Two Worlds

My mom made this princess cake for her granddaughter’s birthday in April 2013. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

My mom and I have been making this princess cake for the little girls – and some of the big girls – in the family for a while. The one above is my mom’s latest version, which she made earlier this week for her granddaughter’s third birthday. We cheated a bit because we bought a kit that included the doll’s head and body on a pick that slides easily into the center of the cake, and a round cake mold to create the dress. Then, we just dress up the cake however we like. The kit nicely includes one blond and one brunette doll pick. Despite my mother and I having dark hair, we’ve only made the blonde. All the girls we’ve made it for are fairer than we are.

You can make this cake without the kit. First, you need a boxed cake mix (or your favorite made-from-scratch cake recipe). If you choose your own recipe, I wouldn’t get too creative because you need a cake that will stand up firmly and won’t fall apart. Here are the rest of the supplies in which you should invest -

One metallic bowl that is oven safe

One Barbie doll (or other similar doll)

Icing or fondant and decorations for the cake

Butter and flour the bowl well. Then, prepare the batter and put it into the bowl and bake it at 350 degrees. Keep an eye on it because your oven and the size of the bowl will influence when it’s done. Just make sure it springs back and that a wooden skewer can go into the center and come out clean, both good indications that your cake is good and cooked all the way through. Then, let the cake cool. Put two pieces of overlapping wax paper on top of the plate or stand on which you’d like the cake to stand. We took the photo above before we traveled by car with the cake, so you still see the wax paper. My mom kept the wax paper, which we use to catch any falling icing or messiness that occurs during decoration, until we arrived at the birthday party, and she kept the cake on her lap – and begged my father to drive slowly. Then, you must carefully turn the bowl with the cake upside down on the stand. You might have to use a soft, flexible plastic spatula to loosen the sides first. Remove the bowl. Your cake should be in one piece on the stand. If the cake is a little crumby, don’t worry. You can cover it with decoration.

Now, this is the fun part. If you have a full-bodied doll, as opposed to the pick from the kit, you will either have to remove the legs or find a way to make a hole large enough in the cake to allow her to stand. I would remove the legs, unless you made a bundt cake, in which case you have to use a lot of icing or some other trick to keep her standing at the center and then you’ll have to cover the area around her legs too. My mom and I often use ribbon to create a shirt for the doll’s breasts. Or you could use doll shirts if you have them or make them yourself. Of course, you could use fondant, too.We are not fans of eating fondant, but in the photo below, you can see a bride cake I made for my sister-in-law’s shower back in 2007, for which I did use fondant. That cake was used as a table centerpiece and no one actually ate it.

You can frost the cake or use fondant to decorate the gown. In the photo above my mom dyed purchased white icing with red food coloring to create the pink color. She also added a cupcake liner to form a decorative “ruffle” at the waist. As I mentioned earlier, I used fondant for the bridal gown below. Others get rather fancy with icing decorations on the gowns. You could also use edible glitter or pearl sprinkles. The various edible spray paints out there might also come in handy. Use your imagination and try to come up with ways to fit the theme of the occasion.

If you plan on making this cake more than once, then keep the non-edible decorations for years to come. For the cake above, my mom reused the veil I made for my sister-in-law’s cake (for which I used a sheer favor circle folded in half and silk flower used to decorate favors) and a bouquet of tiny silk flowers and ribbon that I bought at a craft store. She and I both used similar silk flowers to hide any errors at the “hem of our gowns.” (To see more scoop on the bridal shower for my sister-in-law, you can visit “How to Throw a Tea-Themed Bridal Shower I” and “How to Throw a Tea-Themed Bridal Shower II” on the now defunct Bride Board.) Really, the decoration is limited only by your imagination.

Don’t feel badly about digging into the cake either. Just make sure to take lots of pictures of your work beforehand. My mom’s granddaughter (my niece) said the princess tasted delicious, after all.

Back in 2007, I made this bride cake for my sister-in-law’s shower. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

Baby Boy and his cousins prep for Easter by decorating cookies and dying eggs. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Baby Boy and I are preparing to leave for a very long stay in Ischia, Italy, home of my ancestors and my husband. So, Easter is the last holiday we’re going to be spending with our American loved ones for some time. We are probably going to miss some of our favorite occasions, including Halloween and Thanksgiving. After all, the Italians think of them as Oct. 31 and any ol’ Thursday. I’m crying just thinking about it.

