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

Summer Theme Parties

It is summer and the time for all sorts of parties.To make them more memorable think theme . Nothing is more entertaining and fun than a party with a set theme You don't have to go all out as with Sean Combs and his all white Hamptons party but you can have something similar on a smaller scale.

Ever since the arrival of Downton Abbey, teas have become almost de rigueur  for theme parties. These are still fun and the food can be a nice change from sloppy barbecues. Think watercress and chicken salad  sandwiches along with jam and butter ones too.Scones dripping with clotted cream are a must.as well A variety of teas can be served from  the fruity Lady Grey to soothing chamomile or mint, Wimbledon will be starting soon and you can serve their signature dishes, strawberries and cream washed down with champagne. Another Masterpiece classic Poldark has been retooled and revamped for a new generation. Winston Graham's classic romance adventure takes place in Cornwall, where rum was smuggled  freely and drunk freely. Have a Sunday night watching party (it's on PBS  stations at nine on that day) with what else rum and  Cornish pasties. If you're in the New York City area you can buy this last  from the famed Myers of Keswick on Hudson Street. If not it's a simple recipe  of  pastry filled with any kind of chopped meat, usually beef mixed with  potatoes. . You can also make a stargazey pie, a seafood variation of shepherd's pie, toppedwith pilchards staring up at the sky, hence the name,. Have a dessert of blackberries and clotted cream. Both are as Cornish as the  region's broad accent and tin mines.

Of course you can look to America for  theme ideas. Have a Saturday night hoedown, complete with  barbecue, Coca Cola cake and a variety of mayo based salads. Guests can also bring their own favorite picnic dishes  for a down home pot luck get together. New England clambakes are another great way of celebrating.It's  not only clams but also lobster and clams along with mussels steamed on rockweed or seaweed.  True clambakes also have sausages and corn on the cob. Other sides are potatoes, carrots and onions. Remember to include a coffee pot full of melted butter for the seafood  and veggies. A similar shindig is the Wisconsin fish boil. This is a tad more laborious than a clambake but it's essentially any white fish cooked with onions and  potatoes in  heavily salted water. The fish oil floats to the top where it's set aflame similar to crepes Suzette. Melted butter is dribbled on the fish and veggies afterward. It is usually served with cole slaw followed by cherry or blueberry pie.If this is too much then think  drive in  movie. Invite friends over to see a classic or celebrate a birthday with a favorite flick.  Have dogs and burgers along with butter drenched popcorn and malteds (you can make this last a bit naughty by adding a shot of vodka, or bourbon). Have boxes of Juniors Mints Red Vines and Good N Plenty for dessert.

It's summer! Celebrate with parties, full of good fun and good food! Try an English tea or a New England clambake  - whatever you want  for a warm weather get together!