Hungry Caterpillar Party

He’s one, people.  My baby is ONE. 

Here’s how Leo’s Hungry Caterpillar party went down—this is the “how to” post for other people out there who love over-planning parties, so I’ll save my usual self-deprecation and crass humor for tomorrow. 

First, the invitations:

This was one of the easiest parties I’ve ever planned.  Seriously, I think all the parties I plan for my kids from hereon out will be Hungry Caterpillar Parties!  Here’s the snapshot:

I covered the counter and table with white butcher paper, set out a bunch of white serving platters, and let the colorful fruits from the book do the rest of the work.  I wanted to skip decorating this party, so when the kids came in they all made a handprint Hungry Caterpillar craft that I clothes-pinned across the window and voila!  Decorations!

For the cake I decided to take my first stab at fondant.  It was time-consuming to cut out all the fruits in different colors, but no harder than making a batch of play-dough and cutting it out into fruit shapes.  Plus, fondant holds really well so you could make the cake a day or two ahead if you want to take some of the stress out of the party day.

Covering the cake itself with fondant was not as easy as making the fruit shapes.  It helps to have a neighbor skilled in the ways of fondant who bails you out when the fondant is sticky and your cake is lumpy and your husband is completely useless.  (Thanks, Panravee!) 

 

I wanted to have the colorful lollipop from the book for favors but didn’t feel like hunting down huge blue/yellow lollipops on-line and paying for them, and also as a mom I really don’t like my kids to eat gigantic lollipops.  I don’t, however, have a problem with them eating gigantic cookies.  I don’t know why.  I will make sure to ask my therapist next time I go.

To make these I cut sugar cookie dough into circles, laid them on a cookie sheet, stuck an extra long popsicle stick on each one, covered with another cookie circle, and baked.

And boom!  That’s the party!

We grilled a bunch of sausages and served them with my German neighbor’s potato salad (she felt it was too Bavarian for what she was aiming for, but we forgave her) and a couple fancy mustards.

The party was the easy part.  Dealing with the fact that my baby is no longer much of a baby?  That’s going to take a lot of work.

Special thanks to my mom for running the craft activity, Pan for saving the cake, my MIL for chopping all the fruit, Tatjana for bringing the “German,” Kevin for making the sausage run, and all the other family who set up and took down the party while I sat on the couch telling them not to work so hard.

I’m beginning to realize just why this party was so easy…

I only took about three pictures during the party, so just pretend there was a big cupcake here and green frosting all over Leo’s face.  Happy birthday, Baby Doll!