Today: Grace’s 2nd birthday party.

Grace will be two at the end of this month.  I can’t remember a faster two years.

Nor can this guy.

Grace had a few special requests for her family party this weekend and we were glad to oblige.

1. The guest list had to include Baby Nick, Clark and Uncle Zach.
2. We would listen to “Michael Jackson! Michael Jackson!” music.
3. There would be balloons.
4. We would eat a Gaston happy cake (they’re like regular cakes, only happier).

She may have a future in event planning.

Grace’s 2nd birthday party

I think I need to ask for a less freaky hand for my birthday.

The weather cooperated (sorry, mid-Atlantic states), but unfortunately cold season kept a few family members home.  We missed them and made sure to save them some cake (but I might eat it…).

We kept the menu simple, mostly because nothing could top the Gaston cake.  Gaston is one of Grace’s favorite books (it’s about a family of poodles and a family of Frenchies), and the folks at Sweet Tooth bakery in Southie did an incredible job recreating the cover.

Snacks included:

• Cheese and herb flatbread
• Italian turkey meatballs (this was semi-traumatic for my vegetarian self, but I thought they’d be a crowd pleaser and I am trying to branch out a bit when cooking for everyone else… even if that means simply heating frozen ballz from Whole Foods in our crockpot… baby steps)
• Feta and onion tartes
• Spanakopita
• Tortilla chips and salsa
• Cheese plate with fruit
• Carrots, hummus and artichoke dip

I photocopied a page from my sketchbook (all little drawings of Gaston characters) and used those images for food labels.  Grace helped me make a few decorations over the past month or so, including a giant two and some not-so-giant party hats.

We had our loved ones there to celebrate with, balloons to play with, Michael Jackson to listen to, and plenty of cake to enjoy.  So by Grace’s standards (and mine), this was the perfect 2nd birthday party.

Also On Tap for Today:

• The best children’s books of 2015 via Brain Pickings
• Making vegan red lentil and lemon soup for today’s soup swap
• The VIP of citrus fruits (lemon, obvi) via Food52

What is on your list of special birthday party requests?