St. Patrick's Day blender battle

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Hope you are all wearing your green. I couldn't find my American Apparel baseball tee with the green sleeves to wear today, so I quickly tossed on "MY WHITE T IS GREEN" (that's what it says in green on a white t-shirt) shirt instead, along with my four leaf clover necklace for luck. Oh, and I made sure to wear green underwear, too (TMI! Did I just admit that? I sure did).

When it comes to green food, I never seem to go a day without it, due to green smoothies, salads and just tossing greens into almost anything blended. Even on vacation, I make sure to find a way to get some green in my diet.

Speaking of blending, I'm so excited to say that I won a Tribest personal blender from Living Light Culinary Arts Institute recently (this is the same place that does the Hot Raw Chef contest I entered last summer. Thank you for the blender Living Light). I had been meaning to tell you about it, but hadn't figured out the best way to do it.

I wanted to have fun with it in a blender war with my trusty Magic Bullet blender. I just needed to come up with something simple for their first round of competition. Being that it is St. Patrick's Day, Hayden and I decided to make some fresh green orange juice.

When I was little my mom would dye the orange juice with green food coloring, which freaked me out; I refused to drink it. Who would have thought I'd one day by drinking fresh green orange juice naturally dyed with baby spinach leaves.

I have to admit that this is my first time using the Tribest blender, and that I've never actually blended greens in my Magic Bullet (I use a high-powered blender for that). I put one and a half clementines (peeled and segmented , of course) in both blender containers, along with the same size handful of baby spinach and 1/4 cup of water in each one. Watch our video to see which one won :-)

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Okay, so for those of you who can't watch the video, here's what they looked like blended and poured into our glasses. Can you guess which one is which? Hint: I poured the Magic Bullet one into the wider glass for me. I wonder why?

Also, Jacob was playing with his Legos while we were filming today's video. It looks as though he caught a leprechaun. He must have been after those shamrocks on the table.

I purchased the shamrock plant on our latest Trader Joe's shopping trip, when we saw those flowers from my last post. Does anyone know if they are really "cupcake" flowers? I'm still looking for an answer.

Rainbows or unicorns?

Remember how I mentioned that Stephanie Sparkles of Bliss Cakes, winner of the first all-vegan episode of "Cupcake Wars," might do a Q&A on my blog? Well, she did find the time to answer my questions (she's a popular lady at the moment; looks like Maria Shriver got to her first), so I'll share them with you today.

First of all, I want to point out that all of the photos in today's post were lovingly borrowed (yes, I know "borrow" tends to mean that I plan on returning them, but my word choice was influenced by the book Jacob is reading, "The Borrowers") from Stephanie's site, as I wanted to share her beautiful works of cupcake art with you. I especially like the photo I snagged for the top of this post. Figs are my favorite!

But, enough about me. Let's find out a little more about her :-)

Q: Have you always loved cupcakes? How and why did you start your cupcake business?

A: "Yes! I've always loved cupcakes. They bring smiles & celebrations!"

Q: Where did you learn to bake? Did you go to culinary school or are you a "natural" when it comes to baking?

A: "I'm self taught. I spread loved through cupcakes, making them for friends and family. I love to explore and experiment with new flavor combinations. I'm a connoisseur of sweets and love cute, delectable desserts."

Q: What inspires your cupcake flavors and which one is your favorite?

A: "I love nature, our planet Earth. I use fresh ingredients that are all natural, nothing artificial. I use fresh fruits, herbs, veggies, flowers, superfoods; ingredients that are in season. All my bliss cakes are so exotic. My top favorites are the matcha raspberry green tea, tangerine dream, wild jungle peanut butter, acai jungleberry bliss and mayan chocolate spice."

Q: With a name like Stephanie Sparkles, I assume your cupcakes are baked with love and positive vibes. Do you have anything special you do while baking to keep it fun, like listening to music and dancing in your kitchen?

A: "Yes, my cupcakes are made with love! He he, I'm pretty zen in the kitchen and focuses. I do listen to music, all different types. I love funk music, raggae, world music, downtempo electronic, as well as jazz."

