Patriotic Pool Party

Today we're hosting a patriotic/Olympic pool party for 40 adults and kids.  We were excited to get in the red, white and blue spirit and a little nervous about how many people will actually fit in to our pool at one time!

To make party prep a little easier, I purchased yummy mini cupcakes and then rolled in red, white and blue sprinkles and topped a few with mini flags.

And each little party guest gets a goodie bag of golden sweets to take home.

"Thank you for playing today! All little athletes get a bag of gold medal goodies!"

Gold Medal Goodies:

We have a few Olympic 'games' to play.... hula hoop (how long can you go?), a balance beam made of 2x4s, water balloon toss, and balloon ping pong.  I saw this ping pong idea on pinterest (of course) and it is brilliant!  Tape a tongue depressor (or something flat to act as a handle) on to the back of a paper plate.  Now you have your 'paddle'.  Add some balloons and kids can bounce the balloons back and forth or see how long they can bounce their balloon without it hitting the ground.

And what party is complete without jello shots?  Okay, these contained no liquor due to almost more kids than adults in attendance. What they lacked in alcohol was made up for with patriotism! 

Now it is time to party!

Gelatin-mania

I think many of my friends think I have lost my marbles when I showed up to the tailgate with these jello shots.  A purple 'W' inside gold shots.  These were time consuming to make, but the end result was so cool! 

Jello just tastes better in the colors of purple and gold!

And what tailgate party is complete without a full bar and two different beer selections via keg?  My type of party! 

Husky Cupcakes and Jello Shots

This weekend is the big Husky Homecoming game.  Our tailgate will get an extra kick of purple and gold spirit with the help of my extra lovely gold lamay tablecloth, purple and gold vase (pictured above...an oatmeal container with ribbon glue-gunned on), and fun food.

I bought a bag of yellow chocolate from the craft store, heated it in the microwave, placed in a ziploc bag and snipped off one corner.  I then made 'W's on to parchment paper.  This is one of the easiest garnishes ever!  The 'W's cooled in just a minute or so and were the perfect addition to our cupcakes with purple frosting! (I will admit to cheating... QFC made my dozen cupcakes for $5!!)

And Homecoming deserves an extra special gelatin shot.  My favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer (ice tea/lemonade), and my new favorite alcohol based drink is a John Daly (same as Arnold Palmer but with vodka added or ice tea flavored vodka).  But because a John Daly is more of a summer drink, I've got a bit of ice tea vodka left.... that called for a John Daly shooter!

The base layer is lemonade and whipped cream vodka.  The top layer is ice tea vodka.  Hello my friend!

GOOOOO Dawgs!

Jello Shots - UW vs Hawaii

For the second game of the season, I was attending a Hawaiian themed tailgate hosted by my friend Allison.  I decided to go all out, and create two different kinds of jello shots because I don't make it over to Allison's tailgate very often!

First up?  A purple and gold mosaic made with both vanilla and whipped cream vodkas.  The white portion?  A little bit of plain gelatin mixed with watered down condensed, sweetened milk.  Sounds gross but it adds a nice flavor!

Second batch was following the tropical theme... fresh orange and pineapple juices mixed with whipped cream vodka.  Kind of a tropical creamsicle shot.

I added a little extra gelatin to today's shots due to the 90 degree weather.  Fortunately, the little guys survived just perfectly in the shade! 

The hostess and I before the big UW win!

Other highlights from the tropical tailgate?  Mini mai tais served in small sipping cups and garnished with pineapple and peach slices and POGka cocktails (POG/vodka). I'm sure there was some good food too...

UW vs. USC

What a game! I don't even know where to begin! Maybe with the fact that UW beat USC!? Amazing energy was running through the stadium and I didn't see one fan leave early. I am so thankful my phone has a camera on it, otherwise I don't think I would believe my eyes... students, fans, athletes all flooding the football field after the final play. We lingered in the stadium for quite some time to watch the celebration!

But what football game is complete without a little tailgating?  Today we (we meaning not pregnant me) enjoyed 'gold' Jell-O shots, purple and gold Bud Light (that I bought 4 cases of while very pregnant - and received many stares), Dump Soup, and the never to disappoint Monster Cookies!

I'm most proud of my budget centerpiece.  The vase is an empty Quaker Oatmeal container covered with one long piece of ribbon continuously wrapped around the canister and glue-gunned along the way.  I bought some purple craft foam for the 'W', and some hydrangeas.  Not only is it a festive vessel, but you can use it to store tailgate supplies if you keep the lid!  Gotta love Michael's craft stores and their 40% off coupons!

Want to make some Monster Cookies of your own?  Here is the coveted recipe.  They are so good, I'm warning you.  They freeze exceptionally well.  Just make the dough, roll in to balls and freeze. This way you can take as many cookies out as you need, or just make a few at a time like Tony and I do.  A few meaning a minimum of three each! :)  Let frozen balls thaw while oven warms up and cook for 9-12 minutes depending on size. 

Monster Cookies

2 sticks butter
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. peanut butter (smooth only)
6 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal

Mix in order given using mixer. Transfer batter to large container and add the following:
6 more c. quick cooking oatmeal
2 c. Nestle chocolate chips
2 c. nuts (optional - I never add them!)
1 med. bag M & M's - these can either be included in the batter or used on top

Mix until well blended. Form cookies (use large mixing spoon for monster size). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 dozen cookies.

*Note - I realize quite a few people have peanut allergies. Unfortunately, this is a recipe that must include the peanut butter. I have done research to find a good substitute, but alas, PB is where the cookies get their punch.

Dawg Saturday!

Today is the first Husky game of the season! YES! There are so many things to do for a husky home game... make the always important Jell-O shots (yes, prego and making shots...), wear purple and gold all day (had to buy a purple long-sleeved and warm shirt from maternity store last minute due to weather), and head to the stadium to get the festivities started!

We had planned to host our usual tailgate, but pregnancy got the better of me.  So instead I packed up my tasty Jell-O shots and we headed to our friend's tailgate party.  The Jell-O orange wedge shots were a hit, especially with the LSU fans that traveled up from Baton Rouge. Yes, I was friendly and shared... with just a few.

I've been asked by many people how to make these orange slice 'shots'.  The answer is quite simple if you put a little thought in to it. So, I'm going to be mean and let you figure it out on your own. Really, its not hard!  And, what a fun treat (of the non-alcoholic kind) to make if you need to bring snacks to school or kid-friendly party!  Use grapefruits, lemons, limes... basically any type of fruit with a tough skin!