Mar. 27, 2006 - A Successful Party!

The girls had a blast... and, in spite a rough morning, I think I may have too:)

Paris made her 1/2 batch of bread this morning, so we'd have dough ready to bake for the party.

When her friends showed up, they all worked with markers, stickers and scaprbooking paper (All from the Dollar Tree) to make covers for their cookbooks (three ring binders with the clear "pocket" in the cover to put your cover page).  They decorated while we waited for the last girl to show up.  I printed out and laminated our bread recipe as well as some muffin recipes for each girls cookbook.

Then we eventually moved into the kitchen and had a cooking lesson.  The girls got into groups of two (and one group of three) and each group made a batch of bread.  They had so much fun, measureing, cracking eggs, making a mess;)  They, for the most part, LOVED getting to knead the bread... getting all gooey and stuff just thrilled them to pieces. 

This is our recipe (and yes, we made THREE of these batches ~ Lotsa flour!!)

Home Made Bread
Pairs and Byn Always

*In a small, separate bowl
3 packages of yeast
3 Tablespoons of sugar
1 ½ cups warm (not hot) water

*In a large Mixing Bowl
MIX
1 ½ cup butter (or margarine)
1 ½ cup of sugar OR 3/4 cup of honey
ADD & MIX
1 ½ cup of hot milk
9 eggs
Yeast mixture from the small bowl

Mix well then add
6 cups of wheat flour
6 cups of white flour

Knead well for 8 minutes

Let the bread rise until its doubled in size.
Punch it down and let rise again
Shape it and put in pans to bake
Let it rise in pans for about 30 minutes
Bake in preheated over at 350* degrees

Times vary:
Loaf of bread: 15-25 minutes
round pan of cinnamon rolls 20-40 minutes

Bake until bottom is slightly browned.

We like to add almonds, apples, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, pecans or other fruits and nuts to our cinnamon rolls:)

Then, we set their bread aside, and got out Paris' dough from the morning.  Each of the girls got a hunk of dough, and I took them through the process of making cinnamon rolls.

While those were rising, the girls went and Paris opened her presents.  (She got such AWESOME stuff!!)

Then I took the girls, and explained proper table settings to them (briefly) and they each made their placemats.  I had cut out circles for plates and cups, silverware and a triangle "napkin" out of colored paper, and they each used assorted letter stickers and scrapbooking paper to label their place setting placemats.  Then they each got to laminate their placemat. (I think they were more thrilled with getting to feed their placemats through the laminator than anything:)

By that time the cinnamon rolls were done, we promptly melted the canldes int hem, and then Paris blew out the candles... and the rolls were a big hit!

The girls were out of time for any major games or crafty type activities at that point... but they played with the Polly Pocket stuff that Paris had recieved while the moms gathered up the stuff. 

Each child went home with a kitchen thing (measuring cups/spoons, wooden spoons, bowls, etc) as well as their new cookbook and placemat. 

It was a success!!

And, of course, to all who ask... you may certainly use any ideas I have!!!