Breast Cancer Awareness Cookies

Think Pink...October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I decorated some pink cookies at the bakery. Many of us know and care about somebody who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. May these cookies bring some hope and love to the locals who will get to see and taste them. And hopefully some smiles from those far away who only get to see my photos. :)

Black Raspberry Picking and a Yummy Crisp

The kids and I went black raspberry picking at a local farm this week.  We are all about u-pick farms and try to do as many as we can each year including black raspberries, red raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and apples.  I think I had the most fun on this trip as the kids quickly got tired of being poked and scratched by all the thorny bushes but I would still call the day a big success.  We got lots of black raspberries. Enough to snack on, freeze some, and make a yummy crisp for dessert!

As always, I now turn to Pinterest when I am in need of a certain kind of recipe.  I found this great recipe for a peach (which we also had laying around) and black raspberry crisp.  It was super easy to throw together and made the house smell so good.

After dinner tonight, we topped it with some vanilla ice cream and it was de-lish!!!! I just love all the fresh fruits and veggies that come with summer time!

Peach and Black Raspberry Crisp

Source: Inaccurate and Unreliable

Fruit Portion:
6 medium to small size peaches (or 4 large ones)
1/2 pint black raspberries
2 T. corn starch
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon

Crisp Topping:
1/2 c. room temperature butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/4 t. cinnamon

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice peaches. Mix corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon. Toss sugar mixture with peaches and black raspberries. Put fruit mixture into 9×9 pan.

In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly (with two hands) the butter, flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon together. Cover peaches and black raspberries with oat topping by crumbing the topping over the fruit.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until the crisp topping is a golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. Enjoy alone or add some vanilla ice cream!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from my kitchen....to yours!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    

     

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

A fellow Paleo friend shared this recipe with me last week.  When I first read the recipe I was a bit skeptical. I honestly didn't think it would be possible to make a good tasting spinach artichoke dip WITHOUT using mayo and cheese! I already had some raw cashews on hand so I was ready for the experiment.  I'm all about healthy eating right now so I was anxious to try it.  

The results?  It was pretty darn good!!! I first tried eating it with cucumber slices (because corn chips are not Paleo or good for you) but it just wasn't the same.  I needed to splurge a bit and dip with some good, salty chips. We have to cut ourselves a little slack, right? Hey, at least the spinach dip was healthy!  

The cashew cream was super easy to whip up with a food processor and I'll definitely be making this again soon.

Thanks for the recipe, Katie!!!

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Dip (Paleo and Vegan)

Source: Paleo Spirit

Ingredients

- 2, 10 ounce boxes frozen, chopped spinach
- 2, 14 ounce cans or jars of artichoke hearts
- 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil (I used extra)
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 or more garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 t. sea salt
- 1 t. onion powder
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 - 2 c. (approximate) cashew cream*

Instructions

1.  Defrost the spinach and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.
2.  Drain and roughly chop the artichokes.
3.  Saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
4.  Stir in the chopped artichokes, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne and heat through.
5.  Add in the spinach and lemon juice and stir until heated through.
6.  Stir in the cashew cream*.

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*How to Make the Raw Cashew Cream

Ingredients

- 1 c. raw cashews (whole cashews, not pieces)
- fresh, filtered water

Instructions

1.  Rinse the cashews well, place in a bowl with enough water to cover them by about an inch. Cover the bowl and soak the cashews for a MINIMUM of two hours but preferable overnight.
2.  Drain the cashews, rinse under cold water and place in a food processor with 3/4 c. of fresh, filtered water. Process on high for several minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until you have a very creamy texture. You can add up to 1 c. of water, depending on the consistency you like.

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 c. raw cashew cream.

Guilt Free Chocolate "Ice Cream"

My kids love eating ice cream after dinner. They don't have it too often around here as we try to keep it as a special treat. While we were eating dinner, I told the kids we were going to have some "healthy ice cream" tonight and they were so excited and all for it!  

We've made "ice cream" before out of frozen bananas but this recipe has a little different twist. Adding in some almond butter and cocoa powder for a chocolate version.

The kids were anxious to help create this concoction and their bowls were completely empty within minutes!

Kid tested...mom approved!!!

Guilt Free Chocolate "Ice Cream"
Source: www.isavea2z.com

4 or 5 frozen bananas
1 T. almond butter
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T. (or more) coconut milk

Cut up bananas and freeze them overnight or longer. Put the frozen bananas into your food processor and mix until you see finely shredded banana pieces. Add almond butter, cocoa powder, and 1 T. coconut milk.  Add in more coconut milk until it's the consistency you want. Serve immediately.

