Mother’s Day Decorationg Ideas

• Cut a vase full of fresh spring flowers for the table. Here are a couple flower arranging tips and tricks.
• Let the kids do the decorating with handmade cards and banners for mom.
• Add these leaf covered candle holders to the table.
• A Mother’s Day paper bouquet the kids can help make.

Menu Ideas for a Mother’s Day Luncheon or Brunch

• Make dad do the cooking. Break out the grill!
• Spicy Benedict Casserole
• Strawberry Peach Daiquiri ~ Maybe this is for dinner or a late lunch?
• Heirloom Cinnamon Sugar Coffee Cake
• Corn Tomato Avocado Salad
• Make a salad with some edible spring blooms.
• Candied Flower Cupcakes would be the perfect touch for dessert.

Here are some Mother’s Day song ideas to help round out the day. Have fun, and make mom feel special!

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties

Add a colorful, nutritious touch to your spring holiday menu. This easy-to-prepare kugel, made with canned pineapple and carrots, as well as apples, cranberries and almonds, is the perfect side dish or way to top off your feast. And it’s another way to fit fruits and veggies in!

Spiced Pineapple Carrot Kugel

Ingredients:Vegetable oil spray
1 can (15 ounces) sliced carrots, drained
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained
2 apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup matzoh meal*
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Preparation Time: Approximately 10 minutes

Cook Time: Approximately 60 minutes

Preparation:Heat oven to 350°F.

Coat an 8×8-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Combine sliced carrots, pineapple, apples, matzoh meal, cranberries, slightly beaten egg yolks, almonds, cinnamon and coriander in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; gently fold them into the carrot-pineapple mixture. Pour into the baking dish; bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Servings: 12

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 90; Total fat 3g; Saturated fat 0g; Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 105mg; Carbohydrate 15g; Fiber 2g; Protein 3g

*Major supermarkets carry matzoh meal. At times other than Passover, breadcrumbs can be substituted if matzoh isn’t available.

Image via Mealtime.org

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Easy Do Ahead Brunch Bake

Bunny Cake (my favorite)

Zesty Deviled Eggs

They have a ton more recipes at the Betty Crocker website, and a whole section of Easter on a budget recipes to choose from too.

We have a couple dozen eggs to color for Easter, so I think I might give the zesty deviled eggs a try. They have several other deviled egg recipes to choose from, to help you use up all those hard boiled colored eggs in your refrigerator.

Image via Betty Crocker

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Everyone brought their favorite garden dish, with a copy of the recipe. The hostess also served herbal teas, and beverages. It was so much fun to sit out among her beautiful flowers, sip tea, and talk about gardens and food.

She had everyone decorate a garden hat to wear to the party. When everyone was seated we voted on out favorites. The hostess had put together prizes of potted plants, and she used flower pots to hold an assortment of gardening gifts.

If you planned your party in the spring or fall you could also include a plant, or seed swap in the festivities. Or plan to visit several local gardens during the party.

I’ve gathered some links with some great ideas, and finger foods to add to your garden tea party:

• Tea Sandwich Recipes
• Yummy Dirt Cups
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Bumblebees
• Mini Lavender and Vanilla Scones
• Party Punch Herbal Ice Ring
• Summer Candied Flower Cupcakes

Please feel free to share your favorite summer garden party ideas.

Image via Birthday in a Box

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1. Cupcake Flag

2. White Silk and Berry Tarts

3. Jean’s Blueberry Quickbread

4. 32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Ideas and Recipes

5. Simple Summer Cupcakes

6. Dirt Cake

7. Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

8. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

9. Homemade Organic Fruit Snacks

10. Creamy Berry Fruit Mold

11. Icy Cold Summer Lime Smoothie

12. Zebra Pop Cookies

13. “Springish” Fruit Pandowdy

14. Frozen Pudding Cups

15. Candied Flowers

16. Homemade Ice Pops

17. Grandma’s Homemade Banana Pudding

18. Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

19. Molded Rhubarb Rosemary Cucumber Salad

20. Strawberry Shortcake

21. Baseball Cupcakes

22. Peanut Butter Pie

23. Praline Ice Cream Log

24. Rhubarb Cake

25. Lemon Cups

26. Grilled Peaches and Cream

27. Pina Colada Ice Pops

28. Angel Food Flag Cake

29. Blueberry Ice Cream

30. Mandarin Summer Dessert

31. Deep Dish Peach and Berry Pie

32. Creamy Caramel-Peach Parfaits

33. Frozen Strawberry Margarita Dessert

34. Pineapple Coconut Sherbet

35. Summer Dessert Pizza

36. Banana Nut Bread Mini Loaves

37. Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake

38. Summer Berry Pie

39. Cool Creamy Chocolate Dessert

40. French Vanilla Summer Trifle

41. Summer Fruit Tart

42. Home Made Butter Pecan Ice Cream

43. Ice Cream Sandwiches

44. Almond Cream Ice

45. Peach Ice Cream

46. Sangria On a Stick

47. Mom’s Baked Apples

48. Grilled Caramelized Bananas

49. Sweet Fruit Kabobs

50. Grilled Peach Cobbler

I tried to include some ice creams, sorbets, grilled desserts, fruit pies, and summer tarts. A great variety for your summer gatherings, and parties.

If you have a great summer dessert you’d like to share, leave it in the comments or send me an email. We’ll have more summer recipes for entertaining in the upcoming weeks.

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I use a Jello mold, or Bundt pan to freeze my ice ring in. To make the ice rings I show here I used a Wilton Silicone Mini Fluted Tube Pan. It released the finished ice rings without much fuss.

To add texture and color to your ice rings add in season fruit like strawberries, or lemons slices. You can also add fresh mint leaves, lemon balm, or edible flowers to the mold.

Fill the rest of the mold with some of the juice you’re using to make your punch. If you use juice instead of water, when the rings start to melt your punch will not be diluted. Freeze the rings a few hours, or a few days before your party.

I used strawberries and lemons in one of the rings, in the other two rings I used mint leaves, and lilac blooms.

Ice Ring Images (c) Linette

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Simply candy some violets, lilacs, violas, or nasturtiums. You can do this ahead of time, while they’re in full bloom.  They’ll keep nicely in a sealed container once they’re candied.

On the day of your party bake your favorite cupcake recipe. Ice the cupcakes with your favorite color of icing and top them with the candied flowers. I used lilacs and violets here. The flowers add a delicate summer touch to your party. I used Wilton Decorating Tip 2D and gave the icing some pattern and dimension by swirling the icing around the cupcakes. Quick and easy!

Cupcake Image (c) Linette

Post from: She Knows Parties

Post from: She Knows Parties