Enjoying the Small Things

Enjoying the Small Things

The Search for Blackbeard’s Treasure: Dash’s Pirate Party

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When it was decided a few weeks ago that Dash’s party would be pirate themed, Brett suggested we look into one of our local beach pavilions to host it. I drove up to check out the facilities for rent last weekend and called Brett, ecstatic.

“Oh my God, it might as well be called Pirate Beach. It basically looks like a pirate movie scene. Like we don’t even need to bury a treasure because there’s probably a real one already buried there.”

So a pirate party was born, and this weekend we gathered some mateys and celebrated Dash’s six years with sword fighting, plank walking and a treasure hunt led by my dad who went all in on the pirate theme.

Okay, we all did.

We used the beach facilities (Delnor Wiggins State Park) to grill burgers and dogs, and brought chips and cupcakes to keep the food simple which always works out best for kid parties.

And then we dug into our Halloween bins for some skeletons and didn’t need much more decoration because the entire scene already looked like a beach overtaken by pirates.

My dad used painted foam core, a large plank of wood and a roll of blue cellophane to set up a “Walk-the-Plank in shark-infested waters” activity that quickly became a favorite. Dash was so nervous to walk it without someone holding his hand at first but was running across it alone and having sword fights in the middle of the plank by the end of the party.

I found some unfinished wood treasure boxes at Michael’s for the kids to paint. They added jewel stickers and filled them with plastic gold coins (Hobby Lobby).

The pirates battled in a cannonball toss on the beach (black water balloons). We  made a big deal of making sure everyone was super careful to pick up any balloon pieces if they broke, but then they never broke because they were made of some freaky thick latex.

The kids searched for the bones of Blackbeard on the beach and dug them up when they found them…

…and used a treasure map to find three buried treasures along the beach boardwalks.

When I visited the beach last week to check it out, I drew a rough map of the trails with landmarks, noting where I’d bury the treasures. I transferred it on a big sheet of butcher paper (I burned the edges and some holes in it first), embellished it with some pictures and then crumpled it up to make it look old.

The treasure boxes were filled with little trinkets for the kids–light-up bouncy balls and pirate bracelets and rings (these were so cute–and stretchy so they fit adult fingers too!).

Dash’s one major request for his party was a pinata. He has been talking about a pinata for weeks, and he was ALL BUSINESS when he was up to bat. Back up, kids.

I actually had a broomstick-looking bat packed in the car before the party, and right before I left, Safety Dad saw it and said, “WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Is that for the pinata? BIRTHDAY RULE #1: PLASTIC BAT. Good thing I caught that.” Nothing gets by Safety Dad.

We also generated pirate names for every guest, and wrote them on little sheets of paper. This pirate name generator site is fun and includes descriptions of pirate identity: Oscar “Shiny Buckles” Jewell, “The Plague Bringer of Parrot Sands!” Oscar be consorting too much with the locals on the mainland!

So the verdict is: Pirate beach parties are the best. Dash is the kid who talks about his upcoming party ten times a day three weeks in advance, so it was so much fun to see him so delighted that it was all coming to fruition.

When the party was officially over, a few of his friends stayed to hang out with us on the beach, and the boys took off exploring with swords and skeleton remains. One friend was so dedicated to the pirate theme, he kept a hook on his hand for a good hour. Dash was in heaven.

We love birthdays around here, and celebrating Dash this weekend reminded us again of the unique way each of our kids fits our family. We love you, Dash and can’t imagine life without your joy and humor!

A few party sources if a pirate party is in the works:

Pirate flag
Pirate signs (these were so great to hang all around the beach trails)
Pirate hats (or just use red bandanas–$0.99 at Hobby Lobby)
Pirate jewelry favors
Chocolate Gold bars (we had one of these for each little pirate to put in their treasure box to take home)
Dash’s Pirate Shirt
Unfinished Wood Treasure Boxes (or a smaller version here)
Swords & Eyepatch Set 

Heidi’s Kitchen: Blackened Shrimp with Cheesy Grits

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If you’ve been following here long, you know my best friend Heidi is known for her cooking. Her kitchen is her sanctuary, and it is there that she speaks her most fluent love language: nurturing through food–really good food. Today, she’s sharing a perfect meal for Valentine’s Day–spicy shrimp in a not-too-heavy creamy sauce over a cloud of cheesy grits. With winter in full effect over much of the country, this meal packs an elegant and hearty punch. Pair it with a big green salad and a glass of prosecco, You know what they say: Spice up your kitchen, spice up your love life. Okay, no one ever said that. No matter what your love life looks like, this meal will bring all the heart eyes on Valentine’s Day. Because CREAM SAUCE.

Heidi, take it away.

Blackened Shrimp with Cheesy Grits

GRITS
4 cups of water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup of quick cooking grits (I used Quaker brand. Not instant.)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

SHRIMP AND SAUCE
6 slices of bacon, scissor cut into small pieces (easiest way)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 c. crushed tomatoes or tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon each paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and sea salt
1 cup baby bell mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cold butter
1 fresh jalapeño, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS
1. In a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and gradually add the grits, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce the heat to low and let the grits simmer to thicken (will take about 5 minutes). Add your milk and butter and stir. Simmer until the edges start bubbling a bit, reduce heat to low, cover the pan and set your timer for 35-40 minutes. Stir every once in a while so the grits don’t stick to the bottom. When grits are nice and creamy, turn off the heat and add your cheeses and pepper. Season to taste.
2. Dry shrimp with paper towel, toss with cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. While the grits are cooking, heat a heavy skillet (cast iron if you have it) and brown bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and dry on a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and let it heat until butter is brown. Add seasoned shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and keep warm.
4. Add mushrooms and green onions to the pan and let them soften up a bit, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and heat for about 2 minutes (don’t burn it!). Add chicken broth, cream, and tomatoes and stir with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce cook down a bit and then add the cooked bacon (saving a little for garnish) to the sauce and continue to cook down for about 10-15 mins. over low heat. Stir and taste the sauce and season as needed.
5. You can serve this in individual bowls or family style. Spoon a healthy scoop of grits into a bowl, spoon some sauce over the grits, and then layer 5-7 shrimp on top of that. Sprinkle green onions, crispy bacon and sliced fresh jalapeños on top. Now dig in because you deserve it after pulling off this easy but multi-step dinner!

5 Ingredient Easy Mini Cheesecakes

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A quick and easy cheesecake recipe for you today.

I posted this recipe a long time ago (like, when Lainey was a baby), and dug through the recipe box to find it again this week. I forgot how easy these are to make, and my kids loved them this time around. They’re the perfect little Valentine dessert without a terrible amount of sugar. Little individual-sized desserts always feel extra special, and the red fruit topping makes these festive for Valentine’s Day. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
12 vanilla wafers
Optional: Fruit topping

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat 5 minutes. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups. Place one vanilla wafer in each cup. Divide cream cheese mix evenly over wafers in cups. Bake about 20 minutes (until toothpick comes up clean). Refrigerate. Serve with fruit topping. Serves 12.