The Deluxe Birthday Package

Your child becomes a star in this fast-paced show featuring amazing magic, comedy, and tons of audience participation. Kids and adults will laugh like crazy. You'll want to have your camera ready! The "Deluxe" package includes everything in the standard package, with MUCH MUCH MORE.

Check out these extra features that are GUARANTEED to create awesome memories:

• The Deluxe program is about an hour long so you get more fun, laughs, and more fantastic magic!
• PLUS it takes load of work off of YOU filling the party moments with ACTIVE entertainment!
• The birthday child receives his or her very own Magic Set!
• The eye-popping production of CANDY
• The magical appearance of beautiful white RABBIT !
• A breath-taking finale:The birthday child floats in mid air!
• The look on your child's face is priceless.

With the Deluxe Package I really knock myself out to pack in a lot of value for you! ($225.00)

All prices subject to a small travel fee if outside of Butte County California.

The "Tots" Package

This is a program is full of colorful surprises rather than subtle mystery or things too 'scary " for them.  It's a shorter program (40 minutes), but includes the eye-popping production of a beautiful white rabbit! The program can be adapted for older kids if you want the rabbit but not the Deluxe Package. Also, it's the perfect program if you've seen me before.

Lots of audience participation and sorcery silliness that's sure to have the tots tickled. The show features a few classic magical mysteries such as the linking rings and colorful productions. The program is tailored to your child's age group. Each guest will receive a Magical Activity Handout ! ($185.00)

The Standard Birthday Package

Your child is the star in a fun and fast-paced 45-minute magic show tailored to yourchild's age group. The show features amazing magic, comedy, music, and tons of audience participation designed to make kids and adults laugh like crazy. (After all, kids don't want to sit around and watch a show, they want to be the show.) You'll want to have your camera ready to take lots of snapshots of them in action! Especially as the birthday person is transformed into a magician.
As an added bonus, they'll receive a free magical activity handout to take home. ($180.00)

Party Checklist

Getting Ready!

Simple planning can make a party a lot more fun (and less hassle). Here are some things to consider:

Make sure you have enough adult supervision. A rule of thumb is the number of children invited should match the birthday child's age (for example: a 7 year old should invite 7 guests). If you have more, you should have another adult to help supervise.

Where would you like to have the party? Your home may be a handy choice, but if you could also consider such places as a local sports club, pizza place, church hall, or service lodge. If you plan an outdoor party, have an alternate plan ready in case the weather changes.

When having a performer to entertain, it's usually best to have the kids sit on the floor rather than chairs. The kids can usually see better and participate more easily. It also creates a kind of "stage" for the performer that kids repond to. It is also easier to manage kids if the performer has a wall behind him and a good light source on him (not behind). Little things like this help maintain control and keep the show rolling with fun.

The end of the party is a great time for refreshments! Some parents make the mistake of trying to feed the kids too early. Not only can this make a mess early on, but some of the kids may be ready to settle down. You shouldn't have a performer perform WHILE kids are eating. It's just too distracting for everyone. Nor just after they eat because sticky hands can be a problem and you don't want to interrupt the flow of the part to "have everyone wash-up." By waiting until after the games and entertainment, the kids are more focused and YOU can keep the mess to a minimum!

Not everyone arrives on time! Plan a few "getting acquainted" activities (see my activities page). You could have them make name tags, or add some decorations. Some have let the early arriving kids make a big "scarecrow" out of paper bags and newspaper. They paint it and put it by the door as a greeter and then have a drawing to give it away at the end of the party!

Remember, youngsters will be excited and accidents happen!.

Just be sure to enjoy the day no matter what!

FUN PARTY ACTIVITIES

Adapt these games to the theme of the party

Have something PLANNED for them to do. Once they start to run around freely, they can be difficult to control when it's time settle down. Here's a bunch of fun activities to try.

