While I love sharing our different party ideas – all of them doable and realistic – I don’t often share the food we serve. The reasoning is simple: I don’t always theme it (and when I do it’s one or two items) so it’s not really worth sharing.

However for A’s second birthday – a farm/cow theme, I did a lot of themed foods because there were just too many opportunities to do it!

You can check out our cow party decorations too if you need some more inspiration for your party.

For our family-focused birthday parties (this one was for a two-year-old so it was mostly family) I like to serve a buffet style meal with plenty of salads and light dishes.

I’m only sharing the themed foods here – I don’t remember but I’m assuming that I served some sort of hot pasta too.

Healthy Farm Party Food Ideas

Since farms are all about the food we eat, there are endless opportunities for farm-focused foods – it’s all about picking the right things.

And since our party was for a two-year-old who didn’t quite know what candy was then, it just made sense to have healthier munchies that she’d enjoy too.

What we served

I like to do chip ‘n dip/cracker ‘n dips as an easy and filling healthy snack.

I made egg salad and guac, and served it with blue corn chips and light colored crackers for a “cow spotted” vibe.

A corn salad was a must – mine had pickles, hearts of palm and peppers with a light dressing.

Next, I made a veggie platter – but made it look like grass! You need a platter that has straighter edges and relatively deep cavities for this.

I filled it with celery sticks, green beans, and hothouse cucumber sticks with peel on, all standing up. The center was a sesame-free hummus for dipping.

For a tossed salad, I kept it very green, with romaine lettuce as the core and loads of veggies. Virtually any tossed salad you do will work for a farm theme.

And of course, we HAD to have deviled eggs to complete the farm vibe!

Bonus Ideas

This party was long enough ago that I don’t 100% remember everything we served, and it’s possible that we had some of these out as well.

• Drinks such as chocolate milk are perfect, especially with the moo vibe going strong.
• Lemonade and orange juice also have that farm fresh feeling.
• Cheese – you can do this in the form of a cheese board
• Shredded carrot salad would add so much to this theme
• Berries displayed in farm-style baskets
• Of course, any veggies work for this theme, and I’d go heavy on that.

Snack and Treat Farm Party Food Ideas

Every party has some treats! While I avoid candy for parties with a kid this young who hasn’t really been introduced to candy yet, if you have older kids you can include that.

What we served

I’m not really a baker or cookie decorator, but I wanted to do something that is no-fail.

I made simple round cookies and decorated them with black (cow print) splotches. You can also just call chocolate chip cookies “cow print”.

We have a tradition (did I mention I don’t bake?) to save $$$ on a cake and go with a babka instead – it’s much yummier anyway! So I made a cake topper to go with it. You can grab the project in Design Space here.

Bonus Ideas

• Popcorn looks like sheep’s wool AND is corn
• Veggie straws are hay – and veggies you pick
• Candy corn of course!
• Cheese based snacks like cheese puffs
• Animal crackers are a win!

Got any farm party food ideas to add to the list? Comment below!

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I confess, I’m not an “authentic” foodie.

I don’t sit and refine recipes, try them a dozen ways, figure out the exact balance of flavors. I never went to culinary school and I had to research extensively, a.k.a. ask a foodie friend, to figure out what the proper name would be for this mochaccino recipe (I still hope we got it right…)

But I’m a mama who needs her caffeine – and plenty of it – and I know how to do it right.

One day, after Monin surprised me by sending me their delicious Vanilla Bean Sauce in the mail, I was in a very self-indulgent mood and I created the mochaccino.

First of all, I knew I wanted real chocolate with my coffee. I love hot chocolate  – the stuff that’s made with chocolate, not cocoa – and I figured that would be a cool way to do coffee too. I stole a couple of squares of the M&M filled chocolate that M’s grandmother gave him for Hanukkah.

I also thought it would taste good with a vanilla twist, so I added some of the syrup.

I don’t have time, energy, or patience to begin with steaming milk (if you do, you can call it a mochaccino latte recipe too… fancy stuff!)

But I knew I wanted froth.

To create a yummy, steamed froth, you can use this milk frother (my sister-in-law swears by it!) If you just want froth, you have two choices:

• Use a frother that just froths and is also much easier to deal with and clean
• Or, do what I did and shake your milk bottle vigorously. It helps if you only have a few ounces left in there .

