I always have things in the pantry that remind me of the flavors of Hawaii. One local favorite that I can’t do without is Hawaiian Sun juice – it’s a must at parties. Another ‘must have’ at parties is Jell-o, so I thought, why not combine the two! It turned out to be a great addition to the dessert bar at my New Year’s Day party.

I took the idea of a layered jell-o recipe, but took the layers down a notch to make things easier. The Kid’s fave juice is Orange Passion and the Baby’s fave is Pineapple so I wanted to layer those flavors together and it looked like an early morning Hawaii sunrise to me.

The flavor of the juice really shined through and everyone at the party said it was the best Jell-o ever! Make this for your next party, I promise it will be a hit!

ingredients:
1 cup condensed milk
5 envelopes knox gelatin
2 (3 oz) boxes orange jell-o
1 (3 oz) box pineapple jell-o
Hawaiian sun Passion Orange juice
Hawaiian sun Pineapple Orange Nectar

The only place I’ve been able to find pineapple Jell-o was in Hawaii, so if you can’t find that you can substitute lemon Jell-o, no problem.

In a small bowl mix the condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water, set aside. In another bowl mix 2 envelopes Knox gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water, once combined add it to the milk mixture. Set aside.

In a bowl add the orange jell-o, 1 envelope Knox gelatin and 3/4 cups boiling water. Once the jell-o has dissolved add 3/4 cups Passion Orange juice. Let cool slightly, then pour into a 9×13 glass pan. Place in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Once the first orange layer has set pour HALF of the milk mixture on top of the orange for the next later. Back in the fridge. Now each layer will only take 15 minutes to set – yay – much faster!

Combine the pineapple jell-o with 1 envelope Knox gelatin and 3/4 cups boiling water. Add 3/4 cups Hawaiian Sun Pineapple Orange Nectar. Let that cool a bit, then carefully pour it over the set white layer. Place in refrigerator to set for 15 minutes.

Almost there! Now that the yellow layer has set pour the other half of the milk mixture on top of the pineapple one for the next layer. Refrigerate to set, again – 15 minutes.

Finally, combine the other box of orange jell-o with 1 envelope Knox gelatin and 3/4 cups boiling water. Add 3/4 cups Passion Orange juice, cool, then pour over the white – this is the LAST layer!

Chill to set and cut into squares!

This recipe is EASY I promise you, the steps are simple once you get the hang of it and in the end you get a lovely edible work of art!

Holidays should be about relaxing not working hard in the kitchen, so if you do get invited to a potluck – here are some surefire SIMPLE recipes that take no time at all!

Ice Cream Jell-o (recipe here)
Super simple, the ice cream does all the work for you!
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Brown Sugar Meatballs (recipe here)
Talk about easy – you can make these while you get ready for the party!
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Pluot Salsa (recipe here)
Pluots are plentiful at the Farmer’s Markets right now and this is a fresh take on chips and dip!
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Sweet & Spicy Edamame (recipe here)
Edamame kicked up a notch, this is a delicious party snack!

Need no-fail party food recipes? I’ve got you covered!
Pull up a chair to my virtual party:
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Root Beer Pulled Pork (recipe, here)

Ice Cream Jell-o (recipe, here)

Spam Musubi (recipe, here)

Bacon Wrapped Smokies (recipe, here)

Not-Zippy’s Chili (recipe, here)

Mac n Cheese Pie (recipe, here)

Grilled Shrimp with homemade Tzatziki sauce (recipe, here)

Mexican Caviar (recipe, here)

Cherry Limeade Float (recipe, here)

‘Corn on the Cob’ cupcakes (recipe, here)

Now that Oprah’s over I have no one to tell me how to live my life. I will bury my sorrows in chili burgers.

It’s Memorial Weekend – if you’re having a party try to make your life easy – ahem – I’m one to talk (party over-doer), but you know what I’m saying. The less steps the better.

These little sliders are perfect because you just set your crock pot o’ chili up in the morning, then cook the burgers in the oven and bring them out when the guests are ready. No standing at the grill getting sweaty and gross – just kick it in the kitchen and enjoy the fun!

ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

King’s Hawaiian sweet bread rolls
crock pot of chili (I like my ‘Not-Zippy’s Chili’ for these recipe, here)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet lined with foil on the bottom and then a wire rack on top.

In a bowl combine the ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form little slider size patties, I like to indent the center so they cook evenly.

Place on the prepped pan and bake for 20-30 minutes as desired, until the juices run clear.

I love serving warm meaty dishes on King’s Hawaiian rolls. The sweet Portuguese bread seems to always balance things out.

Place the burgers on the sweet bread rolls and top with the crock pot chili, or have the guests assemble their own. A perfect party treat!

I love boy birthday parties. Princess parties are everywhere and I’m down with pink, but lightsabers are where it’s at.

