Minute to Win It Party

If you haven't seen the television show, Minute to Win It, you definitely need to watch it at least once.  It is a game show where contestants must complete random tasks that involve household items, and they have only 60 seconds to do so.  When I was looking for a theme for my next monthly dinner, my cousin recommended this show.  It was such a fun party!! It would be great for a birthday party, couples dinner, or just as excuse to have a party.  Below is how I put my spin on the theme...

Invite:  Create an invitation informing guests that they have been selected as one of the next contestants for the show.  I asked my guests to pair up in a team of two and come dressed in a matching color.  There are some cute invitations (for a birthday with this theme) on the internet for purchase as well.  I found one site that will give you a template for free as well, but I didn't do this, so I don't know how great it is.

Decor:  The show colors are royal blue, red, and white, so I went with that color scheme.  At the front door, I had a table set up with a first game just to enter.  It is called Breakfast Scramble and guests had 60 seconds to put together the front of a cereal box cut into 16 rectangles.  I set out a sand timer for guests to time themselves.

I set my table with a red tablecloth, white plates, and royal blue napkins.  I put two 12x12 pieces of card stock in the center to add color, and then I created a smaller version of the Stack Attack game as my centerpiece. I am providing direct links to these games in case you want to look them up for your party.  I also added some dice to add to the game feel of the table.

At each place setting, I created a label for a water bottle as my place card.  This is not a high-tech label.  I just created it on Microsoft Word.  I can email the template to you if you want to use this for your party.  There are websites that will sell professional-looking labels, but my monthly dinners attempt to be budget friendly (and my friends don't care how cheesy my additions look!).

Menu:  I created a menu card at each place setting so guests could see how I played up the "minute" theme of the night.  We started with a yummy "Minute"-strone Soup as an appetizer.  I served this with a buttery pita bread which is easy and delicious.

My main course was Minute Steak, Minute Rice, and "Minute"-ture Peas! The only issue I had with this choice of meal was the timing.  Some of my guests arrived super late, and this meant items cooked for longer than I intended. Unfortunately, I felt like the Minute Steak was a bit tough and not as tender as it should have been because of this. You may want to think about giving yourself even more time that you think you will need to prevent this from happening.

For dessert, I wanted to serve something with Minute Maid orange juice because this was the only thing I could think of that would still relate to the theme. I searched the internet for something, but couldn't find much.  So...I invented my dessert, and it turned out pretty good.  I have always loved 50/50 bars and shakes, so I decided to make this into a pie.  Yum!  Another thought would be to alter a dessert name like "Minute" (as in Mint) Chip Ice Cream if you wanted something simpler.

Games:  I looked at the Minute to Win It website and tried to choose games I thought looked fun, and that I had the supplies for.  I didn't want to have to spend too much money.  For the games I chose, I did have to purchase some items, but I found everything I needed at the Dollar Tree.  If you are thinking about doing this party, check out the Level for each game to make sure it isn't too advanced - especially if this is for a little kid's party.

To explain the rules of each of the games, I downloaded the blueprints.  The blueprints are the 30 second explanations for each game. I put them all on a DVD in the order of my party along with the 60 second countdown.  I found all the videos on YouTube for free.  One of my old students actually put the DVD together for me, so I am not exactly sure how she did it. Hopefully, you are more technically savvy than I am, and you can figure it out!!

Game #1:  Chocolate Unicorn

Stacking 7 Ding Dongs on your forehead.  They must stay there for 3 seconds.

Game #2:  Tear It Up

Shooting rubber bands at toilet paper attached to an empty soda can.  First team to break the toilet paper wins.

Game #3: How's It Hangin'

Contestant attaches a banana on a string around his/her waist so it dangles 12" from the ground in front of them. In 60 seconds, they must move an orange across the room and into a hula hoop using only the banana. This is another funny one...lots of thrusting!

Game #4: Ready Spaghetti

The pair of players must work together to transfer 3 empty soda cans to a nearby table using only a spaghetti noodle and their mouths. Try this one out before you do it. We had trouble with the weight of the cans breaking the spaghetti noodle. I would probably use a thicker noodle if I did this again.

