Baby Shower Games

Some expecting mothers are very self conscience when they are pregnant, especially towards the end of their pregnancy. Unfortunately this is also around the time when you would be having the baby shower. Therefore you need to consider this when organizing their baby shower as the last thing you would want to do is make them feel uncomfortable or embarrassed at their own baby shower. For example, some mothers would not like it if you play games where people have to touch them or dress them up in an embarrassing outfit like a giant diaper etc. But I suppose if you were asked to arrange the baby shower you would be a really close friend of the expecting mom so you would know what she likes and doesn’t like. 

Game No. 1: Dirty Potty

I have played this game at several baby showers and it is always extremely entertaining. For the non participants of course! J

What you will need is a new, UNUSED potty, nutty chocolate (lunch bar usually works best), yellow liquid (pine nut, soda and passion fruit ect.), another bowl filled with NON SELF-RAISING FLOUR (if you use self raising flour the yeast in the flour can give her heartburn) and chuckles/tumbles (anything big enough to get out by just using your mouth). You ask everyone to attach a baby picture of themselves on their present. The mother-to-be then has to guess who belongs to which picture. If she gets it wrong she first has to take a bite of the lunch bar, which is floating in the yellow liquid in the potty, and then try find a chuckle in the bowl of flour. It can get quite messy if she guesses wrong often! Of course you can do the baby picture on the presents without having to do the punishment game with it.

Game No. 2: Guess the Gerber

Another fun game is getting the mommy-to-be to taste different types of purity and guessing which each flavour is. If you want to let her suffer buy the grosser flavours. The dessert flavours are quite nice and she will easily guess what they are. Try not to have too many different flavours as once they are opened they have to be used or thrown away.

Game No. 3: Myth vs. Fact

This game works quite well when there is a mixture of experienced mothers and ladies who aren’t mothers at the baby shower. Get everyone to write down either a myth or a fact about babies and/or motherhood. You can make some of them blatantly incorrect. Then score the mommy-to-be on her factual knowledge of motherhood.

Game No. 4: Dirty Diaper

Take about 4 diapers and melt four different types of chocolates in each diaper. Go around the group with one nappy at a time and get everyone to write down what they think the chocolate is that is inside. Try and get difficult chocolates that are maybe not that popular. Chocolates like Bar-One is very easily guessed. This is a really fun game to get everyone involved and it does like quite off putting at first! J

Game No. 5: Measure the belly

If the mom is not self conscience and doesn’t find being touched this is quite a nice game. Get everyone to guess what the diameter of her belly is. After everyone has guessed measure it. If you want you can organize a small gift for the winner.

Game No. 6: Down-down

Buy a bunch of cheap baby bottles at a place like the Crazy Store. Get everyone to fill it with their beverage of choice and have a down-down competition. Once again you can organize a little prize for the winner if you wish too.

Game No. 7: Belly race

This game is to give everyone else that is not pregnant an idea of what it is like waddling like a duck instead of walking like a normal person. J Everyone stuffs as many balloons as they can under their tops. Then you all have a little foot race outside. The one to cross the finish line first without loosing any balloons wins!!

This is just a few games. There are still plenty more. The main thing is to try and make this day as special as possible so she can remember it forever.

Yours in fun & games,

Elly D

Baby Shower Cupcakes

Themed cupcakes are always a very nice idea for baby showers. If you only have a limited budget to work with it is not always the most economical to go out and buy them from a bakery. If you are creative enough and have a lot of patience you can try and make the ornaments yourself, otherwise they can be bought at baking supply shops. If the gender of the baby is unknown you can make cupcakes with blue and pink icing or choose a neutral colour like yellow or green for the icing. 

Something else which is a nice idea is labelled cookies. The cookies can either be in baby related shapes (i.e. baby grows, booties, dummies) or it can be a normal gingerbread man/girl shape. With icing you can write baby related comments on it as well like Mother Sucker etc. If you are having a sit down baby shower the biscuits can be used as place settings or thank you “cards”.

Please feel free to contact me if you get stuck while making your themed cupcakes/cookies or if you would like some made for you. Enjoy! :-)

Yours in fun & cupcakes,

Elly D

Diaper Cakes

A friend of mine was having her first baby and she didn’t really want a baby shower. But after asking her nicely a few times she finally agreed for me to organize her one. I figured seeing as I have never organized a baby shower before I would first talk to all the new mothers I know to ask what they liked or didn’t like about their own baby showers. One of my friends suggested I make a diaper cake. When she said this I was slightly grossed out! When I think of diapers I think of number 2’s and when I think of cake I think of nice gooey chocolate icing. Now put these two thoughts in one image and you will see where I was at!! Needless to say I googled (when in doubt) it and I was pleasantly surprised.

