinkle with gingersnaps before serving.

Our Thanksgiving Day Table

I love seeing the images my brother, Nathan, captures at our family events. Here are a few of my favorites from the dining room.

I bought white roses from Fresh market for the dining room table. They looked beautiful, but branches pulled from the yard added vivid color to side tables and our holiday buffet.

Ornament frames made sweet favors for the grateful hearts that gathered around our Thanksgiving table this year. I used them as place markers on the dining room table. In the photo above, an extra ornament hugs a lamp on a side table.

Our Thanksgiving Day recipes are still to come!

Photos by Nathan Prichard

Thanksgiving Day Family Portraits

Nathan, Shana and Kadence

Dave, Jennifer, David and Caitlin

Joe and me with Carson, Emma, Mary Ashley and Christian

A prize photograph: my parents with all seven grandchildren!

Photos by Nathan Prichard

Blessings on Our Street

"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." -- Adabella Radici

Happy Thanksgiving

"For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends
For everything Thy goodness sends."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Thanksgiving ...

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Then say, 'Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise.' Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, 'Amen,' and praised the LORD" (1 Chronicles 16:34-36).

Turkey Cupcakes

I'm hoping the children at our Thanksgiving Day feast will gobble up these turkey cupcakes!

To make these, bake cupcakes in foil wrappers. I just baked one batch, but you could make some white and some chocolate cupcakes so you could offer guests a choice of white and dark meat. Pipe on ruffled rows of orange and yellow feathers with angled tips. I used Wilton tips 103 and 150 for the cupcakes pictured. Next use tip 21 to pipe chocolate frosting in the center of the cupcake to make the turkey's body and head. Use tip 80 to pipe on a tiny beak, tips 4 and 3 to dot the face with eyes, and tip 5 to complete the bird with a waddle.

Serve these cupcakes on their side, and watch them waddle off the platter into thankful little tummies!

A Warm Welcome

"Grow flowers of gratitude in the soil of prayer." -- Verbena Woods