I LOVE Theme Parties

I went to a friend's Surprise Birthday Party the other day and since she is a self-proclaimed Twi-hard...we figured we had to throw her a Twilight party.

These are the party favors we came up with....some red beads, wax vampire lips/teeth (I know, I know they don't have fangy teeth in the book, but it was just too funny!), and finally some Twilight edition Sweetheart conversation hearts...and the flavors are so tasty! The favors came in black gift bags sporting labels with movie quotes and red beads "dripping" out. I kill myself.

The Birthday Girl recieved a gift bag with the above items as well as Freesia lotion, Twizzler Cherry "Bites" and sparkly, diamond lip gloss. I searched high and low for the lotion which I was determined to get and finally found at Walgreens! I might have been teased a little for my obsession to find the discussed lotion...but what can I say, I love the little details!

We decorated with apples...each person's placecard was an apple with attached tag...aww, love it. ~I might have even taken my apple home for a keepsake or something~

Here is our table, note the quote....it gives a hint as to our delectable dinner.

The Menu consisted of Mushroom Ravioli, breadsticks and salad....does that sound familiar to anyone?? I was in charge of the Mushroom Ravioli since I was adamant about that detail...I even added the recipe for your enjoyment, it really is to "die for". Tee hee.

This salad was almost like dessert...oh my...what bliss on a plate! It was full of all sorts of wondrous berries...~look closely~...and topped with candied pecans and finished with a delightful raspberry vinaigrette.

Part of the decorations was a magazine page of the dinner scene displayed at our food table.

The fabulous cake that was not made by me (details about the inside below...keep scrolling)...and the apple is covered in fondant and hand painted...oh the talent! Also, note the red glaze that is oooooozing from the bottom. *giggle*

One of my favorite parts...red soda and check out the labels!!

We got them here and they were totally schnazzy! There were also printable movie quotes to print and frame, which we did and you can see randomly throughout this picture parade.

The Birthday Girl taking a little swig of her O negative!

You can't have a birthday party without party games....hilarious. And just for the record (and I am by no means competitive)... my set of lips are the ones on the right side of HIS lips! (not to be confused with the set on the shaded side of his face) What can I say, I am talented at the "Pin the ___ on the ____" games! Good thing I shared first place so graciously!

The inside of the cake...check it....red velvet cake with strawberry glaze filling....quite appropriate, right!?

It was a hit, it worked out perfectly...the Guest of Honor was surprised, everyone pitched in to make it fabulous and we enjoyed chatting, eating and listening to the Twilight Soundrack (of course.)

Oh, and a SHOUT OUT to my Edward today. Happy Birthday! I will not disclose your age, no worries.

And finally, here is the recipe as promised. Safeway has some stellar frozen mushroom ravioli in case you were wondering.

Brown Butter and Balsamic Ravioli

Ingredients

• 18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately