Just like the egg hunt, the expected traditional Easter lunch would consist of ham, au gratin potatoes, veggies, rolls, and don’t forget the fruit salad complete with mini marshmallows! Here are a couple of suggestions for a fun, festive treat to “spring” on your guests this year!

Peter Cauliflower Tail
The Easter bunny loves fresh, crisp vegetables so check out this hummus-filled bunny bowl.

Ingredients:
1 4-inch roll
3 raisins
6 chives
1 loaf of French bread, halved
1 8-inch loaf of round bread
Hummus Dip (See below)
Medium-size cauliflower floret
Raw vegetables, such as baby carrots, celery and radishes

Hummus Dip:
6 tbsp. tahini paste
6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 14-oz. cans chickpeas, drained
10 to 12 tbsp. water

1. For the Bunny Bowl:
Make slits in the roll and insert raisins for the bunnies eyes and ears. For whiskers, poke holes with a toothpick and insert the chives. Place the cut ends of the French bread onto the top of the roll for ears; secure with toothpicks. Cut and scoop out a 3-inch hole in the top of the round bread and fill the well with hummus. Add a cauliflower tail and surround the bunny with veggies.

2. For the Hummus Dip:
Place tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, and drained chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add water as necessary to make the mixture creamy. Place in the bunny bread ‘bowl.’

Bunny Pops
Ingredients:
14 wooden pop sticks
28 OREO Spring Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
2 pkg. (6 squares each) BAKER’S Premium White Baking Chocolate
1 to 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
35 assorted jelly beans, for decorating
PLANTERS Slivered Almonds, for decorating

Insert lollipop stick into creme center of each of the 14 cookies. Split remaining cookies for “ears,” leaving filling on one side of each cookie. Halve split cookies with filling; set aside. (Reserve plain split cookies for another use).
Place chocolate and 1 Tbsp. oil in small heavy saucepan; cook over very low heat, stir constantly just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in additional oil if needed to make pourable consistency.

Dip each cookie pop into melted chocolate to coat cookie completely with chocolate and supporting cookie with fork to prevent cookie from detaching from stick. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

Dip points of halved cookies into melted chocolate; press two halved cookies against each head for ears. Decorate “faces” with jelly beans for “eyes” and “noses” and almonds for “whiskers.” Let stand until set. Wrap in plastic wrap. Decorate with festive bows for gift giving, if desired.

Easter Bonnet Cake
Ingredients:
15 OREO Spring Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 can (16 oz.) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
1-1/3 cups BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

Split 11 of the cookies in half, leaving filling on one side of each cookie. Reserve split cookies with filling for brim of hat. Coarsely chop plain split cookies and remaining 4 whole cookies; set aside. Beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in chopped cookies.

Pour 3 cups of the batter into greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan and 3/4 cup batter into greased and floured 10-oz. glass custard cup. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Divide remaining batter evenly into 6 to 8 paper-lined medium muffin pan cups. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Place cooled 9-inch cake layer on serving plate; frost top of cake with some of the frosting. Place cake round from custard cup, top side down, slightly off-center on top of cake layer. Reserve 1/3 cup frosting for cupcakes; frost side and top of bonnet with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with coconut; press gently into frosting.

Halve reserved split cookies; place filling side up and rounded edge out around brim of hat. Decorate cupcakes with reserved frosting and candies.

Scavenger hunts are perfect for birthday parties.  They are fun, inexpensive and leave a lifetime memory for the players.  There are several types of scavenger hunts. 

The neighborhood scavenger hunt is probably the best known.  Two teams set out into the neighborhood and ask for items off of a list.  The first team back with the most items wins.  We’ve just updated the scavenger hunt page on the website and have included 2 free scavenger hunt lists that can be printed off and taken around the neighborhood.  You can use the 2 different lists, or print out 2 copies of the one you like best for teams.

Mall scavenger hunts are becoming popular.  Our website has 8 different types listed - free mall scavenger hunt lists are also included. 

There is also the video or digital camera scavenger hunt - teams must complete tasks around town and bring back a video or picture for proof.  The digital camera hunts are especially fun when you make a scrap book with the pictures to share. 

