birthday Archives - My Capital Plate

Harry Potter Party Bags

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 22, 2019 | 1 Comment

This year, Miss C asked for a Harry Potter themed party to celebrate her 7th birthday. She also asked to hold the party at a local games Arcade.

The choice of venue meant that we had limited options when it came to decorating, but that didn’t stop us from embracing the theme where we could. For what a great theme it was!

We set up the tables with Harry Potter plates and cups, and filled the table with chocolate crackles, jelly, fruit, juice and other party goodies. A Ferrero rocher golden snitch adjourned each plate, as well as the all-important birthday cake.

And with the help of Pinterest, the local craft store and several fun ‘arts and crafts’ afternoons – we created party bags for the guests that were jammed packed with all things “Harry Potter”!

Let’s take a look inside, shall we?

I found some awesome Harry Potter cups on e-bay, along with heavily-discounted fidget spinners at the local cheapie-store (remember when fidget spinners were a thing?! I never understood the hype…)

We made our very own spell books using these printables, glued into little notebooks we picked up at Kmart.

And of course we couldn’t resist including a selection of Harry Potter sweet treats. A chocolate frog, a dementor-attack chocolate bar, jelly slugs, fizzing whizbees, dragon hearts and Bertie-Bott’s every flavour beans.

All together now!

And after we sent each little wizard home with their own Harry Potter party bag – I was told that many of them were casting spells late into the night.

Needless to say, a magical time was had by all!

A Fairy Garden 3rd Birthday Party

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on February 17, 2018 | 1 Comment

This year it was Josie’s turn to have a ‘big’ birthday party. And, it must be something about turning 3, because just like her big sister had done when she turned 3, J requested a fairy party.

But we went a little differently with our theming. More garden-like, and perhaps a little simpler, although a lot of fun was still had by all!

We collected lots of greenery and wooden platters, and got to work creating a dessert table laden will all sort of treats. Gorgeous fresh flowers completed the garden feel, and added some beautiful pops of colour.

The food

I was struck down with some sort of flu bug the days before the party, so I’m glad that most of the preparations had been done in advance. I didn’t take a huge number of photos of the food on the day – which is proof in itself that I must have been feeling a little off.

We had chocolate mousse (with the cutest little meringue mushrooms), jelly, donuts, meringues, biscuits, fairy dust popcorn, butterfly sandwiches, lemon slice, raspberry biscuits and ‘enchanted’ beans. Along with sandwiches for the adults, and a few batches of homemade sausage rolls. And, as is generally the case, although I thought I was over-catering – we didn’t have much left at the end!

The cake

Little J is not a fan of cake, but she is a fan of the ritual that comes with a birthday cake! In fact, whenever we would mention her upcoming party she would excitedly exclaim “I get to blow out some candles!”.

The cake itself was rather simple. A chocolate cake covered in vanilla buttercream and adorned with fresh pink roses. Finished with a cake topper that I ordered from Etsy – and voila!

And yes, Little J loved having everyone sing to her and blowing out her candles!

Party favours

In keeping with the fairy garden theme, we created little fairy garden kit favours so the guests could perhaps create their own garden at home. We filled terracotta pots with flower seeds, decorative pebbles, pixie dust, bubbles and a little fairy or mushroom figurine – along with some lollies for a sugar hit.

The entertainment

We had around 20 kids at the party, ranging from 7 months to 9 years, so entertainment was always going to be a bit tricky. But I booked a fairy entertainer from here – and was blown away with just how wonderful she was! From the moment she walked in, she had all the kids captivated with songs, games and dancing. Add some face painting into the mix, and the kids all seemed to have a ball!

The girls were a great help in setting up for the party – with Miss C, in particular, relishing in her big sister role and being my helper for the day. She set out the fairy wings and elf hats, and arranged and re-arranged the party tables until they were just how she wanted them. Yes it seems we have another little party planner in the house!

Then before too long, it was time to say goodbye to our nearest and dearest – and settle in with our sugar highs. The birthday girl didn’t stop all day – and loved being the centre of attention!

While I’m left wondering just how it is that she is THREE already!

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our ever-cheeky, lovable goofball. You never fail to make us smile – every single day x

An “Under the Sea” 5th Birthday Party

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 23, 2017 | 3 Comments

This year it was Miss C’s turn to have a “big” birthday party, and she’s been planning it for months. Many months. First it was going to be a Pirate Party, then a PJ Masks Party, but a little while ago she settled on an “Under the Sea” theme – and we ran with that.

