Birthday Weekend

The winner of last week's give-a-way is Mary.  Please email us Mary, and we will send you your free pattern.  Thanks for all the comments!

I have just made up a new rule for our house.  Buy tickets for my son Adam and his wife Megan to come home for every one of my birthdays.  They live in Denver.  I think it is a brilliant idea!  They arrived on Friday morning and got to stay until Sunday evening.  It was a fast weekend but FUN!  When my husband John hears that I have made up a new house rule he usually says....what now!  He likes this new rule!

While they were here my daughter-in-law Megan and a friend drove down to Wichita for their friend Nicole's baby shower.  She is expecting twins.  Megan took some photos and then I took some photos of the baby favors that she brought back from the shower.  I want you to see everything because it might give you some ideas for putting on your next baby shower. It looked like a wonderful baby shower.

The cutest diaper cake that I have ever seen!

Since she is having twins there were two cakes!  One in pink and one in blue with matching booties on top!  The party favors were laid out in front of the cakes.  New clothes were hanging on the clothes line for the twins.

Below is a close-up of the cookie favors.  Two peas in a pod...I mean two twins in a pod.  Super cute!

Below is a close-up of the baby rattle favors.  They were made up of iced round cake balls on each end of a straw.  Very clever and of course in pink and blue!

Below is a emergency diaper kit that they handed out as favors.  They labeled the sizes of the kits too.

Here is the contents of one of these cool kits.  Someone did a lot of work making all these bags. 

They had the baby shower at a country club. When Megan walked into the baby shower there was a waiter with a tray of alcoholic drinks and a tray of nonalcoholic drinks to welcome the guests. Times have changed! My baby showers for my kids were in church basement or friends homes with punch and cookies. Remember all the obnoxious games they made you play too?  My daughter Ashley had a family baby shower.  I loved it.  It was the first baby shower that my husband had ever been too.  It's about time those men get to join in on the fun!

Above is my birthday cheesecake that my daughter Ashley made for my birthday.  I gave her this recipe about 6 months ago and said that this is what I want for my birthday....Peanut butter cheesecake.  She loves to make cheesecakes.  It was to die for!  She and her husband John had us all over for dinner.  They are phenomenal cooks.  My son-in-law John has a big green egg that he cooked the steaks on and they were mouth watering delicious!  Everything that he has ever cooked on it, I think is amazing.  I am still thinking about my birthday dinner....why do they only come around once a year!  My kids made my birthday!

Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownie Cheesecake

Prep: 45 minutes  Bake: 28 minutes  Chill: 4 hours 
One 19 1/2 ounce package brownie mix
3/4 cup hot fudge-flavored ice cream topping, warmed
Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
One 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
4 chocolate covered peanut butter cups, chopped
2 tablespoons chocolate flavored syrup

1.  Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, using the 9" x 13" pan option.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Press three-fourths of the brownies into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan to form a crust.  Spread with fudge topping; set aside.  Crumble remaining brownies; set aside.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until just combined.  Add sweetened condensed milk; beat until just combined.  In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the whipped cream mixture.  Fold remaining whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
3.  Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the hot fudge topping.  Sprinkle with one-half of the reserved brownie crumbles.  Spread remaining cream cheese mixture over the brownies.  Top with the reserved 1/2 cup whipping cream mixture.  Sprinkle remaining brownie crumbles and chopped peanut butter cups over the top.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup.  Cover and chill the dessert for 4 to 24 hours.  Makes 16 to 20 servings.