PARTY THEME: BACKYARD OLYMPICS PARTY

Martie Duncan June 10, 2014

One of my favorite party themes for summer fun for the 4th of July or a get-together with the neighbors or cousins is a Backyard Olympics party. Easy to host; all you need is a big back yard and some creativity! Old school lawn games like the sack race, three-legged race, egg and spoon race, wheelbarrow races, hula-hoop contest, bubble blowing contest are just the ticket for summer fun. This is also one of the most affordable party ideas because most of the games require very little in the way of supplies.

All photos: Arden Ward, Arden Photography

Backyard Olympics Party games Martie Duncan

Get the gang together for some old-fashioned fun by throwing a Backyard Olympics party this 4th of July.

Hula-hoops and other backyard game supplies can be found at the dollar store or toy store. Oriental Trading Company has many backyard party games available online.

Old fashioned games like the "wheelbarrow" race or the three-legged race make for lots of laughs and summer fun.

FOOD & BEVERAGES

It is an All-American theme keep the menu classic with hot dogs and hamburgers or fried chicken. Whether you make the food yourself, get it at the store or your favorite restaurant, or asks guests to bring a dish, that's up to you.

Deviled eggs, potato salad, slaw, and pickles are traditional picnic side dishes that we can never seem to get enough of in the summertime. Apple pie topped with homemade (or store-bought) vanilla ice cream completes the All-American menu.

Dispensers of ice cold sweet tea, lemonade, and flavored water (orange is always a good choice) makes serving easy and keeps bartender duties to a minimum.

Set up a beverage station at the game course with a big tub of bottled water, sports drinks, and other cold beverages on ice so the kids stay hydrated.

DECORATIONS

It is a Red, White, and Blue Patriotic theme for this party so use leftover 4th of July themed napkins, flags, ribbons, and other supplies to give an Olympic village feel to the table decorations. Hydrangea is a wonderful summer flower; use them in clusters and you'll only need a few stems.

Make quick lanterns using LED lights or glo-sticks and a piece of scrapbook paper. Easy, pretty, and functional, too.

ENTERTAINMENT

The games are the fun for this party. A frisbee toss, baggo, croquet, badminton, volleyball, bocce ball, and kickball are all great games if you have the equipment. There are so many fun yard games to play that require little or no equipment at all. Remember the wheelbarrow race, three legged race, egg toss, egg and spoon race, and

RECIPE: BOURBON BAKED HAM

Martie Duncan June 10, 2014

Being from the South, I can't remember an Easter Sunday without ham. My mom made the best ham; she'd bake it for hours and it would always be so delicious. Sometimes, she'd use pineapple and cherries to garnish the outside for very special occasions. That was when you knew you'd better be on your best behavior! My mother rarely used recipes and it is such a shame I didn't get this one from her before she passed away. Here's my version of my mom's Sunday ham.... with a little bourbon to put my own stamp on the original. Happy Easter and many blessings to you and yours!

BOURBON BAKED HAM

INGREDIENTS

1 fully cooked bone-in ham about 10 pounds for a crowd

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup bourbon

2 tablespoons ground mustard

1/2 cup pineapple or apple juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)

dash of cayenne or Tabasco sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Whisk the brown sugar, bourbon, ground cloves, mustard, cayenne, and pineapple juice together and let it sit. Next, prepare the ham.

I usually cook my ham in tin foil on a baking sheet like my mom but you can use a baking pan and a rack if you prefer. Put the ham, fat side up, onto a large piece of tin foil, large enough to make a tent over it-- meaning you close it up but don't let the foil touch the ham when you close it for baking... like a tent.

You don't have to do this next step, but it makes for a nice presentation. Use a small knife to cut a diamond pattern into the top layer of the fat. Just cut on the diagonal one way, then cut another diagonal going the other way to make the diamond shapes. Put a whole clove into each diamond. Or you could decorate the outside with pineapple like my mom did.