Q: Tell us about your experience on the first all-vegan episode of "Cupcake Wars" (congrats again on winning, BTW). Are there any secrets you can reveal? I've always wondered in any of the drama is ever staged or if it's that intense.

A: "All of it is real! I am shy and not used to being filmed, so that was the biggest challenge. I was confident my cupcakes were going to woo the judges with all their fresh exotic ingredients."

Q: What can we expect in the future from you? Cupcakes available coast to coast?

A: "I have a recipe e-book you can purchase on my website. It has 15 of my favorite superfood vegan recipes with sparklets of how they nourish your body. I'm also finishing my fabulous apron line. I'm working on my product line to be sold in grocery stores. Right now, I'm not shipping cupcakes. Maybe in the near future, I will make cupcakes to ship or cupcakes in a jar to ship. Mine are so delicate to ship."

Q: Oh, if you had to pick just one, rainbows or unicorns? It's a hard decision, I know. My daughter Hayden couldn't decide either :-)

A: "Impossible decision. Luckily I do not have to choose; they go together ;*)

~*~*~

Thanks so much Stephanie for taking the time to answer my questions and for spreading the cupcake love. Baked or unbaked, you have some amazing cupcake flavors and designs.

I've really enjoyed both baking the cupcakes (yes, I sometimes bake in my oven, and no, the cupcakes in this picture are not mine; they're Stephanie's) from her e-book and putting my own Rawdorable spin on them. I highly recommend this book to those who bake and those who unbake (the flavor combinations and photos are great inspiration, too). She even tells you how to make the baked versions gluten-free. There certainly is something for everyone.

I know my little lady is happy that I purchased this e-book, as she loves all things cupcakes, much like her mommy. Here she is with some flowers from Trader Joe's that were labeled "Cupcake." Does anyone know if that is actually the name of these flowers. If so, I'm going back to get some :-)

~*~*~ Rainbows, unicorns & cupcakes ~*~*~

... all those things make me smile, so you can imagine the grin on my face when I saw Stephanie Sparkles on the first all-vegan episode of "Cupcake Wars." When she was providing the background on her business, she mentioned having a fondness for rainbows and unicorns, and with a name like "Sparkles," the kids and I decided to root for her 'til the end.

Okay, so maybe our small cheering section can't really take credit for Ms. Stephanie's win (she won, of course), but we sure had fun pretending we had some influence on the judges' critiques.

I'm not surprised that she got top prize, as this challenge was perfect for her. It was a Green Festival challenge that required the use of fresh, natural and local ingredients. That's what she uses to make her cupcakes anyway, along with some superfoods (acai, cacao, etc.), as well.

As you know, these cupcakes were right up my alley, so I contacted Stephanie to see if I could order some to try. Unfortunately, I'm on the wrong coast and way too far to place a pick up or delivery order. Instead, I bought her cupcake baking e-book in hopes of baking them at home (I also got Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook last week. She was the first vegan to win "Cupcake Wars." Maybe I'll post a review at some point).

But, before I actually baked one of her cupcakes, I put my usual Rawdorable spin on the four from the "Cupcake Wars" episode. Here's how I did it.


A Rawdorable Take
on a Green Tea Topped
Vanilla Cupcake
*My version of a Stephanie Sparkles
Vanilla Matcha Raspberry Kiss Cupcake

• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/8 cup coconut flakes
• 1/8 cup almond pulp (leftover from making fresh almond milk) and/or almonds
  
• 1 Tbsp. date paste
• 1/4 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• dash of sea salt
• *1/4 cup "Butterdream" mixed with 1/2 tsp. or 1 tsp. of matcha green tea powder, to taste (you probably won't use that much icing, but it helps to have extra if you plan to pipe it on the cupcake)
  
• *a fresh raspberry and mint leaves for garnish

In a mini food processor or blender, grind the cashews, coconut flakes and almonds/almond pulp into a flour-like consistency, and transfer the "flour" to a bowl.

Next, add the date paste, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and sea salt. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep the "batter" fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).

Form the batter into a cupcake shape, using a reusable silicone liner (this pink one is shaped like a butterfly), small ramekin or tea cup (you can also form the batter into 2 or 3 mini cupcakes). Frost the cupcake(s) with "Butterdream" icing mixed with matcha green tea powder to taste (I piped mine on for a more professional look). Then, garnish with a fresh raspberry and mint leaves. Enjoy!