Healthy Spaghetti

I discovered something new tonight....spaghetti squash. Why have I never cooked with this before?!?! It was so easy to prepare and once it's fully cooked, it just peels off in strands that look just like spaghetti.  It definitely holds true to it's name SPAGHETTI squash.

So tonight I gave it a try, not sure of what to expect. Spaghetti squash has a naturally buttery flavor and the texture completely fooled my taste buds.  I did not miss the standard, highly processed, pasta noodles that I would normally serve with spaghetti sauce. I loved it and can't wait to find other recipes to use this wonderful squash in!

This is what it looks like after it's been roasted.  I took a fork and the "spaghetti" strands just flake off.

It only takes a couple minutes to get all the strands out and onto your plates.  Then top with your favorite spaghetti sauce and be prepared to be fooled.  What a great meal! I'm so excited I discovered the spaghetti squash!

Healthy Spaghetti

Source: Adapted from www.isavea2z.com

1 lb. hamburger or sausage

Jar of spaghetti sauce

Spaghetti squash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice spaghetti squash lengthwise down the center, remove seeds and roast cut-side down for 40-45 minutes.  (You'll know it's done if you can easily poke your fork into it.) Flip cut-side up when roasting is complete and allow to cool slightly before harvesting strands with a fork by scraping with the grain until the squash is cleaned.

Brown hamburger or sausage and drain grease. Add your favorite spaghetti sauce and season with extra Italian seasoning to your liking. Heat through.

Serve warm sauce over the spaghetti squash.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the last week and a half, I'm proud to say that I've cut out 90% or more of processed foods from my diet. I've noticed great results not only on the scale, but more importantly in my energy level! I've been eating lots of proteins, veggies, fruits, raw nuts, etc. and it's amazing how full I feel throughout the day now.  For instance, instead of sugary cereal, I've been eating eggs with spinach for breakfast. If I get hungry after lunch, I'll snack on some nuts or fruits/veggies and it easily gets me through until dinner time. I've been baking a lot with almond flour and coconut flour as well as making yummy smoothies with organic frozen fruit, bananas, a little honey, and almond milk.

Every now and then I will have a craving for something sweet and that's when I'll grab one of these. I've experimented with several Paleo chocolate chip cookie recipes and this is by far my favorite! They taste great right out of the oven and also freeze well. I'll make a batch, eat one, and put the rest in an air-tight container in the freezer so I can grab one here and there throughout the week.

My daughter will usually help me make these cookies and I had to laugh the first time we made them.  I told her we were making "Healthy Cookies". When I went to pull them out of the oven she said, "Those don't look like cookies!!!!" So don't let the looks of them fool you. They taste great AND are good for you!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 T. Coconut Oil, melted

2 T. Honey

2 t. pure vanilla extract

1 T. unsweetened almond milk

1 c. blanched almond flour

1 1/2 T. coconut flour

1/4 t. Celtic sea salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 c. high quality chocolate chips (I've been using 1/2 dark chocolate and 1/2 carob chips to make them even healthier)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Beat wet ingredients in one bowl. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl.  Mix dry with wet and fold in chocolate. 

Line cookie sheet with parchment and scoop rounds tablespoons onto cookie sheet. 

Bake 9-10 minutes. Cool and store in air-tight container or freeze. Makes 10 cookies.

Roasted Asparagus

Here's a great veggie to make in the winter while there's 7+ inches of snow covering the grill on your back deck.  Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies and this is a super easy, delicious way to prepare it in the oven.

I've been dreaming of Spring lately. Clear blue skies....warmer weather and nice walks outside to get some fresh air and vitamin D from the sun. Once the weather warms up, this is also a great way to prepare asparagus and throw it on your grill.

Roasted Asparagus

Source: Our Paleo Life

Ingredients

• Asparagus, as much as will fit on your rimmed baking dish
• Sea Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Line a rimmed baking dish with tin foil or parchment paper.
3. Snap the cut ends off all the asparagus and place on the baking dish in a relatively single layer.
4. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. 
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with a spatula just to evenly coat all the asparagus.
6. Put in the preheated oven and roast for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. 
7. Remove from pan and serve immediately. 

All-American Meatloaf

I made meatloaf for dinner last night and everything inside of it was healthy! I told you I'm on a health kick. I was a little skeptical when I first read the recipe and noticed that I would be using cauliflower instead of bread crumbs! However, it turned out great and my kids even liked it. (I kept the cauliflower part a secret...but they had no clue! :)

This recipe takes a bit of time to prepare, but it made enough for 2 or more meals.  So tomorrow I will pair it with a different veggie and dinner with little be on the table within minutes.  It feels good knowing I am feeding my family food that is healthy.

All-American Meatloaf

Source: Living Paleo for Dummies by Melissa Joulwan

1/2 c. Cave Man Ketchup (recipe below)

1/2 T. cider vinegar

1 T. honey

1/2 head cauliflower

2 t. coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1/2 t. dried thyme

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. coconut aminos (substitute for soy sauce)

1/4 t. hot pepper sauce

1/2 c. coconut milk

1 c. fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 1/3 cup)

2 lbs. ground beef

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the Cave Man Ketchup with the vinegar and honey; set aside.

2. Break the cauliflower into florets, removing the stems, and then place in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is the texture of fine breadcrumbs, about ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Heat coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. To the cauliflower, add the eggs, thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, coconut aminos, hot pepper sauce, coconut milk, and parsley. Mix until combined, and then add the cooked onions and garlic and ground beef; mix well.

5. Pat into a meatloaf pan with a perforated bottom, or pat into a loaf shape with your hands and place on a roasting rack set on a baking sheet to catch drippings. Brush the loaf with half of the ketchup glaze; bake for 45 minutes.

6. Brush with the remaining half of the glaze and continue to bake another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

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Cave Man Ketchup

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/3 c. water

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. honey

1/4 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of allspice

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and whisk to combine. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

2. Cool the ketchup to room temperature before using. Transfer to a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Verde

I've been on sort of a healthy eating kick lately.  Last week I attended a meeting with a local wellness coach (sponsored by my son's school) and I've been on a health kick ever since.  I've been experimenting with several Paleo recipes this week and I'd like to share them with you.  

This first one was found via Pinterest and is super easy and great for a busy night when you don't have much time in the kitchen. The crockpot is one of my favorite kitchen tools.  Just throw everything inside and hours later, your meal is ready! 

You only need 2 ingredients for this recipe (plus garnishes like avocados and tomatoes).  Boneless skinless chicken thighs paired with salsa verde turned out to be very good.

So far, I've been eating more raw nuts, buying local pastured eggs, limiting grains and dairy, cooking with coconut oil and eating lots and lots of colorful vegetables to name a few.  Who knows where this journey will take me...  :)

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Verde

Source: Rubies and Radishes

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
16 oz. salsa verde (I bought mine at Trader Joe's)

Add chicken to the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde and cook on low for 5 hours.

If you are home, you can open the lid at the 4 hour mark and shred the chicken with 2 forks, if not, no worries, it will still turn out fine!

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the slow cooker, leaving the liquid behind.

Salt and pepper to taste and serve. The Trader Joe’s salsa is already quite salty, so it doesn’t require additional salt.

Serve with slices of tomatoes and avocados.

Kolaches

Have you ever eaten at The Kolache Factory?  We used to be a frequent visitor when we lived in Indiana.   I haven't had one in years but ran across this recipe a few days ago.  It instantly brought back wonderful memories of these little buns filled with random goodness! While I won't say they are exactly the same as the real thing, they were still pretty amazing and addictive as well.  At the end of the meal it was hard to remember how many of these I devoured. 

They are a bit time consuming to make but I had a lot of fun with it. It was the perfect thing to make during our day of subzero temperatures. The filling combinations are endless. You can pretty much stuff them with whatever you like.  Here are the combos I made:

1. Pepperoni and Mozzarella Cheese 

2. Hotdogs (cut in half)

3. Sausage and Cheddar Cheese

4. Scrambled Eggs, Sweet Peppers, and Sausage

5. BBQ Chicken

The pepperoni ones turned out to be my favorite. I sprinkled some oregano on top right before baking them. They are pretty amazing if you serve them with a side of pizza sauce!

  

Some of them came out with too much bread and not enough filling.  At the time, I felt like I was putting a ton of filling inside; however once the bread was done rising and baking, the bread to filling ratio was off.  So make sure you roll the dough balls out thin and put LOTS of filling inside.

Here's a prime example of how my BBQ chicken and Egg kolaches had too much bread and not enough filling.  They were still good...just a lesson learned for next time!

   

What a great experiment. I always love trying new recipes! This recipe came from Homemade Mamas. If you do decide to make this recipe, check out her website for some great step by step pictures.

Kolaches
Source: Homemade Mamas

1 package of active dry yeast
1 c. warm milk
1/2 c. sugar
4 c.all-purpose flour 
2 eggs for dough
1/2 c. melted butter
1 t. of salt
1 egg for egg wash

This will make about 24 kolaches. I doubled the recipe so we'd have enough to eat for a couple days.

1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk (105-110 degrees), sugar and one cup of flour. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size.

2. In a small bowl beat the 2 eggs, slowly add the 1/2 cup of melted butter and salt.

3. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix.

4. Mix in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. It is a really soft, sticky dough.

5. Knead dough for about 10 minutes on a well floured surface. (I used my kitchen aid mixer.) Place dough in a well greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size - about an hour.

6. While the dough is rising, get your fillings ready.

7. After dough has risen, punch it down and pull off egg-sized pieces. In your hands, roll pieces into balls and then flatten to about 4 inches in diameter. 

8. Spoon about 1 1/2 or 2 Tbls of filling.

9. Close dough around filling. Pinch it shut and place seam side down on greased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20 min. Preheat oven 375 degrees.

10. Beat the third egg. Before you bake the kolaches, brush with egg. If you are making a couple different flavors, you may want to mark them. For example, I sprinkled oregano on the pepperoni ones. 

11.Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. They will be lightly golden brown when they are done.

South Beach Food Tour

I was able to escape the extreme cold and snow this weekend and tag along with my hubby to Miami, Florida on a business trip.  While he was in a meeting all day Friday, I jumped in a cab over to South Beach and went on a culinary tour. I had a similar experience in New York City several years ago so my expectations were high. Our tour guide, Grace, was super sweet and took us on a 2 hour walking food tour to 7 mom and pop (hole in the wall) restaurants that had the most amazing food! We also got to walk down Ocean Drive and get a bit of history along the way.

I took pictures of what we ate and drank along the way so I could share it with you all. Saying that I was stuffed afterwards is an understatement!

Our first stop was Bolivar Restaurant on Washington Avenue. They served us a traditional Columbian drink called Refajo.  It was a Aguila beer mixed with a Columbian soda.  It was sweet, refreshing, and quenched my thirst.  I was impressed already! :)

      

Next they brought out a plate with ceviche - diced fresh fish marinated in a citrus passionfruit juice, Columbian corn (a type of corn that never pops when you heat it up) that was crunchy and slightly resembles the consistency of peanuts.

The second stop we grabbed a churro at Manolo's and kept on walking.  This churro was the best I've ever had! They were made from scratch, still warm, and were filled with dulce de leche! Yum!!!!

Stop #3 was David's Cafe for a cafe Cubano.  These little shots of Cuban expresso are served in tiny cups and meant to be shared with groups of people.  The serving size was about the size of an individual coffee creamer container but has as much caffeine as a standard cup of American coffee. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can't stand even the smallest hint of coffee flavor but I did keep an open mind and tried a sip.  The entire group (except for me) loved it.

Next up was Polo Norte Cuban Restaurant for sweet plantains and a traditional Cuban sandwich. The sandwich was a mojo roasted pork with sauteed onions. Is your mouth watering yet?

Stop # 5 was featured on the Food Network. Charlotte Bakery is known for having the best empanadas. We were each given an Argentine empanada to try. It was served with an avocado/cilantro sauce and was so flaky and full of flavor!

By now I am getting so full but this food is some of the best I've ever had so I just keep on going! Our next place was Italian and called Block's Pizza Deli. They served a Sundried Hippie Panouzzo pocket that was stuffed full of sun dried tomatoes, feta, baby spinach, basil pesto, and kalamata olives. Oh my! This was to die for!

At this point, I am wondering if I can possibly swallow any more food. But...there is ALWAYS room for dessert and our last stop, Milani Gelateria, served an impressive display of gelatos.  It was in the coolest freezer display that I've ever seen. The different flavors of gelato inside rotated clockwise so you were able to get a good view of all the different flavors they offered. Once the employee opened the door, he stopped the rotation and was able to scoop out the gelato.  We were allowed to choose two flavors to try so I went with Cream Caramel and Banana.   Even though I was on the verge of a food coma, this was the perfect end to our tour! The banana gelato was my favorite but I'm sure they were all good!

What a fun tour! Spending two hours walking around South Beach in the 75 degree weather, taking in all the wonderful sights, and eating amazing food.  It was perfect! If anyone is in the South Beach area I highly recommend looking up Miami Culinary Food Tours. Grace was such a fun tour guide as well as all the people on my tour.  Some were from Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas; and even Sweden.