Next, brush half of the brown sugar mixture over the ham. Close and bake for an hour.

Open and brush on the remaining brown sugar. Add a 1/2 cup water, pineapple juice, or bourbon to the bottom of the pan. (if you use bourbon, make sure you are not near an open flame when you add it because the fumes can ignite!!) Close it up and bake for another hour or until the temperature reaches 140 degrees. Let the ham stand for at least 15 minutes before carving or it will fall apart.

PARTY THEMES: HOST AN EASTER EGG HUNT WITH CRAFTS AND GAMES

Martie Duncan May 31, 2014

Easter always signals the end of a dreary winter and the rebirth of spring. Why not have some fun with the kids and make memories that will last a lifetime? A cute and crafty Easter Egg Hunt that includes egg decorating along with a craft station is interactive and creative… much more fun than simply stuffing plastic eggs with candy and throwing them around the yard. Add an easy to assemble kid friendly buffet with a mix of healthy and fun treats to make this party hopping good fun for everyone. Get one of your kids to write their own Easter story. Print and let the kids have one to take home. Make this a family party, a neighborhood get-together, or just plan some fun with your own kids. They’ll never forget it!

Host an Easter Egg Hunt at home Martie Duncan

DECORATIONS

To keep decorating costs to a minimum, I used items from around the house or yard. A collection of borrowed birdhouses were used to help bring the outside indoors. I made an indoor egg tree by using a pot of pansies as a base and added tall branches from a shrub. Daffodils (about $2.99 each) from the garden center were potted in colorful tin pails ($1 each at Target) and can be planted in the yard after the party. We added branches of yellow Forsythia, straw bunnies, and decorated eggs to a flat of wheat grass to create a preview of spring days ahead.

FOOD

After surveying the kids, we put together a buffet of their favorites. To keep it simple and safe, we didn’t include hot dishes. Since we were boiling lots of eggs for decorating, deviled eggs were an obvious choice. To give the adults options, I included my signature DYI toppings bar so everyone could create their own deviled egg creation.

The kids requested peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which were made on white whole wheat bread and cut into Easter shapes with large cookie cutters. Lots of “rabbit” food was on the menu: a platter of carrots and ranch dip and red and green apple wedges with peanut butter fluff were healthy choices.

Host an Easter Egg Hunt Martie Duncan party themes

Because Easter traditionally includes lots of candy, we kept desserts to a minimum. The marshmallow Peeps® cake we made using tiers of brightly colored Peeps® was the hit of the party. At about $1 per box, they are a cheap and fun decorating accessory, too.

ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the egg hunt, we came up with a few games that were easy to manage. A wind-up bunny race and carrot shaped balloon racers ($5.95 per dozen at Oriental Trading Company) were a hit with the kids and adults, too. An activity table loaded with pre-dyed colored eggs for decorating and other crafts kept little hands busy between games.

MARTIE’S PARTY TIPS

A colorful craft table is always a good way to keep kids busy at a party and it’s a great idea to have designated people to lead the fun. We found a former teacher and craft expert willing to don a bunny suit to assist the kids with craft projects and help keep them focused. Hire an artsy teenager if you aren’t crafty.
We dyed the eggs in advance to avoid a big mess but gave the kids lots of stickers, glitter glue, flowers, and ribbon to customize their own eggs.
We put down a strip of indoor/outdoor carpet purchased by the yard at a home improvement store ($2.99 a yard) to define the play area. The kids enjoyed a variety of easy to contain games.
Bring the outside in with daffodils, pansies, and branches from the yard to create a spring-like setting. If you don’t have a yard, you can find what you need at a florist, garden center, or craft store floral department.
Get extra mileage out of food or beverages by using them as decorations. These plastic glasses filled with colorful drinks make a bright and cheery display.

No matter if you’re expecting rain, snow or sun this Easter, make some memories for your family and friends with this simple party plan that can easily be recreated indoors or out.

Photography: Arden Ward, Arden Photography