Safari Baby shower

Jorden's theme for her baby nursery is safari animals (I'm not going to lie...her bedding is too cute...) so I went with a safari animal theme for her shower.  Here are the invites.  I made them pretty simple...and was grateful once again for my cricut cutter and my zoobaloo cartridge.

I made some additional safari animals and turned them into a mobile of sorts...

...which did not picture well (silly wind)...but it was cute!

These were my favorite things...

Thank you "Hello, cupcake"!

The elephant ears and trunk are made with blue melting chocolate.  The tusks are runts, as is the lion's nose.  Both of their eyes are mini M&Ms and the lion's mane is licorce (pull & peel).  They were actually quick to put together (with a little help from my husband and mother-in-law).  Note to future makers of the elephant...the chocolate does not hold up to heat or direct sunlight!

Luckily, I figured this to be the case and only took out the cupcakes with the giraffe and then refilled with the additional, when those were gone.

For the food we had a veggie tray and fruit tray, both with dips.  We had pulled pork sandwiches and blue chips and guacamole. I found blue koolaid for the drink.  I wanted to do food that was quick and easy and little work.  The dips I could make the day before.  All the fruit and veggies could be cut up early in the morning and then refrigerated till the party.  And the pork I could just throw in the crock pot in the morning and it was ready by the party.

All the paper products and the tablecloths I got from Zurchers. All of the green serving stuff I already own...I have a thing for green serving dishes, trays, etc.  If it isn't green...then it's white...just love it...and bonus...it worked with my lime green and lt. blue color scheme.

(the gift table with the diaper cake)

We ended up with 16 people at the party...which really was a good amount. (people in UT don't RSVP well...which is a whole other issue...so luckily I planned the food right and we had plenty, with very little leftovers).

I was hoping with it being September that the temps would be more in the upper 70s, but unfortunately it was much, much warmer...and the shade in my backyard disappears around 1 and reappears around 3...and of course the party was from 1-3...nice right! I didn't mind a little sunshine on my face for one of the last times this year, but I think others didn't love it as much.  Note to me in the future: regardless of what is going on...a party in the Thompson backyard is best scheduled for 3 or 4pm. Sorry...I just couldn't do it inside on such a beautiful day!

Recipes:

Fruit dip

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 8oz cream cheese

1/3 C. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy.  Slowly fold in whipping cream until well blended...then stir a few times to fully incorporate.  Tastes even better after it has been refrigerated a few hours or over night.

Veggie dip

I bought one of those packet dip seasonings from a craft fair in Seattle last year, so all I had to do was add mayo, sour cream and a 10oz. box of spinach.  It is one of my favorites, I bought a few of them and that was the last one...sigh!

Guacamole:

(I don't really have a recipe...I just kinda wing it till it tastes good)

For this party I used 7 avacados, a palm full of chili powder and 6-7 dashes of tabasco.  Lots of lime juice and about 1/3 C. of my homemade salsa (a friend's secret recipe that I can't give out) which basically adds the cilantro, jalepeno, tomatoes, onions, etc. I blended all up in the food processor and dipped away. I forgot to add the red onion I bought...but it was delicious without...but also tastes good with the red onion.

Pulled Pork

I used 2 pork loin roasts from Costco (they come in a 4 pack). Put them both in the crock pot with about half of a 2-liter of rootbeer (I know that is one liter...but who buys 1 liters).  I cooked mine on high for 5 hours (could have used another half hour, but still shredded fine).  I actually like to cook it on slow for 8-10 hours...but I wasn't getting up at 5am. Shredded the meat and then dumped a full bottle of BBQ sauce on all of it.  When we have this for dinner, I don't add the sauce...I let everyone add their own and the amount the want.  Plus, you taste more of the sweet flavor of the pork if it isn't drenched in sauce...but for a party, adding the sauce ahead is faster and much less messy at the table. I used Barq's rootbeer (it was on sale) and Famous Daves sweet and sassy BBQ sauce (it's my current fav).