Your shower date is quickly approaching, but you still haven’t decided on the menu or what to get the mother-to-be for an appropriately themed gift. Don’t worry; Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets can help with a number of gift ideas and some great pea-themed menu items! In my last post I talked about decorating with a Diaper Cake centerpiece. Not only does it make a great centerpiece, it also doubles as a useful gift for the new mommy! She is certain to use the diapers in the cake, and you can add some personal touches by tucking rattles, spoons, pacifiers or socks in between the layers. If you know the little sweet pea is going to be a girl, our Personalized Sweet Pea Baby Basket is a darling gift that comes already wrapped! If your shower is to celebrate the arrival of twins, we offer a number of gift baskets designed with twins in mind. I have tried and approved some tasty baby shower menu items that fit in with your peapod theme. A tasty way to start is with a fresh vegetable tray that includes snow peas and/or snap peas. My favorite vegetable dip consists of 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 tablespoon dill weed and 1 tablespoon seasoned salt. Mix up the dip the night before to let the flavors blend well prior to serving. A light and delicious salad option for your shower is listed below: Tortellini Salad with Salmon and Peas (serves 6, double or triple as necessary): 8 oz salmon fillet, skin removed (fresh is best) Salt and pepper to taste 1 lb cheese tortellini 3/4 cup light mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) peas 1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves Season salmon with salt and pepper. Grill on high or pan fry with very little oil. Cook through until the fillet easily flakes apart with a fork (12 to 15 minutes). Set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, run under cold water and drain again. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Toss in tortellini and peas to coat. Season with salt if desired. Gently stir in salmon and basil and serve. (Recipe courtesy of All You Magazine) Finish your sweet pea baby shower with a themed cake or tasty cookie favors! Be sure to have enough cake for all of your guests; I’ve found that a 9x13 cake will feed approximately 15 and a 9” round is roughly half the size of a 9x13. If you are expecting 25 guests at your shower, the cake described below should be the perfect size: Sweet Pea Baby Shower Cake 9x13 cake, baked and cooled one dozen cupcakes, baked and cooled frosting and food coloring Frost the cake in a neutral background color. Cover all cupcakes with dark green frosting. If you are creative, decorate one cupcake to resemble a baby's face (or two, if there are twins). Using a decorating tip, make the outline of a peapod in green frosting on the top of the cake. Fill in with green frosting. Leave room for wording such as "Welcome Sweet Pea", "Two Peas in a Pod", etc. Determine the number of cupcake "peas" you want to place on top of the cake. Slice the tops off these cupcakes and carefully center them on top of the cake. Include your baby face cupcake(s) in the center of the pea pod. Arrange the remaining cupcakes around the cake, add vine and leaf details with decorator tips. If your mother-to-be prefers cookies instead of cake, bake up a batch of round sugar cookies and decorate in a similar fashion. The simplest icing recipe I have found consists of powdered sugar, melted butter and milk (experiment with proportions until you have the desired amount and consistency). Use a mixer for fluffy frosting suitable for cakes, make a thinner icing using a whisk or spoon to ice your cookies. All of the recipes I have listed can be prepared in advance, so on the day of the shower you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor! More Baby Shower Themes: Baby Shower Theme Ideas Baby Shower Themes For Gifts
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