This weekend I made cupcakes for my friend’s awesome outdoor Star Wars party for her 7-year old! My kids have winter birthdays so we’re often stuck inside, it’s the Spring birthdays that get all the park-fun!

Pool noodles wrapped in electrical tape – a homemade ‘lightsaber!’ Genius for outdoor play. Using those ‘lightsabers’ (and the force of course) the kids had to keep a balloon afloat as long as they could. Not easy when pokey grass is working against you. Grass and nature is truly the work of the Empire. Grr.

She also got a very cool near indestructible R2-D2 pinata from my FAVORITE pinata store. Help me Obi-Wan…no one can break this thing. Poor Artoo. He didn’t stand a chance against these young padawan thirsty for blood, I mean, candy.

For the party I made Vanilla Yoda and Darth Vader cupcakes (recipe, here). For some reason whenever I make these for parties – Darth Vader is always the first to go, I’m sure it’s because he’s chocolate not because the kids are turning to the Dark Side…um. Right.

I also made the birthday boy some Stormtrooper cupcakes to surround and protect his one special birthday cupcake.

Swinging with your friends and swinging lightsabers, not a bad day for 7-year old Jedi.

I was selected by Foodbuzz to participate in 24×24 – where 24 bloggers are selected from around the world to eat and blog about their meals all in the same 24 hours. I knew a meal of all local food would be perfect!

So I invited friends and family who miss the taste of Hawaiian food. Not a kitschy Hawaiian party – no, no pineapples or plastic leis here – I’m talking the REAL food from the islands, things you’d find in plate lunches or at a family party.

I made a ton of dishes and um, went overboard with the desserts (as always). Give me a theme and I can’t help myself.

It was a big ol’ Ohana lunch for all my family and friends who miss the taste of home. Comfort food at it’s best.

Kalua Pig (recipe, here)
No pit digging here, just made in a crock pot, I stewed this little piggie for over 16 hours to tender perfection.

Mochiko Chicken (recipe, here)
Well, you KNOW I love mochi, and anything fried – well, you won’t find a more flavorful, comforting dish.

Chicken Long Rice (recipe, here)
Basically noodles, cooked with chicken in a warm broth, the perfect side dish.

Spam + Egg Musubi (recipe, here)
A take on the traditional, adding the egg makes you feel like it’s breakfast time.

Fried Poke
For people who may not want totally raw fish, a quick pan fry really brings out the flavor of the poke.

Mac Salad
It wouldn’t be a complete meal unless you had a scoop of rice and a scoop of Mac Salad.

Lomi Lomi Salmon (recipe, here)
Yet another side dish, that goes perfect with Kalua Pig.

Poi
Not for everyone, if you DO like it, it goes well with everything on the plate. If you don’t…just move on.

Lilikoi Crunch Cupcakes (recipe, here)
I can’t have a party without cupcakes! A light vanilla cake with a lilikoi jelly filling, topped with a mascarpone frosting. A dessert that is light as air and will leave you wanting more, and more, and…

Coco Puffs (recipe, here)
The Liliha Bakery makes the best coco puffs in the world. Since I can’t get them easily, now I just make them at home.

Sweet Bread
Ah, what party is complete without King’s Hawaiian sweet bread? So good with butter & Hawaiian Sun Guava jam, but they also taste GREAT filled with yummy Kalua Pig…

Hawaiian Sun
I bought a lot of Hawaii juice to remind folks of home.

Shave Ice
The most fun was putting together the shave ice station. EVERYONE loves shave ice, and since our winter in L.A. means it’s 75 degrees, it actually fit in perfectly. Yes, I own a professional shave ice maker, who…doesnt? Ok, just me.

I put a bunch of syrups out (bubblegum was by far the most popular), as well as a variety of toppings: mochi balls, lychee jelly, condensed milk and ice cream.

The whole menu here:
Kalua Pig
Mochiko Chicken
Chicken Long Rice
Spam and Egg Musubi
Fried Poke
Mac Salad
Lomi Salmon
Lilikoi Crunch Cupcakes
Coco Puffs
Sweet Bread
Hawaiian Sun Juice
Shave Ice

While I usually have some leftovers, not this party – most everything was WIPED OUT. I’d say that’s a success!

It was nice that everyone who came to the party had a connection and also loved to eat. I love throwing parties because I like to bring people together and fill them with happiness…via Coco Puffs, of course.

In Hawaii breakfast often consists of spam, eggs and rice. Here you get it all in one tidy package! A twist on the traditional musubi (recipe, here) this is for you breakfast lovers out there…

ingredients:
1 can Spam
3 cups cooked rice
soy sauce
sugar
5 big sheets of nori (seaweed)
acrylic musubi maker

5 eggs

Open a can of Spam. One can should be able to be cut into 9 slices, pretty evenly. Some people try and get ten, but I like to make the spam a little thicker for more taste.

