A Big Girl Barbie Birthday Party

 Every little girl has had a Barbie birthday party sometime in their young lives. Yet what about the big girls who are Barbie aficionados? They too can have a fun , frilly birthday do with pink themed  food and drinks. Just give it an adult spin for more sophistication.

What would you drink at a Barbie birthday bash? Try a grapefruit MImosa. This is a heady mix of grapefruit juice with splash of Asti Spumante . The juice's tartness is the perfect foil for the bubbly's sweetness , creating a sweet tart flavor. Aother crowd pleaser is a strawberry pina colada.Its the same recipe as for a regular pina colada, made with Coco Lopez, water pineapple jiuce and half and half The pureed berries are added to this for a fruitier taste and a light blush coloring. You could also serve pink lemonade with vodka. It's just mixing the two and serving over ice. Omit the vodka, sub in ginger ale and you have an equally fun mocktail. Of course there is the Cosmopolitan the ultimate pink alcoholic beverage. This is a blend of vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice which gives it its' pink color. It's an easy shake in a cocktail shaker and then poured into a martini glass. What about dessert?A pink hued tea like Kashmiri pink chai tea would work.Its boiling Kashmiri tea with sugar water, cardamon and cinnamon. You can add baking soda if you want. Some recipes call for it The tea  turns red as it cooks and when milk is added a softy rose.

With the drinks comes food. Little girls may be happy with just a slice of pink cake but adults want something more. Think a shrimp pate to be served on crostini. The pate is made with shrimp first being roughly chopped and mixed with mayo, lemon juice parsley , scallions and mustatrd powder. THis mix is then added to tomato paste cooked with butter and shallots .Tomatoes are also put into this mix. The pate is refrigerated for three hours to set. Spoon over crostini - although you can also serve it with any kind of cracker like Saltimes or Ritz. You could also have devilled ham sliders too. The filling is a mix f the meat and mayo. if you're more ambitious you can make your own devilled ham.It taking sliced ham pureeing it wht mayo and then adding spicy brown mustard tabasco sauce, Worcester sauce and lemon. Ground black pepper gives it some bite.As for dessert. think a strawberry cake (you can use a Duncan HInes mix) with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries for added flavor. A cooler treat is strawberry granita, an refreshing blend of sugar, pureed strawberries lemon juice and water. It's a refreshing treat especially on a hot summer night.

Yes, big girls can have a Barbie  party too. Serve fun pink cocktails and mocktails with tasty bites of rosy hued food. It's a great way to celebrate a birthday

Spooky Sips

 What's a party without drinks? It's scary to think which is why you should have some fun libations at your Halloween party. They can be cocktails or mocktails. Just make sure they have an element of creepy fun.

The question most party throwers ask is to go totally alcohol or add a few mocktails. The best bet is go half and half. Some will want something with a wallop, others may not. There also may be pregnant or under age. Play it safe. Have a variety of both so everyone is happy.Don't underestimate the mocktail. The Halloween themed ones are both fun and tasty.Nothing says party like a punch and a berry filled one is delicious and thirst quenching. It's just taking a mixed cranberry juice like Ocean spray's sparkling Cran -mango or Cranraspberry. Add a cup of Welch's Grape Juice to get give it that dark ,bloody look, Use lychees to create eyeballs.You can also add cranberry juice and water to latex gloves , freeze and then break the  "bloody" fingers up to put into the punch.If you're planning on individual drinks, have plenty of flavored and plain seltzer and a wide variety of fruit juices along with the usual cocktail add in like citrus wedges and maraschino cherries. One is apple juice with frozen grape acting as ice cubes. Add a shot of seltzer and grenadine to give it bubble and zing. Want something to go with that witch's outfit? Try a black mocktail, made with pitted black cherries, pomegranate juice  and agave mixed with a few drops of black food coloring. Without the coloring it's still a lovely blood clot red.

Of course you can also have alcoholic drinks. Think a spooky rum punch topped with dry ice for a truly scary effect. Keep in mind to use gloves and tongs when handling dry ice and only use four or five pieces for it . Moat supermarkets sell it so there's no trouble to find it. The actual punch is a  good shot of rum,  five to six cups of cranberry juice along with five to six cups of apple juice. Add a bottle of ginger ale for fizz. Toss in a few candy eyeballs and gummy worms to ratchet up the creepy factor. Another wild drink is Witches Brew. You can use the extra dry ice to top off the drinks for a just from the cauldron effect. Mix Midori melon liqueur with Cointreu or Triple Sec. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to balance out the sweetness and some ice. Stir the ingredients and strain it into a low ball glass. Serve the potent Vampire's Kiss for any of the   Edward Cullens attending . It's  simply a berry flavored martini. It's combining Chambord, a raspberry flavored liqueur with vodka and grenadine. Unsweetened cranberry juice is used. Don't buy the sweetened. It'll make the drink too sugary. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds brightness and tartness to it. Serve in a martini glass and decorate with plastic fangs

It's not Halloween without a fun drink or punch. Try a  scary and wild mockrail or cocktail to make the party lively. Have  a glass and just enjoy the night!!!