It is a much nicer way in which to give the mommy to be some diapers. When you start making the cake it is quite hard because you can’t do anything to the diapers themselves seeing as they become useless once damaged. You also don’t want to make the cake too far in advance seeing as diapers are very absorbent and will absorb flavours if they are out of the packaging for too long.

The first thing you need is a solid base on which to mount the cake. I used a circular cake board that you can purchase at any baking supplies shop. Seeing as you can’t glue the diapers to the board itself you will need another way in which to secure the cake onto the board. This is where the core of the cake comes into play. Try finding as tall a bottle as possible. Make sure it is 100% clean and dry. The more tiers you want the cake to have the longer the bottle needs to be. My cakes generally have three tiers. You can glue the bottle to the board and build the cake around it, which will secure the cake. In order to extend the core, I cut off the top of a bottle and turned it upside down on the first bottle and glued these two together. If you can find a bottle long enough to reach to the third tier you wont have to make use of two bottles.

You can decorate the cake with whatever you want. It is nice to have different coloured and sized ribbons to wrap around the layers. I used a soft toy as the “cherry” on top of the cake and some baby products around the base of the cake. As you can see from the picture I also glued the baby’s new surname onto the cake. This present makes a nice centre piece for the presents or treats table. Please feel free to contact me if you get stuck while making your diaper cake or if you would like one made for you. Enjoy!! :-)

Yours in fun & diaper cakes,

Elly D

My experience at Savoy Cabbage.....12-02-2011

Since I can remember, I have wanted to go to Savoy Cabbage. I have no idea why I always had this fascination with the place. I also don’t know why I never just went. Needless to say I was over the moon when I was told that we had been invited to dinner there with my partner’s boss.

The entrance to the restaurant is hidden away in some little side alley, but as soon as you enter the door it feels like you are in a different world. The gentleman who met us at the door was very friendly and escorted us to our table.

I was so busy taking in the surroundings that I had not decided on what to order by the time the waiter came around. So I asked him to recommend a starter and a main meal. For starters he recommended the Tomato Tart and for mains the Roast Rack of Lamb with Viennoise Crust, Puy Lentils, Garlic Flan and Fennel Jus. I was concerned that the Tomato Tarts sounded so plain but our waiter informed me that it has been rated by the New York Times as one of the 10 things to eat before you die. I also love tomatoes so I figured I’ll give it a try. The first thing that struck me as I took my first bite was how extremely juicy it was. It was tasty but definitely not one of the 10 things I would rush to go eat if I was dying.

My main meal on the other hand was way more enjoyable and interesting than the tarts. It wasn’t as rich as some of my friend’s meals which I was extremely happy about. The lamb was cooked to perfection, nice and medium-rare. Although it was a bit sinewy when cutting into it, it didn’t spoil the taste. My partner had the Pan-fried Beef Fillet with Foie Gras, Parsnip Puree and Truffle Sauce. The steak was brilliant and the foie gras was so soft it literally melted in my mouth. The parsnip puree tasted like sweet custard flavoured mash but was enjoyable. The overall taste of the meal reminded me of smokey Bovril, which overpowered the taste of the fillet slightly. Another friend had the Grilled Rice-crusted Santer with Quinoa, Leek Puree and Saffron Butter Sauce. The Santer was enjoyable but the butter sauce with which the meal was rounded off was a bit too overpowering. When one thinks of linefish you are expecting a healthy meal and not such a rich meal.

For dessert we had the Amarula Crème Brulee and the Soft Centred Chocolate Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream! The Crème Brulee was a disapointment. The texture was way too runny. The chocolate pudding, on the other hand, oooh my word!!! As soon as you crack open the crusty exterior the soft, thick melted chocolate oozes out like a chocanic eruption! It was so good I wanted to stick my face in it and lick the plate afterwards. A certain comment was passed around the table after I said that, which I won’t repeat! :-)

So overall it was a good experience, but only because I (or shall I say the waiter) made the right food selections for me. The service was good although not extremely friendly. I wouldn’t have been so happy if my meal was extremely rich with overpowering flavours. Would I go back? Probably not. I feel that it is one of those once off restaurants. One of those places you have to try but it won’t become one of your regulars.