Hogswart Beans?
Before the party, fill a jar with jelly beans, but count the jelly beans as you put them into the jar. Seal this number in an envelope to be revealed later. As kids arrive, have each one guess how many beans they think are in the jar. Write down each person's guess. At the end of the party, the person whose guess is the closest is the winner and gets the jar of jelly beans!

Musical Zoo!
This fun variation of musical chairs that doesn't leave some kids "out" doing nothing! Set up one fewer chair than the number of guests at your party. Start the music and have the children walk in a circle around the chairs, until the music stops. When the Then each tries to sit in one of the chairs. The player left standing must pull the name of an animal out of a hat. Then, they must act it out while the other kids try to guess what the animal is. Repeat the game until all the animals in the hat have been acted out.

Cake Safari
Have the kids form 3 or 4 teams. Give each team a set of clues to find various party favors hidden in the yard. Give each child a bag to put their favors in. The clues and favors should eventurally lead them to the cake. The first team to locate the cake gets served first. Be sure to lend some help to those who have trouble finding any favors so no one is left out.

Cool Potato!
Hot potato is fun game to try, but here's something of a twist. Games that elimate children, often leave them sitting with nothing to do (but look for trouble). Take a newspaper and tape the sheets together (end to end) so you have a long, long piece. Now you need a bag of small party toys for the kids (make sure you have enough for all). Start at one end of the paper and wrap one of the toys in the paper just enough to cover the toy well. Then place another toy in the paper and continue rolling some more. Keep doing this until you have a prize for each child wrapped in this BIG paper ball. To play the game, have the kids sit in a circle. Play some music and have the kids pass the ball around the circle. When the music stops the person with the ball unwraps it until he or she finds a prize! He or she leaves the circle and the game continues until everyone has a prize.

Make A Birthday Banner
Mount a large piece of butcher paper on the wall so the kids can write a birthday message using crayons or color markers. Make sure they sign their name. Take some close-up photos so you can perserve and enjoy it later.

Wizard's Slime
To make a fun playful "gunk" that stretches and snaps and feels so crazy kids will scream with delight, try this:Mix in a medium sized bowl the following: 1 cup of water, 1cup of white glue, and about 7 drops of food coloring. Then in a second bowl, mix one and 1/3 cup of warm water and 4 tsp. Borax Laundry Booster. Make sure the Borax is completely dissolved. Then slowly pour the first bowl into the second, BUT DON'T MIX, rather KNEAD and roll together. Keep kneading for 2 or 3 minutes and you will end up with a stretchy fun slime. Store in a ziplock bag.

Bobbing for Apples
Buy enough small apples for each guest and tie a string to the stem of each. Then hang the apples from a tree low enough the kids can reach them with their mouths. They then try to take a bite out of their apples without using their hands. Great photo opportunity! A GREAT variation on this is "BOBBING FOR DONUTS" instead of apples!

Pin the Tail
You can change this classic to fit your party's theme. You could find or make a poster of an animal or object that goes with your theme and tape it to the wall. Some ideas could be "put the rabbit in the hat," "put the ball in the hoop," "put the nose on the clown" or "stick the jets on the rocket." Put a piece of tape (instead of using a tack) on the back of each of the items the kids will be "pinning." Have each in turn close his or her eyes, spin around, and then you point them toward the poster. The child who sticks the object closest to the right place, wins!

Balloon Box Toss
Line up several boxes each a foot ahead of the other. Have the party goers take turns tossing a balloon from a line. They are to toss the balloon into the first box, if he or she makes it, they try for the 2nd and then the next. Each continues until they mix a box, then it's the next person's turn. The person who reaches the most boxes wins!

Building Muscles
Divide the kids into two teams. One guest on each team to be the "weakling." The rest are "personal trainers." With teams on opposite sides of the room divide about 100 balloons between them. Have the "weakling" put on a one-piece long underwear over their clothes. When you say "GO," the personal trainers must make the weaklings grow instant muscles by blowing up and stuffing as many balloons as possible into the long underwear. The team that used the most balloons, wins. Give the teams 60 seconds to do this. When time is up, let the muscle men "pose" and show off. Then count the number ofballoons each team used.