Game #5:  Junk in the Trunk

Attach an empty rectangle tissue box around the waist and fill it with 8 ping pong balls.  Contestant must shake their rump to get all the balls out in 60 seconds.  This as hilarious! I've done this game at a high school assembly, and it was a hoot! (Note: I did cut a larger opening in the box just to make it a little easier.)

Game #6: On the Rebound

This is a partner game. One partner ties a clipboard around his waist and stands behind a small trash can. The other partner throws ping pong balls attempting to bank the shot off the clipboard and into the trash can. Team must get 5 balls in.

Game #7:  A Bit Dicey

Contestant must balance 6 die on the popsicle stick held in their mouth.  Stack must stay for 3 seconds.

Favor:  As a parting favor for all guests, I found another Minute to Win It Game, Mega Bubble, and centered my favor around it.  I created a tag with instructions for the game.  Then I just put the supplies, a jar of bubbles and a plastic cup, inside a favor bag and attached the tag.  Simple, but cute.

Again, this was a super fun party and would make a great theme if you are looking for an active party with a hilarious element to it!  I made a scoreboard to keep track of points throughout the evening. Give your winning pair Hundred Grand candy bars or a silly trophy made from household products!

A Groundhog Day Dinner

Dinner parties that celebrate holidays are fun, but celebrating the odd holidays is even more fun.  Groundhog day, February 2nd, is no exception.  I just love every year when the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is played (over and over) on the television. This is why, in 2009, I decided to theme my dinner around this holiday. I kept it simple...

Invitation:  Burn a CD with I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher.  This is the song that is played on the radio each morning when Phil wakes up in the movie.  If you are good with editing, you can even add in the weather broadcast just like the movie.  Create a cover of the CD with all your party details. Or, instead of a weather broadcast, record yourself giving the party details as the music fades.  You can even make several tracks of the same song, so the CD is full of I Got You Babe!  I also asked guests to dress in Groundhog Day colors -- green and white.

Decor:  I bought an inexpensive bright green plastic tablecloth, and created a burrow underneath it in the center with a towel.  I placed a groundhog beanie baby on top as if he just came out of the burrow.  I also used two other groundhogs/squirrels on the table next to bowls of mixed nuts.  I served green punch to keep up the color scheme. I also had the movie playing in the background.

At each place setting, I included a card with trivia about Groundhog Day.  I was initially going to create a game with it, but decided to stick with just an information page.

Not a great photo...sorry!

For my place card, I used a simple craft for kids that I found online on DLTK.  Go to this link for all the directions as well as the template for cutting out the pieces.  I followed the directions and just added each guest's name on the belly of the groundhog.  Even if you are not throwing a party, this is a super cute and easy craft for kids to celebrate Groundhog Day.

Menu:  For my dinner menu, I tried to choose all green or nut-related items.  I also served the appetizer both at the beginning AND the end since Groundhog Day repeats itself!!

Cheese Onion Appetizer

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped green onion

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Triscuits

Mix first four ingredients.  Spread on Triscuits.  Broil until lightly browned.  Serve immediately.

Green Salad

Nut-Crusted Chicken

6 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

¼ cup orange marmalade

Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Combine oil, garlic, and salt.  Brush over chicken and set aside.  In a blender or food processor bowl, blend almonds and pine nuts together just till finely chopped.  Place nuts in a small mixing bowl; stir in coriander, cinnamon, and pepper.  Set aside.  Brush surface of chicken with orange marmalade; sprinkle nut mixture over the chicken, pressing gently so nuts adhere.  Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

 

Green Beans

For dessert, I made these groundhog cupcakes which were a huge hit!!  Here is the recipe I found online.  I  only made one change to the recipe for my groundhogs.  I did not use jelly beans or watermelon candy. I just used decorator's frosting in white and pink.  This worked fine for me.

Groundhog Cupcakes

Cupcake Mix

Almond Joy candy bars

Chocolate wafer cookies

Remove a piece of cake the width of an Almond Joy candy from the center of a baked cupcake. Spread a layer of white frosting on the cupcake,

and then set the candy upright in the hole.  For the groundhog's eyes, trim the ends from a white jelly bean, stick them in place with frosting, then dot them with black decorators' gel. Add a tiny triangle cut from a watermelon slice candy for a nose, brown M&M Minis for ears and cheeks, and a tiny rectangular piece of white jelly bean for teeth. Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs around the partially emerged groundhog, and he's ready to greet his fans.

