Casino Night DIYs {+ Printables}

I had a blast planning the casino party for the hubby and his friend! I spent hours looking for inspiration and made lots of DIY touches to give the party a little something extra and wanted to share them with you. You can also check out the pics in the party post to see how I put it all together.

These poker hand cards were by far my favorite DIY for the party (I even made sure there were enough left over to keep by the poker table at our house!). This was originally inspired by this pin on Pinterest, but the source was no longer available and I couldn't find anything similar searching. So I decided to design my own. I designed the text, then printed it on white cardstock post cards. I finished it by wrapping a piece of black ribbon around it and adding one of the personalized poked chips. 

I turned this into a pdf printable that you can download and print here: Poker Hand Printable (pdf) 

I also made these cute dealer buttons for the games. For these I printed the "Dealer" on red cardstock, cut it out, and popped it into a 3 inch button form (you can get these at the craft store).

You download the template that I made for the buttons here: Dealer Button Template (pdf)

For the dice favors, I bought red dice in bulk on Amazon. I used clear cellophane treat bags and placed in the number of dice for the game (5 for Liar's Dice, 2 for Craps). I found rules for the games online and printed them on tags I found in the scrapbooking section of the craft store. I folded over the top of the treat back and used an 1/8" punch to punch a hole. Then I threaded black and red curling ribbon through the hole in the treat bag and the tag, knotted them, and curled the ends. 

I thought some custom poker chips would be a fun keepsake for the guys, but all the ones I could find were crazy expensive! So I bought cheap plastic chips in bulk off Ebay and picked up the printable stickers that go on the bottom of Hershey kisses from the wedding section of the craft store. I printed out the stickers and stuck them to chips. Super simple! (I did it while watching TV and it went really fast).

If you try any of these ideas for your party, let me know! I'd love to see how it turns out =)

P.S. You are free to print and share the printables in this post for your personal use. Please provide attribution if you blog about them.

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls + Chili Basil Dumplings Recipes

Here are two more of the recipes from my Homemade Dim Sum lineup. These were also inspired by some of our favorites from Ping Pong. After a lot of trial and error, I found what I think is a tasty balance for these. These are great as part of your own dim sum spread or as a party appetizer. Enjoy!

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts (2-3)
• 2 tbsp. Honey
• Black Pepper
• Black Pepper Sauce (found in the ethnic foods aisle)
• Soy Sauce
• Spring Roll Wrappers

Preparing the Filling

1. Cook the chicken breasts all the way through, then mince them.

2. Return the chicken to a frying pan over low heat.

3. Add the honey and stir until the chicen is coated.

4. Add the black pepper sauce to your liking and use the extra black pepper and soy sauce to adjust the seasoning to your taste.

5. Remove from heat, place in a bowl, and set aside.

Assembling the Spring Rolls

1. Thaw the spring roll wrappers according to the package instructions

2. Spoon the filling into the wrappers and roll them being sure to seal all of the edges.

Note: Be sure not to overfill them. If you do, them might burst when you fry them. I overfilled the batch above. They don't look the prettiest, but they are still tasty!

Cooking Instructions

Cook the spring rolls in a deep fryer or in a pot of oil (I recommend using vegetable or canola oil). The oil temperature should be about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful, the oil will by very hot. Submerge the spring rolls for 60 seconds or until the wrapper is thoroughly cooked. I suggest using a spider or tongs to move the spring rolls into and out of the oil. Place spring rolls on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool to a comfortable temperature and serve with your choice of sauce (my favorite is the chili sauce below!)

Chili Sauce

• Ground Chili Paste
• Brown Sugar
• Sesame Oil

Combine 2 parts chili paste with 1 part brown sugar and 1 part sesame oil. Heat and serve.

Note: These ratios can be adjusted for your desired taste. The chili paste adds heat, the sesame oil thins out the sauce, and the brown sugar balances the heat. I suggest starting and then tasting frequently until you are satisfied with the result.

Chili Basil Dumplings
Ingredients

• Dumpling Wrappers, thawed
• Vermicelli Rice Noodles
• Thai Basil, finely chopped
• Chili Peppers, finely chopped (I use either Thai or Vietnamese Chilis, but you can use whichever you prefer)

Assembly Instructions

1. Prepare the vermicelli according to the package instructions (usually boil for about 3 minutes, then rinse under cold water for 1 minute).

2. Roll out dumpling wrappers slightly with a rolling pin.

3. Fill dumplings with vermicelli, basil, and a sprinkling of chili (adjust these amounts to you taste preference).

4. Fold dumplings, making sure to seal the edges.

Cooking Instructions

Using a griddle pan on medium heat(or a fry pan if you don't have a griddle pan), lightly coat it with oil. Place dumplings on the pan and allow them to cook for about 2 minutes, until cooked and grill marks are appearing, then flip over and repeat for the opposite side. You can also pour a small amount of water onto the pan during the cooking process, which will steam them a bit and keep them from burning.

