Stuffed Toy Puppy

The idea was to make this as party favors for Krish and Kevin's Pet Themed Birthday Party.  But we ended up ordering from Oriental Trading instead.

But I made these later for the kids, just for fun:

How to Make a Stuffed Animal by Expert Village

When we go visiting friends, the kids love to take homemade gifts like this for their friends.

Teddy Bear Cake for Krish

This time, I don't remember where the idea came from - but Krish chose a teddy bear cake.  We sat down and sketched a rough design.  Both of us knew that it will not come out as we had planned, but however it came out, we would be more than happy with it.

Sketch:

Made the teddy bear:

How to make a Fondant Teddy Bear by Happy Little Baker

And some flowers:

Then baked the cake:

Moist Vanilla Cake by Foodess Jennifer Pallian
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting by Foodess Jennifer Pallian

And it all came together like so:

Krish loved it so much that:

Adorable, adorable Little Krish!

Pet Themed Birthday Party

Kevin's birthday is in May and Krish's in June.  I had a long talk with Krish.  I talked to him about budget and finance.  He is going to be 8 and yes, I have been teaching him finance, economics and budgets for a while now.

But this talk was for two other purposes as well: one to convince him to agree to a combined birthday party, and the other to encourage him to invite friends that he would enjoy his birthday party with, rather than using a birthday party to make friends.  I think the talk helped put the right ideas in his mind.  After the party, he had all the experience and reasons to validate those ideas.  He is a smart kid and I am sure he will make the connection.  If not, I will gently point these out to him when the next birthday party comes around.

The Location

I requested their daddy to book the clubhouse in the community he lives in.  We didn't get to see the place until the day before the party and I was absolutely stunned by its perfection - cozy, spacious, it was just like home.  It had the perfect little kitchen, a separate dining area and a separate room where the kids played their own games.  It came equipped with tables, chairs, etc, etc.  In one word - perfect.

The Invitation

As usual, it was PicMonkey.  It is free no more.  Though I could have done with just the free trial, I felt I should pay a month's charge since I have been using it for almost 4 years now and I really appreciate this tool.  I highly recommend PicMonkey.

The theme was "Pets" this year - both of them were in hearty agreement.

We took a picture of this picture from a pet book that Kevin has.  It worked out beautifully.

The Food

The food was homemade.  At last!

The menu:

• Vegetable Spaghetti
• Mac and Cheese
• Tortilla Wraps
• Peas Pulav
• Channa Masala
• Paneer Wraps
• Fruits
• Birthday Cake

Daddy Karthik made Spaghetti and Peas Pulav, and I made the rest.

The food was a success.

The Cake

My sources:

Moist Chocolate Cup Cake Recipe By Foodess Jennifer Pallian
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting By Foodess Jennifer Pallian
Fabulous Party Cakes and Cupcakes by Carol Deacon

Supplies:

Wilton 24 Cavity Mega Muffin Pan
Wilton Natural Skin Tone Fondant
Wilton White Fondant

The process:

The cupcakes were a hit.

The Celebration

We finished the party with the pinata, of course.

The Party Favors

I got the party favors from Oriental Trading.

Paw Print Assortment
Dog House Favor Boxes

Krish and Kevin gave out the party favors as soon their friends came in.  This also kept them occupied and was in itself a fun activity for the host kids and the guest kids alike.

The Conclusion

Krish and Kevin had an absolutely enjoyable time.  We were able to take care of the guests like at home.  The kids played with each other and had a good time.  And Krish's best friend declared to him contentedly "This is the best birthday party ever... it's a no brainer."  Krish said pretty much the same to me.

We were all very happy.

Special thanks to Maitri, Surabhi, Eiko for taking pictures at the party and sharing them!

Ninjago Cake - Kevin's 4

Nothing calls for celebration like a "birthday" does.  This is the only occasion, event, tradition that I follow religiously.  Especially when it comes to my little ones, my excitement rivals theirs!

My son Kevin turned 4 last month.  Last year, I made my very first venture into making a fondant decorated cake - Pocoyo themed - and he loved it.  So I was sure the cake was going to be the highlight again.  His birthday fell on Memorial Day this year so we all spent the day with him - no work, no school.

My plan for the day - decorations, cake, new clothes (it is an Indian tradition), his favorite candies, balloons, presents, flowers and lots of hugs, kisses and love!

I took my older one, Krish, and Kevin to bed the night before, waited till Kevin fell asleep and stepped out to the garage to smuggle all the stuff from the car.  I came back and thought - Krish is bound to be awake because he knew my plans.  He and I are so alike - we enjoy the process as much as the outcome.  I thought it would be only fair to let him have his share of the fun.

I tip-toed into the bedroom and just as I thought, he was waiting for me to come get him - he knows me too well!  We commenced on our tasks.  We brought out the boxes and rummaged in it.  Whatever decorations, party ware, I buy, I save them till they completely fall apart.  The decorations we chose to put up in the living room this year were from Krish's 3 year birthday party, and some from his 5 year birthday party.  I try my best to be economical and environmentally responsible in anyway I can.

Krish said I should hang one of these right by the bedroom door so Kevin will see it first thing when he walked out.  Man was he right!  Kevin walked out, saw this and his mouth opened so wide in surprise and joy!

The only new decorations I got were two dollar store helium balloons - they are super, I tell you.

Once the decorations were done, presents wrapped up and placed in strategic locations, we sat down to make the fondant decorations.  I had just put in the cake to bake in the oven.

I watched a lot of interesting videos on youtube.  The following ones inspired me:

Ninjago Lego Fondant Cake How to make by Piece of Cake by Ilse
Behind the Scenes: Lego Cupcake Ninjas | Cupcake Jemma

I followed the idea in this mainly:

How to make fondant Lego Ninjago figure / Jak zrobić figurkę Lego Ninjago

I am extremely grateful for technology and to these people who share so freely, their expertise and ideas.  You can learn anything you fancy, sitting right at home, by your own schedule, at your own pace, without a cost.

Here is my take on it:

Needless to say, Kevin loved it.  He never eats cake, so it is all about playing with it!

He enjoyed and appreciated all the things we made to make his day special.

Recipes:

Chocolate Cake Recipe
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Fondant:

Wilton Primary Colors Fondant
Wilton Natural Skin Tone Fondant - I used only a little black, but these colors are always useful.

I used a black food marker that my friend, Surabhi, gave me.  If I hadn't had that I would have bought the food paint and brush like in the video.

Try it. :)