The Perfect Super Bowl Party

WNCN Today 01.28.14

Are you ready for some football?  Today I shared some easy ways for you to throw the perfect Super Bowl Party with Page Crawford on WNCN Today.  The best part?  None of my tips require advanced cooking skills or the world’s largest cold cut stadium ;-)

•     Fun for Kids of all Ages.

DIY Penalty Flag

o   DIY Penalty Flags.  If you have young guests at your party or animated grownups, the perfect way to get everyone involved in the game is with a few DIY Penalty Flags for them to toss each time there’s a call to be made (or the wrong call was made!). 

DIY Penalty Flags

-  1 yellow napkin

-  1 practice golf ball

-  1 rubber band

Unfold the napkin and place your practice golf ball in the center.  Draw up each corner of the napkin tightly around the golf ball (the corners of the napkin will look like a long tail).  Wrap your rubber band around the golf ball 2-3 times and you’re done!  TIP: You can also use a ping-pong ball or small bouncy ball.  Just be sure not to use a hard ball that may do some damage :-)

•     Deliciously Easy Super Bowl Snacks.

Corndog Bites

o   Corndog Bites.  Making these bite size corndog bites couldn’t be easier, even for those of you who don’t know your way around the kitchen and they will be a hit with all of your guests.

Corndog Bites

-  1 box cornbread mix

-  5 hotdogs cut into bite size pieces

Prepare cornbread mix as normal, stir in hotdog pieces, spoon into mini muffin tin and bake as directed.  Serve with ketchup and mustard.

Football Deviled Eggs

o   Deviled Football Eggs.  Turn your favorite deviled eggs into mini footballs.  Simply add small strips of green onions to the top of each egg to make football laces.

Milano Football Cookies

o   Football Cookies.  Everyone loves Milanos, but have you ever thought of them as the perfect Super Bowl Party food, probably not.  But, with a little melted chocolate or brown cake gel you can turn a Milano into a football.  Simply melt chocolate in a microwave safe dish, thentransfer to a ziptop bag.  Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe laces on the top of each cookie.

And of course you can't forget my favorite Super Bowl centerpiece, the Beer Can Cake!

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick#1

Find all of my party tips in Party Planning Tips for the Clueless Chick 

Fun Excuses for a Party

WNCN Today 01.21.14

If you are looking for an excuse to throw a party this weekend, I have three predictably fabulous ideas you will love.  January is full of fun holidays you’ve probably never heard of like National Pie Day, Beer Can Appreciation Day and Chocolate Cake Day.  

This morning I shared some of my favorite January party inspiration ideas with Page Crawford on WNCN Today:

•     National Pie Day.

o   January 23^rd.  Thursday is National Pie Day, a day sponsored by the American Pie Council to encourage people to bake their favorite pie.  So why not bake (or buy) your favorite pie, or better yet chose pie as the theme for your next party.  You can serve pizza pie, bite size pumpkin pies, pot pies, Sheppard’s pie, pie pops, good ‘ol apple pie and decorate the house with pie charts and show the movie Life of Pi ;-)

•     Beer Can Appreciation Day.

o   January 24^th.  That’s right beer lovers, there is an official day dedicated to the beer can.  Beer Can Appreciation Day commemorates that great day in 1935 when beer was first sold in cans, thus forever changing tailgating.  What’s the best way to celebrate Beer Can Appreciation Day?  By cracking open a cold one of course.  Or, if you’re crafty, throw together a Can Cake or up-cycle your favorite beer can into a fabulous bud vase.  Either way, you will also have the perfect centerpiece for your Super Bowl Party.

 

•     Chocolate Cake Day.

o   January 27^th.  Wait, what?!? A day dedicated to chocolate cake?!?  Yes, please.  Send January out with a bang by throwing your own Chocolate Cake Day celebration, just remember that a yellow cake with chocolate frosting just won’t do, it’s all chocolate all the time on January 27^th.  Whether you bake the Clueless Chick’s favorite Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake, pick up a chocolate cupcake, or bake chocolate chocolate whoopie pies for your coworkers, have a piece for me! 

If you need any more inspiration for your next party or dinner Friday night, don't forget to pick up a copy of Party Planning Tips for the Clueless Chick.

Until next time,
Jennifer
aka Chick #1

Best Gifts of 2014

Best Gifts of 2014

If you have started shopping for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, or have a birthday to plan for, you’ll be happy to know that 2014 has brought with it some pretty cool new gifts for everyone in your life.  Today I shared some of my favorite new gift ideas for the whole family with Page Crawford on WNCN Today.