Actually, it ended up being a lot of fun to put together. But then again, kids parties normally are!

Since Christmas we’ve been collecting lots of blue and ocean-themed decorations, mainly from the cheap party shops and e-bay. And with the help of Pinterest, a sea-filled party table came together in no time at all!

The food

The table was laden will lots of sea-themed party food – which despite appearances – were quite easy to throw together.

We had starfish sandwiches (some filled with jam, some with nutella and some with sprinkles) and mermaid munch (honey joys). There were also blue jelly cups (jazzed up with mandarin boats and umbrellas), clam cookies (chocolate chip cookies filled with buttercream) and seaweed sticks (grapes threaded onto skewers). Most of these I made on the morning of the party so that they would be nice and fresh. I also made a big batch of sausage rolls in advance, which I was able to freeze then reheat during the party.

Oh and my favourite party treat? These adorable ‘crab-wiches’ – mini croissants filled with ham and cheese – made into ‘crabs’ with the help of googly eyes glued to toothpicks.

The Cake

I found inspiration on Pinterest for this grand blue cake, and was a tad nervous about trying the ‘petal’ icing for the first time. I loved how vibrant the buttercream turned out, and though the weather was warm, I managed to pipe something akin to what I had in mind without the buttercream getting too soft.

I “cheated” and bought Dory and Nemo toys as toppers, and then finished the cake with some starfish I made using candy melts and star moulds.

A little rustic, but I think it tied in with the overall theme.

Party Favours

I found some cheap buckets on e-bay and they turned out to be the perfect party favours.

Filled with lollies and some other little treats, and I’m hoping our guests can put the buckets to good use next time they are at the beach!

Entertainment

When I realised that we would have 25+ kids attending, I knew I would need some help in keeping them all entertained. I planned a big pass-the-parcel game, but also hired a party host (a Pirate!) to help with the other entertainment. There were games, a magic show, balloon making and even some face painting – certainly much more than I would have been capable of. And all the kids seemed engaged – so I’m calling it a win!

And so another year, and another big birthday celebration, came to pass. And, as always, along with the sugar high, I’m left wondering just where the last few years have gone???

Happy 5th Birthday to our beautiful Miss C! Always full of imagination, a lover of adventures and quite the sensitive soul.

A Very Peppa 2nd Birthday Party

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on February 9, 2017 | 2 Comments

And just like that our snuggly little Jo-Jo went from this…

Then to this…

And now to this!

Yes Little J turned TWO on the weekend and we are left wondering just where the time went (a sentiment that we find ourselves repeating over and over again these days…)

While last year we had a big backyard party to celebrate J’s first birthday, this year was, intentionally, a lot more low key. We are going to alternate ‘big’ parties each year for the girls, and this year it was J’s turn to have a modest party with family only.

But that didn’t mean we couldn’t make it a special day. No sir. It was still filled with pressies, balloons, family, food and all things Peppa Pig. Not to mention morning games, a scooter race and, of course, lots of birthday cuddles!

And come dinner time, there was no shortage of food. We laid out lots of party favourites – including homemade sausage rolls, homemade chicken nuggets and mini pizzas – plus a spinach & ricotta fritatta and grilled eggplant salad for the grown-ups.

As for the birthday cake – well that was an easy decision. For my Peppa-pig-obsessed girl would want nothing else.

(Vanilla cake, decorated with chocolate biscuits and green icing piped to look like grass. Not forgetting the chocolate ganache ‘muddy puddle’ and a few figurines and flowers to top it all off!!)

The party girl seemed to be a big fan – even if she wasn’t quite sure how to blow out her candles. She did, however, love being sung to – and has requested we sing “Happy Birthday” to her on a daily basis since!

“Two” really has proven, again, to be such a fun age. Little J is full of personality, and more words are coming every day. She is beyond independent, which both endears me and drives me wild (usually depending on how much of a rush we are in). And even when her tantrums are loud and insistent, it is generally not too long before she breaks out in a big dimply smile that is simply contagious.

Current loves: yoghurt, milk, her evening routine, Peppa Pig, dogs, gymnastics, bananas and her big sister (and / or anything her big sister is doing, eating, playing with…)

Current dislikes: being told no, veggies as a general rule (!!!), not being able to do things herself.

