We celebrated him this past weekend with a party that was among my most favorite birthday parties, ever: a cooking-themed event. Five friends and one beloved teacher joined us for a morning of cooking, decorating, and chefting. (Chefting = engaging in chef-like acts). Aidan and Leo were Master Chefs in the help they provided to our guests, and Master Brothers in the fun they shared with their baby bro.
Although this party had fresh and new ideas, it was actually a variation on a theme - I've kind of gotten this home-grown party thing down to a bit of a science.
I choose a color theme,
make some swag,
repurpose stuff from around the house into fresh and relevant party decorations,
and call it good. Whabam! Party time.
I've also learned a thing or two about how much good teaching is like good party planning: plan every minute, then plan some extra stuff. I get teased for the schedules I write (and especially if I waver a minute or two off the timeline) but if there is a secret to my success, it's this. It's all about the party-time management. This time around, the party plan was as follows:
12:00 - 12:15 - Guests arrive: Decorate aprons;
draw pictures of favorite food on poster board
12:15 - 12:30 Assemble pizzas (crust; sauce; cheese; assorted toppings, including hot dogs)
12:30 - 12:45 (while the pizzas cook...) Make fruit kebabs; listen to the story "Seven Silly Eaters"
12:45 - 1:05 Lunch on the deck
1:05 - 1:40 Chef Stations: Sifting (flour);
Measuring (rice and cups, spoons, funnels, etc.);
Rolling and Cutting (pie crusts; rolling pins; cookie cutters); and
Pouring/Spinning (water with salad spinner, lettuce, various pouring and measuring containers)
1:40 - 1:50 Decorate cupcakes
1:50 - 2:00 Let Them Eat (cup)Cake! And Voila!
In addition to the fabric apron they decorated, each guest left with a goodie bag that included a wooden spoon, a basting brush, a cookie cutter, muffin tin liners, a picture of Chef Pax, and two recipes -
one for "With Scratch" Brownies, (best. brownies. EVER!) and one for homemade pizza dough:
Pax’s “With
Scratch” Brownies
12 ounces (3
sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups cocoa
powder, sifted
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups
packed light brown sugar
2
tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch
pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking oil
spray. Melt the butter in a medium
saucepan over medium heat. Remove from
the heat and add the cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Let cool slightly.
In a large
bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the sugars and vanilla extract,
stirring to combine. Add the cooled
butter-chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and salt until just combined;
do not overmix. Spread the batter
evently in the pan, making sure the corners are filled. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a crust forms
on the surface and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool
completely before cutting the brownies.
Pax’s
Perfect Pizza Dough
3 3/4 cups
flour
2 1/2
teaspoons instant or other active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon
salt
3/4 teaspoon
sugar
1 1/3 cup
room-temperature water
In a medium
bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using
a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough
will be stiff, not wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room
temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, at least 2 hours.
Divide the dough in two and shape each into flattened balls. (Dough can be
frozen at this point.) When you are
ready to make a pizza, preheat oven to 500°F roll out one ball of dough in a
rectangular shape and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Top as desired and bake
15-20 minutes.
Bon Apetit! Happy Birthday, Pax!
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