Fun Birthdays Despite Recession

Madeline Holler — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:36:00 GMT

In all this talk about economic downturns and recessions or "recessions" and whatnot, politicians are overlooking one very important thing when calculating rebates and tax cuts and interest rates freezes and economic stimulation: what the hell is a parent to do about birthday parties?

Listen, party-planning expert Lisa Kothari, author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs...What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties knows your pain and she wants to help out with her three-part series on recession-proof children's birthday parties. Thank God, because I was worried we'd have to leave it up to our kids this year to create their own fun.

For Part 1, she counsels to "think outside the box," but goes on to give some cool ideas, so stick with me. The first is a Messy Party, with these sugggestions.

Invitations stamped with handprints.
Make a mess out of balloons and streamers; hang them all over the place in no set pattern.
Have the kids paint pictures with chocolate.
Let the kids decorate premade sugar cookies.
Set out paint, roller brushes, and butcher paper for the kids to make fantastic creations.
Have a bunch of stamps and water-soluble ink out and have the kids stamp their arms and legs all over and stamp one another!
Place a pile of dirt in one area of the yard and have the kids make dirt creations using twigs, rocks, and other natural elements.
Make a traditional round cake, ice with vanilla frosting and then drizzle different colors of icing into your own messy masterpiece. Add candy toppings as an added bonus.

Outrageous Cookie Party

Make plain cookie dough and then set out these ingredients for kids to get creative with. Bag them up to take home. Be sure to warn parents in case the kids decide to share.

Ketchup
Mustard
Chocolate Syrup
Ranch Dressing
Steak Sauce
Cherries
Yogurt
Cheese
Peanut Butter
Balsamic Vinegar
Jam
Pesto Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Relish

Don't forget to request all birthday gifts in cash. (Who's going to pay for all that wasted pesto? We're in a recession!)

So what are you doing for a cheap birthday party this year (or any year)? Canceling the tiger cub rental? Yeah, me too. Me too.

Photo: Once Upon a Bash

Kitchenista: The Very Best (and easiest) Birthday Cake Ever

Karen Murphy — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:46:00 GMT

As I write this, my daughter is about to turn 8. She gets two birthday cakes this year, one baked at The Ex's house and one baked here. (She has eschewed bakery cakes for years now, ever since the Mickey-Mouse-Who-Was-Actually-Minnie Incident, preferring instead to insist on a home-baked cake. And because she has turned the fine art of Insisting into an actual science, there is usually compliance.It's my understanding that the Cake of Choice at The House of Ex was chocolate. Fine. Chocolate cake is fine. I myself have rarely turned down chocolate cake in any manifestation. But what we make is better...and easier.

Angel Food cake mix, any
strawberries, lots
whipped cream (optional)

I think you know how this goes together, don't you? Even easier = buying an angel food cake, but that would be too close to cheating. Plus, at 8, she hasn't yet figured out how abysmally EASY making an angel cake from a mix is. Uh, "mix with water"? That's it? Then bake in a funky-shaped pan? That's all? Then hang it over a soy sauce bottle/wine bottle/old-fashioned Coke bottle (wait, that was how my mom did it. Whatever.)?

Slice strawberries, sugar to taste, dump over slices of cake. Wow. That was hard. And if you're extra-fancy? Whipped cream. And if you're extra-extra fancy? Whipped cream that doesn't come in a can or a tub. Wooo!

End.

Happy birthday, dammit. Now eat.

Oh, and if you insist, here's how to make an angel cake the harrrrd way. Though I'm sure it's vastly superior to Betty Crocker's, but whatever (and hello, TWELVE eggs?).

P.S. Q: "So where do you stick the candles?"

A: "Anywhere you want."

Strollerderby : angel food cake

Fun Birthdays Despite Recession

Kitchenista: The Very Best (and easiest) Birthday Cake Ever