Shower Success!

So I hosted my first baby shower yesterday and at the risk of tootin' my own horn I have to say that it was quite a success! I was developing a migraine the night before I was set to do all the cooking so I had to nip it in the bud with my super scary headache pills. Fortunately it went away (Migraine, Shmigraine!) and I spent the day before the shower cooking up a storm and turning my kitchen into a war zone. But it was all worth it to hear everyone rave about the food the next day. I'm not too happy about being called "Martha" (and yes, I so just learned how to insert those links....sad but true)these days but I'm sure the Diaper Cake and the little cupcakes with cute widdle duckies on the top didn't do much to discourage my new nickname. But if that means people think I throw a good party then I'll take it! It was a small shower, 9 guests, and although many of the girls had never met before, everyone was chatty and I actually had to ask people to be quiet so that I could run the show from time to time. In other words, no awkward silences or dead space to try and fill which sure made my job as hostess much easier. Everyone seemed to get along and enjoy the "girl talk" and hopefully even a few new friendships were made. (There is even talk of forming a knitting club as two of us gave knitted baby blankets and a couple of other girls are interested in learning....okay, now I'm just screaming Martha!)

And yes of course, I am going to tell you all about the delicious eats I whipped up! I made two breakfast casseroles (Stratas to be exact), one veggie and one with bacon. Yes, Bacon! Not quite like the American bacon we all know and love (or at least I love), but a fine substitute. There was also a fruit salad which isn't particularly exciting except that the fruit, especially the mangoes, were perfectly ripe and sweet. Perhaps the biggest hit were the homemade cinnamon rolls with butter frosting. Yes, I made them completely from scratch and they even rose in the refrigerator over night just like they were supposed too. (Angela, you probably would have died if you saw how much butter I put into them.....perhaps, my new nickname should be Paula, not Martha!) I even made homemade Chai which the guest of honor had recently shown me how to make. (She even got me some of the special tea while she was home in the States so that I can just make a vat of it to swim in.....mmmmmmmmm....Chai.) And finally, the grand finale' was chocolate (really super rich chocolate) cupcakes with a cream cheese center and a chocolate ganache. Complete with cheap rubber duckie toppers from the Shuk (they sell lots of fruits and veggies there but also an incredible amount of junk too, which actually worked in my favor this time).

So, fun was had by all, the Diaper Cake was a huge hit (thanks Bri for the great idea!) and we even played a few cheesey baby games. Not too cheesey but just enough to have a few laughs. FYI....I'm not too hot at diaper changing. And the subject was an unmoving stuffed bear. Dare to leave your child with me now. ;) And although it was a challenge to host the shower here without the conveniences of the oh, so wonderful Big Box stores like Party City and Michael's, all in all it was a great success and I think Debbie fully enjoyed herself. I know I did! And while the girls were chatting it up some of the boys were out on a hike at Mt. Carmel near Haifa. They came back sweaty, dirty and tired so I am pretty sure they had a great time too. Once Phil gets his pictures from his friend I will try to post them for you. And although Phil complained because I kicked him out of the house, I am pretty sure he probably didn't want to be there in the first place! Way too much estrogen.

(For those of you who don't know, you can click on "view all images" and they will show up larger for your viewing pleasure!)

Other than that we haven't been up to much. Last weekend we "attempted" to have a wild night out in Tel Aviv. We ended up walking 15 minutes in the muggy heat (still at 11 at night!) to meet some people only to stand and sweat on the street until we found out that everyone wanted to grab a cab and head somewhere else! So we stopped for some ice cream first to cool off (seemed like the only logical thing to do) and we contemplated whether or not we wanted to continue on the adventure. We finally decided we did (well, I was sort of dragged along 'cuz I voted to go home but no, I'm not bitter about it or anything) and we ended up at a club where I sat outside, bored and hot and chugging my bottle of water as I slowly developed a wicked headache. Not the funnest night ever. I especially was not thrilled when the cab driver on the way home decided to crank up the house music as we cruised the streets of Tel Aviv. I now remember why we don't go out and choose to stay at home like the old married couple that we are. Quieter, cooler, and in general, much more pleasant.

We also had dinner last night with some of our Israeli friends that we met while in Portland. They recently had a baby girl (their second child) and it was the first time for me to see her. (I think there must be something in the water here?!?!?!) Anyway, we dined outside, which was a little warm but we managed even with the luke warm water. Ice water is somewhat of an anomaly here. I had to send back my $40 dollar lamb chop because it was way too over done and settled for some crab ravioli instead which turned out to be quite delicious. We'd been to this particular restaurant before and particularly enjoyed the Cordon Bleu, so Phil ordered it again and I ate half of it :). Only draw back is that the menu is only in Hebrew and French. Neither one of those is my specialty. But as we had our Israeli friends with us they could translate what we could not understand, which worked better than the last time we were there and had to ask the waiter about two zillion questions before we were ready to order. Cat, we could have used your help!

The plans for today are rest and relaxation. Maybe watch some US Open and catch up on The Daily Show. Phil is sore and tired from his hike and I have come down from my party high. I think I might have a party hangover. And I've still got a little clean up to do as well. It's amazing how messy nine women and a one year old baby can be! I like the planning and cooking and preparations for the party but the clean up? Not so much. Perhaps I will forgo the cleaning for some knitting with my current knitting project.......if Pumpkin will ever move!