When it comes to throwing kid’s birthday parties, you could say I’m “experienced”. After all, I’ve already hosted 9 of them! Nate’s second birthday party is September 1st so we usually (this will be our second year) celebrate on the Labour Day long weekend at the cottage. I typically go all out with selecting a theme (SUPERHEROS this year) and then outsource the decorations, food and cake.
However, having the birthday celebration at the cottage doesn’t allow me to outsource the food component and lets just say I skipped the entire cake all together (opted for cupcakes instead). Another complexity that was thrown in the mix was that I had not only to consider the taste buds of kids but also of the many adults that would be there. The ratio was 9 kids to 20 adults.
My menu consisted of appetizers and snacks before serving an early dinner just before 5; It was a two-year old’s birthday party after all.
Appetizer Menu
Appetizers consisted of a variety of fruits, chips, pretzels, vegetables and salads. I served both Large and Cherry Bocconcini cheese made by Salerno. Not only is it my personal favourite type of salad, but it’s easy to prepare and always a hit with guests. Since we celebrated in cottage country, I try to eat local produce when possible. That’s why I like that Salerno provides traditional Italian cheeses made from fresh Ontario milk!
I also made a kid-friendly fruit platter that included marshmallows and cheese in a shape of Captain America’s shield. I made the star out of Ivanhoe old sharpe aged cheddar cheese.
I also cut up some marble cheese into square size bites that paired great with crackers and grapes. It was a great way to get some protein into the kids and provide them with some healthy snack options!
By the way, did you know that you can visit the Ivanhoe’s plant in Madoc, Ontario and watch the cheese being made live from inside the Ivanhoe Country Store?!?! How cool is that?
What’s your favourite thing to serve at your child’s birthday party?
Disclosure: I am part of the Gay Lea Ambassador Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.