•     For Your Favorite Mommy-to-be.

o   Belly Belt.  The BellyBelt by Fertile Mind is the perfect solution for pregnant women who are keeping their pregnancy under wraps in the first trimester, trying to extend their non-maternity wardrobe, or transitioning back into their pre-baby clothes.  Forget the old trick of looping a rubber band through your belt loop, these fabulous wardrobe extenders can be worn with any bottom that buttons or has a slide fasten.  Genius, I tell you.

•     For Your Little People on the Go.

o   KinderVille.  KinderVille has created a fabulous new line of silicone food storage containers for your little ones, or you.  From these super cute sandwich or snack pouches to jars cups and bowls.  Hospital grade silicone makes a fabulously safe and easy to wash container for snacks, lunch, feeding or food storage for homemade baby food or snacks. 

•     For Your Favorite Kid.

o   Laser Pegs.   Laser Pegs put a high-tech twist on building blocks. Inside each Laser Peg block is an LED light bulb and when you connect Laser Pegs pieces together your entire design lights up in reds, blues, greens and yellows. With the Laser Pegs kits, you can build everything from running cars to bugs.  How fun is that?

•     For the Lady in Your Life.

o   TwoAlity.  In TwoAlity, we’ve found the coolest new options in rain boots.  These versatile clear boots have interchangeable liners in seemingly endless colors and patters for whatever mood you are in.  These boots will take you from Spring to Winter and every season (and style) in between.  You can even wear them without the liners.  Who doesn’t love endless fashion possibilities?  

•     For the Handyman on the go.

o   TaskOne.  This year, you can get your handyman a new TaskOne iPhone case which will fix his bicycle on the side of the road, open a beer, or chop some kindling for the fire.  With 22, yes 22, tools in a tough and very slim case for your iPhone, even an un-handyman will feel pretty handy.  TIP:  You may want to remove the knife/saw before going through airport security ;-)

Happy Shopping!

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1

Simple Christmas Cleanup Tips

WNCN Today 01.07.14

It is that time of the year when you can expect the neighbors to look at you sideways if you haven’t started taking down your Christmas decorations.  And we all know that taking down and packing up all of your decorations is not the least bit fun and usually ends with someone vowing to never decorate for the holidays again.  Today I had the pleasure of sharing some of my simple tips to make your Christmas cleanup, and decorating next year, a little easier with Page Crawford on WNCN Today.

•     Preserving Memories.

o   Christmas Card Keeper.  One of the best parts of the holiday season is receiving adorable holiday cards in the mail.  These days many people are sending out the most beautiful photo cards and it is a shame to throw them away, but keeping them can be a pain.  Here is a simple way to keep all of your favorite holiday cards organized so that you can display them for years to come.

Christmas Card Flip Book

Tools:

Single Hole Punch

Metal Ring(s) found at any craft or office supply store

Cardstock

Instructions:

1.     Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top left corner of your cardstock, being sure to make the hole ~1/2 inch from the top left corner.  Note:  If you prefer a book type binding, punch an additional hole 3 inches below the first hole.

2.     Use your cardstock as a template to punch holes in each of your holiday cards, being sure to position them the way you would like to see them as you flip through the cards.

3.     Once you have punched holes in each of your holiday cards, use the metal ring(s) to string them together.  Be sure that your ring is large enough to allow you to easily flip through the cards.

Use your family’s holiday card as the cover of your card flipbook so that each year you can look back on the changes and major events in your life over the years.

•     Organizing Small Ornaments.

o   DIY Egg Carton Storage.  It can be tough to store your small ornaments, especially those that are delicate, and ornament storage systems can be quite expensive.  The solution – an egg carton.  Simply stockpile a few clean empty egg cartons throughout the year and when it is time to pack up your small ornaments you have the perfect container.  This is also a great way to keep your themed ornaments organized (like my awesome Starbucks ornament collection started by my hubby when we first met).  TIP:  When it is time to decorate the tree next year, use the egg cartons to divvy up ornaments between your little ones, it is much safer and efficient than handing them one ornament at a time.

•     Grab’n’go Storage Ideas.

o   A Bag for Everything and Everything in a Bag.  Your Christmas decorating and holiday party setup is made much easier if you strategically pack like items.  This way you don’t have to go digging for the holiday plates you KNOW you packed after you’ve already found your napkins.  One of the easiest ways to make cleanup, storage and setup easier is by using a ZizzyBee Bag.  These bags are much sturdier than a zip top bag and still give you the ability to see all of the contents.  Plus, once filled, the bags are very easy to stack inside your storage container.

So take a little extra time to pack away your Christmas decorations, you’ll be glad you did when it is time to put up the decorations next year!  And if you don't mind the sideways looks, I say keep up your decorations until Valentine's Day ;-)

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1

p.s. Thanks ZizzyBee for the cool samples for our shoot!