Balloon Volley
This is a fun and simple way to start a party! Pass out a large balloon to each kid. Let them blow up their balloon (that can be fun in itself!). The object of this game is to hit the balloons up into the air and keep them afloat for the longest period of time.

Balloon Relay
Have the kids form two lines. Place a balloon between the knees of the first in each line. When the race starts, the first child on each team turns to face the next person in line. The second must grasp the balloon using only the knees, and turn to pass it on to the next until it reaches the end. If the balloon touches the ground, the team must start over. The first team to pass the balloon to the end wins!

Balloon Wrestling
Have a balloon prepared for each guest. Insert a small, light-weight party favor such as a sticker into the opening of each balloon before inflating it. Decorate the party area with the balloons as you normally would. When the party is almost over, give a balloon to each guest. Tell your wrestlers that they must pop the balloon by sitting, jumping, kicking it, etc. in order to win the match. They'll get a "bang" out of the wrestling and a prize to boot!

Fire House Relay
Before the party, collect two sets of boots, oversized jackets, hats, and gloves. Tape a mark for the start/finish line on the floor and put chairs across the room with a paper or plastic tube as a pretent hose. Have the kids form equal lines. They need to run to the "dressing station" and put on the firefighter's clothing, run to the chair, pick up the hose, run around the chair with the hose "spraying the fire", return the hose to the chair, run back to the dressing station, take off the clothes, and go back to their line. The next person in line then repeats all these actions until all team members have taken a turn. First team done wins!

Fire Brigade
Divide the kids into two teams, and line them up next to each other. Give the first person in each line a small cup full of water. About thirty feet away, place an empty bucket for each team. When you say "GO!," the first person runs down to the empty bucket, pours the water from his or her container into the bucket, and races back to their team with their empty container. The next teammate must then race down to the full bucket and pour the water from the bucket into his or her empty cup, and then return it to the next person in line. The kids will have fun trying to keep as much water as they can in their buckets. The game ends when each has had a turn.

People Knots
This is an old camp favorite. Have the kids to stand in a circle and everyone extends his or her right hand and takes a hold of someone else's hand across from them. Then, they do the same with their left hands, only being sure to grab a different persons hand. Now the object of the game is to untangle the "knot" they've created by stepping over, ducking under people, or turning around. However they can't let go of each others hands no matter what happens!

Monkey on my back?
Have the kids select a partner. You then put a picture -sticker of a bug or animal on each kid's back. The kids try to guess what the picture is on his or her own back by asking questions that can be answered with only "yes" or "no." For example, "Do I have wings?" or "Am I blue?"

Big Foot Relay
Before the party, cut four large shapes, to fit the theme of your oarty, out of cardboard. At the party, divide the kids into two equal lines and give the first person in each line two of the cardboard shapes. These become the only thing they can step on as they walk across the room, around a chair and back to the line again. Begin the game by having the first child on each team place one piece ofcardboard on the ground and step on it. Then, they place the other on the ground in front of the first and step on it. Next, they pick up the first and place it on the ground in front of the other and continue until they circle the chair and return. They then hand the two pieces cardboard to the next in line. The first team to have all its players complete the course is the winner!

Ha, Ha, Ha
In this game each is to keep a straight face while the others try to make you laugh. All players form a circle and one player begins by saying, "ha." The next player says, "ha, ha," followed by the next player who says, "ha, ha, ha," and so on around the circle with each player adding another "ha" to the string. Each player must pronounce their "ha ha"s as solemnly as they can. Any player who laughs or makes a mistake must drop out of the circle. That player then gets to try to make the remaining players laugh in any way they can without touching or talking to anyone. He who laughs last, wins!

