Itty Bitty's 3rd Birthday Bash - Disney Cars Theme

Happy 3rd Birthday Jason!!!

My Itty Bitty watches Disney / Pixar's movie, Cars, EVERY! DAY! He would be tickled pink if we would allow him to watch it all day long. He has the movie memorized. If you haven't seen it yet don't let him be the first one you watch it with or else he'll spoil the scenes. Haha!

The theme for his 3rd birthday party was a no brainer. A month in advance we began the party planning. Plenty of time. Stress free party, not counting the fact that Mr. Sideline Chef didn't think he would make it home for it. Luckily, he got into town a couple of hours before the party started.

Theme: Disney Cars.

Decorations: This year we went with Party City since we found all of our party supplies for less here than anywhere else. I shopped online since I like to see the entire selection and get the purchase over with in one shot.

Invitations / Guest List:  Homemade invitations. Since we live in Texas and have no family here in State our neighbors have become our extended family. They were all invited. I did have a big surprise that I managed to keep a secret from Mr. Sideline Chef and Itty Bitty. I flew out Mr. Sideline Chef's dad. The boys were beyond thrilled. His arrival was the best gift given.

Food: I love parties where the food correlates with the theme. So I set out to create a menu that was a play on words with the characters from the movie.

• For the party table I was debating between: Flo's V-8 Cafe and "Ka-Chow Hall."
• Since Mr. Sideline Chef works in the trucking industry I knew he could get his hands on a traffic cone. I had him clean it up with a Magic Eraser and set in on the table as "Sally's Cozy Cone Motel". My original idea was to purchase some mini orange cones (like what they use at soccer practices) and put some party favor treats in there. I went over budget, no surprise there, and decided to just go the for free route. Cleaned up traffic cone it was as a decoration.

• Fillmore's Organic Fruit and Veggie "Dipsticks" with Ranch

• "Chick"en Wings

• "Mack"aroni Salad (recipe below)
• Meat and cheese tray with Cars toothpicks

• Hot"docs"

• Beverages
• Chocolate cake (I used a box mix) with the Ultimate Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).
• Traffic Lights - Rice Krispy Treats dipped in Chocolate Glaze and then M&Ms (red, yellow, and green) set on top.

• Mater Oil Sundaes - Vanilla ice cream with Magic Shell topping.

Gifts: Anything Cars related was a sure bet for my Itty Bitty. He received a boxed set of die cast cars, a Bubble Mater (highly recommended if your little one loves bubbles), Cars mechanics t-shirt, Cars World Atlas, bouncy ball, coloring book, remote control Mater, interactive Cars book, and a placemat and cup. Along with a bunch of other things non-Cars related. We need to buy him a new toybox for all the new toys.

Tuna Salad - "Mack"aroni Salad

Recipe passed along to me from Mr. Sideline Chef's Grandma Gail

Mr. Sideline Chef's dad remarked, "It isn't Summer until this salad is made.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 cups cold cooked macaroni
• 1 can tuna, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup slaw dressing - Such as Marzetti's or Marie's.
• 2 tbsp pickle relish

And Action:

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Don't forget to put it on ice if it's an outdoor party.

Ultimate Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, March 2009

Makes 2 Cups

Edible cake image was purchased online on Ebay. Itty Bitty pulled the candles out of the cake and didn't want us to sing.

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste - I had to order this online. I highly recommend this ingredient. Such a flavor punch and more pronounced vanilla note than extract.
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 (16 oz) bag powdered sugar
• 3 to 5 tbsp milk

And Action:

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 Tbsp. milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 2 Tbsp. additional milk for desired consistency.