Adult Golf Party

For years, I've known that I wanted to throw a golf themed party for my husband's 30th birthday and for years, I struggled to find decorations or ideas that were fitting for someone turning 30.  Not 3... not 60.  30.  A little shopping at Party City, Walmart and Home Depot and I was able to come up with an age appropriate and still very festive birthday party for my old man.  Check it out!

Guests were greeted at the door with a 1st Hole flag pin {wooden dowel from Home Depot with a paper flag and Cricut cut number attached} and an astroturf rug.  You have set the mood, right?!

 Thank goodness the hubs made this cute chalkboard for me so I can do festive drawings!

 My husband has golfed his entire life - it is a huge part of our lives and I wanted to showcase that.  I collected pictures from his mom of his golf adventures through the years and then added in a few more of my own.  Guests loved looking at old pictures of him!

 Of course, our front entry "tree" had to be decorated.  Duh!

 I printed off golf movie quotes and posted them around the house.  Everyone felt challenged to name the movies!  Here is the list of quotes I posted:
"Dead heat after one hole.  This is turning into quite the rivalry." - Swingers
"I never slice." - Caddyshack
"See it. Feel it. Trust it." - Seven Days in Utopia
"Doing the bull dance.  Feelin' the flow.  Workin' it. Workin' it." - Happy Gilmore
"A tuning fork goes off in your heart and your balls." - Tin Cup
and just for fun.... "Shoot Straight!" hung over the toilet in the Guest Bathroom.  I actually yell this to my husband every time he's walking out the door to go play golf with his friends, but I thought it was funny to put over the toilet.  :)

Decorations galore!  Streamers! Balloons!  It's not a birthday party without them!  Party City also had White Honeycomb Tissue Balls that look like golf balls when expanded and hung.

 We put astroturf on flat surfaces all over the house, including the mantle.

 I'm not much for baking.  I don't have the patience for it.  So much to my surprise, these golf cupcakes turned out really well!  Thank goodness for Betty Crocker Icing Sprays - they come in a can a la Cheez Whiz with piping tips so you don't have to battle with a bag.  They are a little pricey at $5 a can but my piece of mind was worth it!

 For those who don't know... the 19th Hole... is the bar.

 And of course there was food!!!

The Menu:

The Green - Salad {used: premade salad}

Putter Poppers - Jalepeno Poppers {get the AMAZING recipe here!}

Chip Shot - Chips and Dip

A La Carte - Veggie Tray

Birdies - Chicken Wings {used: Tyson Anytizers, hot wings and Honey BBQ wings}

 We got all our plates, napkins, streamers, balloons, green table clothes, utensils, cups, etc from Party City - all for under $50!

I bought golf tees and plastic practice golf balls from Walmart.  Find them in the sporting goods section!

I got an 8' x 6' roll of astroturf at Home Depot for only $20!

The golf pin flags and food flags were made using a Cricut.  The golf flags were glued to skewers.  The food flags were taped to upside down golf tees.

For entertainment, we had a beautiful putting green set up in the front room for people to practice their swings.  You can find the exact one here...
I also bought an unputtable ball for kicks and it drove my husband crazy!  You can get it here:

Thanks for checking out my party!

Healthy Mexican Turkey Frittatas Recipe

We all want to eat healthy but never seem to have the time.  I have a good handful of friends who have gotten into food prep on Sunday nights.  I've always prepared my celery snacks but I never really thought about breakfast... until I discovered frittatas.

What are frittatas?

A frittata is basically a muffin... made of eggs, peppers, meat, ect.  Basically, it's an omelet muffin... without the delicious muffin part.  Okay, it's just an omelet made in a muffin pan.

These frittatas are less than 100 calories each and are delicious reheated with hot sauce.  Give them a try!

Ingredients
1 (20-ounce) package Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced small mushrooms
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups egg substitute or 8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded low-fat Mexican blend cheese
1/3 cup green onions

1.  Prep your foods.  Always keep tons of prep bowls so you can prep all your foods before you begin cooking.  This will allow you to focus on cooking {read: not burning} your food.

