Day 349 - The Decadent Birthday Treat

Today's first time parenting tip - If you're OK with your baby having sweets, try making cupcakes with this special fluffy frosting

Some parents are alright with their babies having a sweet treat on a special occasion. Some even want it. There's nothing wrong with it at all, so don't let health nut parents make you feel poorly just because you gave your kid a piece of cake on his birthday. There's healthy treats for them too.

Instead of a cake, try making cupcakes instead. They're great for taking to day care or school and are easy for kids and adults alike to just grab and go. And, you can make a special fluffy frosting that let those enjoying your dessert frost it themselves, which is fun for kids.

Cupcakes - Cupcake recipe modified from About.com

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/2 cup cake flour
* 2/3 cup powdered sugar
* 6 large egg whites (about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION:
Line 18 muffin cups with paper muffin cups.

Sift the flour and powdered sugar together 3 times; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat or whisk egg whites with the salt until frothy. Add the cream of tartar; continue beating to soft peaks.

Add granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

With a spatula, fold in about 1/3 of the flour and powdered sugar mixture. Fold in another 1/3, then finish with remaining mixture. Gently fold in the orange zest and vanilla.

Using a small ice cream scoop or large tablespoon, fill muffin cups about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on rack. Remove cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
Frost with Orange Frosting or a fat-free Fluffy Frosting.

Frosting
1 1.5 oz package chocolate Jello pudding
1 tub whipped cream
2 cups cold fat-free milk

Mix the pudding powder and the milk in a bowl as you normally would. Once the mixture is smooth, whip together the pudding and the whipped cream until you're able to form peaks with the mixture.

Chill the frosting until the cupcakes are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Snack, Treat

Day 348 - The Healthier Birthday Treat

Today's first time parenting tip - Try serving fruit smoothies for a healthy birthday snack

It's almost 1st birthday time, so what are you going to serve for dessert? Some day cares allow you to bring a treat for a birthday, and if you're throwing a party, you'll probably want something sweet and tasty to finish off a meal.

But for the parent trying to keep things healthy, what can you do around birthday time? If you want your baby to have a healthy birthday celebration, there's nothing wrong with that. If you think it can't be done, try these simple fruit smoothies. They're easy to make, tasty and guests at your party can "un-healthy" them up if they must with whipped cream.

Fruit Smoothies
1 part pineapple
1 part banana
1 part strawberry
1 part ice

8 ounces of each fruit and ice will make about 4 fruit smoothies, so expand or decrease the recipe based on how much you need to make. Just throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is relatively smooth.

Serve immediately or chill in a pitcher until they're ready to serve. For a sweet topping, throw on some whipped cream.

Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Snack, Treat

Day 333 - First Birthday Ideas Part 4 - The Thank You

Part 4 - The Thank You - Part of the First Birthday Series

Today's first time parenting tip - Make easy, hand made "thank you's" by your baby

The party's over, the food was a hit, everyone had a blast and you got some great, practical and fun gifts for your baby. What's the best way to say thank you to the special people who came to his 1st birthday?

You can easily help your baby make hand made "thank you" cards that mean a bit more than just paper and ink. Here's how you do it.

Buy enough blank thank you cards to send one to every guest. Don't just send one to the people who brought gifts, send one to everybody who showed up. They made your baby's day special just by their presence, and that deserves thanks enough.

Get some non-toxic paints. Remember the ones we used for Valentine's gifts?. Those will work here too.

Put your baby in a high chair or the bathtub in just his diaper (you don't want paint on his clothes) and put some paint on each of his hands. Give him the cards one at a time, letting him put his prints all over the cards.

Repeat with a couple different colors if you want to, or keep it simple with one. Once they've dried, write a simple, short note thanking the person for coming, and for the gift if they've brought one.

As an added touch, you can include a picture of your baby playing or using the gift they got from that person.

Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Party, Thank, You

Day 332 - 1st Birthday Ideas Part 3 - The Gift

Part 3 - The Gift - Part of the 1st Birthday Ideas Series

Today's first time parenting tip - Get your baby something fun, and something practical for their 1st birthday

Your baby is turning one, and especially if he's the first baby in the family, he's going to get spoiled. How do you keep people from going overboard and inundating your baby with gifts.

There are a couple ways you can go. When you send out the invites, you can specify that no gifts be brought. That way its all about spending time together and not about who can get the most or the biggest gifts for you baby.

But now that they're a little older, part of the fun is watching them get all excited ripping off wrapping paper. It doesn't matter what's inside, infants just seem to love ripping things apart regardless.

Another way to handle gifts is to specify that gifts are optional and limited to one fun gift, and one practical gift. This way you won't get a million plastic toys that they'll never play with.

Clothes, savings bonds and other baby necessities go a long way still. Those types of gifts will probably get a lot more use, and your baby isn't old enough to feel gypped that he got another sweater for his birthday.

And this way you also let people show their fun side and really search for that perfect fun gift.

Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Party, Gift

Day 331 - 1st Birthday Ideas Part 2 - The Fun

Part 2 - The Fun - Part of the 1st Birthday Ideas Series

Today's first time parenting tip - Throw fun games centered around your baby to keep people entertained

You've got the food for your party...now what will people do after the meal is over? This is where parties can get very extravagant, very fast. I've heard of some parents getting limos and a hotel for the 1st birthday, which seems a little too much like a case of "keeping up with the jones'."

If your creative, you can have a lot of fun on a small budget. My wife and I are planning to play a game where we print off lots of pictures of our baby's 1st year of life with the people who are going to be at the party. Then everyone has to guess how old he was in each picture.

A friend of mine had one of those big moonwalk inflatables at her daugther's first birthday, which was great because there were lots of other little kids there and her daughter was old enough to take part and have fun. Plus I think it was only a hundred bucks.

Keep any entertainment simple, with as little set up and tear down hassle as possible. Do something your baby will actually enjoy. A field trip out to the zoo for their 1st birthday would be a wonderful idea too. Anything that gets your baby happy and excited will keep your guests happy, because after all, your infant is the one they came to see.

Anyone else got some fun ideas for a first birthday party?


Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Party, Entertainment

Day 330 - 1st Birthday Ideas Part 1 - The Food

Part 1 - The Food - Part of the 1st Birthday Ideas Series

Today's first time parenting tip - Pick foods that are easy to prepare, easy for baby to eat and that can be made ahead of time

The 1st birthday is right around the corner! Are you going to plan a birthday bash for your little one? They may not be big enough to remember yet, but you and everyone who attends will. That's why its important to keep the day as stress free as possible so you and everyone else can enjoy it.

First, what will everyone eat? Since you've got a lot to deal with just getting your baby ready for the party, you'll want something easy to make that allows people to serve themselves. And you'll want the baby to be able to eat with everyone too!

Here are some food ideas:

• Fruit tray with bananas, apples, strawberries, kiwi with some low fat yogurt dip


• Vegetable tray. Unless you cook these, this'll probably be an adults only tray


• Cheese and cracker tray


• Bread and hummus tray
• 
  
• Finger sandwiches with meat, cheese and lettuce. Mustard and mayo optional


• Taquitos or Flautas. These rolled up Mexican appetizers taste great and are easy to make


• Macaroni and cheese. Not the kraft kind, but the kind you make with noodles, real cheese with bread crumbs sprinkled on top


• Birthday cake of course. Cupcakes are also another excellent way to go

You get the idea. With a menu like this, it already starts to feel like a kids party and it will remind your guest of the parties they had as a kid.

What kind of food do you serve at your kids' birthday parties?

Parenting, 1st, Birthday, Party, Food