The only logical next thing to do was head back to the hotel room and take a much needed NAP!

Korean Beef Bowl

One of the many cool things about being married to my hubby is that he has introduced me to so many new cuisines that I would never have tried before I met him.  Some we have even tried for the first time together.  A prime example is sushi. Never in a million years would I imagine myself eating raw fish on rice, but I am now in love with it.  On several occasions, we've also tried Indian, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Jamaican and Korean food to name a few. These are all very common restaurant choices for us now and I enjoy them all!

One of my favorite Korean dishes is called Bibimbap. Bibimbap is a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables and chili pepper paste. A fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. These ingredients are stirred together just before eating. 

That is one of the reasons I love the recipe below so much.  It resembles bibimbap but without the vegetables and chili pepper paste.  A simplified version if you will.  The second reason I love this recipe is because it was SUPER fast and easy to make! It doesn't get any easier than this to get dinner on the table.

The original recipe doesn't call for a fried egg on top but it's a must.  It makes it that much better - like icing on the cake!  I served this dish with some pot stickers and my family (excluding my picky 3 year old) devoured it.  This will now become a staple meal in our house because it was delicious and quick.

Korean Beef Bowl
Source: Real Mom Kitchen

1 lb. ground beef
⅓ c. brown sugar
¼ c. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ t. ground ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
cooked rice for serving
2 green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
Eggs, sunny side up (optional)

In a skillet, brown beef and garlic. Drain off any excess grease.

In the meantime, in a bowl add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ground ginger. Whisk until combined and set aside. (You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like it.)

Add the sauce mixture that you set aside to the beef. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, and a fried egg.

Greek Chicken

It's an understatement when I tell you this dish is amazing! First of all, I love olives. Green olives, black olives, kalamata olives, olives stuffed with garlic...I love them all!  So this dish immediately caught my eye when I saw it on Pinterest.  It turned out wonderful! I served it with white rice and a side of green beans. It makes quite a lot of chicken, but it was so good that we didn't end up with very many leftovers. We all found ourselves going back for more. 

The recipe also calls for Spanish olives which I thought I had on hand but realized I didn't once I started cooking.  Feta cheese is also optional.  I chose to leave that out but some of you may want to toss that in as well.

Greek Chicken
Source: Virginia is for hunter gatherers

4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 16 oz jar artichoke hearts, quartered

8-10 oz pitted kalamata olives (4-5 oz whole, 4-5 oz halved)

9-10 oz large Spanish olives, pimento stuffed (I unfortunately didn't have these in my pantry.)

10 large cloves garlic, grated

1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. dried thyme

2 T. dried oregano

optional

1 16 oz container feta cheese

Pat chicken dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients except chicken. Add chicken and mix thoroughly.  Allow to marinate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

After marinading (add feta if using) and preheat the oven to 450ºF. Cover with foil, and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, uncovering for the final 5-10 minutes, until juices from the chicken run clear when poked with a fork. Serve in a shallow bowl with a combination of chicken and marinade ingredients. 

Minecraft Lego Birthday Party

My 1st grader turned 7 yesterday and we had a big party to celebrate! His two favorite things right now are Minecraft and Legos so we incorporated those into his party.  Two teachers from our local Bricks 4 Kidz came to organize the activities and games for the party.  The kids got to build motorized Lego cars, have free play with thousands of Legos and play some Minecraft games. They had so much fun! Then we enjoyed cake, ice cream, cookies, and Creeper Juice (aka water).  It was such a fun afternoon!

Here's the bright green creeper cake I made...

Minecraft creeper and "7" sugar cookies...

Creeper Juice...also known as water.  I just bought a case of water bottles at the grocery store, removed the labels, and purchased these wraps from Etsy for $3.95.  It's just a file that I printed on card stock at home, cut them out, and used shipping tape to wrap them around the water bottles.

Number 7 Lego sign made out of existing Legos that we already had...perfect for part of the decorations.

Utensil holder that the birthday boy put together himself. I then washed and sanitized it before placing the forks inside...

In the Minecraft video game, everything is in square blocks.  So I also made (but not pictured) blue jello jiggler squares that represented water.  My son had so much fun on his birthday and LOVED all the Minecraft and Lego inspired decorations and food.  So much so that he said, "This was the best birthday EVER!!!"  That's enough to make this momma smile from ear to ear.

Happy Birthday sweetie! I love you so much!!!