See all the scavenger hunt ideas on our website - Scavenger Hunt Ideas

March is a fun month of the year. The weather’s starting to turn toward spring, lots of schools have their spring vacations, and there’s a lot of good sporting events. There’s no shortage of reasons to celebrate in March. Here’s some of our favorites:

Celebrate International Working Women’s Day at your place of employment with a party for the ladies in your office. Vote on a fun theme, such as a luau or barn bash or decorate the office with garden accessories like floral garlands, paper lanterns and streamers, for a festive look. Have all the men in the office bring in desserts or snacks to share and serve them on a tableware ensemble in a festive color scheme or that matches your theme.

“Beware the Ides of March!” The Ides of March is on the 15th and famous thanks to Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar. Get in the spirit by hosting a toga party. Decorate your party space with columns, ivy garland, vines and personalized vinyl banners with a Toga Party design. Have guests arrive in their togas and hand out sunglasses or laurel wreathes at the door. This is a classic party idea and a ton of fun. Check out our Toga Party TipZ for more ideas.

March 30th marks the anniversary of the Eiffel Tower opening in 1889. Celebrate the landmark with a Parisian themed party. There are tons of Eiffel Tower decorations including standees, wire towers, candles, garlands and backdrops perfect for this event. You can transform your party space into a Parisian scene in a snap, just check out our Parisian Party TipZ for more ideas.

Don’t forget St. Patrick’s Day and March Maddness. There are party tips and supplies for any occasion. Tell us your favorite reasons to party in March.

* Women’s History Month * National Craft Month * 1- World Book Day * 2- World Day of Prayer * 2- Dr. Suess’s Birthday * 6- Dentist’s Day * 8- International Working Women’s Day * 9- Barbie’s Birthday * 11- Johnny Appleseed Day * 12- First Library Opened * 13- Good Samaritan Day * 14- National Potato Chip Day * 14- Pi Day * 15- Ides of March * 17- St. Patrick’s Day * 20- Proposal Day * 20- Big Bird’s Birthday * 21- Children’s Poetry Day * 21- World Down Syndrome Day * 22- National Goof-off Day * 22- World Day for Water * 24- Yo-Yo Day * 25- Greek and American Democracy Day * 26- Make up Your Own Holiday Day * 27- Diabetes Association Awareness Day * 30- Doctors’ Day * 31- Eiffel Tower Opened (1889) *

A recent conversation with a fellow wedding planner got me thinking about trends in our industry and how jaded we wedding professionals sometimes get. What we may deem as “LY” (Last Year) is just beginning to catch on in most of Middle America. Because trends tend to begin on the East and West coasts, we are usually ready to move on to “the next big thing" much faster than the rest of the country. But could I be wrong?

Take the cupcake craze. While cupcakes have been around since children and birthdays, the phenomenon of waiting in line for thirty minutes for a $3 cupcake totally took off after those fab girls from Sex and the City raved about the Magnolia Bakery in NYC. But that was back in 1997! Six years later, Martha Stewart featured the coveted and oh-so-ingenious Wedding Cupcake Tower on the cover of her magazine. Bottom line: Martha said: "It’s a “good thing”, and the rest of the country agreed. Shocker.

All of a sudden this little frosted confection grabbed the attention of brides everywhere. But not just in the U.S. Gourmet cupcake shops started popping up everywhere including Glasgow and Tokyo, with brides paying upwards of $7 a pop to create this beautiful, unique alternative to what had become so commonplace. Sprinkles in LA and Magnolia in NYC and every little bakery in between upped the ante by turning the cupcake into a work of art, complete with fillings, curds, ganache, and frostings of every flavor imaginable. Who wanted to settle for some dumb wedding cake when guests could have their own little personalized desserts instead?

So here we are, ten years after Carrie Bradshaw reintroduced us to this nostalgic little sugary treat. One would think the idea of cupcakes at a wedding had gone the way of chocolate fountains and margarita machines. But have they? This cupcake train seems to have lost very little steam. Not that cupcakes will ever completely go away; just as the appletini and ABBA will always have a special place in our hearts, cupcakes will certainly always remind us of a simpler time, when Mom brought treats to school for the whole class to enjoy. But what in the world will replace Wedding Cupcakes as the Next Big Thing and are they really about to be replaced?  Could brownies be the new cupcake? We’ll have to see what Martha has to say about that!

For more quips and daily insight from everything to event planning to fabulous gift ideas and everything in between, visit www.thepartygoddess.com/blog.

Decorating for a St. Patrick’s Day bash is easy - use green, green, and more green! Here are a few tips to help you get started thinking like the Irish!