So, it was important to savor every moment of our Easter celebration. It started with our annual cookie decorating and egg dying party at my mom’s house (see photo above). We invited so many people this year that we didn’t fit into our house, and my mom who started this time-honored feast back when her great nieces and nephews were toddlers, hopped to party planning and cookie baking.

Although my niece (far left) and Baby Boy (far right) look like they are happily painting their egg-shaped cookies with icing, they were just faking. They mostly just ate their art (sometimes right off the paint brush). We later had to hide the cookies and icing from them. Sneaky, sneaky grown ups!

Baby Boy wakes up to surprises from the Easter Bunny. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

On Easter morning, Baby Boy found a lovely basket of goodies – and more – from the Easter bunny. His treats included a big picture book of his favorite Jake and the Neverland Pirates, bunny ears, a Peter Pan T-shirt, and a fishing rod for the tub. Some books and bubbles, purchased from local dollar stores, which are the bunny’s best friend, rounded out the offerings.

Baby Boy devours pancakes left by the Easter Bunny. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Lucky for Baby Boy, the Easter Bunny left us a batch of yummy pancakes, which Papa’ brilliantly smothered in nutella and whipped cream. Of course, Baby Boy needed two forks to inhale this delectable breakfast.

All cleaned up at Nonna’s Easter party, and he still had to put his shoes on his hands, under the dining room table. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Post-pancakes Baby Boy was up to his usual mischief at Nonna’s Easter party.

Baby Boy lands in basket. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Silly Baby Boy got himself stuck in the basket that Nonna uses to corral books for the grandkids. But I, his mamma, prefer to think that this is what the Easter Bunny left for me – his sweet self in a basket. There is, after all, no better gift. And it was a happy Easter for all.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

Kids get to meet exotic animals at an Outragehisss…Pets birthday party. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

We recently attended a birthday party for a four-year-old boy at Outragehisss…Pets in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., which is close to the New Jersey border. Outragehisss…Pets offers birthday parties, live animal shows, and educational programs. What’s great about this birthday is that the kids actually learned something and got to have a close encounter with all sorts of interesting animals, all in the name of celebrating. Before you enter the room for the show, you can visit with the animals who are behind glass cages. The arctic foxes were curled up and sleeping, and Baby Boy enjoyed yelling to get the attention of the armadillos.

During the show, which lasts about an hour, my son got so excited to see some of the animals that I had to take him out of the room. At 18 months old, he does not really know about his inside voice. But the older kids behaved beautifully, and they pretty much got to pet each animal that the presenter put on display. Baby Boy, with the help of mamma guiding his hand, was able to pet a couple of the animals, too. The finale featured all the kids in the room holding up an enormous snake. Baby Boy was roaming the halls at that point, but I hear it was an amazing photo op for the guests, and the birthday boy was grinning from ear to ear.

After the show, guests were escorted to another room for refreshments and birthday cake. The birthday boy’s mom put out adorable signs around the food stations that said, “Don’t feed the animals.” She also dressed up the sandwiches (see below) to look like snakes. I offer kudos to the parents for providing cake and cookies but also lots of healthy options, such as fruit. With animals as your theme, there are lots of ways to get creative with the food. You can serve fruit in a watermelon carved to look like a shark or put eyes and tails on oranges, for example. I love the look of all these dessert and candy tables I’ve been seeing at kids’ parties lately, but if my son or niece eat anymore icing, they might turn into sugar. Once it’s in front of them, it’s hard to get it away from them. So, if you have healthy options that match your theme, all the better.

Turn your sandwich into a snake with other edible items, namely tomatoes and sweet red pepper. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

The kids played a couple of games, picked up their party favors, which included a wooden snake that has become one of Baby Boy’s favorite toys, and animal crackers, and we headed home. At two hours, it was the perfect amount of time for a kid’s party. It ended just before they all started to lose their minds. Baby Boy napped on the way there and on the way home, which was a gift for mamma and papa’. In conclusion, when the food is good and the party is educational and fun, then it’s a happy birthday for everyone.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012), and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

Baby Boy and Mommy take in the show at Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, N.J. © Photo by Regina Di Meglio

Want to feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine to visit the age of knights, princesses, and eating with your hands? Feel like wearing a paper crown and yelling like a mad man? Then, don’t miss a chance to visit Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, N.J. At this dinner show and tournament, you will don a paper crown in the colors of the knight for whom you will be cheering. While eating medieval-like grub – tomato soup in a metallic cup, herbed bread (my son’s favorite part of the meal), chicken, ribs, and an apple dessert – with your hands, you will watch a story unfold that has knights competing with one another in duels and jousts. You’ll scream and yell and get excited by your knight’s wins or losses. If you’re lucky (as my niece, who wears a princess outfit replete with crown whenever we “go to the castle,” always seems to be), one of the knights will toss a flower at you.

