March 28, 2012

A One-derful Celebration!

Eli Jonathan turned 1 on December 7th, 2011. It's still hard for me to believe that this:



Became this: 


Now I'm a bit late in posting, so he's currently 15 (almost 16!) months, but just a quick snapshot of our little dude's personality. He loves Daddy, his books, his milk, fruit (esp bananas), and Tizzy, the dog. He also loves to crawl around, playing hide-and-seek behind things, like the coffee table, and currently, putting objects into another container is quite fascinating. Eli's vocabulary is growing nearly every day. At 1, he was able to say Daddy, doggie, ball and hi. Today, he can say all that, along with car, Mommy, Tizzy, apple, no, tree, and a few other names of kids from daycare. His little giggles just light up a room, and he's so much fun.

When it came to party planning, I went a little Pinterest crazy. I couldn't help it! There were such cute ideas available and I really wanted to make this special. I wasn't really with it when it came to his bris (it was 8 days post-birth, so I've cut myself some slack) and that was hard for me because I *love* planning parties. I wanted to plan a festive and fun event for everyone!

I went with a monkey theme, to match his nursery, and found adorable invites on Etsy, from LittleBeesGraphics. She was so easy to work with and I was thrilled with the results:
She also made matching cupcake toppers, which I loved! 
My mom helped me make a quick Pinterest DIY Table Runner. It was very easy and super cute!

Instead of a cake, I made my favorite Amy Sedaris Vanilla cupcakes, topped with a choice of Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Quick Fudge Frosting. I also made a Baked Pesto Brie, Royal Icing Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Pretzels with colored sprinkles. Brie and pretzel recipes are listed below!
We had a wonderful afternoon, celebrating with family and friends. Eli enjoyed his first taste of cake and frosting...almost as much as he enjoyed smearing it around into his hair!






Ingredients:
1 round of brie
1 jar of pre-made pesto
(can also make this with dried cranberries and walnuts instead of pesto!)

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350.

Slice the brie round open, like an Oreo, and spread the pesto inside. Close it back up and bake in an ovensafe dish for about 20-ish minutes...until the cheese is melty and delicious. Serve with a knife, crackers, carrots, or small pieces of bread. Enjoy!


Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
Ingredients:
Pretzel rods
Baking chocolate squares (I find that these melt better than chips)
Colored sprinkles
Wax paper

Instructions:
Using a microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring after each round. When the chocolate is fully melted, pour it into a deep drinking glass.

Dip each pretzel and lay it on the wax paper. Cover with sprinkles while it's still wet. Allow them to dry and then store, covered, until needed. 

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