How to Throw a Summertime Birthday Bash

Our daughter turned six last week and normally, mid-summer, we are on vacation and celebrate her birthday with a small family party wherever we happen to be. But this year we were home, between trips, and decided to have a backyard get-together that was as much for us as it was for her. She got to invite a few friends and we got to invite all of ours. She got to pick the theme (Frozen) and we got to pick everything else. The kids had a blast and so did the adults, there was a little something for everyone, take a look!

We wanted the main attraction to be something that both the kids and grown-ups love and I don’t know a soul on earth who doesn’t love pizza.

Pizza is so versatile and adapts to anyone’s palate. We made basic pepperoni for the kids……

and fancier pizzas with cilantro pesto, squash blossoms, fresh mozzarella, and basil for everyone else.

We set up a little work station right next to the grill with space to stretch out the dough…..

and put the toppings on after the dough had been grilled.

Grilling pizza is really fun and you can prep the toppings, make the dough and the sauces all ahead of time. Not to mention the char…just look at that char…

To round out the menu we did a giant antipasti plate with cured meats, cheese, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, grilled corn salad, radish pickles, and more.

My sister made a white gazpacho like this one from Simply Recipes with the cucumbers from her garden which we served in shot glasses for easy eating.

We also picked spinach, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and carrots from the garden and made a big salad with cilantro-balsamic vinaigrette.

A Cucumber Red Onion Salad inspired by this one from Shutterbean.

And a simple fruit salad of watermelon, blueberries, and white nectarines tossed with lemon juice and mint slivers.

For drinks we made Agua de Jamaica for the kids.

And sangria for the adults.

Then of course there was cake.

I used this recipe for Blue Velvet Cake and this recipe for cream cheese frosting.

There were plenty of presents for the birthday girl.

And of course a piñata.

Which The Professor precariously perched on the roof for.

After all a child’s birthday not only celebrates the day they were born but the remarkably hard work you’ve put in as parents. Its good to remember to have a little fun.

Recipes

Antipasti Plate
Sweet Cumin Radish Pickles
Vinegar Packed Cocktail Onions
Grilled Corn Salad (see recipe below)

Pizza
How to Grill Pizza from The Kitchn
Cilantro Pesto

Cucumber Salad from Shutterbean
White Gazpacho from Simply Recipes

Agua de Jamaica {Hibiscus Punch}
Sangria from Smitten Kitchen

Blue Velvet Cake from Paula Deen (I doubled the recipe and used varying shades of blue to make a 9-inch, 3-layer ombre cake)
Cream Cheese Frosting from Gimme Some Oven

Other Resources
All the Frozen decorations were found online at Birthday Mania
I sent these really cute Frozen invitations from Punchbowl

I want to thank my friend Sam for taking a thousand shots of the same thing. You did a great job!

Continue to Content

Grilled Corn Salad

Yield: 4

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Ingredients

• 6 ears grilled corn on the cob
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, chopped (seeds removed if you want it less spicy)
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup Cilantro Chimichurri
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the kernels from the grilled corn and place in a medium bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0g

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