Epicurean Vegan

The Sister and her husband are expecting their second girl this October and when they came out for a visit from California, I wanted to throw them a baby shower. I went with a pink/brown theme instead of the typical cutesie pastels that I could only find in stores. I added a modern bird to the theme and I think it came out very classy. Plus, I used to be in the greeting card business, so it gave me an opportunity to put those old skills to use!

I got the tissue pom-poms from Michael’s craft store–a Martha Stewart project (so that means they were more complicated than they needed to be)…so after an hour and a half, I had 8 poms that I thought were pretty darn cute.

The Menu:

Since the shower was scheduled for after lunch and before dinner, heavy appetizers were the way to go:

Party Cheese Ball

Cucumber Sandwiches (recipe below)

Spinach Dip

Veggie Platter

Fruit Platter

Olive Tray

PB&J sandwiches (the mom-to-be had been craving them, plus the kids loved them)

Cranberry/Orange punch (recipe below)

Wine and Beer

And I have to admit that those yummy-looking cupcakes are not vegan–I wasn’t in charge of the portion, but that’s ok–considering 95% of guests there were not vegan, non vegan cupcakes were fine. Besides, the rest of the menu was vegan!

Cucumber Sandwiches

8-oz Tofutti cream cheese

1/2 C Veganaise

1 packet of Good Seasonings salad dressing mix

Bread slices

Cucumber, sliced thin

Combine the cream cheese, Veganaise and seasonings. I cut the crusts off the bread first, then spread both pieces of bread and added two cucumber slices. Cut sandwich into fourths. The filling has a little kick which I think really added to the sandwich.

Cranberry/Orange Punch

2 cups Apple Juice

2 (6-oz.) cans Pineapple Juice

1 (6-oz.) can OJ concentrate, defrosted

1 (12-oz.) can Cranberry Juice concentrate, defrosted

4 cups Club Soda, chilled

crushed ice

Combine juices and when ready to serve, add the club soda. Serve over ice.

Non-Annoying Shower “Games”

I bought several different sizes of onesies and fabric paint and guests had ball decorating them! I had my niece pick her favorite and that person won a prize.

Careful about putting dishes of jelly beans on the table with the paints–my niece added them to her creation!

During those late-night diaper changings, these will hopefully make the new parents smile or laugh. Guests had a great time getting creative!

The Look

On a simple brown tablecloth, I sprinkled on paper flowers that I got from Michael’s in the wedding aisle. Basically, I got two different shades of jelly beans, pink rock candy and displayed them in white dishes. I filled two juice glasses with two layers of jelly beans and stuck the rock candy in it. I also used a small plate for other rock candy I found.

When I saw these cocktail napkins in a store in Boulder, I had to have them for the shower! They fit the theme perfectly!

I bought two cylinder vases (again, from Michael’s) for about $3 a piece and filled the bottom with clear glass rocks and got some beautiful pink flowers that I cut short and placed inside with water. They flanked the cute cake stand.

Overall, it was a fun shower filled with great food, friends, and family and I got my “party-hosting” fix for sure.