~*~*~

A Rawdorable Take
on a Sweet Pepper,
Corn & Sage Cupcake
*My version of a Stephanie Sparkles
Sweet Pepper Corn with Creamy Sage Cupcake

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 Tbsp. fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first and use a towel to absorb the excess moisture)
• 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  
• 1 Tbsp. date paste
• 1/4 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• dash of sea salt
• cayenne pepper, to taste
  
• *1/4 cup "Butterdream" mixed with about three fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (you probably won't use that much icing, but it helps to have extra if you plan to pipe it on the cupcake)
• *a slice or two of red bell pepper, sprig of parsley and a few fresh corn kernels for garnish

In a mini food processor or blender, grind the almonds, corn, red pepper and parsley into a flour-like consistency (you can also substitute some of the almonds for leftover nut pulp from making nutmilk to result in a lighter cake texture), and transfer the "flour" to a bowl.

Next, add the date paste, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, sea salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep the "batter" fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).

Form the batter into a cupcake shape, using a reusable silicone liner (this red one is shaped like a lady bug) or small ramekin (you can also form the batter into 2 or 3 mini cupcakes). Frost the cupcake(s) with "Butterdream" icing mixed with fresh finely chopped sage leaves. Then, garnish with fresh bell pepper slices (I arranged mine to look like a heart), parsley and some corn kernels. Yum!

~*~*~

A Rawdorable Take
on a Lavender
& Orange Cupcake
*My version of a Stephanie Sparkles
Lavender Tangerine Dream Cupcake

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 Tbsp. coconut flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
  
• 1 Tbsp. date paste
• 1/4 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• dash of sea salt
• *1/4 cup "Butterdream" mixed with 1 Tbsp. freeze-dried blueberries, finely ground, and a hint of lavender extract (you probably won't use that much icing, but it helps to have extra if you plan to pipe it on the cupcake)
• *a slice of orange, tangerine or clementine for garnish, along with some extra poppy seeds for sprinkling
  

In a mini food processor or blender, grind the almonds (you can also substitute some of the almonds for leftover nut pulp from making nutmilk to result in a lighter cake texture; I used about a 50:50 ratio), coconut flakes and orange zest into a flour-like consistency, and transfer the "flour" to a bowl. Gently stir in the poppy seeds.

Next, add the date paste, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and sea salt. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep the "batter" fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).

Form the batter into a cupcake shape, using a reusable silicone liner (this yellow one is shaped like a bee) or small ramekin (you can also form the batter into 2 or 3 mini cupcakes). Frost the cupcake(s) with "Butterdream" icing mixed with finely ground freeze-dried blueberries (Stephanie's original recipe did not have blueberries in it, but I couldn't resist adding them to go along with the orange cake) and a hint of lavender extract. Then, garnish with a citrus slice and a sprinkling of poppy seeds. Pretty!

~*~*~

A Rawdorable Take
on a Cacao Spice Cupcake
*My version of a Stephanie Sparkles
Mayan Spice Cupcake

• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/8 cup almond pulp (leftover from making fresh almond milk) or more almonds
• 1/8 cup cashews
  
• 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  
• 1 Tbsp. date paste
• 1/2 Tbsp. "Butterdream"
• 1/4 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• dash of sea salt
• cinnamon and cayenne pepper, to taste
  
• *1/4 cup "Butterdream" mixed with 1 Tbsp. raw cocoa powder (you probably won't use that much icing, but it helps to have extra if you plan to pipe it on the cupcake)
• *a sprinkling of cacao nibs and an edible flower for garnish (I didn't have any edible flowers to put on top of mine, so since I wasn't giving it to someone who would eat it by mistake, I put a shamrock with flower on top for St. Patrick's Day; it's coming up, BTW)
  

In a mini food processor or blender, grind the almonds, cashews and cocoa powder into a flour-like consistency, and transfer the "flour" to a bowl.

Next, add the date paste, "butterdream," apple cider vinegar, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon and cayenne. Whisk to combine (a whisk helps keep the "batter" fluffier). The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).