Yours in fun & food,


Elly D

101 Hout Street

Cape Town

021-424 2626

info@savoycabbage.co.za

http://www.savoycabbage.co.za/

My experience at Miss K.....12-02-2011

We were in the mood for something light and scrumptious for lunch. Preferable a little side street café, where we could bask in the sun while enjoying our meal and sipping on our wine. We came across Miss K and decided to go in. Although we sat outside I popped my head in to see what it was like on the inside. The light coloured interior gives you that fresh feel and of course the delicious looking treats (especially the massive skuimpies, a.k.a meringue’s) made my mouth water.

We placed our drinks order only to be told after a few minutes by a different waiter that everything we ordered they did not have. Great start right! So we amended our order and waited a surprisingly long time seeing as they were not that busy and our drinks order (bottle of wine and a rockshandy) was quite simply.

I ordered the Seared rare beef fillet, mustard, caramelized onion & horseradish sandwich combination. I was not sure on whether to have it as a wrap, or on whole wheat or ciabatta loaf. The waiter recommended the wrap which I gladly went with.

The wrap was delicious! The combination of the sweet onions with the tangy mustard was a success. The actual wrap is quite thicker than normal wraps. It was served with a normal butter knife. I would definitely suggest they serve it with a steak knife instead, as one would really struggle to cut it without destroying it by using just a normal knife. After I asked the waiter he brought me a steak knife but this steak knife was not much sharper than the normal knife I had before. The wrap was so filling that I only managed to eat half of it and asked the waiter to box the rest of the wrap for me.

Only after we had left and I was about 5 km down the road, did I realize that the waiter never brought me my take away wrap. Seeing as it was so good I really wanted my other half. I called Miss K and luckily they still had it. I was a bit weary of going back to fetch it seeing as I used to work as a waitress many years ago so I know what happens to left over’s in the kitchen. None the less I went back. This time a different waiter (the same one that came to tell us that the drinks we ordered they didn’t have) helped me and assured me that nothing had happened to my wrap. Turns out the waiter that served us was at the end of his shift, which must have been why he served us with such little enthusiasm. Seeing as I know you can’t base your opinion of a restaurant’s service on one bad apple, I will definitely go back there. The food is extremely tasty and wholesome. The perfect place to pop by for a quick, light lunch. I can see it being very popular during the week.

Yours in fun & food,

Elly D

Shop 1, Winston Place
65 Main Road
Green Point
021-439 9559
kirsten@missk.co.za
http://www.missk.co.za/

My experience at El Burro.....03-02-2011

I had heard so much about this new authentic Mexican place that opened that I just had to go and check it out for myself. Before I go to a new restaurant I like to check out their website so that I know what to expect seeing as I don’t like surprises when it comes to what I put in my mouth. Or at least this is what I tell myself. I think it might have more to do with my OCD habit! My friends would agree. Anyway, so I had already made up my mind about what I was going to eat before I had even set foot in the restaurant. I have been to this location before when it was Beuna Vista, and was surprised how different it looked. The way they have arranged the tables and made use of soft lighting has really made a huge difference.

We were lucky enough to be sitting outside right in the little corner by the arrangement of fake plants. It had been one of those unbearable hot days but the rain had just fallen to cool everything down.

When my friends say, “Let’s go for Mexican food” I hear, “Let’s drink way to many margarita’s and eat some nachos and cheese.” BUT unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to drink at the time (no I was not pregnant!) we went so I missed out on all their different margarita’s and of course all the different tequila’s! Therefore even if the food was crappy, I had then already decided that I would be back just to taste all their tequila’s.

To my delight, but not surprise, the food was great!! Didn’t taste as artificial as the food from most Mexican places do. I went for the Linefish taco’s with the soft flour tortilla. It was amazing! Just thinking about it again now makes me want one!

The service wasn’t spectacular but it wasn’t bad either. For some reason the waitress seemed quite weary of the chef. Whenever we asked something about the food she said she would have to check with the chef first as he/she doesn’t like changing things. So that leaves me wondering if El Burro has a difficult chef. :-)

For dessert we tried the Rice Pudding. Now before this day I didn’t even know rice pudding existed. Here they serve it cold. Initially I thought it would be better served warm but it tasted absolutely divine just the way it was!

