Gluten-Free Girl and Happy Wednesday Birthday!

I have nothing to report this week, Chicklets. It’s my birthday and I was so busy baking my birthday cake yesterday–a gluten-free angel food concoction–that I completely forgot to take pictures or anything.

Since the cake is for tonight and I haven’t sampled it yet, I don’t want to post the recipe just yet. (I don’t want to give you a recipe for a disaster cake, if it doesn’t turn out.) 🙂

So instead, I’ll leave with a question…what’s your dream dinner (including dessert, of course) for your birthday?

Gluten-Free Girl: Harry Potter Birthday Party

Okay, not really. Because let’s face it, HP is wicked with a wand! But I did just throw a Harry Potter themed birthday party for my eight-year old.

We went all out to make the house as magical as possible. From turning our front door into Platform 9 3/4 to sorting the children into the four Hogwarts houses, right down to food from the books. The entire family got into decorating the house. My father-in-law took charge of ensuring the entryway didn’t blow apart in the gusty Virginia winds that day! 🙂

Crock Pot Hot Dogs for a Birthday Party Crowd

You must comment on the Chicklets web page (not Facebook or Twitter)  if you want to be entered in the drawing.  It’s easier for me to keep track of it that way.  🙂

Now on to the post!

You know what I hate?  When I do something kitchen-y and think, “I should blog about this!” and then forget to take pictures.

Case in point – Thing2’s birthday party.  I didn’t want to serve pizza for lunch, so I thought, what else do boys like to eat?  Hot Dogs!  But how to cook hot dogs for ten kids and more adults?  Crock pot!

No, seriously.  I did it in the slow cooker.  I really wanted to cook 60, for the pure pleasure of saying “I cooked 60 hot dogs in the crock pot,” but since there were only about 20 folks at the party, I thought 60 might be overkill.  So I settled on 40.  And forgot to take the picture of the hot dogs all clamoring for space.

But I did get a picture  – after everyone had eaten.  sigh

Slow-cooked Dogs

So here’s what you do:
Buy the hot dogs.
Put them in the slow cooker.
Cook for two hours on high.
No need to add water – hot dogs have their own moisture.
And voila!  Lunch for a hungry crowd.  They were plump and juicy and hot and yummy!

Susan G. Heino and the Birthday Meatloaf

I have to admit, I got a little scared when Susan mentioned those dreaded words:  meatloaf.   But after reading her recipe, I just might try it.  I have good intentions, really.  I just…  it’s meatloaf.  Read on and see if it’s something you’d like to do.

You can read more about Susan on her website.  So tell  me about this meatloaf of yours…

Happy Birthday, Thing 2!

The Things have discovered Pokemon.  I’m not sure how I feel about this.  But for Thing 2’s birthday last weekend, he wanted to have a Wii party, and he wanted a Pokemon cake.  One of my coworkers does this sort of thing, so I asked her to make it.

And Holy Shamoly, did she ever.

Pokemon Cake

I mean, LOOK AT THAT!!  It’s the Pokemon Scalopede, or something like that.  Underneath the fondant is a layer of buttercream frosting and then chocolate cake.  But, really, who cares what it tastes like when it looks so amazing??