Party Time!

We hosted a party last Saturday (February 21st) for Lucas' 2nd Birthday celebration and for our friends and family to visit Richard.

We decided that the best time was during the early afternoon, due to dinner/bedtimes. I spent a large chunk of Friday prepping food for over 30 guests. I was so afraid I wasn't going to have enough food for everyone, so I kept adding things. We ended up making ham biscuits and chicken drummets in addition to the originally planned menu.

I cut veggies and fruit (yes, we are cheap, it is better to cut it yourself than buy it so) and prepared dips for chips and veggies.

I made spinach artichoke dip - omg, so delicious. I always love how I end up having to change a recipe I chose, so essentially it is my own creation.

I cooked a whole chicken to make these tortilla rolls with carrot and spinach - another creation that I changed a bit....I found this in a cookbook my friend Lindsay gave me. They did not turn out at all like I had planned or like the picture, they were not pretty or tightly rolled, and the tortillas were not very yummy. I guess that is what I get for buying corn instead of flour.....

We cooked and sliced a ham....I need to turn the leftovers into a soup today.

I also made oatmeal raisin cookies, rice krispie treats and a dino cake. Roar!

It is 2 round chocolate cakes that I cut into the shape of a dino and glued together with icing. We decorated with Hershey kisses, chocolate chips and some random movie candy I found.

Everyone had a great time. Or so they said! But not a single person wanted to eat any of my dino cake. We made cupcakes too (red velvet!), and I guess those were easier to grab and go. Perhaps they were afraid of screwing up my creation....Who knows.

I also learned that people do not eat cornbread with their chili. So strange, because we ALWAYS eat cornbread with our chili. I made enough for everyone to have one piece and I think only three muffins were eaten! I have spent all week trying to put it in our recipes somehow. I put it as a topper on mac and cheese yesterday. That was the best idea I'd had all week....

Anyways, I have included photos of the party. I wasn't really savvy with the camera because so much was going on, so most of these were stolen from my mother-in-law.

Lucas with his super cool bouncy ball.

Meredith!

Amanda, Anthony, Tavia and Brianna (Rich's sister and her family!)

Mere and all the presents.
Lucas opening his presents!

My brother, Travis and his girlfriend, Ali

Richard's college buddies, Bobby, Bryan and Kenny

My dad and Meredith

My mom and Meredith

Richard with his sister, Amanda and mom, Wendy


Lucas eating his dino cake!