Piggy Contest
Set a bowl of gellatin for guest on the ground in a line. You might want it on a drop cloth, this can get messy. Each player places hands on the ground beside their bowl and must keep them there. When you say "go", all the kids start eating. The first to clean their bowl completely, wins! Take lots of pictures!

Bean Bag Toss
Buy or make bean bags for tossing (you can make some using socks rubber bands and beans). Draw a picture related to your party theme on a cardboard box. Cut a hole in the box large enough for the bean bags to be thrown through easily. Place the box about ten feet away and give each child several chances to toss.

Fishing Pond
Tie a string across the room and lay a sheet over it so no one can see what is on the other side. Attach a clothespin on the end of an olf fishing pole's string. Let each guest take a turn "casting" their line over the sheet. Have your helper stand on the other side and attach small gifts, favors, or treats to the clothespin. When they're done, the helper gives a slight tug on the line. When the kids "reel" in their lines, they'll have fun looking to see what they've caught!

Squirting Gallery
Place a rope on the ground to show where the kids should stand and set up some of plastic pop bottles about 6 feet away.Give them squirt guns and let them try to knock down as many bottles as they can.

Edible Jewels
You will need at least two feet of string for each guest, candy or sweet cereal with holes, and small bowls to put them in. Before the party, fill the small bowls with the candy or cereal and place them within easy reach of your guests at the party table. Give each child a length of string and let them create a necklace, bracelet, anklet, etc.

Round Up
For this game you will need two brooms, a long string to mark your course, six balloons. Set up an obstacle course in your party area using boxes, chairs, bushes, trees, etc. Mark the path of your obstacle course with string. Divide your party guests into two teams and line up both teams at the starting line.

Give the first person in each line a broom and three balloons.Use a different colored balloon for each team. They must use the broom to herd their wild ponies (balloons) through the course. Each player must herd their balloons through the entire course to complete their turn. The first team to finish the course, wins! If a balloon pops during a player's turn, he or she must take a new balloon to the starting line and begin again.

Telephone Tell-a guest
Seat your guests in a circle. Help the birthday child think of a message related to your party's theme. The birthday child then whispers the message to the person on their left, and so on. When the message has traveled all the way around the circle, the person on the birthday child's right tells the "message" heard out loud. Then the birthday child tells the original message. This can be surprising.

Freeze Tag
For this popular game, guests need to spread out in the party area. The tagger tries to tag all the other guests. If a player is tagged, he or she must freeze. Players who are not frozen can "melt" frozen players by touching them. A player to be frozen three times becomes the next tagger.

Red Light, Green Light
Lay two lengths of rope about 25 feet apart to make start and finish lines. The birthday child stands in front of the finish line as the Police Officer. The others stand behind the start line. The game begins when the Police Officer turns his/her back on the other players and shouts, "Green Light!" He/she then turns around and counts to five. While the Police Officer is counting, the other players try to run or walk quickly toward the finish line. When the Police Officer has finished counting to five he/she shouts, "Red Light!" and turns around quickly. The other players must freeze instantly. If the Police Officer catches anyone moving, that player must return to the starting line. Play continues until one of the participants crosses the line while the Police Officer's back is turned. That player then becomes the Police Officer.

Story Circle
This is a great "calm down item." Have the kids sit in a circle as you read a story that goes with the theme of the party. Let the kids color draw a picture that goes with the story while you read. Later, they can share what they drew.

Buried Treasure
If you have a sandbox, hide some small toys in it and let the kids dig through the sand to find them.

Leap Frog
This classic children's game is best played outside where there's lots of room. Show the kids how to get into a frog position by bending down on their hands and feet. Tell the kids to form a line and keep their heads down. The frog at the end of the line begins by placing hands on the back of the frog in front of them, jumping in the air a little, and sliding their legs around the body of the frog they're leaping over. They continue jumping over all the other frogs in line. The person now at the end of the line, does the same thing until everyone has jumped.