A very happy birthday to our beautiful, bright, bubbly Little J indeed.

An ‘enchanted forest’ 3rd Birthday Party

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 11, 2015 | 8 Comments

Somehow, just somehow, our little girl turns 3 today.

Clichéd as it may sound, it seems like it was only yesterday that we welcomed her into the world. Yet here we now are – 3 years later – with a spirited and adventurous daughter who make us laugh every single day.

For months now, Charlotte has been telling me that she wants a ‘Ben and Holly’ party. So I ran with the fairy and elf theme, and before long we had ourselves quite the ‘enchanted forest’ soiree.

Despite all appearances, we kept the food relatively simple (and appropriately sugar-laden!).

The gorgeous toadstool cupcakes were courtesy of Little Miss Cupcake (my fondant skills still being in their ‘developmental phase’) while most of the other goodies (jelly, fairy bread etc) could be made in advance…

As for the cake – well I must admit that I cheated a little. While I made the green ‘grassy’ base using chocolate cake and fondant – the castle itself was actually a cardboard cutout!

The little Miss was still super excited when she saw the finished product – so I’m calling it a mama win – cheats and all!

Fortunately we were also blessed with a beautiful sunny day – meaning we could set up the backyard for the kids to run amok.

The little toadstool set was hired from a local party company – while Mr BBB got creative and adapted a regular trestle table into “kids” size (we figured we’ve got plenty more kids parties ahead of us!!). As for entertainment, we had a lovely fairy entertainer drop by and read stories, play games and ‘glitter-fy’ the kids. The trampoline was also a hit, as always, and there was no shortage of snacks and dressups.

Overall – it was so very wonderful to celebrate this milestone with our nearest and dearest. For decorations and cakes aside, it was having all her family together that really brought a smile to the birthday girl’s face!

Wishing you a very happy 3rd Birthday my beautiful girl. May the year ahead be filled with wonder and adventure! — Oh – and just because I can’t help but take a trip down memory lane…

Where did our baby girl go???

A farmyard 2nd birthday party

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 18, 2014 | 3 Comments

Well what a wonderful weekend that just was. One that was filled to the brim with family, friends and a llama….

Say what?! For when Miss C’s love of animals became apparent a little while ago – so did the theme for her 2nd birthday party.

A farmyard frolic!

As always, I had so much fun planning and preparing for this special occasion. Some things I purchased, some were handmade, and some were a combination of both. Pinterest became my best friend, and it wasn’t too long before the theme really began to take shape.

(Idea taken from here).

With pink gingham as my colour inspiration, I couldn’t resist creating a dessert table with farmyard inspired treats…

Including fruit and jelly cups, chocolate mousse ‘muddy puddles’, trail mix ‘chicken feed’, pretzel ‘ropes’ and a beetroot dip and‘veggie patch’. And as for the all important cake – well this was a prime example of how homemade + store-bought can often work well together.

For while I made the actual mud cake, and (with the assistance of my niece) managed to apply the green fondant and fence posts – the adorable animal toppers and plaque were purchased from here.

As were the cute cupcake toppers that I placed onto mini muffins.

And while the cake was certainly a little rustic in parts – at least the bits that we made – Miss C seemed thrilled and even managed to blow out her own candles!

For beverages we served a fruit punch, made simply with tropical juice, ginger-ale, fruit and lemonade.

Along with the other usual suspects….champagne, beer, soft drinks and “moo juice” for the kiddies. And as for the goodie bags, well these were simply brown paper bags, finished with some gingham ribbon and a handmade thankyou note card. Filled with lollies and toys – and an advance apology to the parents for any lolly-bag induced sugar highs.

And not even a last minute sign painting fail could dampen our spirits, particularly when the stars of the party arrived shortly thereafter. For what farmyard party would be complete without the animals? Lambs, chickens, baby goats and even …

Hamish the llama!! Not to mention Mamma rabbit and her two week old babies!

Needless to say – the kids (and adults, for that matter) had a lot of fun patting and playing with these beautiful and gentle creatures throughout the afternoon – when our normally boring backyard was transferred into a farm for the day!

It was so very wonderful to have our house filled with the laughter and squeals of 11 little kiddies – as they frolicked with the animals, painted and jumped to their hearts content on the trampoline.

