Maureen's Birthday Party

On Saturday, we held Maureen's first birthday party at our house.

The Menu
Creamy Seafood Dip With Raw Veggies: the original recipe came from Simple and Delicious, but it was full of fat. So I made some easy substitutions to lighten it up. John was surprised that I used fat-free cream cheese, because it retained the creamy texture.
Deviled Eggs:my specialty
Taco Dip With Tortilla Chips: John's mom brought this one. Layer Hidden Valley Ranch dip in a pie plate with salsa and shredded cheddar. Add shredded lettuce and finely chopped tomatoes if you're feeling fancy.
Tossed Salad
Potato Salad: my mom's specialty. This time, she used light mayo and no one noticed the difference.
Veggie Pasta Salad: this salad has hidden zucchini in it, which is the only way I can eat it. Nice light dressing too.
Seasoned Corn: steamed in the microwave and seasoned with Herbal Salt Substitute.
Pork BBQ: cooked in the crockpot
Ham: John's mom also brought this, and Maureen devoured it.
Vegetable and Cheese Braid: Aunt Patty's specialty. I make one that is similar with chicken in it. Last week, I also tried a recipe with chicken and bacon. John's still talking about it, so if you're looking for a tasty yet easy main dish, the recipe is here.
cupcakes
Butter Pecan Torte: My mom brought this. Think crust made from Lorna Doones and a filling made with ice cream and whipped topping.

Pictures

Here is Maureen is on her actual birthday, opening a present.

And playing with it!



Maureen tries to rip Aunt Patty's necklace off her neck.



Johnny and Brendan.



Andy and Sarai (who, by the way, are having a boy!).



Pop and Maureen.

These are the cupcakes I made. Since Maureen's birthday was Thanksgiving Day, the cupcakes are supposed to look like turkeys. However, I stupidly left the tray in the general vicinity of the crockpot. That thing throws off a lot of heat! The turkey "heads" melted into the rest of the frosting, but if you look closely, you can get the gist.

Johnny eats a cupcake. That's a sticker on his forehead. John and Kathleen Reinsfelder brought him a sheet of Cars stickers and showed him how to put them on his face. After the party, I fell asleep on the couch with Jameson, and when I woke up 10 minutes later, there was a sticker on Jameson's head in between his ears and also in my hair.

Busia holds Maureen while we sing Happy Birthday.



Opening presents!

Johnny helped unwrap this ride-on toy. Since Maureen's a little small for it still, Johnny (who is too big for it) has been riding it around the house ever since.

Grandmom holds Maureen.



Here are some other non-party pictures.

Maureen in the leaves at the Thames Street Park.



Being silly.

Johnny learns to hug Maureen without squishing her. Johnny was all gung ho to have this picture taken. The hard part was keeping Maureen from crawling away.

Here's Maureen chowing down on asparagus. She eats everything!