This is a super easy theme if you are looking to host a party near February 2nd.  Have fun!

Having Fun...Dr. Seuss Style!

Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss books and all the fun rhymes? It makes a perfect theme for a birthday party, graduation party (with Oh, The Places You'll Go), baby shower, and so much more.  These photos are from the March monthly dinner in 2010, but I am seriously thinking about using this theme again sometime.  I may even incorporate some of these ideas into teacher appreciation gifts when my kids are in elementary school.  This theme is so much fun!

Invite:  The wording on your invite should definitely be inspired by Dr. Seuss.  You can easily use lines from his books.  For my invitation, I used some lines from his books mixed with some created by me:

You could not
would not
want to miss
a celebration such as this!

It's...
"Dinner with Dr. Seuss"
Come dressed up for this fun show
in one bold color from head to toe
Tell us in the RSVP what color you'll be
Come on ladies...it's super easy!

A Dr. Seuss dinner can be so much fun
You definitely don't want to miss this one.
One week away, so hurry and reply
That's all I have to say...Good-bye!!

Decor:  I talked to my librarian at work, and she let me borrow several Dr. Seuss stuffed animals to help decorate for this party.  I set the table with a Dr. Seuss hat I bought at the dollar bin at Target flanked by Yertle the Turtle and a Sneech.  I also placed little bowls of multicolored goldfish crackers for guests to munch on before dinner.

I themed each place setting after a Dr. Seuss book.  I printed off 8x10 pictures of the book cover (found on Google), and adhered them to 12x12 scrapbook paper.  I didn't laminate them because I didn't care if they were ruined, but at a kid's birthday party, you could laminate them for kids to take home.  Using my Cricut machine and cardstock, I scrapbooked a  place card to match each book.

I used Dr. Seuss books I checked out from my local library to decorate several side tables with more stuffed characters.  I borrowed a Fox in Socks Dr. Seuss puzzle from my step-daughter to place on my coffee table.

To display my menu without giving away exactly what I was serving, I printed off book covers and taped them to the wall.  Not very sophisticated or cleverly done, but it served its purpose.

Menu:  I don't think you can have a Dr. Seuss party without serving green eggs, so I made deviled eggs and died them green.  One of my friends refuses to eat anything with food coloring in it, so this is why the middle ones in the photo are yellow.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is one of my daughter's favorite Dr. Seuss books. Everyone loves finger jello...even adults I have come to learn!  I bought a fish cookie cutter from Calico Cake Shop to make these.

As my main dish, I decided to serve Poppy Seed Turnovers, but shape them like turtles for Yertle the Turtle.  Poppy Seed Turnovers are a favorite dish of our family.  I normally shape them into semi-circles, crinkle the edges with a fork, and freeze them for days I don't have a dinner planned.  Making these into turtles was time-consuming, but they received lots of compliments.

Poppy Seed Turnovers

Filling:

1/2 cup minced onions

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 (10.5 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

Crumble Beef in frying pan.  Sprinkle with onions.  Fry over medium heat until beef is cooked, drain off grease into a can. Add other ingredients and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Cool slightly before filling pastries.

Pastry:

4 cups flour

1 cup + 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup cold water

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Combine flour, salt, and poppy seeds in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until shortening is the size of small peas.  Sprinkle with water, tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork until flour is moistened.  Gather dough together with fingers to form a lump.  Divide dough into 16 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured board, roll each piece into a circle about the size of a saucer, 1/8" thick.  Place 1/16th of ground beef mixture on half of the circle.  Fold dough over and use a fork to press the semi-circle closed.  Repeat until 16 are made.  At this point, turnovers may be frozen or baked.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes (30 minutes if frozen).      

I also served a green salad along with the meal which went with The Lorax book.

For dessert, I made Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes from The Cat in the Hat.  I bought red cupcake holders, and made the signs on card stock.  The cupcakes were really cute, but I had trouble with the cotton candy.  I put it on directly before serving them because the ones I did prior to the party melted.  It didn't last long at all. I think if I were to host this party again, I would copy what Katie from Good Life Eats, Etc. did with her cupcakes....