Form the batter into a cupcake shape, using a reusable silicone liner (this green one is shaped like a frog) or small ramekin (you can also form the batter into 2 or 3 mini cupcakes). Frost the cupcake(s) with "Butterdream" icing mixed with raw cocoa powder. Then, garnish with a sprinkling of cacao nibs and an edible flower. Lovely!

~*~*~

Oh, and if all goes well, I should be posting a Q&A with Stephanie Sparkles in the future. I think she seems like a lot of fun and worth getting to know a bit. Fingers crossed that she has time to answer my questions :-)

On another note, I had some extra raspberries left after garnishing the Green Tea Topped Vanilla Cupcake. To make them even more special I popped some chocolate chips in the centers, which was an idea I found on Lauren Conrad's site. She linked to Beloved Green, where she found them, who gave Saucy Sprinkles credit for the idea. Who knows who really did it first, but I love the idea <3

~*~*~

More "Cupcake Wars" related posts:

• "A Modern Twist" (The second part of the post lists my ideas for the Girl Scout episode of the show)
• "Prepping for cupcake battle" (icings and garnishes)
• " 'Rawified' Cupcake Wars bases" (constructing my versions of four winning "Cupcake Wars" cupcakes)
• "My biggest cupcake fan" (putting my spin on a Sticky Fingers Bakery cupcake)

A modern twist

I just wanted to quickly share my latest upcycling jewelry project with you. I made this gift for my mother-in-law out of an old necklace from that bag of beaded jewelry I mentioned in a past post. She had passed along the bag of beaded necklaces to us, so that we could do crafts with them. Little did she know that we'd make something for her, as well.

This particular necklace had already been cut and had some beads removed for other jewelry and craft projects. Therefore, it could not be worn again in it's present state. The word "present" refers to when this picture was taken, prior to when I reconstructed it into something new.

I had a pack of three heart-shaped charms that had yet to find a home, so I decided to make matching earrings and a bracelet. I incorporated some of the metallic beads from the broken necklace into the earring design, and then continued to use the beads in the bracelet.

To make the bracelet, I cut the necklace into sections, removing some of the beads to reveal the connecting strands. I then borrowed some Legos from the kids to clamp the ends together while I worked. Such a fun idea :-)


I did some restringing and braided the strands. I even used the original hook and loop closure on the ends. Then, for a personal touch (and to match the earrings) I added the final heart charm. The finished bracelet is pictured below.


I also decorated this box using items cut out of old magazines, so my mother-in-law would know I made these before I even told her. I thought it turned out cute.


And, for those of you who like to see how the bracelets I make look on someone's arm/wrist, here's a pic of me wearing it.


I have very small wrists (I usually have to remove a few links from store-bought bracelets and watches to make them fit me), so I purposely made it a little big to ensure it would fit the recipient. Actually, I kind of like how it dangles loosely like a charm bracelet. I hope my mother-in-law likes it, too :-)

*****

Girl Scout Cookie
"Cupcake Wars" tonight


On another note, I look forward to Sundays, when the whole family is together. We go to my mom and dad's house for Sunday dinner and head home in time to watch both "Once Upon a Time" and "Cupcake Wars" (I actually record one of them and watch it commercial-free after the other is over).

Tonight's "Cupcake Wars" has a Girl Scout theme, which reminds me of my own Rawdorable version of their classic cookies. You can find some of my recipes here on the We Like It Raw site, and the rest in this old blog post of mine. They'd be perfect toppers for the following Rawdorable cupcakes:

Put my version of a Samoa on this German Chocolate Cupcake

Put my version of a Thin Mint on this Chocolate Mint Cupcake

Put my version of a Trefoil on this S'mores Cupcake (you can't do a Girl Scout cupcake challenge without s'mores)

Put my version of a Do-Si-Do on this Flutternutternana Cupcake

And, my version of a Tagalong on this Tastes Like PB Cupcake or this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake

These were just some ideas, but I opted to make Rawdorable versions of the winning cupcakes from last week's episode. I'll tell you more this week. Stay tuned :-)


*Just a reminder that these cupcakes are not meant to eat all the time, which is why I didn't make the Girl Scout Cookie-inspired ones today. They are just a nice treat every once and a while.

