How to Throw a Winter Fun Snowman Party - Craft

How about an edible craft for this party - Marshmallow Snowmen!  For this craft you will need large marshmallows (at least for 3 per guest), pretzel sticks (at least two per guest), frosting, and an assortment of mini candy-coated chocolate pieces.  When planning supplies for this craft, plan that some of the "craft" items will be eaten!

To begin this craft set out bowls of large marshmallows, pretzel sticks, frosting and mini candy-coated chocolate pieces.  Each guest will also need a small plastic knife for spreading the frosting glue.

Then let each guest make a marshmallow snowman using the pretzel sticks for arms and the mini candy-coated chocolate pieces for the eyes and buttons.  Guests will need a small dab of frosting to hold the snowmen together and to "paste" the candy pieces on as decorations.

How to Throw a Winter Fun Snowman Party - Eats

If your guests have been building snow people out doors, they are probably going to be HUNGRY!  Start with an all-white veggie and cheese tray with a white dip like ranch dressing (with maybe some snowman approved carrots on the side).  Select from jicama, cauliflower or mushrooms for the white veggies, and mozzarella, swiss, or provolone for the white cheeses.  Then consider serving a melted snowman soup - a creamy potato soup with raisin eyes, oyster cracker buttons and a carrot sliver for a nose floating on top.

For your main course serve something that will reflect the snowman theme - consider meatballs with meat sauce over rice or spaghetti, a meat ball sub or English muffin pizzas.  For dessert serve a snowman cake (directions below) alongside edible snowballs (directions below).

How to Throw a Winter Fun Snowman Party - Treats

Invite this snowman to your party.  Cake mix and ready-to-spread frosting make quick work of this delectable creation.  To assemble this cake you will need a large tray or cardboard covered with wrapping paper and plastic wrap or foil.  To create the cake, bake two 8" cake rounds. Arrange cake rounds on tray as pictured.  Frost with prepared frosting.  Carefully cut black gumdrops for nose and eyebrows, cut green gumdrops for eyes, use red licorice ropes for mouth and muffler and chocolate chips for buttons.  Place one chocolate cookie on each side of head for earmuffs; attach earmuffs across top of head with licorice.  Store loosely covered.

Serve your snowman cake with edible snowballs.  Freeze scoops of vanilla ice cream in paper baking cups for at least two hours before serving.  At serving time, remove the perfect snowballs from the paper baking cups and plate alongside a slice of snowman cake.

How to Throw a Winter Fun Snowman Party - Drinks

Your guests will warm right up with minty white chocolate.  To make 10 servings you will need - for the whipped cream: 1 cup whipping cream, 2 T powdered sugar, 1 T unsweetened baking cocoa, and 1 t peppermint extract and for the chocolate drink: 6 cups milk, 3 cups white vanilla baking chips and1/2 t peppermint extract.  Garnish with peppermint candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies.  (T = tablespoon and t = teaspoon).


The first step is to make the whipped cream. In a clean, chilled small bowl, mix whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa and 1/4 t peppermint extract with the electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

The second step is to make the chocolate drink.  In a 2-quart saucepan heat milk just to simmering over medium-low heat - do not boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Add baby chips, stir constantly with wire whisk until melted and smooth.  Stir in 1/2 t peppermint extract.

How to Throw a Winter Fun Snowman Party - Favors

The ultimate favor for your Winter Fun Snowman Party is a Snowman to Go Kit.  Send your guests home in style with the items listed below and a note to this effect:

Here are the ingredients for a very cool snowman:

Pair of funky sunglasses for eyes; five small black rocks for mouth; three large buttons for buttons, of course; one fleece scarf to keep the snowman warm; and, one top hat for style.  Add plenty of snow and a fresh carrot nose.

Most of these items can be purchased at a local party store or on-line.  Funky sunglasses can be ordered from Oriental Trading Company for $10/dozen (Black Nomad Glasses IN-50/333). While there you can also order top hats, child's $6.25/dozen (IN-70/1284) or adult's $15/dozen (IN-25/1648).

Scarves can be made easily from a length of fleece fabric fringed with a scissor at both ends - no sewing required..  Joann Fabrics is currently having a sale on fleece for $4.00 a yard.  The fabric comes 58" wide.  If you cut widths slightly less than six inches you can get ten scarves from one width of fabric.  You can also order buttons from Joann Fabrics - 24 monochromatic buttons are currently priced at $2.79.  BTW - you might want to paint your rocks for the snowman's mouth black for a touch of added refinement for these snow creatures.

Chinese New Year Party for Kids - Chinese Checkers Party Cake

Another option for dessert at your Chinese New Year Party for Kids is a Chinese Checkers Cake.  

Ingredients

• 1 baked 12-inch round cake
• 4 cups chocolate frosting (remember white is an unlucky color for the new year)
• 1/2 cup each purple, blue, orange, yellow, green and pink frosting
• 1 cup red frosting
• 60 candy-coated chocolate pieces, 10 of each frosting color (excluding the red)

Instructions

1. Frost the cake with chocolate frosting. Using a ruler and a knife, lightly mark a six-pointed star. Frost each section a different color and frost the center red.
2. Let the cake sit for a few hours so the frosting forms a crust. Use a marble to make indentations, then set in the candy-coated chocolate pieces.

How to Throw a Chinese New Year Party for Kids

With the holidays over and the promise of spring several months away, people young and old are eager to party.  Attract prosperity, abundance, success and good fortune by hosting a party during the Chinese New Year.  The celebration of the 2012 Chinese New Year begins on January 23rd - the Year of the Dragon.  The New Year is the most significant festivity of the traditional Chinese holidays.  The celebration lasts for 15 days and ends on February 9, 2013.  Traditions, rituals, and themes of happiness, wealth and longevity embody this holiday.

For instance, the new year is typically thought of as a fresh start.  People often get hair cuts or purchase new clothing.  Red envelopes are passed out during the days of the Chinese New Year.  These envelopes contain money - even two shiny pennies will do!  The red of the envelop symbolizes good luck.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are passionate, outgoing, brave and self-assured. On the flip side, they are also a bit foolish and impulsive and often act without thinking.

One important tradition for welcoming the New Year and creating good fortunes is to ban white at all celebrations.  In Chinese culture white represents death and mourning.  For instance, don't serve vanilla ice cream, lemon meringue pie, cake with white icing or anything with cream as a primary ingredient.

For more details on invitations, decorations, games, crafts, foods, beverages, treats and favors, please see the posts entered below.  Be creative and have fun!