For 5 Star Foodie Junior's 7-year birthday we had three different parties. The first party was at her school. We made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and a chocolate bar inside.
We hosted a party for her friends. We made double chocolate brownie cupcakes.
This party's theme was at a nature park where the kids enjoyed a fun and educational program on turtles, and 5 Star Foodie Junior and I decided to make Turtle Candies for party favors, with caramel, pecans, and chocolate. Both the brownie cupcakes and the turtle candies were a big hit at the party.
The third party was for our family. Our family brunch menu was inspired by Junior's favorite book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Chocolate Crepes with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling
Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chocolate Croissants
Fruit Salad with Cocoa Yogurt Dip
Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars
Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
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Our second big May event was during Memorial Day weekend. We celebrated the 20th anniversary of my family's arrival in United States of America. I made five different dishes, each representing a cuisine from a major region of America as shown in a photo below. Also, on the plate, there is a caviar sandwich assembled by my mom, representing former Soviet Union where I am originally from.
South: Grits Cakes and Garlic and Dill-Marinated Shrimp
Southwest: Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas with Green Chile Crema (crema not included on the picture)
Northeast: Maryland-style Crabcakes with Ramps Aioli
Midwest: BBQ Bison Sliders with Cheddar and Caramelized Red Onions
Northwest: Cedar Planked Salmon with Juniper Berry Brown Sugar Rub and Maple Cream, 3-Bean Salad (salad not included on the picture)
