Ben & Max's sixth birthday party!

After a two year hiatus from birthday parties I decided to have a very small one for Ben and Max this year (why? because they BEGGED me for one!)

I much prefer small family gatherings and a going to do something very special but if this what what they wanted...

I helped them with a guest list (they invited eight friends - a prefect number!) and a plan. They wanted a sponge bob theme and they wanted it at a park.

So we got the permit for a park in the county (free - cool!), bought a pinata (special request from Max) printed some games and activities, as well as invitations and thank you notes from the Nick Jr Website.

Ed and I made up clues for a treaure hunt and put those around the park. The clues led them back to the pavillion where (while they were following the clues) Ed had hung the pinata.

It was a beautiful day and very easy. We planned it at 2 pm so we would not have to serve a meal. We had cake and dixie cups of ice cream, chips, and soda and juice.

They played with some sports equiptment we brought and moved over to the playground at the end of the party.

Here are some pictures. I wish I had gotten a picture of them running after they figured out the first clue... The last picture is the pinata on the playground - Max carried it with him everywhere after we pulled it down.

Oh today we'll merry merry be...

and nosh some hamentaschen!

In anticipation of Purim, which is in 2 weeks (yippeee!), we made cute shalach manot baskets at tot shabbat last week. The boys were very anxious to fill them and start giving them out.

I used the following recipe from In The Jewish Tradition, which is a beautiful book my mother bought me a few years ago.

You MUST refrigerate the dough overnight - preferably longer!

3/4 c unsalted parve margarine (I just use butter - rather not use trans fats - so mine are not parve)
1 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c OJ
1.5 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

(easy to double recipe since it's 3 sticks of butter that way)


cream butter & sugar
mix in egg, vanilla, & OJ

mix in flour, baking soda & salt

blend well

refrigerate overnight (at least!)

roll out on floured surface. using the rim of a glass make circles. put a teeny amount of filling in the centers (we always just use jelly. I make preserves so I always have a bunch in the pantry). fold up into triangles (pinch corners together well or fold over a little to really close them tight. leave them just open enough so people can see what flavor they got.


bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or so - till golden brown

Enjoy - they came out wonderful!