Indoor Decorations:

Start your decorating with a St. Patrick’s Day entrance. We offer a number of fabulous items that will be perfect for your party. Check out the Pot O’ Gold Entrance and our Lighted Shamrock Entrance. Both make a stunning start to your event, and can also be used as a backdrop for photos!

An easy way to bring the Emerald Isle to your party is with our festive balloons. Hang them from the ceiling and tie them to your chairs and doorknobs to create a party atmosphere. 

The Rainbow Mural is a perfect thing to place on a wall leading to the food table, or the “Pot O’ Gold” bar!

Welcome guests to your party before they even enter your doors by lining your front door and porch with Shamrock Electric Lights and a Shamrock 3-D Foil Banner.

No St. Paddy’s Day party would be complete without Die-Cut Shamrocks everywhere. Hang them on your walls, scatter them on the floor, use them as placemats, tape them to your cabinet doors - they will surely bring you loads of good luck!
Anywhere else in your room (that isn’t already covered with shamrocks) you can make green by covering it with green gossamer.

Outdoor Decorations:

Hang Erin Go Bragh Lights from trees, bushes, doorways, and more. Sprinkle some Four Leaf Clover Coins in a path to your front door to guide guests to the fun!

Table Decorations:

For your tables, stick with more green! If you don’t have a green tablecover in the linen closet - no problem, a plastic, metallic, or paper cover will do. We offer great Shimmering Shamrocks Tableware that provides you with everything you need for festive and fun dining.

For your centerpieces, purchase several different heights of green taper candles and place them in a bed of greenery. Add the luck of Ireland by placing an Irish Flag into the greens.

With a permanent marker, write your guests names on mini black kettles and place one at each place setting as name cards.

Show your guests just how much you care by offering green Imprinted Napkins. Tie them up with our Leprechaun Wire Garland for a festive display. There’s a large selection of dinner, luncheon and beverage napkins in an impressive palette of 20 colors. There’s also a wide range of ink colors, as well as a metallic foil, holographic foil, prismatic foil or a traditional ink imprint.

Napkins can be imprinted with your special wording and the design of your choice. They are soft and elegant, yet reasonably inexpensive. They are 3-ply to offer you a sturdy but extravagant feel. The napkins will serve several purposes - great decorating in disguise and a delightful memento of the party that can be saved in scrapbooks for years to come!

Napkins can be laid out on a buffet table, or can be displayed at each place setting. Place napkins in the center of each place setting at an angle, or unfold them and place them in glasses for a tall dramatic look. The napkins can also be tied (and bundled with plastic cutlery) with a multitude of items to match your theme. Try curling ribbon, gossamer streamers, ric-rac or ribbon.

Much of the celebration of St. Paddy’s Day is centered around the green food and beer as well as the kisses and pinches. But we have a few suggestions for you if you wish to do something more planned.

On the back of a number of Die-Cut Shamrocks write some trivia questions. The questions can be fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day, fun facts about guests, or about things that are green. Place the shamrocks on the dining tables to act as ice breakers during the meal or have a contest to see who can answer the most correctly.
Place a giant Rainbow Mural on the wall and place a pot of gold at one end. Ask party guests to make a wish or prediction for the coming year. Review the wishes and predictions next St. Patrick’s Day.
It is never too late to start new holiday traditions. Why not hang a St. Patrick’s Cascade and call it a “Mistle/Shamrock/Toe” and encourage the kissing to begin - even if you aren’t Irish!
At the top of each hour, have your guests join in singing some old Irish folk songs! Start with “Danny Boy” and continue on to other Irish songs. If “Danny Boy” is the only song people know, then sing it again every hour!

Because wearing green is so important on St. Patrick’s Day (given the pinch factor), providing green for your guests is a good idea. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make it fun and festive. Here are a few ideas to hand out to your guests for them to wear throughout the evening and then take home as favors:
• Green St. Patrick’s Day Hats
• Shamrock Funtoos Temporary Tattoos
• Irish Leis
• Shamrock Blinking Head Boppers
• St. Patrick’s Day Clover Beads

If everyone attending your party is wild and crazy and already has everything green imaginable, then pass out one of these ideas for a party boosting Irish favor!
• Shamrock Straws make the drinks even more fun!
• Shamrock Votive and Candles will help your guests keep the memory of your night alive at home!
• Personalized Mugs are perfect for serving as well as souvenirs! Have the glass mugs personalized in green with your name (plus an O’): O’Moyle St. Patrick’s Day Bash (include party date)