Mei Mei's First Birthday Give Away

On Saturday we celebrated my niece, Mei Mei's, first birthday and I was honored to make some of her give aways and one of her desserts.

 Her first birthday theme was Panda, Asian, and Purple. 

For the take out box I used the CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge Z1686 cut at 10  3/4 inches,  the ink colors I used are Black Z2105, Cotton Candy Z2193, Hollyhock Z2128, and White Daisy Z2163.  The stamp sets used are by Hero Arts: CL297, CL228, and CL275.  Inside the take-out box are individual packets of "Hello Panda" cookies by Meiji in chocolate, double chocolate, and strawberry.  My cousin found them at our local Asian Market, Ranch 99, but I think you can find them almost everywhere in San Diego. 

My cousin also picked up these adorable sugar Panda Cookies by Sogo Bakery. They were also found at Ranch 99.  They were packaged in a 4"x3" cellophane bag, found at Micheal's.  As for the tag, I was so happy because I was able to print the note small enough to use a Stampin'UP! tag punch.

Lastly, I made these yummy, nothing but sugar, adorably cute, sushi rolls.  The original inspiration came to me a little over a year ago by my good friend, Sheryl.  For my bridal shower at work, she made a batch for me because she knew that my husband and I LOVE sushi!  We both got the recipe from Parents Magazine May 2011, but don't worry you can sign-up on-line to become a Parents Member for FREE!  You may want to because there are a lot of great ideas for birthday parties and more ideas that Parents Magazine did for their "Japanese Tea Party!"  

For the rice crispies, I followed the instructions on the box.  Then I followed the sushi instructions.  Except the instructions for the sushi suggested to grease the pan for rolling, but I just used parchment paper to roll the crispies (this is a very sticky project, but goes by "quickly" with parchment paper).  I think I took three hours to finish this project.  Another note, is that I had to make the sushi's on a very hot day in Sunny San Diego and our house has no AC, which the weather was making the fruit roll-ups stick to it's wrapper.  Luckily, I told my cousin and he told me to put them in the freezer.  Worked like a charm; I'd recommend you do that too, if you happen to make these adorable delicious desserts on a hot day.

I'm not sure how many batches the whole box of crispies made, but I know it was more than enough.

Happy scrappin' and grubbin'!

Recipe for Sushi Rolls from Parents Magazine:

Ingredients

• Butter or oil for greasing
• Rice Krispies Treats (prepared according to package directions)
• Green and blue Fruit Roll-Ups
• For sushi rolls:
  Gummy Worms (assorted colors)
• For fish-topped pieces:
  Fish-shaped gummies (such as Swedish Fish)
• Pink, white, orange, and green AirHeads

Make It

1. Sushi Rolls: Prepare a 13-inch x 9-inch pan by lining it with wax paper and greasing it. Place the Rice Krispies Treats on it in a thin layer.
2. Place a row of sour gummy worms about an inch in from one of the 9-inch edges. Using different colors, place a second and third row next to the first.
3. Using the wax paper, roll the cereal mixture once around the gummy worms, pressing firmly. Use a large knife to cut the log away from the rest of the mixture. Place it to the side and repeat the process once.
4. Slice the logs into 1-inch rounds. Wrap each round in a strip of green or blue Fruit Roll-Ups.
5. Cut the remaining Rice Krispies Treats into 1-inch x 2-inch rectangles.
6. Soften AirHeads in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds, then mold them like clay into the desired shape.
7. Cut thin strips of contrasting colored AirHeads to resemble the lines found on sushi. (For an easier version, use fish-shaped gummies. Place the fish on top of a Rice Krispies rectangle and wrap with a strip of green or blue Fruit Roll-Ups.) Makes about 24 pieces.