Twisty Face Project
Cut a 2-inch square piece of cardboard, and make a small hole on two opposing edges. Then, attach short pieces of string or rubber bands through the holes. Draw a circle on one side of the cardboard and a smiling mouth and eyes on the other. Hold the string between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. Begin to twirl the square rapidly. While it is twirling, you will see a composite face.

Party Food Ideas

Graham Cracker Cards

Frost some graham-crackers with vanilla frosting. Add red colored frosting in heart and diamond patterns on half the crackers, and use chocolate frosting to form clubs and spades patterns onto remaining half of the graham crackers. You can make a quick tool for this by clipping the corner from a zip lock bag and squeeze the frosting out the small hole.

Wand-erful Cookies

Cut some rolled out dough using a star-shaped cookie cutter. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, and are still soft to the touch, carefully push a plastic straw between any two points of the star. This makes the handle for your wand. Frost the cookies with glossy icing. [To make glossy icing, sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Slowly add hot water, while mixing, until it becomes a smooth paste.]

Pretzel Wands

Microwave some choclolate frosting on HIGH for about 10 seconds or until melted then stir 'til smooth. Dip pretzel sticks in the melted frosting, coating them completely. Then roll the rods in candy sprinkles. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until frosting is set. Now, Microwave some vanilla frosting on HIGH for 10 seconds until softened and then dip 1 inch of each coated pretzel in the vanilla frosting. Place wands on foil and let stand until frosting is set (3 or 4 hours).

Ice Cream Bunnies

Scoop a large ice cream ball for each guest and roll the balls in shredded coconut flakes. Set each on a flattened cupcake wrapper. Use black jelly beans for the rabbit's eyes and a red jelly bean for its nose. Cut out "ears" from pink construction paper, or use halved sugar cookies for the rabbit's ears. Freeze until ready to serve.

Bunny in a Hat Cake

Place a 9 inch round cake, trimmed side down, on top of an 8 inch layer cake to form brim of hat. Frost with chocolate frosting. Now make a bunny head "poping out" of the hat. To do this, first make a "ball" by spreading a small amount of vanilla frosting on the cut surface of 2 trimmed custard-cup cakes and then place frosted surfaces of cakes together. Place ball on top of 9-inch round cake. Insert bamboo skewers through head and hat to secure it. A couple inches of the skewers will stick out the top. Stick cookies shaped like ears onto the skewers. Frost bunny head and ears with vanilla frosting. Cut a large marshmallow in half for paws resting on the brim of the hat. Cut a miniature marshmallow in half for the eyes. With just a little frosting, attach blue candies to marshmallows to finish the eys. Use licorice for whiskers. A nose can by made from cut fruit roll pieces, as well as the inside of ears and a bow tie.

Green Eggs & Ham

To make 12 "green eggs," you'll need six hard-boiled eggs. Slice eggs in half and scoop out the yolk. Mix the yolks with 2 drops of blue food coloring and 1 drop of yellow. Then add 1 tsp. prepared mustard and 1 Tbs. mayonnaise. Mix with a fork until smooth. Scoop the yolk mixture into each egg white half. Serve on a platter with bits of ham and let your guests help themselves.

Pigs in a Blanket

Slice hot dogs lengthwise and cut cheese into strips. Unroll croissants and stuff them with hot dogs and cheese. Roll croissants back up and bake as directed, or until golden brown.

Bugs-on-a-Log

Cut celery into about six-inch lengths and spread evenly with peanut butter. Put raisins ("bugs") along the length of the celery in an uneven pattern. You can leave the raisins off and let the children stick "bugs" to their very own logs at snack time.

Wizard's Cupcakes

Using a sharp, serrated knife, trim about an inch from the wide-end of some sugar cones. Sprinkle a work surface with powdered sugar. Pull off about a ping-pong ball-sized piece of fondant and knead until pliable. Sprinkle work surface with powdered sugar and roll fondant into a 5-inch round, 1/4" thick (don't flip it over). Using a paring knife, trim off edges to make it a triangle. Lightly brush one of the prepared cones with jam. Place fondant, powdered sugar-side up, onto a piece of wax paper. Place a trimmed cone at the edge of triangle, about half inch from tip and carefully roll fondant around cone. Trim off excess. Mix navy petal dust with a few drops of extract. Add extract a drop at a time until thin enough to paint smoothly, but thick enough to cover cones evenly. Paint cones with a small, flat brush. Dry for about 3 to 4 hours. To make the brim, tear off a small piece of fondant. Roll into an even shaped log, about 2-inch in diameter. Spread bottom of cones with more jam and attach brim to cone. Remember to match seams of brim with seams of hat. Hold a toothpick at an angle and gently press into brim to create fabric-like texture. Mix gold luster dust with extract and paint the hat with stars and lightning bolts. Dry completely. To assemble cupcakes, place a layer of frosting on cupcakes and top with wizard hats.

Animal Cookies

Have your party goers decorate their own animal cookies! Make some sugar cookies, and use as many different animal-shaped cookie cutters as you can find. To make glossy icing, sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl; slowly add hot water, while mixing, until it becomes a smooth paste. Add different colors of food coloring to bowls of icing. Set the cookies, bowls with icing, sprinkles, and other toppings on the table. Let the kids decorate 2-3 animal cookies for themselves to eat later.

Freaky-Face Pizza

Split English muffins in half and top with prepared pizza sauce and shredded cheese. Place a muffin half in front of each child and let them decorate their pizza with pepperoni, sliced olives, mushrooms, green peppers or other favorite pizza toppings to make a silly face or a design that matches the party theme. Bake pizzas on a cookie sheet at 375 F. for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Jiggly Creatures

Purchase several packages of your child's favorite flavors of gelatin. Follow the directions on the package to make the popular "Jigglers, but use cookie cutters to create fun shapes that match your party theme.

Thanks so Munch

For a grab and go snack, combine your favorite treats in a large bowl (peanuts, licorice pieces, granola, pretzels, raisins, coconut, dried fruit, and any of your other favorites). Then, let your guests scoop out their own cupful of munchies.

Star Shaped Sandwiches

Make star-shaped sandwiches using a cookie cutter. Or, just cut triangular sandwiches and lay them out in a star-shaped arrangement. Just place the sandwiches in a circle with points facing towards the edge of the tray.

Dinosaur Eggs

For the kid with a really BIG appetite. Boil 4 eggs for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are hard-boiled. Run cold water over the eggs. Then crack and peel carefully. Divide 1/2 lb. ground breakfast sausage into 4 equal portions and flatten each into a round, 5-inch patty. Wrap a patty around each hard-boiled egg, covering the eggs completely. Beat one raw egg thoroughly in a small bowl. Then, dip each sausage-wrapped egg in the raw egg mixture. Next, roll each egg in crushed saltine crackers, covering completely. Arrange the eggs in a shallow baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sausage is no longer pink. Serve brontosaurus eggs warm or cold.

Candy Eggs

Melt vanilla chips in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in frosting until well blended. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until firm. Place decorator sugar on small plate. (if using more than one color use several plates). With hands, shape frosting mixture into 1-1/2" egg shapes. Roll in decorator sugar to coat. Place in paper candy cups or miniature paper baking cups. Store in refrigerator.

Scooby Snacks

Combine 1/2 cup of each of the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl with one egg: margarine, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar; mix until well blended. Add 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup English toffee pieces and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll dough into 1/2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten each ball with a fork. Bake at 375 F. for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool and serve in a bowl.

Mossy Squares

Mix 6 drops of green food coloring with 1 Tbs. water. Place 3 cups of shredded coconut into a one-quart container and add the green-colored mixture. Cover the container and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly tinted then set it aside. Melt 1 cup butter or margarine in a large saucepan and add 4 cups of marshmallows. Stir over low heat until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth. Tint the mixture bright blue using several drops of food coloring. Remove the pan from the heat and add 8 cups of a crispy rice cereal. Stir until evenly coated. With buttered hands, place mixture in a 9 x 12-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the mixture with green coconut and press firmly into place, compressing slightly. Store in the refrigerator an hour before serving. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.

Cinderella's Dippy Coach

Scrape out the insides of a small pumpkin and after it's dried, fill it with your favorite dip. Arrange an assortment of freshly sliced vegetables on top of lettuce leaves around the pumpkin. You can place small toy mice next to the pumpkin to represent the groomsmen!

Speedway Platter

Build cars out of triple decker sandwiches! First remove the crusts and cut sandwiches in half diagonally. Place two halves together, holding them in place using two pretzel sticks for axles.If your sandwiches are made of meats and cheeses, use an olive at the end of each pretzel stick for the wheels. If you're making a P & J, use gum drops for wheels. Place the cars so they look like they're racing around the dish!

Monster Truck Muffins

Split English muffins in half and arrange on a cookie sheet. Spread beans on top of the muffin halves and sprinkle cheese on top of the beans. Cut hot dogs into thirds, then cut each lengthwise into four strips. Arrange 6 hot dog strips (for wheel spokes) on top of each muffin. Bake at 375 F. for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Rainbow Fruit Parfait

In a disposable plastic parfait cup, layer yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit (such as pineapple, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries). Top it all off with whipped topping. Be sure to serve with a long handled spoon.

Popcorn Ball Bags

Popcorn balls can be easy and fun to make. Just pop 2 and a half quarts of popcorn. Set it aside for a moment. Next, combine 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a hard-boil stage (525 F.). Whisk in 1/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring. Pour mixture over popcorn and toss until popcorn is well coated. Spread mixture on large baking sheets or pieces of waxed paper and let cool slightly before forming into balls. When cool enough to handle, form popcorn balls and set them on pieces of cellophane. Gather excess cellophane at the top and tie with a ribbon.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Heat either white or dark chocolate in a pan. The double boiler method works best because it keeps the chocolate from burning. Taking one strawberry at a time, dip with stems still attached into the chocolate. Dip only half of each strawberry into the chocolate. Lay dipped strawberries on waxed paper to cool.

Tea Pot Cake

Bake your favorite flavor of cake in a round ball cake pan. Roll the cookie dough and cut in the shape of two tea pot handles and spouts.When the cookies have cooled, place frosting on one tea pot handle cookie and stick the other cookie to it to double it's strenth. Do the same for the spout. After the cake has cooled, assemble it into a ball shape. Then press the handle and spout into the cake. Decorate your tea pot with icing.

A Really "Merry-go-round" Cake

To make a carousel cake, bake one 12-inch and three 8-inch round cakes. You will also need at least 7 unicorn-shaped cookies, and the same number of candy sticks and one large candy stick for the center of the carousel. A gingerbread house frosting is used to "glue" everything. To make the frosting, mix the following in a bowl: 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 lb. confectioners' sugar, and 3 egg whites. Mix for 6 or 7 minutes, and then refrigerate for about 20 minutes. The frosting should be thick and sticky. If it doesn't seem thick, add more sugar. Next, bake your cookies. Roll the dough thicker than usual, about 1/4" or so. Decorate the cookies with different colors of frosting and sprinkles. After they've cooled, place the 12-inch cake on a platter and spread with white frosting. Then on top of that "glue" the three 8-inch round cakes. Frost the entire ensemble with white icing. Now decorate the cake with a frosting tip. Stick the large candy stick in the top cake. Then, "glue" a candy stick to the back of each unicorn. When it's dry, place the cookies and candy sticks around the cake so it looks like a carousel. Cut pieces of ribbon to lace between the large central candy stick and the candy sticks with cookies around the sides. Glue the ribbon to the top of each candy stick. Add some frosted flowers to finish.