Tip: How to Cut Peppers - Cut of the stem and butt ends of the pepper.  Stand on end and cut downward between the white flesh.  The white part and the seeds are the aggressively hot parts.  Discard the core and chop your pieces.

Tip: I even separate out my spices.  I don't like to do any measuring when I'm in the midst of cooking.

Tip: Invest in a jalapeno corer.  You don't have to expose yourself to as many seeds {ouch!} and it's a heck of a lot faster.

Tip: Cilantro - Remove the leaves from the steams before chopping.  Simple as that.  Don't skip that step.

All prepped and ready to go!

2.  Preheat the oven to 400*F.  Spray your muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3.  Turkey.  Cook turkey according to package instructions {about 15-20 minutes}.  NEVER UNDER COOK YOUR MEAT.   Remove from heat and stir in cumin.  Set aside.

4.  Mushroom and Pepper Mix.  Heat large skillet over med/high heat.  Combine green peppers, mushrooms, jalapenos and vegetable oil in pan, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked {darker and soft}.  Remove from heat and set aside.

5.  Eggs.  In large bowl, de-shell eggs.  Whisk in milk and cilantro until well mixed. 

6.  Combine mushroom/pepper mix, turkey, cheese, and green onions in eggs with spoon/spatula.

7.  Spoon mixture into muffin pan, filling each cup just over 3/4 full.

8.  Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown on top.

Mmm...mmm delicious!

Hope you enjoy!

Housewarming

We have exhausted ourselves over the past two months to get settled into our home in preparation for our housewarming.  The event was this weekend and it was a blast!  So many of our friends and family filled our home with well wishes and plenty of laughs.

As you can expect, there was loads of work we put into hosting our event.  When your home is the main focus of the party, far too much cleaning is involved!  However, it's also important to feed your guests!!!

 My husband took this picture without us knowing.  My mom, my mother-in-law and I were hard at work prepping dishes.  The great thing - my kitchen is clearly a 3 to 4 butt kitchen!  Yay!

 We prepared a huge spread of food for all.  Being that it was only two days after Halloween, I really tried to stay away from sweets and focused on traditional but tasty finger foods.

 Of course, my deviled eggs were prepared.  These are expected at all events, especially ones that I host.
For the recipe, click here.

 I gave the Bite-Size Caprese appetizers a shot.  I found them on Pinterest and have been dying to try them.  While my plating techniques need a little work, these were a huge hit.
How to:
Simply cut a Cherub tomato in half.  Place a small slice of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaf in between the two halves.  Hold together with a toothpick.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar over top.

 Pasta Salad is a must for me.  It's easy to dish out and very filling.  Plus, it's beautifully colorful and livens up a table.
For the recipe, please see the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.

 My mother-in-law provided these delicious bundtinis for dessert.  They are basically miniature cakes and were outstanding!  Not as sweet as cupcakes, but definitely satisfied the sweet tooth.

Zucchini bites have become another staple of our get-togethers.  They are quick and very easy to make.
How to: 
Slice zucchini into 1/8" thick pieces.  Toss pieces in a Ziplock bag with olive oil to coat.  Remove slices from bag straight into a dish filled with grated Parmesan cheese, Panko salt and pepper.  Fully coat pieces and arrange slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes in oven at 450*.  Serve with ranch dressing.

Other Dishes Served:
Meatballs with Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce
Strawberries with Strawberry Fluff Dip
Cheese and Cracker Platter
Lays Lightly Salted Potato Chips with Onion Dip
Veggie Platter with Onion Dip
Mixed Nuts
Goldfish Crackers

 And of course... there was wine.  Lots and lots of wine.

We sent our guests home with a small token of our appreciation - a small packet of M&Ms for the road.

We could not have been happier to have our home filled with so much family, friends and food.  Everyone made the night very special and we're so fortunate to have so many blessings.

Housewarming Printable Set

Includes:

Welcome Banner

Thank You For Coming Tags

Blank Food Cards

Monogrammed Food Flags (A-M)

Monogrammed Food Flags (N-Z)