Considering that if you’re reading this, you probably haven’t had your coffee yet, I’ll move on quickly to the recipe and your salvation:

Ingredients needed to make this heavenly mochaccino:

Scroll to the end of this post for the printable recipe card.

• 2 T Monin Vanilla Bean Sauce
• 1 c freshly brewed coffee
• 3 packets Truvia sweetener (if you want it even sweeter) or the equivalent in sugar
• 2 squares milk chocolate (M&M’s optional)
• Foamy milk

Easy Moccachino Step-by-Step Recipe:

1. Add 7-8 oz  freshly brewed coffee to your mug. Add your chocolate and stir until it’s totally melted and blended in.

2. Add your foamy milk – until it meets your desired ratio.

3. Add your vanilla syrup. I like mine SWEET so I ended up with about 2 tablespoons, but I recommend starting with 2 teaspoons, and adding another teaspoon at a time until you’re happy with the flavor.

vanilla syrup

If you find that you’re still adding more syrup once you hit 2 tablespoons (6 teaspoons), I’d recommend sweetening it as you like with sugar or Truvia.

Note: The sweetness of different brands of chocolate and syrup will vary. You’ll probably need to figure out what the best ratio is for the brand you use, but once you do, you can easily repeat it without having to remeasure everything!

If you really want to indulge, you can add chocolate chunks afterward and eat them before they melt in – yum!

And of course, make sure to try this mochaccino recipe with no kids around so that you can drink it hot, with the milk still frothed!

Have you ever tried a mochaccino latte recipe that you loved? What’s your favorite way to drink your caffeine? Comment below!

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Loved this Mochaccino Recipe? Check these out!

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I confess, I completely suck at decorating cakes.

I have the ideas, but not the skills. I literally googled “how to frost a cake” before making this.

I messed up on two fronts:

1. I used frosting from a carton which is much harder to spread. If you want it to be easier, make your own.
2. I didn’t let the cake cool off enough. I was simply too short on time.

Now that I told you where I went wrong, I can move on to how to do this so that you can do it right. That being said, all of the party attendees LOVED the messy, luscious look of the cake. Or they were trying to make me feel good… either way you can choose your look of your giraffe birthday cake and I’m just here to inspire!

This giraffe birthday cake fit right into our giraffe birthday party theme that we did for Baby Y’s first birthday. You can check it out the whole theme including the favor boxes pictured here and get the free printable birthday hats here.

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The fun giraffe print cake was done free form and really anyone can do it – which is what I love about it. So if you’re ready to ditch the expensive custom cake, this is the way to go!

What you need to make a giraffe birthday cake:

• Light and dark cakes – I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge and Yellow Cake
• Vanilla and chocolate frosting – I used Duncan Hines here too but you’re better off making your own.
• Two 9×13 inch rectangle pans
• A bread/cake knife
• An icing spatula
• A piping bag and wide tip

How to make a giraffe birthday cake:

1. Bake a dark and light cake in two 9×13 inch rectangular pans. Cool completely.

2. Cut it in half and trim the edges so that they’re straight. Reserve all trimmings to make cake balls.

3. Stack your cakes alternating between light and dark, and adding a bit of frosting between layers. Trim your edges so that they’re totally straight.

4. Prepare your frosting! Start with the light one. I started with vanilla frosting from a carton. I added a bit of the chocolate I was going to use for the spots and some yellow food color to give it a brighter tint. Mix in a little at a time until you’re happy with the color.

5. Add a crumb coat of frosting.

6. Add a full coat of your light color. If you want the drippy, whipped look, apply a lot and let it be messy 😉

7. Start piping on your spots! Be generous for that luscious, creamy look. Continue working your way around the entire cake with chocolate frosting.

Your giraffe birthday cake is ready to be eaten and enjoyed!

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Make these Funfetti cake balls from the trimmings of a favorite birthday cake, or make the cake special. Either way, cake balls are the perfect party treat – bite size, and easy to freeze leftovers. Scroll right to the end of this post if you want to skip to the printable version.  Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

One of my favorite features of these Funfetti cake balls is that they’re perfect for baking with kids!