One thing that wasn’t that great at all was the toilets! The cubical I went into had water (or so I hope) everywhere on the floor. I felt dirtier after washing my hands in the bathroom then I did before I went in there. Besides this everything was great.

I really hope this restaurant makes it, because we really need a good, classic Mexican restaurant. The restaurant turn over in this building after Beuna Vista left has been quite startling so let’s hope El Burro will hang around for a while.

Yours in fun & food,

Elly D


81 Main Road
Greenpoint
021-433 2364
hola@elburro.co.za

My experience at Café Paradiso.....04-02-2011

As you walk in the little wooden gate, it feels like your entering a magical place. It was dusk and the beautiful little garden was lit up by candle light with happy patrons everywhere. Immediately you feel at ease. That stress from the week past just dripping of your shoulders. I could see myself spending lazy romantic evenings in this garden, staring into the eyes of my beloved over a glass (or bottle) of wine.

Our friends waited for us at a table inside. The décor inside seemed fresh. This could be due to the fact that they recently renovated, which I only discovered much later in the evening. We were greeted by a very friendly waitress with a refreshing American accent. She made you feel like you have known each other for ages by calling you pet names like love and sweetie every time you asked her for something. For starters we had the Blesbok Carpaccio with rocket and parmesan shavings and Black Risotto with chorizo, sundried tomatoes and lemon aioli. At first the appearance of the black risotto strikes you as something exotic. Worms in mud jumped to mind, but even with this weird image in my head it still tasted marvelous! A taste that ripens in your mouth. The salty, smokey taste of the chorizo lingering in your mouth, long after you have swallowed. The first bite of the Blesbok Carpaccio caught me off guard as I wasn’t expecting the slight sweet taste that accompanied it, BUT I loved it! Luckily for them I love preserved figs and accompanied with cheese it is always a winner. The combination of the salty rawness of the wild meat with the sweet fig, peppery rocket and strong parmesan was to die for! Needless to say I nearly spoiled my appetite by almost devouring the entire Carpaccio starter by myself.

For mains I decided on the Blackened sesame seed Linefish served on a bed of cous cous and peppers. The linefish of the day was Yellowtail. Now usually I am not a fan of Yellowtail as I prefer more gamey fish like Dorado and Swordfish but the Yellowtail was extremely tasty. The soft texture and the sweetness of the peppers added a nice touch to the crusty outside of the fish. I did however find the black sesame seeds slightly bitter. I am not sure if this was the intent or if the fish was slightly burned. Although I think the former was the case as oppose to the latter. Regardless, it was still good.

Two of my accompanying guests had the Spaghetti puttanesca* & prawns pasta and the Panned rack of veal stuffed with four cheeses, coppa and prosciutto. Now I HATE sardines, so as soon as I hear the mention of it (even in the slightest amount) I immediately say no thank you!! So when my partner ordered it, I was hesitant on his part. But as we all know if it is a good puttanesca one should not be able to taste the sardines at all. Which, much to my delight, was the case here. When the meal arrived I thought it looked a bit small for a man, but my partner was full afterwards. We did feel that a few more prawns could have been added to the meal.

Now the show stopper veal was a different story! I have never seen someone enjoy a meal as much as this man enjoyed his veal. It was so soft and tender that I don’t even know why they bothered to give him a steak knife for it. It was so soft he even said, “It is like cutting into mash!” Of course we all tasted it, otherwise I would not have been able to comment on it, and it was truly divine! He even pretended to have a dog at home so that he could take some of it home in a doggie bag but we all know who’s belly the left over’s ended up in! :-)

As one walks to the bathrooms (which are so cutely decorated), you can smell the seductive desserts being prepared in the kitchen. In this case we managed to resist temptation as we were so stuffed from the starters and mains we had. Looking at the dessert menu now, I am not sure how we managed to do that!

So overall it was an amazing experience. I loved the food, the atmosphere and the way the café made you feel and the waitress was great.

I truly can’t wait to go there again! Especially for breakfast after I glanced at what they have for offer. It is not the usual eggs, bacon, toast and sausage. I am just afraid that if I go there that early in the day my late breakfast might turn into a winey lunch followed by a boozy dinner as I would not want to leave!

Yours in fun & food,

Elly D

*For those of you who do not know, puttanesca is a sauce with anchovies, olives, capers, crushed tomatoes and parsley.


110 Kloof Street
Cape Town
021-423 8653
info@cafeparadiso.co.za
http://www.madamezingara.com/