Lucky New Years Foods

New Years brings with it some fun, and some odd, superstitions.  But one thing is for sure; there are some great lucky foods that are worth a try!  We’re all familiar with the tradition of pork chops, black-eyed peas, collards and applesauce for dinner on New Years day, but did you know that donuts and bagels are lucky too?  Here are some of my favorite lucky New Years foods that I shared with Page Crawford on WNCN Today this morning:

•     Lucky Fruit.

o   Grapes.  Grapes are considered a lucky fruit and in some cultures are used as a predictor of the coming year.  You can eat 12 grapes at midnight and every sweet grape is an indication of a good month, while every sour grape denotes a not so lucky month in the year ahead.  So add a few frozen grapes to your drinks in lieu of ice or create grape kabobs for everyone to munch on.

•     Coming Full Circle.

o   Circular Foods.  Much like a wedding band is a symbol of unending love, circular foods like donuts and bagels are considered lucky and symbolize coming full circle.  So here’s another fun excuse to make a trip to the donut shop on New Years Day, or make bagel pizzas for dinner.  And don’t forget there are plenty of healthy options too, like baked banana donuts or a zucchini bread bunt cake.

•     A Fun Twist on the Traditional.

o   Black-eyed Peas.  Why not have some fun with the age-old tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Years by mixing up some Texas Caviar, a fabulously sweet and tangy black-eyed pea dip.  You can make your dip today and munch on it all New Years day while you’re watching football.

Texas Caviar

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 small jar pimentos

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

Salt and pepper

In a small pan over medium high heat, bring vinegar, oils and sugar to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

Add all the veggies in a large bowl and pour the liquid over the top.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stick a spoon in there and mix it around every so often.

Before serving season with salt and pepper if desired

When it comes to New Years, a little decorating goes a long way.  A big thank you to our friends at CelebrateExpress.com for the fun New Years decorations and hats!

And a big Clueless Chick thank you to our friends at the Krispy Kreme in Raleigh, NC for providing donuts for this mornings show!  As always, you can find me at Krispy Kreme on New Years Day getting some lucky donuts for my boys.

Happy New Year!

Until next time,
Jennifer
aka Chick #1

Crafty Christmas Breakfast

Crafty Christmas Breakfast

Many of us will be spending today cooking, spending time with family and maybe opening a few gifts.  Some of us will even be up until the wee hours of the morning waiting for Santa.  When it comes time to make breakfast Christmas morning, I’m sure you will want to keep it simple.  Today I shared some of my favorite DIY Crafty Christmas Breakfast tips with Page Crawford on WNCN Today.

•     Dressing up Donuts.

o   Snowman Donuts.  Making a snowman donut is easier than you may think.  All you need are mini powdered donuts, mini chocolate chips and orange candy like Mike & Ike or Jelly Beans.  Simply arrange 2 mini chocolate chips, pointy side down, as eyes and 4 mini chocolate chips as a mouth.  Then add 1 orange candy as a nose and voila, you’ve got an adorable snowman donut!

o   Reindeer Donuts.  An adorable reindeer donut is almost as easy to make as snowman donuts and twice as cute.  Grab a bag of mini chocolate donuts, small pretzels, marshmallow bits and red candy (Skittles or M&Ms are perfect).  Now comes the hardest (or at least most frustrating part) – cut your pretzels in half so they look like antlers.  If you are having trouble cutting your pretzels without breaking them, simply warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds prior to cutting.  Insert your pretzel antlers in the top of the donut, add marshmallow bits eyes and a red candy nose smack dab in the middle and you’re done.

•     Fruity Santa Hats. 

o   Strawberry Santa Hat.  With all of the Christmas treats loaded with sugar, it is nice to have a healthy alternative the whole family will love.  You will need fresh strawberries, washed with the stem removed, small banana slices, mini marshmallows, green grapes and a toothpick.  Place a strawberry on top of each banana slice, insert a toothpick through the center, and a single grape beneath the banana and place a mini marshmallow to the top of the toothpick.

•     Festive French Toast.

o   French Toast Trees..  Who doesn’t love homemade French Toast for breakfast?!?  One of the easiest ways to turn any breakfast treat into a delicious Christmas treat is with a cookie cutter.  Simply make your favorite French Toast recipe and use your favorite Christmas cookie cutter to turn them into festive shapes.  TIP:  Don’t waste the scraps!  Instead, cut them into bite size pieces, drop them into a small baking dish, add a little butter pour over your favorite syrup and you have the perfect French Toast casserole.

You can of course find all of my fun breakfast, brunch and general party tips in Party Planning tips for the Clueless Chick.

Have a wonderful, safe, healthy and yummy Christmas! 