You can mix up the toppings too, customize it for any event, or have the kids choose which ones to use. With these colorful sprinkles, they are ideal for a unicorn, mermaid, or even a rainbow themed party.

Keep them as balls (what I prefer to do) or add lolly sticks to turn them into cake pops.

What you need to make Funfetti Cake Balls:

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 Treat yourself to this heavenly smoked butterscotch latte – an easy drink that you know you deserve! Prepare it in minutes and get your day started (or continued…) on the right foot. Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Y’all know that coffee is my primary source of survival…

I mean COFFEE! I’ve created a coffee coloring book – yep, a coloring book for grown-ups that’s only about coffee. That’s how obsessed I am.

But when it comes to my coffee, I really like to go all-out. It’s my primary  way I treat myself when motherhood consumes me, and my source for consistent me-time. So when a friend shared this delicious smoked butterscotch latte recipe, I decided to give it a go.

Obviously, the trick here is simply using the right syrups, some froth, and plenty of whipped cream to create the delicious treat. You can use a milk frother – frothed milk is delicious in any coffee recipe – or you can froth it yourself in the microwave.

So what are you waiting for? Whip out your favorite mug, bring out those beans and start drinking!

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That’s all! You can find the printable version of this smoked butterscotch latte recipe at the end of this post.

I hope you enjoy your smoked butterscotch latte! What’s your favorite way to drink your cuppa? Comment below!

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I’m thrilled to present to you these adorable Bert and Ernie snacks by Alyssa from Arts & Crackers! It’s quite different from your typical food craft because it’s, well, more crafty… and I love that!

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Some of us (ahem, ahem, myself included) are better with a glue gun than a piping bag, and so this is right on par with what we need! Since the fun is all on the peel:

• It doesn’t need to be edible (as long as your kid is big enough to know not to eat it.)

1. You can do it in advance without worrying about bananas dissolving, etc…

One PSA about the eyes: if you keep Kosher, these are very hard to find with certification. However, since it’s not being eaten you can use googly eyes. Or make your own as instructed below.

And now, I’ll hand this over to Alyssa….

What you need to make Bert and Ernie snacks:

• 1 Banana
• 1 Orange/Tangerine
• 4 Medium Candy Eyes (pre-make these with white royal icing and a black edible ink marker)
• M&Ms Candies (1 red, 1 yellow, 2 orange)
• 1 Piece Black Foam
• Black Craft Fur
• Pink and Red Permanent Markers
• Hot Glue
• Edible Glue (optional)

Optional Alternatives (for non-candy decorations)

• 4 Medium Googly Eyes
• Craft Foam Sheets (red, yellow, orange)

How to make Bert and Ernie Snacks:

1. Cut the banana in just under half. You can use the top or bottom, but if you use the top you will want to trim the stem. If needed, cut off a small amount on an angle so the banana stands up properly.

2. Figure out where you will want the mouth on the orange and the banana and draw them on using permanent markers–pink for the tongue and red for the rest.

3. Glue on the noses*–1 red M&M for Ernie (the orange) and half of a yellow M&M for Bert (the banana). You can use hot glue for this (low heat is best, as the chocolate for the half M&M will melt–otherwise just use a dab and barely press down) or you can use the edible glue. Alternatively, you can hot glue on noses cut out of colored craft foam. 

4. Glue on the eyes using hot glue or edible glue.* Their eyes should be touching their noses (see pictures for placement.).

5. Cut one thin, long eyebrow from the black craft foam and glue it just above Bert’s eyes.

6. Cut one yellow M&M in half and one orange M&M in half. Carefully glue* the yellow M&M halves to the sides of Bert and the orange halves to the sides of Ernie to make the ears. Alternatively you can hot glue on colored craft foam.

7. Cut two pieces out of the black craft fur–one piece should be wider and the fur cut a little shorter to top Ernie’s head, and the other should be a thinner piece with long fur for Bert. Cutting from the fresh edge of the fur works best. Hot glue these onto the orange and banana.

That’s it! Your Bert and Ernie snacks are ready to eat, and are sure to be a huge hit!

