Shirley's party advice part 6 - don't be afraid to interrupt us!

[Tinkerisdead]

Okay, this is shirley's party advice part 6. Shirley ducked out a while ago and you'll notice us chatting about all kinds of stuff whilst we wait for party planners to barge in.

So, don't lurk, jump in and chat. We'll give you any advice on parties from costumes to cakes....

No hummus at out parties!

You might want to put little fairy cakes out, kids seem to love them the most.

FWIW I generally do a choice of pink squash (very weak ribena), orange squash or water. Then, the next year, I throw away 80% full bottles of squash and ribera and buy more since my DC don't drink it (well, DD does very occasionally, but DS hates it)

(to be clear, I only throw squash out because it goes off, not for the sake of it)

LOL at hummus variations. My DC went to a party in Cambridge (friends' DC) and I am not sure who was more - DC at being presented with veg sticks and hummus or all the Cambridge yummy mummies at the fact that they didn't know what hummus was

Tesco do iced fairy cakes for pence!

I think its the paper kids love to peel the paper cases off cakes. Weird.

Nothing wrong with those parties, Harriet, it was just an entertaining culture clash for my DC. Feed them whatever you think they will eat and enjoy without giving the parents heart attacks. Friend followed veg sticks and hummus with huge amounts of rocky road

I'm shattered. It's too hot for baking. Fruit cakes 2, buttermilk cakes 2, krispie cake & mars bar krispie done and wrapped. Half of ice cream cone cakes baked, still to be iced and packed and the other hand, plus a couple of chocolate sandwich cakes and then I give up. (well, I have given up for this morning already as I am working - start again this evening and hope it is a bit cooler than when I was trying to pack up melting mars bar krispie at 11pm last night)

Hand? half.

Village fête, Harriet. This and 2 DC's birthdays are my 3 baking frenzies of the year. We need more icing sugar, though - I knew I would run out of something .

I have to make DN's birthday cake today and I am totally not in the mood

Blathers - it's one time I am glad my DC have autumn birthdays - baking in general and icing in particular behave very strangely in hot weather. Ice cream cone cakes baked strangely this morning, which is annoying because I don't have enough cones to start again.

This cake is another dairy free one which I'm still not confident with. The mix looked far too runny when I put it in.

Fingers crossed...

I need to change recipes for second batch of ice cream cones. Mary Berry's fairy cakes are too eggy. I usually use the hummingbird one but they ruse flat and I want domed tops on these ones. DS wanted to make chocolate ones.

I'm going to be making 3 layers I think. I've used a 6"/24cm cake tin rather than a 20cm one to make it a bit larger but I still need it to be tall-ish.

Need to go and get the icing and the cake board when I go and get DD from pre school.

I'm facepainting at the school fete between 6 and 9 which I could do without. This may be a long night!

Agreed - shallow drum would look strange.

I now have a full drum kit in my office ( - DS's, borrowed from school for the summer) if you need any photos to work from.

Harriet - yes to cutting up strawberries, and if you are anything like the rest of then you will have massively over catered for the DC and the adults will graze on that especially the sweet stuff. However, quiche and baguettes sound good too.

Ok, have posted on prim ed but suspect I may get more help here. We are planning yr 6 leavers do (a year away). So theme ideas, but they still want to dress up, travel plans like limo but cheaper (anyone used a bus?). £15 budget for each leaving present. Any ideas for presses? Do we price family tickets or individual? Help needed xxxx