Until next time,
Jennifer
aka Chick #1 

Go Fast, Turn Left! {Race Car Birthday Party}

Race Car Birthday Party

When I asked my now 5 year old what he wanted to do for his birthday party he said "I want to have race cars, LOTS of race cars!"  Done.  A race car theme is easy, right?  Well, maybe.  You have to take into consideration that we had just thrown a "By Air, Rail and Road" party for my 3 year old so I would have to get extra creative to be sure that it didn't feel like the same party.  Now don't get me wrong, I reused as much as I could - the car sandwich punch to make sunbutter and jelly sandwiches, red, yellow and green stop light plates, and mini checkered flags.  After all, this Chick likes to save a few bucks :-)

So how did I mange to make this party fun and unique?  I called my good friends at BirthdayExpress.com (how lucky am I to have friends in high places?!?).  Boy was I thrilled with the ideas they gave me!!

So let's break it down, we got crafty, repurposed the unusual and threw in the perfect accents from BirthdayExpress.com:

Gettin' Crafty!
With a house full of 5 year olds, it is critical to have engaging activities to keep them entertained.  At a race car party, what could be better than making your own race car? All you need are banker boxes (or really any box), pens, crayons and a few stickers.  Really, it's that easy.

Cardboard Race Car

Cardboard Race Cars
Instructions:
1.  Pick up a package of banker boxes at the office supply store or grab a few plain boxes from your local grocery store's recycling pile (boxes from the liquor store are also free but not quite as appropriate for a little one's party...).

2.  Cut the bottom out of the box so the kids can step into it and use the side handles to hold it up.  If you're feeling extra crafty, only cut the bottom on 3 sides, leaving one of the longest sides attached.  Then fold the flap towards the inside of the box, 6 in up to make a mini windshield.  Be sure to tape the flap to the inside of the box so that it stays put while they are decorating.

DIY Cardboard Race Car Craft

3.  Collect pens, crayons, stickers, etc. for the kids to use to create their personalized race car.

Personalizing Their Race Cars

4.  Create a race track in you driveway, backyard, or hallway.  Simply lay down painters tape for your start and finish line.  When the kids are finished creating their cars, line them up and let the races begin!

Starting Line (safety first!)

5.  For a super fun finish line, add a balloon drop from BirthdayExpress.com.  This was a HUGE hit at our party!

Finish Line Balloon Drop

Repurpose the Unusual

You know that this Chick loves to repurpose just about anything.  I LOVE to hear someone say "Wow, what a great idea! I wouldn't have thought to use X that way!".  It is especially flattering when X was just laying around the house.  Free decorations are the best.  So what was my repurpose of choice this go around?  A race car track of course.  Can you think of a better way to display cupcakes and Twinkie race cars than on a race car track?  I mean come on, it's perfection!

Cupcake Race Track

I dressed up each cupcake with a toy car that each guest got to keep and I made Twinkie race cars to boot.  They are super easy, all you need are Twinkies, peppermint patties, jelly beans and toothpicks. 

Twinkie Race Car

Twinkie Race Cars:

1. Insert a toothpick in the center of the front and back of each Twinkie (as if they were the car's axles)
2. Place a peppermint patty on each side of the toothpicks and cap with 1/2 of a jelly bean

BirthdayExpress.com Must Haves

You know that I don't like to go overboard when it comes to theme decorations, a little bit goes a long way.  So when it came time to throw in a few race car decorations I turned to my friends at BirthdayExpress.com and boy did they come through!

Race Car Party Favors

There was the finish line balloon drop which was not only a hit with the winners of the race, but also all of the little brothers and sisters who negotiated with mommy and daddy to take home as many balloons as they could carry :-)

Balloon Drop Finish Line

Little Man Absconding with Balloons

Then there were the racing helmets and pit passes.  I mean really, what could be more fun than your own racing hat and pit pass to make you feel like a REAL race car driver as you're cruising in your cardboard race car?  I of course had to personalize the helmets and pit passes with cute little name stickers that the kids just loved.

Race Car Helmet and Pit Pass

And finally, there were these awesome road cone cups.  Yes, cups.  The kids went nuts over the road cones (and the parents thought they were pretty cool too).  They are easier than you would think to disassemble, wash, etc. and so much fun.

Road Cone Cups

Given what a LEGO fanatic my little man is, I also had to send the kids home with a race car LEGO set.  For a number of our guests this was their first LEGO set and the kids loved them.  I've gotten quite a few pictures of little ones putting their cars together.  Nothing warms the heart more than a text the day after the party with a picture of your guests playing with their favors and a note that says "we had a fabulous time!".

LEGO Race Car Favors 

Well, there is one thing that warmed my heart more.  At dinner that night I asked my 5 year old if he had fun at his party.  His response?  "Mama, this was the BEST day EVER!" :-)  And that my friends is what it's all about!

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1

p.s. A HUGE Clueless Chick thank you to BrithdayExpress.com for the awesome samples!  They all get a Clueless Chick thumbs up :-)