*Glue use note: Adult supervision required when using hot glue. Take care gluing on small pieces as this glue gets very hot. If using hot glue, be sure not to let the children eat the glue or the candies that touch the glue; the full M&M pieces and candy eyes should be okay to eat if they peel off completely from the hot glue, but if you have concerns, please opt for the edible glue or choose the completely inedible decorations and make sure the children know not to eat these.

About the Author: Alyssa is a military spouse and homeschool mom of two energetic boys. She specializes in all things quirky, artsy, and unique. Alyssa loves cows and her goal is to someday homestead (and, of course, have a pet cow). Visit her website for more unique crafts and recipes for all ages, parenting and military resources, printable coloring pages, and more!

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My favorite part of this easy Mickey Mouse food idea is that it’s not that complicated. You don’t need to know how to pipe, how to roll fondant, or any other cake decorating skills. You simply melt some chocolate on a double boiler and dip your berries! And the results are quite impressive.

Gear and other supplies you’ll need to make this fun Mickey Mouse Food:

What event will you be making this fun Mickey Mouse snack for? Comment below!

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This red velvet cookie recipe takes everything you love in the cake and turns it into bite-sized deliciousness. These cookies are great for stashing in the freezer and pulling out just one or two (or three!) after a crazy day with the kids.

I also like to hide them in lunchboxes for an extra special surprise come lunchtime. 

A red velvet cookie is just perfect for indulging on its own- but if you’re looking to make it even more kid friendly, (I know what you’re thinking- a cookie is possibly the most kid-friendly food there is!) try dipping half the cookie in a classic cream cheese glaze. There is nothing more sinfully delicious than the combination of red velvet anything and cream cheese glaze. 

This recipe is sure to be one that you will keep coming back to. The best part (and you can keep this a secret! I won’t tell anyone!) is that it uses cake mix! No measuring flour, sugar, baking powder… the perfect choice for the busy mom. Hey, the less measuring cups I have to wash, the better!

How to Make Red Velvet Cookies:

Have you ever turned a cake recipe into cookies like these red velvet cookies? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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It’s been two years, I think? since I shared my golden potato latkes recipe here, and it was a huge hit. To be fair, it’s a favorite dish in our house too. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

But it can be a royal pain to make, primarily because of the pile of dishes it makes with grating the potatoes.

Click here to read the full Spaghetti Squash Latkes Recipe on Beyond the Balagan!

Welcome to our second annual Hanukkah for Kids blog hop! Be sure to visit all the participating blogs for create ways to share this special time of year with kids. Plus you can find all these and more on our Hanukkah Pinterest board! (And don’t miss last year’s series!)

Participating Blogs

Kelly’s Classroom on Multicultural Kid Blogs
Moms & Crafters
The Squishable Baby
Kid World Citizen
Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes
The Book of Life

New! Get the Hanukkah coloring page packet! You can find it in my Etsy shop, or on Gumroad, or purchase it here:

The post Spaghetti Squash Latkes for Hanukkah (Recipe) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Hummus is a perfect refrigerator staple for all homes. Kick it up a notch by making Sriracha Lime Hummus, a savory and zesty alternative.

In our home, EVERYONE eats hummus – well, besides for Baby Y because he’s too small. But M, who’s only three, loves dipping carrots into hummus. It’s a great way to sneak some protein into his diet, and since kids tend to love dipping, it works great.

This Sriracha Lime Hummus might be slightly less kid-friendly because of the kick the sriracha and lime give it, but there’s no reason not to give it a try! Kids can surprise you with what they will or won’t eat…

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

While the recipe has some Sriracha sauce (a Thai hot sauce), you can likely swap it out for a similar hot sauce and get a good flavor as well. Sriracha is available Kosher certified by the OU from Kikkoman (it used to be hard to find Kosher Sriracha.)

In a home like ours, where we go through Costco sized tubs of hummus every week, we can never get enough! Homemade hummus is so easy – you really just need a blender (I have this one) or food processor (I got this inexpensive one for making potato kugel and it works like a charm), dump your ingredients, and blend. You can then garnish it or blend in all sorts of other flavors, making it a versatile staple that you won’t be able to live without!

Equipment: a food processor or good blender

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