Hello there! I hope you’re having a great week! I have been crazy busy since we got back from LA last week. Isn’t it weird how you almost always feel like you need a vacation after taking one (well ours was a mostly working trip). Since we’ve been back, I’ve been working like crazy with some wonderful wedding clients, working at my part-time job, and getting ready for S + K’s birthday weekend!
It was my birthday Friday and Kevin’s on Monday so we decided to have joint-party. We did this last year and it was a ton of fun so we decided to make it a tradition of sorts. I wanted to keep the party simple because I only had a couple days to prepare. I decided to stick to a few favorite recipes and try some new ones. I made one cocktail and our lovely friends brought wine and beer.
Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. Red velvet and my fav and yellow and chocolate are Kevin’s. I baked them in cute little pastry cups that don’t need to be baked in a cupcake pan (so you can bake more than a dozen at once). I wrapped washi tape around toothpicks to make simple cupcake toppers.
Rice crispy treat pops. These were a huge hit! I will definitely triple the amount I make next year.
S’mores brownies. Ditto. These were gone in minutes. I used the same recipe I shared here.
Antipasto skewers with pesto dip. So easy and you can make both the skewers and dip a day ahead! Whenever I made these I use whatever things I have on hand or can find. This time I used grape tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, fresh mozzarella, thyme marinated olives and genoa salami. Delish.
Rather than use paper plates I decided to use disposable paper food baskets. I actually planned the parties color palette based around these guys (crazy, I know). I found these at a local cake supply shop for $8 for 250! So yes, they may appear been seen in future Khandjian parties.
Spicy ranch dip with veggies… because we needed some veggies to balance out all the sweets and meat. I put a dollop of the dip in each paper pastry/nut cup, which made perfect single serving portions.
Chips and restaurant-style salsa. Every party needs chips and salsa, right? I made the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and I think it’s the best simple tomato salsa I have ever had! If you make it, it makes a ton (we had around 35 people over and I still have half left!).
A couple months ago I ordered wooden utensils online after seeing all the cute things you could do with them on Pinterest. Right before the party started, I remembered that I have a few chalkboard dipped beer glasses I made last winter that would be perfect utensil containers. I used a chalkboard marker to write on each glass. (This lovely photo above was taken by my talented friend, Nate, who picked up my camera and snapped a few photos. Thanks Nate!)
Spicy cheese dip and crackers. I found this recipe in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living. It wasn’t a hit and I don’t know if I will make it again for a large crowd. It was good, but not amazing. If you have tried this, any suggestions on making it better? I think the consistency was just too lumpy.
Pulled pork sliders. I used my amazing birthday present from Kevin to roast a pork shoulder for 6 hours to make these guys. I served them with 4 Rivers hot bbq sauce. Perfect. These were gone immediately. Will definitely make them again!
Since everyone brought something to drink, we set up a table on the patio as the “drink station.” We used big metal bins that we kept from our wedding as drink coolers. To add a little color outside, I just placed a glass with red striped paper straws on the table.
Thanks to all our amazing friends who came by to celebrate with us! We are very blessed!