Once the dumpling wrappers are cooked to your liking, plate and serve with soy sauce.

Casino Night {A Peek Into the Hubby's 30th Party}

This past weekend, a friend and I threw a casino themed party to celebrate our husbands turning 30. We had it in an enclosed backyard "party room" at a house in Annapolis. I put together a lot of little touches to bring the casino theme to life and I'll post tutorials as soon as I can get them written up. For now here's a peek into the party for some inspiration.

I made two dice cakes (with the help of my awesome mom) and spread the candles and the birthday message across them. I also made card suit chocolates that we put around them on the cake board.

In addition to the cakes, I put together a dessert bar of chocolate dipped marshmallows, black and tan cookies, casino mints, and red and black candies. 

I added this popcorn bar to the food buffet for snacking throughout the night. Guests could fill a brown bag with popcorn and pick a seasoning then shake it up!

I also assembled a "Cashier's Table" with random goofy prizes that people could pick up for their chips.

I set up my camera on a tripod with the remote and left a box of props for an easy photo booth and made these cute cards with the address of where the photos could be retrieved.

I ordered cardstock cutouts of casino signs to label the games and put balloon arrangements throughout the room.

I put bowls of peanuts and pretzels on the tables and around the room for snacking and made these cute dealer buttons for each game.

For favors, I made sets of Craps and Liar's Dice along with a tag that outlined all of the rules. I also made up cards that had the ranks of poker hands.

We kept the black and red color scheme throughout the room, using black and red tablecloths, balloons, ribbons, and streamers. Everyone had a blast!

Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs Recipe

As promised, I'm writing up the recipes from my Homemade Dim Sum post. Here is the recipe for the Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs. These were inspired by the honey roasted chicken puffs from Ping Pong Dim Sum. Although nothing, at least in my opinion, will ever be as good as the original, these come pretty close!

Ingredients:

• Puff Pastry (I use Pepperidge Farms located in the freezer section)
• 2-3 Chicken Breasts
• BBQ Sauce of Choice (I've tried them with both Chinese BBQ sauce and a regular sauce, both are tasty!)
• Soy Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 Tsp. Water

Filling:

1. Pan fry or bake chicken breasts. 

2. Shred or mince the chicken and return to a a skillet.

3. Add the BBQ Sauce, a small amount of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to your liking.

4. Simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is coated and sauce is warm.

5. Place filling in a bowl and set aside.

Assembling and cooking the puffs:

1. Start by thawing out your puff pastry according to the package instructions and then unfold one sheet on a baking sheet that is either greased or lined with parchment paper.

2. Cut the puff pastry sheet into nine squares.

3. Spoon the filling into the center of each of the squares.

4. Fold one side of the pastry over to the center, then fold over the side slightly overlapping and pressed closed.

5. Flip the puff over and pinch down the sides to seal.

6. Whisk one egg in a small bowl to create an egg wash and using a basting brush coat the tops of the puffs.

7. Thin out 1 tbsp. of honey by adding 1 tsp. of water and whisking in a small prep cup. Use a basting brush to coat the puffs with the honey glaze.

8. Cook for 15-18 minutes until flaky and golden brown

9. Allow to cool, plate, and enjoy!

Homemade Dim Sum

One of my best friends, who also happens to be my favorite foodie, was visiting this weekend and we decided to try our hand at some homemade dim sum. We're working on putting together the recipes and I'll post them soon!

Fried Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings

I've made the occasional plate of spring rolls or dumplings and she has made her fair share of one recipe or another, so we had the basic technique down.   

Black Pepper Chicken Spring Rolls

We braved H Mart, the Asian grocer, on a Saturday afternoon to pick up ingredients. If you've ever been to an H Mart on the weekend, you know how crazy it can get! After about an hour of wandering through the aisles and one broken jar of black pepper sauce later, we thought we had everything we needed. The three subsequent trips Shoprite proved us wrong. 

Pan Fried Chili Basil Dumplings

We honestly couldn't decide on just one or two types to make. So we made a lot. It honestly looked like we were starting a catering business in my kitchen. There were fry pans and prep bowls and steamer baskets everywhere.

Fried Hoisin Pork Dumplings

But in the end we had a delicious mini buffet of homemade dim sum that was more than enough for us, the hubby, and his friend. We were all stuffed!

Steam Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings

I will work on writing up the recipes and a tutorial to share. Once you learn how to roll and cook the wrappers, the possibilities for fillings are only limited by your imagination =)

Update: I'm linking the recipes to the captions as I post them.

Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken Puffs with a side of Pickled Carrots and Cucumber

Candy Birthday Cake DIY

A friend of ours who loves candy had a birthday the week before last and when I came across the idea of a candy cake on Pinterest I knew this would be a perfect gift! (I can't remember the original pin I saw, but if I can find it again I'll add it to this post). This was such a unique and fun gift to make and only took about 20 minutes. I made this the same day as the Housewarming Jar and forgot to take step-by-step photos, but the process was pretty straightforward. If you have questions, leave them as a comment down below and I'm happy to answer!

