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The Diva That Threw A Super Girly Spring Tea Party

What do you do for a super momma? Recently, my friend Julian and I threw a completely over-the-top tea party-baby shower for our dear friends, Sarah and Walter, who recently adopted a baby from Kazakhstan. The baby’s name is also Julian and he is a long awaited dream come true. The theme was super-girly-spring. One, because Julian’s mother is the most girly gal I know. Two, she showed her super girl powers persevering through a most hideous drawn out Kazakh adoption (along with her hubby)<==long, ugly story. Third, spring had sprung the day before and it was a glorious day! I cooked almost everything I could think of within reason (but not much).

Happy birthday, Grandma-ma!

The highlight of my mother’s birthday celebration this year was the presence of her granddaughter Janea and her gift, a photo book of Janea we made at MyPublisher.com which came out surprisingly beautiful (O, me of little faith—I was worried about the resolution and quality of the printing) and of course the food!!!

Ja-Ja’s first birthday

I, Auntie Jackie, fondly known as “Chopped Liver”—long story—cooked up a multi-cultural storm for my niece Janea Lani Gordon’s first birthday at Divalicious Chocolate! Cafe. I whipped up an antipasto of her many heritages to the theme of duckies. You’d think that with the popularity of freakin’ rubber duckies one might be able to find a Mylar rubber ducky balloon in our fair city. I searched party stores in NYC and parts of NJ—nada! Like hens’ teeth. And a special thank-you to the genius at Party City in Brooklyn who doesn’t know the difference between a ducky and chick.

Rant aside, Janea was unfazed by lack o’ ducky balloon since she loves to eat and as a gourmet-in-training knows what is truly important at a partaaaaaaaay!!!!

Here is the menu followed by the recipe for the pepita cranberry popcorn balls I made as a culinary homage to her First American roots.