While the food is nothing to write home about, it is pretty tasty considering the price of admission and you’ll feel full. Plus, it’s the kind of food that most kids don’t mind eating. If you’re planning to attend in a group with young children, I suggest signing up for the earlier shows during the week. There are fewer people, and you are guaranteed to get home early. Also, look on the Web site before buying tickets because there are almost always coupons and special offers available, so that you don’t have to pay full price.

Even though this night out is wrapped up in fun (or for celebrating a birthday or other occasion), it is also educational. The kids will learn something about medieval times, what the people used to do for fun, and how they resolved conflict with jousts and the like. They’ll also get to see a falcon and horses, which is a chance for learning about animals. You’ll be teaching them something and they won’t even realize it. That might be the best part.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012), and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

A felt tree is safe for kids of all ages. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

When my one-year-old son tried to pull the heavy, metal stocking hangers on his head, I knew I was going to have to re-think Christmas this year. So, instead of an actual tree, I made him a felt one. He can move the decorations from one part of the felt Christmas tree to the other and no one gets hurt. It was simple as pie to make, too. All you have to do is purchase felt – one large green piece for the tree itself and other small pieces in various colors to create decorations. I bought black (but I would have preferred brown) to make the stump at the bottom. I cut a simple, large triangle from the large green fabric. Then, I cut circles hearts, one candy cane, and one candy shape out of the other pieces of felt. I put a piece of self-adhesive velcro on the back of each, but felt sticks to felt, so that was not really necessary. Now, my son and his little cousins have a ball moving all the decorations, including the star at the top of the tree and the stump at the bottom.

Di Meglio is the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com, and the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012).

BEFORE: My happy elf smiles wide for the camera. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

I love America. And one of the reasons I know I love America is because I’ve spent the holidays in Italy. I hated Christmas in Italy. It’s subdued and rather boring. The big holiday meal is great, of course, but when you get three hours for lunch everyday, that big holiday meal seems the same as any other day. Yes, the American version of Christmas is all about material things and glitz and I’m supposed to hate it. But I love it. I love it in spite of the materialism. I love the way we all believe in Santa and there is something magical in the air. I love the lights on all the houses, singing carolers, egg nog, and Christmas cookies. I love the holiday music and the holiday movies. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a viewing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer. Since I have my own little elf now, I want him to cherish American Christmas as much as I do.

Being a New Jerseyan – born and raised – I want him to feel the spirit in his home state most of all. So far, this season we have had breakfast with Santa at the Park Ridge Elks (see “AFTER” photo below), exchanged cookies with some of our cousins, baked cookies with the elf’s cousins, and decorated the house with the miniest of trees and put it far out of reach because my elf is also Mr. Destruction. He nearly pulled the heavy, metal stocking holders on his head. Those are gone, too. But we will not shout, “Bah humbug!” On the contrary, paper decorations are yet to come. And we’re planning on baking a cake in the shape of St. Nick and attending Van Saun Park’s annual train ride with Santa event. Of course, there is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to celebrate. ‘Tis the season to enjoy New Jersey, its people, and its Christmas spirit, so get out and support local businesses and attend local events, like your neighborhood tree lighting, caroling, or dreidel spinning. Happy holidays to all and to all a good night!

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012).

