Party: Scarlett's First Birthday

We had Scarlett's birthday party this evening and it was so much fun! I was hoping to have it outside, but it was a bit too cool, so we moved it indoors.

I was thinking for a long time about what sort of theme to use for Scarlett's first birthday. I wanted to do something a bit Fall, but still feminine and appropriately baby. I decided on a foresty theme: red and white toadstools, hedgehogs, squirrels, birds, trees...

Reminds me of Germany. I found a really beautiful fabric for her dress, made invitations with little toadstools on them, ...

made a table cloth with a faux bois fabric (more Joel Dewberry)...

and then decided to do a toadstool cake! The cake turned out so cute! Audrey helped me with it this morning. She made little toadstools to put around it and helped me decide where to put the white polka dots.

Audrey got a new dress too in matching fall colors, but a little more grown up looking.

We made an early Fall dinner: Wine-braised Pork Tenderloin, Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Golden Raisins, Roasted Potatoes with Herbes de Provence, and a green salad with shallot mustard viniagrette.

We served the molasses cookies Audrey and I made earlier this week.

We gave little finger puppet hedgehogs as party favors, which all the kids seemed excited about.

Scarlett really went after her birthday cake--unlike her older sister on her first birthday. Scarlett was a cute little mess.

Recipes:
Grandma Heger's Molasses Cookies
Wine Braised Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Potatoes with Herbes de Provence

• Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
• Chop baby red potatoes into 1" cubes.
• Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and Herbes de Provences.
• Put in pre-heated oven and bake, stirring occassionally, until desired doneness (a bit brown and crunchy on the edges), about 30 minutes.

Pearled Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Golden Raisins

8 Tbs. butter
4 cups uncooked pearled couscous
4 cups apple cider/ juice
3 cups water
1 medium shallot, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins or dried currants
2 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp powdered sage
1 Tbps Fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy skillet over med-high heat. Stir in cousous and sauté until lightly browned.
Stir in apple cider and water and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in shallot. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
Mix in dried cranberries, golden raisins, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.