Special delivery

Can you believe these babies made it all the way from Alaska? Cool, huh? It sure is. Now I know why the temps dropped back down again.

Just as I was getting used to the warmer Spring weather, it decided to get cold again. We actually had some snow flurries. At first, I was disappointed by the chill in the air, but then, these came to warm me up.

The kids were sipping their after school hot chocolate (they requested it after a cold walk back from the bus stop) and I was enjoying some warm cinnamon vanilla almond milk when my hubby arrived home from work with this package in hand. To my surprise, it was the pecan pie babies I won from Nicki of ChenaRaw.

I posted a comment on Nicki's blog post at the time, just because I wanted to leave one. Then, I found out that my comment won me some yummy pecan pie babies, which she shipped to me recently after getting more ingredients, some of them being hard to come by in Alaska.

I told her it wasn't necessary to send them all this way, but she sent them anyway (with a sweet handwritten note, and you know how much I appreciate those). These babies arrived safe and securely in a cute little cooler. I must say, Nicki is quite the smart cookie. And, thanks to the cooler (and cooler temperatures), they still felt like they came straight out of the refrigerator.

I decided to show off her yummy treats, displaying them in a cupcake box (I held on to it from an actual cupcake delivery), so they would pop against the white background. They look like the pecan rolls my late grandfather used to give me. Such wonderful memories ... and tasty ones, too.

These are so good, especially with my warm cinnamon vanilla almond milk. Perfect timing. Even Hayden couldn't get enough of them, adding her personal touch with some fresh raw apple (kind of like apple pie; I can see where she was going with this, even if you can barely see it in this extremely blurry pic of a piece of pie with an apple chunk in her hand).

Thanks Nicki. Have a great day, too!

Oh, and if you are interested in making your own pecan pie babies, you can find Nicki's recipe here :-)

*****


Since typing this post (I actually had it done in advance), the weather warmed up again (maybe the flurries really were meant to keep my Alaskan mail cold). Hayden was excited to take her car out for a drive. Ha ha. She thinks she's big stuff now :-)

Happy 100th :-)

Some of you may have seen this post way too soon, as I accidentally published it before I even typed a word (except for a title). I guess it's a sign that I have to make this one quick.

Anyway, I just wanted to wish the Oreo cookie a happy 100th b-day. It was a childhood favorite of mine, and I have to admit that I even craved them while pregnant with my kids. Although I have eaten the real deal in the past few years (you've gotta live a little sometimes), most of the time I make my own Rawdorable version, which makes for a yummy cupcake topper.

Speaking of cupcakes, here's a blast from the past in honor of Oreo's big day. It's how I make my sandwich cookies, followed by a scrumptious cupcake recipe to put them on.



Rawdorable
Sandwich Cookies

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes, ground into a powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
  
• 2 soft pitted dates
• dash of sea salt
• * "butterdream" frosting
  

In a food processor, combine almond meal (you can use finely ground almonds or a combo of ground almonds with leftover pulp from making almond milk), ground coconut and cocoa powder. Add the pure maple syrup, dates and sea salt, and process to create a ball of dough.

Flatten the dough into a sheet, and cut out cookie-sized circles. "Bake" the cookies in your dehydrator, flipping once, until crisp (you can also just chill them in the fridge until firm).

Make sandwiches by frosting a layer of the "butterdream" (make it the day ahead and allow it to thicken in the fridge first) between two cookies. Repeat until all the cookies are filled.

*****

Rawdorable
Cookies 'N Cream Cupcakes
Inspired by "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"

• 2 cups nut flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4-1/2 cup date paste
• 2-4 Tbsp. coconut milk
• generous drizzles of pure maple syrup, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• dash of sea salt
• * "butterdream" frosting
• * raw sandwich cookies (see above)

In a large bowl, combine the nut flour (a mixture of finely ground nuts of your choice combined with leftover nut pulp from making your favorite nut milk; I like using finely ground almonds, mixed with a little hazelnut and Brazil nut pulp), cocoa powder and sea salt. Stir with a whisk or use an electric mixer.