Favor:  As a small gift to guests, I bought crazy colored socks from the dollar bin at Target and packaged them with a cute rhyme from the Fox in Sox.  This photo was just quickly taken to give you the idea. I forgot to take photos of the actual favor (which were super cute!).

There are so many great ideas for a Dr. Seuss party on the web.  My son is only 8 months, but he may have a Dr. Seuss birthday party in his future...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Mardi Gras Time!

February and March is the season of Mardi Gras.  In 2011, I decided to theme my monthly dinner after this festive celebration -- A Fat Tuesday Party!  This is an easy theme for a dinner because you can purchase Mardi Gras themed items all over the place.  The colors are also simple -- purple, gold, and green.  I asked guest's to dress in these colors for the dinner.

Decor:  I used a bright purple tablecloth and green napkins. I made black masks and created designs on them with gold glitter.  I purchased a glittered top hat from Party City with the main Mardi Gras colors as another centerpiece and surrounded it with purple, gold, and green bead necklaces.  These items became props for our group photo later.

Just for laughs, I bought some fake boobs from a local costume shop!!  As the girls entered, I had them put them on for a quick photo op...and this is how they earned their bead necklace for the evening of course!  The bigger the better on these is awesome!!  I created a street sign for the wall with Bourbon Street to add more to the decor.

For a place card, I purchase mini bottles of bourbon.  I printed a Bourbon street sign on card stock with the guest's name.  I attached these to the bottle with Mardi Gras colors as well.

Party Activity:  When I ran my first marathon in New Orleans years before this party, and I noticed a popular game being played on the streets.  I decided to play this game, The Doubloon Toss, at the party.  I set up glasses (I used tea-light candle glasses because they are a little bigger than shot glasses), and I bought those chocolate gold coins you find in any store.  Guest's took turns seeing how many points they could earn as they tossed from a set line on the floor.  I adhered construction paper to the rim of the glass to designate point value.

Menu:  I served Jambalaya as my main dish as this is a very popular dish in New Orleans.  It was tasty.
 

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

For dessert, I made a traditional Kings Cake.  The tradition with this cake is that you hide a mini plastic baby inside. The guest that is randomly served the slice of cake with the baby is supposed to be the next to host a party.  Some traditions say they are the next to bake a Kings Cake.  Since I always host the monthly dinners, it was a just for laughs for us.  I bought the baby at a local cake shop, Calico Cake Shop.  If you live in the area, you have to check out this shop...it is amazing!! I also bought the colored sugar there.

King Cake
Traditional New Orleans Recipe

1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)  

2 packages active dry yeast  

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar  

3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups flour unsifted  

1 teaspoon nutmeg  

2 teaspoons salt  

1 teaspoon lemon zest, this is lemon rind, grated  

1/2 cup warm milk  

5 egg yolks  

1 stick butter cut into slices and softened, plus 2 tablespoons more softened butter  

1 egg slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk  

1 teaspoon cinnamon  

1 1" plastic baby doll

Directions

Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm place for ten minutes, or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles in volume. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in lemon zest. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and, using a wooden spoon, slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon at a time) and continue to beat 2 minutes, or until dough can be formed into a medium-soft ball.

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread. While kneading, sprinkle up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) over the dough. When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic.

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch dough down forcefully. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder. Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Cover dough with towel and set it in draft-free spot for 45 minutes, or until the circle of dough doubles in volume. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Place cake on wire rack to cool. If desired, you can hide the plastic baby in the cake at this time. 

Icing:

3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3-6 tablespoons water

Mix sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water until mixture is smooth, adding more water as necessary to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread icing over cake and immediately sprinkle colored sugar in alternating color rows.

Happy Mardi Gras season everyone!

Fake an Injury Party...SOOO Fun!

A good friend of mine, and one of our amazing monthly dinner girls, just had major surgery on her ankle, so I thought I would choose a theme in her honor.  Didn't want her to feel alone with her wheelchair and cast, hence...a Fake an Injury Party!! This party was a lot of fun to host, and you could host this theme for many occasions such as a welcome home from the hospital party, a congrats on your graduation from nursing school, a funny birthday party playing up the "you're old" idea, or a party for watching your favorite medical drama TV show!

