Summer Theme Birthdays

Those who have summer birthdays have an exrta layer of  fun.It's nice to have a birthday in the other three seasons however a summer party  can be an extravaganza .You can have all sorts of fun themes and foods.

Of course a pool party is the ultimate hot weather bah. Kids would love fun finger foods like English muffin pizzas and ice cream sodas. The first is an an easy make , perfect for a small party with five or six little guests. These can be customized to suit everyone's tastes. Have fun toppings like pepperoni and olives on hand along with rotisserie chicken shreds and pineapple chunks. As for the ice cream sodas, you could use Coke (if the moms allow it) and a variety of different ice creams. Kids can add in chocolate chips and sprinkles  for more crunch and fun. If you want to save the ice cream for last then think a sundae bar. Have two or three flavors set up with two toppings, like fudge and salted caramel, along with whipped cream. Make sure there are plenty of toppings like M&M's gummy bears and even cereal like Lucky Charms. A baseball park themed party is also fun. Kids love hot dogs and this  theme is perfect for them. You could also make boxes of popcorn too. target sells cute popcorn boxes if you need them.  Also think  those big pretzels with  mustard too. What to drink? Lemonade is the best bet here. The cake could be a copy of a baseball inflield. Cupcakes can look like baseballs.

One of the classic summer to dos is the drive in movie. This is perfect for teens , tweens and adults. Set up a movie screen in the backyard. Show the  birthday boy's or girl's favorite movie. As for snack bar fare, think burgers loaded with cheese and bacon, along with pickles and onions.Fries are a must here and large batches are easy to make in an air fryer. You could also fry up waffle style in both Idaho and sweet potato varieties. Set up cups of ketchup in cups for dipping.Pizza is another big snack bar  treat. Whip up  several using premade dough for easy baking. Serve plain pizzas and ones with different toppings.Of course popcorn is a must too. Buy bags of buttered flavored corn like Wises or Herr's if there's a large crew coming. If not you can easily make a bucket in the microwave. Soda is important to wash everything down,  however you may also want to get Slushies which can be bought at stores like Acme. This is a hybrid fo juice and ice , perfect for a hot summer's night. Ice cream cake and ice cream cupcakes would be a perfect end to this party along with caramel corn and boxes of such snackbar faves as Raisinettes, Milk Duds and Junior Mints.

Summer parties mean tasty treats and fun. Pick and theme and run with it. Celebrate the day with the best time of year.Q

Halloween Candyland

Yup, this is the day when kids and even sweet fanged foodies indulge themselves. It's Halloween here in the States and although it's celebrated in other parts of the world, it's a big draw here. Halloween is a time to indulge in mini Snickers or candy corn, popcorn balls or caramel apples. It's a fun day with treats and surprises at every door.

Halloween started out as a Celtic celebration known as the Feast of Samhain .It was the day when the Celts celebrated the dead when the otherworld became thin enough for spirits to pass through. Basically Samhain means summer's end in Gaelic and that's when they celebrated the harvest with bonfires and feasts. The name Halloween itself came from old English :Eallra Hālgena ǣfen or All Hallows Eve. Today we know it as the day for costumes and candy.

We all have our Halloween foodie favorites and memories. Some might remember chocolate or vanilla cupcakes topped with orange icing and black sprinkles. other might remember stuffing handfuls of candy corn into their mouths. I used to like the candy cigarettes and bubble gum myself, A s I got older I used to buy my favorite candy , namely Milk Duds, to hand out , hoping for a few leftovers at the end of October 31st.

I'd like to hear about your favorite Halloween foodie memories. Which one of you out there went mad for popcorn balls? Or Reese's peanut butter cups? Did you like the ghost lollipops or the solid chocolate pumpkins? Let's hear from you sugar crazed ghoulies .