Next, add about 1/4 cup of the date paste, 2 Tbsp. of the coconut milk (although any thickened nut milk will do) and the vanilla. Whisk/mix, paying close attention to the consistency of the batter. Add pure maple syrup to taste, and more of the date paste and coconut milk as needed. Whisk/mix to combine. The batter should be moist, but not so damp that it requires "baking" in a dehydrator (although you could if you desire).

Divide the batter into sections and form them into cupcake shapes (makes 3 or 4 full-size cupcakes). Frost each cupcake with a generous dollop of "butterdream" mixed with raw sandwich cookie crumbs, and top with half a raw sandwich cookie. Yum!

*****

These cookies are also fun to add to a delicious smoothie or shake. The simplest way to do this is in a "banilla" shake made from almond milk, frozen bananas and vanilla. Once blended, toss in some Rawdorable sandwich cookies and give it a quick spin. The results are so good!

Happy birthday Oreo. You always make me smile :-)

Family time

You all know how important family time is to me, so now I'm using my latest jewelry project to show it off literally.

While shopping for supplies to make these bracelets (specifically the metal cuff with the purple stone), I made two frivolous purchases, one being the petal-shaped metallic pieces for these earrings I posted recently and the other was this fun locket with a watch face on it. I couldn't resist the idea of pretending to wear a watch that keeps time, while instead, always having my family on my mind ... or in this case, on my wrist.

The locket was meant to be a pendant, but I thought it would be more of a conversation piece on my wrist, like a real watch. I guess it could have appeared to be a pocket watch necklace, similar to this one; I just opted to put my personal spin on it instead.

When making the mock watch, I decided to leave the loop at the top, in case my idea didn't go as planned. I just needed to find a way to incorporate it into my design, which I'll tell you more about when I get to that step.

To start, I used my metal and jewelry glue to attach the pendant to a silver plated bracelet with a plain flat plate on it. Once it felt secure, I moved on to decorating the rest of the band.

I kept it simple, weaving some black ribbon around it, similar to the barrettes my mom made me as a child (yes, I'm showing my age again; I wonder if I can pull off wearing them again). Since I was just using one color, I made it even easier by weaving only one ribbon back and forth to cover the bracelet's band.

I used the glue again to attach the ribbon to the first side of the band. Then I began weaving it back and forth, and over and under the parallel bands, as shown. Here is how it looks at the start of the weaving process, and below is at about the halfway mark.


I continued weaving until I reached the solid part in the middle of the bracelet. There, I cut the ribbon and glued it in place.


I repeated the same weaving on the other side of the band. I loved the results, but still needed to do something about the loop on top. It was too late to cut it off (I was afraid I might damage the rest of my work), so I added a sweet little bow.


And, for those of you who would like to see it on my wrist, here you go. With my cute little kids pictured inside, I guess you can say I wear my heart on my sleeve <3 :-)

Now for some more family time!

*****

Speaking of family time, we had a blast celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday at our usual Sunday dinner. It was my sister Lori's idea. She surprised us, so I didn't get the heads up to bring my camera. Instead, I'll just paint a mental picture for you.

She took the time to decorate the table with Dr. Seuss books, toys and games (which the kids had fun playing), place cards with quotes (I brought ours home and snapped the pic above for you) and a fun cupcake display with Cake and the Hat Cupcakes and Truffula Tree Cupcakes (I managed to take a photo of a leftover Cat and the Hat today; here's an example of a Truffula Tree Cupcake). So cute and creative.

As you can tell, my extended family doesn't eat the same as I do, but they tried last night. My sister, brother-in-law and I tied for the most correct award predictions on Oscar night, so I had a big say in what was for dinner. We had a salad bar and green smoothie night. The brightly green colored beverages were perfect for our Seuss celebration, and much better than actual "Green Eggs and Ham." I still love the lesson in the story about trying new things, and I'm especially proud of everyone who tried the smoothies for their first time :-)

Anyway, I just wanted to share our fun with you. Did anyone else do something special in honor of Dr. Seuss? Who saw "The Lorax" and was it as good as I hope? I'm thinking about taking the kids to see it.