And as for the birthday girl, well she didn’t rest for a moment. Between stealing chippies, blowing bubbles and ripping open presents…. well I think she was in her element the whole time.

(Her gorgeous skirt + hair bows came courtesy of an ever-talented friend….) Needless to say, the birthday girl didn’t need much encouragement to go to sleep when it came to bed time that evening (nor did I)!

Overall – it was a fun day – and one that I hope C and her little guests enjoyed. I still can’t quite believe she is two. For it feels like only yesterday that we had her Cheeky Monkey 1st Birthday Party!

2 years today

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 11, 2014 | 4 Comments

Today, my little girl turns two. Gone is my squishy little newborn, and in her place I find an energetic and fiercely independent toddler. Who doesn’t walk, but runs. Usually at full speed and with a mischievous glint in her eye. Who loves being outdoors, and exploring new places, particularly if they involve water, animals or paint! Who is a rather quirky individual, and makes me laugh no less than twenty times a day. Be it pulling a goofy face, bossing me around the house, or being just plain silly. I love it all so much! It is not uncommon for C to point and order me to “sit down mama” or demand “come here mama”, with a stern and serious look on her face. (I’m not sure where she gets the bossiness from hehe?) Her sense of independence also sees her striding confidently through the shops, waving to people, introducing herself and regaling them with stories from the day. The downside being that I can’t take my eyes off her for a second because she will undoubtedly disappear! But the tantrums. Oh the tantrums. For a sense of independence apparently brings with it a little bit of diva, and she is sure to let us know if she is not happy. Although it is rarely long before she is back to being her cheeky self. And this girl is a chatterbox – constantly talking and bossing, and pretending to talk on the phone! It has actually been rather wonderful to be able to engage with her in a communicative sense, and hear all her little stories from the day. Although she did tell me that there is a rat at Nanna’s house, which I’m yet to figure out? I wouldn’t necessarily call her a ‘girly girl’, for she prefers Thomas the Tank Engine to princesses, and loves helping her daddy with tasks around the home. But there are, of course, moments where she most certainly is a little girl – with dance classes being a weekly favourite! On the food front, her appetite varies. She’s not necessarily fussy – just a bit hit and miss when it comes to eating. Some days she wants little more than her beloved yoghurt and cheese, while other days I can’t seem to fill her up? Some recent favourites? Roast duck and camembert cheese. Yup this little is a foodie in the making apparently? One thing that is a constant – is her love for water – as evidenced by the multiple bottles littered throughout our house, the care, my bags… A habit I am most certainly encouraging though – and could probably learn from myself. While I am a little sad that she is growing up so fast, I love that C is still at an age where ‘magic mama kisses’ can make everything better. So much so, that she will now offer to “kiss better” if she accidentally bumps into me or I stub my toe. She has beautiful manners, full of please and thankyous – and will even say “sorry” to herself if she bumps into something. Cuteness overload. She is also showing a great fondness for books, and reads with her daddy every evening and at other times throughout the day. Speaking of which, she is almost certainly a Daddy’s girl, and what a great Daddy he is. Every day C will wait at the window for him to get home from work – squealing with glee when his car or bike pulls up. In sum, the past two years have been nothing short of wonderful, and I think Mr BBB and I have learned more about ourselves than we ever thought possible. Seeing “life” through the eyes of our spunky toddler has been truly amazing – and I’ve loved every moment spent together as a family. So to my beautiful daughter on your second birthday, thankyou for bringing so much love and laughter into our lives. We feel truly blessed to be your parents, and to have watched you grow over the last 2 years. You have us all enamoured, and wrapped around your little finger. But if its ok with you, can you please slow down on the whole growing up thing lol Now let’s go eat cake!