Invite: Start off with a hospital themed invitation.  Maybe an admittance form to the Emergency Room or a prescription note.  Another idea would be to slice open a gauze pad wrapper (neatly so you cannot tell it is open), and slide in a note with the party details. Or...send a box of band aids and write one party detail on each band aid inside.  The possibilities are endless.  Just make sure you ask guests to come dressed up with an injury for this Fake an Injury party.  This just adds to the fun!

Decor: The decor for this theme started at the street in front of my house where I placed handicap parking signs at all the places my guests would park.  The girls got a kick out of this.  At the entry door, I borrowed a manikin from a colleague and gave it some simple injuries -- bandaids, Ace bandages, cast on the leg made of toilet paper (it's cheaper than gauze).  I placed a walker I borrowed from my mother-in-law in front of her.  A sign on the door read Emergency Room.

The table was set like an medical exam room.  I bought a plastic bluish/teal tablecloth from Party City and made a runner with exam room paper down the center of the table.  I just asked my doctor if I could take 13 feet of this paper, so this didn't cost me anything.  I also asked my doctor for the pinkish maroon paper exam gown they give to patients. I cut this up into rectangles to use as napkins and wrapped a band aid around to enclose the silverware.  I used the board game Operation as my centerpiece.  I also borrowed some hospital pitchers from my parents and served red and white wine in them.  I wrapped each chair with an Ace bandage just for fun.

 For place cards, I created a prescription slip using Microsoft Word.  I marked each prescription according to the guest's personality/lifestyle, so guests received prescriptions for items such as a "stiff drink" or a "day off".

I also created prescription bottles for each guest.  This is a scan of the label, so the colors as not as vibrant here.  The bottle of pills could be your favor, but I used it as a place card.  I designed the label again using Microsoft Word and modeled it after a prescription label I found online.  The prescription number was the date of the party.  I bought empty pill containers from a local pharmacy and adhered the label using Mod Podge. I filled each prescription bottle with Mike n Ikes because they are shaped like little pills.

From the ceiling, I dangled medical gloves filled with air (actually my hubby did which is why there is blue tape and not a clear tape that wouldn't show!). The gloves I had were too heavy for helium to make them float, so I just used air.  Just make sure you knot them (which is difficult).  Those I did not knot and just tied tightly with the ribbon lost all air.  I also posted some xays up as more decor.

Menu:  I started with a simple green salad and fixin's.  I served this in a hospital urine (new of course!).  I got 10cc syringes and put the salad dressing in these.  A bigger syringe would have been better for this, but I got the syringes for free from a colleague, so I couldn't be picky.  This size was a little difficult to get the Italian seasonings out of though.  The Ranch dressing worked fine.

For the main course, I made Chicken Parmassan. I served this with roasted asparagus and spaghetti. To tie in the hospital theme, I served the spaghetti in a hospital bowl and the spaghetti sauce in a syringe (I chose this meal mainly so I could have something red in the syringe).  The syringes I used for this were made for taking alcoholic "shots", so they had a bigger opening.  I purchased them at Party City.  Note: I did have to put the spaghetti sauce in the blender to make it thin enough to work.

When I was thinking about what to have for dessert, I thought of the slogan for Rice Krispies -- Snap, Crackle, Pop -- and thought this idea went well with my theme!  I looked on the Rice Krispies website and found this yummy recipe that incorporated both the cereal as well as strawberry topping which could look like blood.  I made Rice Krispie treats according to the general directions, but then pressed them into a 10 x 15 x 1 inch pan. I didn't have a circle cookie cutter big enough (3"), so I used an empty can of pears with the lid cut out.  Then just make a normal sundae.  I used fat-free vanilla yogurt.

As usual, we had a great time at this party.  If money is not an issue, you can order all these things online and save yourself a lot of time. Money is ALWAYS an issue for me, so I handmade and borrowed a lot of the items.  Would love to hear your opinion about this party or hear how you've incorporated these ideas into a similar party.  Just comment below.