Here's what you'll need:

• Floral foam or styrofoam base
• Wide ribbon
• Lots of candy in different shapes and types
• Glue Dots
• A little bit of liquid glue
• Cake board or card board

How to Assemble:

• I started with two floral foam wreath forms and stacked them one on top of the other securing them with a small bit of E6000.
• Next I took some wide grosgrain ribbon and tightly wrapped the base until they were completely covered and secured the ends with a bit more glue.
• Now the fun part! Open up all your candy bags and decide on a pattern. Begin securing pieces to the base using the glue dots. I started by placing a repeating pattern of fun size bars upright around the base. Then I did a row of minis above those. For the top I added a horizontal ring of fun size bars.
• To fill the hole in the center of the wreaths, I put some balled up tissue paper in first then filled it with Tootsie Rolls. 
• I finished it off by inserting Blow Pops and Tootsie Roll Pops around the hole to create a decorative ring on the top.
• Place it on or glue it to a piece of cardboard or a cake board and you're ready to gift it!

This would also be super cute to gift in a bakery box. Have you made a candy cake or something similar? Leave a link to your project in the comments, I would love to check out your creation!

Join me at these fantastic DIY Link Parties: Dear Creative, Skip to My Lou, Nap Time Creations, and Homemaker's Challenge.

Update: The post that inspired this project was from Lick the Bowl Good.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at Home! {Taco Night Ideas}

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in our house with margaritas and taco bar. Want to create your own taco bar for a fun, Mexican-themed dinner? Here's what I pulled together:

• Tortillas (for soft tacos)
• Taco Shells
• Ground Beef Seasoned with Taco Seasoning Mix 
• Shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes or Salsa, Mexican Blend Cheese, Sour Cream, Taco Sauce, and Hot Sauce and whatever else you'd like for toppings
• Yellow Rice (we just had it as a side, you could also add black beans to have a rice and beans side)
• Tortilla Chips
• Salsa
• Queso

For a little extra entertaining ease, I've found some great taco night serving dishes. I bought the cactus margarita glasses, the topping/salsa bowls, and the tortilla holders from Dollar Tree. The hard taco holders I picked up at a thrift store. We put the rice, taco meat, and queso in the triple slow cooker on the warm setting to keep it hot throughout the evening.

Pinspired: Candy Topiaries

A while back I repinned a picture of a lollipop tree, but it didn't have a source! After doing some searching today, I found out it was from Jill Dubien's blog Meet the Dubiens. You can see her original lollipop tree post here.

With all of the holiday candy floating around, I decided to experiment with this idea myself using different forms and candies. I ended up with two, one similar to the original inspiration and another creation of my own. 

These would make great party centerpieces or gifts. You could even check out your local arty store of candy shop to make these in a favorite color. Each one cost less than $10 and they were super easy to make. Each one took about 15 minutes. 

Have fun experimenting with different styrofoam shapes, types of candy, and containers. So many possibilities!

1. A styrofoam ball (I used a 6 in. ball from AC Moore)

2. A container to serve as the stand (This was a metal flower pot from Dollar Tree)

3. Lots of lollipops! (I used Dum Dums from Walmart, but you could use an kind of round lollipop like Tootsie Roll Pops or Blow Pops)

To assemble:

1. Put the styrofoam ball on top of the the container you've selected. You can glue it down if you're worried about it falling off, but mine stayed on fine without using any. Also, if you don't glue it down and you're thinking about making this for a gift, you could put a small gift in the container and use the topiary as packaging!

2. Next start inserting the lollipops. I found that starting around the bottom was much easier than starting at the top. I inserted the lollipop sticks straight in.

3. Keep inserting the lollipops, staggering them in each round to be sure you fill in all the spaces. Do this until you're topiary is covered!

Here's the finished project. You could also paint the pot, tie a bow around it with some ribbon, or paint a terra cotta pot with chalkboard paint to write a message to the recipient.

For the second one, I used: 1. A taller, vase-like container (again from Dollar Tree); 2. A concial styrofoam form (from AC Moore); 3. Rolos; 4. Toothpicks.

I made this one the same way as the lollipop topiary by using the toothpicks to secure the Rolos. The only difference for this one was that I covered the form first, then turned the container upside down to make it a stand and glued the two pieces together.

As you get closer to the top, you make have to cut the toothpicks in half so they don't poke out the other side. You can see in my picture that I tried starting out at the top. That did not work out so well. It's much easier to start at the bottom so there is support for the candies as you move up the piece.

I was really happy with how these turned out and I can't wait to give some of these out as gifts. Have you tried making something similar? I'd love to hear about it!