1 year ago today…

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on March 11, 2013 | 6 Comments

1 year ago today, we welcomed the most amazing girl into our lives. Each and every day since then has been a grand adventure, as we watch her learn and grow, and change from a little baby into a happy go-lucky 1 year old. I have so much to say about the weekend we have just had, and the milestone that is turning 1… But for now, let me just wish this beautiful girl of ours a very happy 1st birthday! You are so loved my little Smidge xx

31 today

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on May 23, 2012 | 30 Comments

Thankyou all for your lovely comments re my last post – it seems that ‘mummy-guilt’ is fairly common place. I just need to relax a little – which the rational part of me knows will not only be good for me, but Charlotte also. If only the irrational part of me would listen! Today has been a splendid one, thus far. For I went to sleep aged 30, and woke up a year older. And what better way to celebrate another year passing by than with my little family. I did have to go into work for a while this morning, but was greeted on my return home by a big bunch of flowers courtesy of Mr BBB and Miss C… And the promise of a shopping trip in the near future to select a new piece of artwork for our main living area. Most excited indeed! Oh and in other exciting (and well timed for my birthday) news…I was thrilled to find out that I made it through to the next round of the Gourmet Garden Cook Off / Blog Off competition. So yours truly will be competing in a “cook off” at the Sydney Good Food and Wine Festival in June. Exited? Yes! Nervous? Most certainly!!! Perhaps my impending birthday has had something to do with the sense of nostalgia I have experienced recently. For I have found myself reflecting more and more on the changes that have taken place in my life over the last 12 months. Big, wonderful changes. Last year I celebrated my 30th birthday with a Moroccan dinner party with friends and family at home… And this year I am celebrating my birthday with the newest addition to our life. The last 12 months really have been nothing short of amazing. I travelled both nationally and internationally. I ran, I biked, I baked. I stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon. I boated next to the Niagara Falls. I got pregnant, grew a baby and gave birth to our daughter. I went from blonde, to brunette and back to blonde again. We landscaped our yard. I gained 13kg, and lost 11kg. I went from working full time, to working part-time from home. I feel as if I have grown as a person. And my birthday wish from this time last year came true… Time for a photo trip down memory lane… Who knows what the next year will bring? All I know is…I’m pretty excited to find out!

Lemon meringue cheesecake

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on January 24, 2012 | 18 Comments

Mr BBB celebrates a birthday later this week. And, as we will be away on his actual birthday, we decided to hold a birthday dinner with his family a little early. Our favourite local Thai restaurant provided the scrumptious main meal, but we headed home for dessert. For we had birthday cake awaiting us. And not just any old birthday cake…. But a cake that was inspired by Mr BBB’s favourite sweet treat – lemon meringue pie. Adapted to be gluten free, and made into a cheesecake. ie. a lemon meringue cheesecake! The base was rather easy – owing to these GF biscuits I found at our local grocery store. Crushed, and combined with melted butter. Then pressed into the base of a lined spring-form pan. Topped with the cheesecake layer – made with cream cheese, eggs, sugar and lemon rind. Baked for 1 hour, and finished with a thick layer of lemon curd (store bought….I cheated).

And set in the fridge overnight. On the day of serving, all I had to do was finish the cake with a layer of meringue. Egg whites and sugar, whisked until firm, then piped on top the cheesecake layer. Baked for a further 10 minutes until the meringue had browned slightly… And our lemon meringue birthday cheesecake was complete! Between the buttery base… The creamy cheesecake and tart lemon curd centre… And not to mention the fluffy sweet meringue…. This cake ended up being quite the lovely adaptation of an old classic. Minus the hassle of attempting GF pastry! The slices we served were certainly well received for dessert, so I am calling this baking experiment a win! Although, can you really go wrong when lemon and meringue are involved??? I think not. Lemon meringue cheesecake (GF)

250g GF biscuits
120g butter, melted
500g cream cheese, softened
Rind of 1 lemon
3/4 cup + 1 cup caster sugar
2tbs lemon curd (make sure it is GF)
3 eggs + 4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cornflour

Preheat oven to 160C. Lightly grease a round spring-form cake pan, and line base with baking paper.
Process biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, and pulse until combined. Press the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat 3 eggs and 3/4 cup caster sugar, until light and creamy.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and lemon rind until smooth.
Add the egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture, and continue to beat until smooth (do not overbeat!).
Pour atop the biscuit base, and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow to cool in the oven with the door ajar.
Once cooled, spread the lemon curd over the surface of the cheesecake, and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
To make the meringue – beat 4 egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, a little at a time, whisking until they become stiff peaks and the sugar has incorporated.
Fold through the cornflour, and spoon the meringue into a piping bag. Pipe rounds of the meringue onto the top of the prepared cheesecake, until the surface is mostly covered.
Place in a hot oven (220C) for 10 minutes, or until browned lightly.
Remove and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving.