Luke's Nemo Party

Balloons all over the floor was a hit with the kids!
I was a little light headed after blowing up 30 balloons but  so worth it.

Luke asked for a Nemo birthday party for his 3rd birthday. I had never thrown a themed birthday party before.I was so glad that Luke picked a Nemo theme since I already do love fish and have a ton of nautical decor. Hmm I wondered what we should do, I knew that I was going to make him a fish shaped cake decorated like Nemo. Then while searching online for some cute fish or underwater ideas, I came across a giant shark cutout. Now if  I only could make this and all the decorations will look amazing. While I was at work on thursday I came across a giant peice of cardboard- just the right size for my shark cutout! It was fate! To finish up the decorations Luke and I took a trip to the party store and picked up some Nemo plates and napkins and ordered a Nemo Balloon. Since I love a deal we swung by the Dollar store and snagged up some blue balloons, blue cutlery, orange soda, and party hats. For the food I had goldfish crackers, swedish fish, strawberries and I made some "shark bait" ("Sticky" Chicken).

Ahhh the shark cutout was a HIT!

Nemo Cake!

See it's that easy!

Watermelon Pops

I love watermelon, and what can make watermelon even cooler?!  Freeze it! Booyah! This is the ultimate cool treat for a hot summer day! And oh so easy to make. You can even make them into ice cubes and put them into lemon water.  I just want to scream HOLY COW these are FANTASTIC! Go ahead buy a watermelon and snack on a few pieces while you puree the rest up. Perfect for a healthy snack! 

 Watermelon Pops
1 large watermelon- cut into chunks rind removed
2 lemons- juiced
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar - depending on the sweetness of your melon

In a blender or food processor combine watermelon, lemon juice and sugar. Puree until smooth, pour over a fine mesh strainer- I did this to make a smooth pop and get all those pesky seeds out. Now divide into Popsicle molds, freeze for about and hour and add the sticks. Don't add the sticks right away because they will sink to the bottom. I always freeze my pops overnight before removing from the molds. To release from molds, just dip in warm water and pull out. Wrap the pops in wax paper or plastic wrap,then stack in a freezer bag. It's so much better then store bought pops!

"Sticky" Chicken

Have you ever bought a whole chicken from the store? was it amazing? They are usually slow roasted and seasoned perfectly. After a ton of trial and error I have figured it out, and sharing it will you!  This recipe is a 2 day process with very simple steps.

1 Meduim- Large Whole chicken
1 TBS Salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large onion- peeled and quartered
1 large plastic food safe bag
1 cup water

(all the spices need to be dried)
 Day 1 Rinse and remove the neck and insides of the chicken, pat dry with paper towels.  Mix all the spices together and the rub all other the chicken outside and inside. I did this in the sink cause it gets a little messy. After rubbing the chicken, stuff the onions in the cavity. Place the chicken in the plastic bag and seal tight. Refrigerate overnight.
Day 2 Preheat the oven to 250*  Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and place in a baking dish, add 1 cup water to the bottom on the dish.  Bake for 5 hours at 250*.  After baking for 1 hour baste the chicken every 30 min with the juices. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 min before carving and enjoying- and you WILL Enjoy!