{Party Bee} Another Sneak Peek before Jake's Anchors Away Party!

I just received images from my custom cake pop order from Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies and oh my goodness...these are adorable! These cake pops are not just cute but they are hand painted... "Mom" is very talented! Needless to say, I am incredibly excited and I know they will complete my dessert table nicely. If you are looking to have creative and beautiful cake pops at your next party, check out Mom's Killer Cakes and Cookies on Etsy. They will truly WOW you and your guests.

{Party Bee} Jake's Anchors Away Party Sneak Peek

We are approaching the two week mark until Jake's first birthday party and boy am I excited and busy as a bee! Thankfully, I have accomplished quite a bit thus far and now I only have to wait until the madness of the party week to begin preparing all of the yummy treats.

Here is a little sneak peek of the Anchors Away collection that I have been working on...you are not alone, the anticipation is also killing me! Luckily, there is only a couple of more weeks to wait until the big reveal!

Until then, happy party planning!

{Healthy Bee} Healthy-er Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is one of the classic desserts that always seem to be worth the numerous calories. However, do you ever feel like having a slice of carrot cake but without the hundreds of calories? Well here is a delicious version of the classic carrot cake with half of the calories! It is very simple to make and with one slight modification this recipe can be made to fit into a vegan diet. Give it a try and have carrot cake whenever you like...but without the guilt!

Cake ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana, frozen, then thawed
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (approximately 2 medium carrots)
1 1/4 cups flour
1T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Icing ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1T. margarine or vegan margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2T. water

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan. Mash thawed banana in a large bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, vanilla extract and carrots. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the flour mixture into the banana mixture until no lumps remain. Fold in raisins and walnuts.

Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for approximately 10 minutes in pan. Transfer to cooling rack and let cake cool completely.

Icing recipe:
Using a fork, mix powdered sugar, melted margarine, vanilla, and 2T. of water in a large measuring cup. If icing is to thick add 1/2 tsp. of water at a time to achieve a nice drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cake by slowing pouring from measuring cup.

Serves 15

Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional information:

Per Slice: 222 Cal; 2 Grams Protein; 8 Grams Total Fat (1 Gram Saturated Fat); 37 Grams Carbohydrates; 0 Mg. Cholesterol; 205 MG Sodium; 1 Gram Fiber; 26 Grams Sugar.

{Party Bee} Jake's 1st Birthday Party is Underway!

The invites are out and Jake's 1st birthday party is well underway! It really is a good feeling when the invitations go out in the mail...it is like a huge load is lifted off my shoulders. Now the countdown really begins!

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks of Jake's BIG day!

{Sugar Bee} Happy Easter Daisy Cupcakes

It is Easter and a day to celebrate and rejoice! To celebrate this special day I have whipped up some Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Cheesecake Buttercream Frosting decorated with Rolled Marshmallow Fondant Daisies. These cupcakes are not only cute but they are delicious! I found this recipe on the site, Good Life Eats. If you aren't familiar with this site, I suggest you give it look because it is filled with wonderful recipes and stunning photographs of the most decadent and delicious recipes!  I definitely suggest giving this recipe a try!

Happy Easter!

{Party Bee} Tips for Choosing your Child's Party Theme

Sometimes trying to choose a party theme for a birthday party is harder than you think. It could be that you have several ideas for your five year old that neither you nor your child can seem to narrow down to just one, or perhaps you have no idea what to do for a first birthday party. Well have no fear, The Sugar Bee Bungalow is here to help you with a few tips for choosing the perfect party theme for your child's party!

1. When deciding on your party theme, take the seasons and the weather into consideration. You probably don't want to throw an outside beach party in the middle of January. Now I know that seems pretty obvious, but it applies to several other party themes and activities. Stick to snow themes in the winter and water themes in the summer, etc. It really makes planning a lot easier if you work with the weather and the seasons, not against them.

2. The easiest way to choose a theme is by asking yourself, "what does my child enjoy?". Is there a particular food that he can't seem to get enough of, a book that he loves to have you read to him, characters from a television show or movie that make him light up, a favorite animal...perhaps it is a family pet, or maybe a sport that he enjoys playing or watching? If your child is of a certain age, asking him for ideas would probably be very helpful.

3. If your child is turning a year old, he may be a little too young to really be "in" to something specific (but not always), therefore look at a theme that may reflect you or your spouse, or the family as a whole. For example, you may want to have a fireman or police themed party because you or your spouse do one of those as a profession, maybe you choose a golf theme because it is a past time that your family enjoys doing, or perhaps you want a theme that reflects your culture and heritage. These ideas could make a very fun and unique party theme that you and your guests would truly appreciate and enjoy.

4. Having a unique party is great, but if it is too abstract it may make it difficult to find party decor, favors, etc. to go with your theme. Therefore, do some research and look at what would be accessible both in the stores and online. But if you do choose a party theme that is very unique, with a little elbow grease and craftiness you can make coordinating party favors and have the party custom designed!

5. Sometimes a theme is as easy as choosing your child's favorite colors. This makes party planning extremely easy as all you need to find is party decor and favors in a particular color palette...unless your child's favorite color is chartreuse or something. But even then, it is completely possible! Party and craft stores have so many options!

6. The theme may be looking at you right in the face and you don't even know it! Look at what your child is wearing or look in his bedroom. You may find that he owns a toy, decorative object, or an article of clothing that has the perfect party theme. If you look back at my Sock Monkey Party Collection post, you will see that the collection was inspired from my son's onesie. Now I know that was a custom made collection, but there are numerous accessible party collections that exist both online and in the stores. But if you can't find what you are looking for, you can always have the party collection custom designed! 

7. Finally, if you are still unsure of what theme to choose, go online and Google for ideas! This could be the perfect way for you to find that spark of inspiration!

Whatever method you choose in finding your child's party theme, relax and have fun with the process. You are making memories that both you and your child will love and cherish for the rest of your lives!

{Healthy Bee} Not your Mama's Meatloaf

I am a big fan of running and a few years ago I started a subscription to Runner's World Magazine. Not only did I learn helpful tips for running and working out, but I was able to learn some awesome recipes to fuel my body for my runs and workouts. I was pleasantly surprised to find the recipes to be delicious and sustaining. You can even visit their website to find a variety of recipes to fit your needs and your taste buds!

When you think of mealoaf, you probably think of some grody slop of meat that you may have been forced to eat as a child. Well let me say that this meatloaf recipe is a bit different. This recipe is packed with extra vegetables and oat bran that increases nutrients and decreases calories, while still providing you with the fuel your body needs. Even my husband and baby both enjoy the taste!

Meatloaf
By Liz Applegate Ph.D.

1lb extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion
1 large stalk celery
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 large red pepper
1/2 cup oat bran
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 small (6oz) can tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Ketchup in squirt bottle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Finely chop the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley, and pepper in a food processor. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pack meat into a 9 x 11" glass baking dish coated with vegetable spray. Decorate top with a squirt of ketchup and evenly distribute. Bake for one hour to 1 1/2 hours. Serves six. 

Calories: 180
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 16g
Protein: 20g

Even more, this is such an easy recipe, you can't fail even if you tried! Now go ahead and give it a go! Bon Appetit!