AFTER: My little elf did not care for sitting on Santa’s lap, but he rather enjoyed the pancakes and eggs at Breakfast with Santa at the Park Ridge Elks. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

Turkey place cards are great for Thanksgiving, but the method can be applied to any dinner table design. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

These place cards are a lively bit of art on the Thanksgiving table. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

I know what you’re thinking. Why is she writing about a Thanksgiving craft after Thanksgiving? The answer is simple. I found these amusing place cards to be so much fun to make and so adorable on our table that I’ve thought of ways you can apply the method I used to create darling decorations for other holidays and celebrations. All I did was get origami paper, and fold it accordion style. Then, I folded the accordion in half and glued one half to the other to create a fan. Next, I attached an adhesive foam gourd to the fan, and hot glued googly eyes and a triangle (that I cut from card stock) to create the face. Finally, I hot glued a mini clothespin to the back, so that I could clip the name tag (which I printed for free online) and a paper napkin folded to form a triangle.

You could nix the gourd sticker and just make the fans using paper that illustrates your theme or party colors to adapt this project for another dinner. For the holidays, you could use foam stickers with holiday shapes – Santa’s face, an elf’s face, a snowman, a wreath, etc. You could get really creative, and glue photos of your guest’s faces on the fan. Then, you wouldn’t have to even attach tags with their names. These fans are truly versatile and you can use them as decorations rather than place cards, too. It’s up to you and your imagination.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012), and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

My lil’ pirate loads up on pizza, his favorite food, on his first birthday. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Fear not. My son is not full of blood. He is painted in pizza sauce as he indulged in some of his favorite foods – and tried chilli for the first time – on his first birthday. We used his birthday as a cover for his Nonna’s surprise 60th birthday on the Sunday before his big day. To best represent both of the birthday honorees, we had a pirate and princess party. Even though that party was really for nonna, we included some pirate and princess fun for the kids in the family. Here are some highlights -

1. Paper pirate hats, like the one above, put everyone in the right frame of mind for the celebration. Baby Boy already thinks he is a pirate and this – along with the foam swords and pirate beach balls we gave out as favors – only confirmed it.

2. Digging for Treasure had kids searching for rubber ducks dressed like pirates in the sandbox in the backyard. The sandbox was an affordable plastic pool filled with sand, which is much cheaper than purchasing an actual sandbox.

3. At “Capt’n Hook’s Tattoo Parlor,” replete with sign, my aunt put fake pirate tattoos on all the kids.

4. A photo booth for all in attendance had guests using props (made out of paper and including kissable lips, a crown, pirate hat, beard, and mustache) posing like pirates and princesses in front of a black plastic tablecloth that was draped over the railing.

Since that party was really for Nonna, we used the leftovers from it to truly celebrate Enzo’s big day on his actual birthday. See photo above. Along with his American first cousins, two aunts, uncle, grandparents and mommy, Baby Boy played pin the treasure chest on the map, colored a birthday sign, received more fake tattoos, and danced the night away to his favorite Italian songs. He taught his cousins about booty as in treasure, while they taught him about booty as in shake it. And fun was had by all the pirates in our land.

A balloon wreath is the perfect fit for a birthday or celebration. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

You might recall that in our last few weeks in Italy in 2012, we hosted a blessing for baby boy Enzo. The reception was in my mother-in-law’s backyard. To spruce the place up, I made decorations with my Italian nieces. We got the idea for making the above wreath at catchmyparty.com. But because we were on the small island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, we could not get any of the materials suggested in those instructions. So, I came up with plan B. I found a wire hanger in my closet, stretched it to form something closer to a circle. Then, I wrapped the balloons and tied a knot, so each one was attached to the hanger. I did this until you could no longer see any part of the wire. The truth is that I could have used more balloons to make it fuller, but I didn’t have any other balloons, so this had to do. Finally, I created a monogram using paper scraps, and I attached it with a ribbon that came off a gift we received for Enzo. I used another ribbon from another gift to cover the hanger’s hook, which I used to hang the wreath. And voila! You like?

Enzo dressed in his Sunday finest on Easter. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

So, my husband and I finally arrived in Ischia, Italy on April 1. We brought our baby boy, at just six months old, to meet his Italian family. Despite the first hour on the plane in which baby boy had a meltdown and thoroughly annoyed the people sitting behind us, the rest of the trip was cake compared to what I had imagined. Now that we’ve been here, baby boy has been getting everyone to fall in love with him. He’s all smiles and giggles. And his first Easter, despite rainy and cold weather, was sunny and warm. (To join in the fun, visit the “Italy Week One – Easter” photo album.) Wait until you see the rest of the pics of him in his snazzy suit! Keep an eye on the site for weekly updates from the Boot.