Place the cut slices in a pan – drizzle with soy sauce, and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Turn over and do the same to the other side. NOW turn the pan on to medium high heat.

I like to cook it until the sugar gets good and caramelized and you get a nice sticky teriyaki color on the outside. Turn them to make sure the other side cooks the same. Take them out of the pan and set them aside.

In a separate pan, on medium high heat, scramble and cook the eggs into an omelet consistency.

Now you’ll need a musubi maker. If you don’t live in Hawaii, you’re in luck, now you can buy them online!

Get the large sheets of nori and lay one down. Put the musubi maker on top, and add a layer of rice.

On top of that add the spam, and then the egg. Add a second layer of rice on top of everything.

Using the top press (wet it to avoid sticking) press down on the rice mixture.

Fold over the bottom half of the nori, then wetting the top edge of the top half, fold that over to stick.

Cut them in fourths for smaller servings or just cut them in two and eat them as a whole block!

The L.A. party was held at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood – a huge, fantastic comic shop right in the heart of Sunset Blvd.

My geek-related food fests continue as I was asked to make cupcakes for the event, but can I ever stop there? This is me, Ms. Over The Top, remember? So I did an entire sweets table to go along with it for the event. After all it’s not every day your favorite Slayer turns 30.

I made Red Velvet cupcakes, because who doesn’t love those – AND they are red, which went along with the very black/red vampire decor we had going on.

I also made some Dark Chocolate cupcakes and turned them into my ‘Back from the grave’ cupcakes. (recipe, here) These were a hit. Baby doll arms reaching out of Oreo crumbs dirt like it’s going to kill you? How can you resist? They fit in perfectly with the Buffy theme and were chocolate-y delicious.

Boy do I get carried away with a theme. I had a large apothecary jar that I filled with GIANT POCKY (yes there is such a thing, you can buy it online, even) and labeled, “Buffy’s chocolate covered ‘stakes’.” Get it? Get it? Ok, you got it.

The other jar I filled with little fizzy Japanese hard candies in cola and fruit flavors, and labeled those “Slayer Sweets”. Everyone loves candy at a party.

To round it out, the third jar I filled with Hershey’s kisses, special ones that you can ONLY get in Hawaii. Chocolate kisses with a macadamia nut in the middle, thus: “Kisses…with a bite.” Ah vampire jokes, you never…ever…stop.

There was Buffy trivia, a happy birthday song and a TON of Buffy fans. I hope all the Geek Girls across the country had great parties, and Happy Birthday Buffy!

Special thanks to Meltdown Comics and Geek Girl Con!

The Kid turned 7 (!!!) and now that he knows what I can do (see: Star Wars party, here) he has ‘opinions’ – and he was very specific about this year’s birthday.
LEGO, LEGO, LEGO.

At this age LEGO is everything. So not only were there LEGO themes throughout the party, OF COURSE I had to get into the act with the food too!

It was a SMALL party, he invited a few friends and family and the goal was to keep the food simple, well, simple for ME. I tend to go overboard with themes, did you notice? Still, the idea was that the kids could pick it up and go back to playing. I incorporated typical ‘LEGO colors’: primary blue, red and yellow and I tried to make most everything square or ‘block-like’ which is a pretty easy to do with food!

Blue cupcakes with edible candy LEGO heads (recipe, here)
I always have to start my party planning ideas with cupcakes, what else? So these were the first things I sketched up.

The Kid was VERY specific that I had to make edible yellow LEGO minifig heads for each one. SHEESH! What a demanding client!

Sandwich Stackers (recipe, here)
Playing with your food? In this case it was ok.

Fruit stack skewers (recipe, here)
I cut fruit into cubes and ‘stacked’ them on skewers, just don’t poke your eyes out kids…

LEGO block Jell-o (recipe, here)
A fun version of my Broken Glass Jell-o recipe, this was a hit!

Cheese and Cracker Stackers (recipe, here)
I found the world’s cutest mini Saltines and couldn’t help myself, I had set up for the kids to make stackable cheese and crackers!

Spam Musubi(recipe, here)
It’s not a party unless there’s Spam Musubi (as requested by the Kid) plus, it’s square!

Toffee Blondies w/chocolate LEGO minifigs (recipe, here)
Ok, fine. These were more for me. A chewy brown sugar square topped with a chocolate LEGO man I made in a mold. How else am I supposed to get through a party of seven year olds without some sugar fuel?

Banana, Chocolate, Strawberry milk
Clean freak that I am, I don’t like ‘loose’ cups lying around the house so I got these individual servings of milk in fun flavors. Much easier to clean up.

Here’s a rundown of the whole LEGO menu:
Blue cupcakes with chocolate LEGO heads
Sandwich Stackers
Cheese and Cracker Stackers
Fruit stack skewers
LEGO block Jell-o
Spam Musubi
Toffee Blondies w/chocolate LEGO minifigs
Banana, Chocolate, Strawberry milk

The kids had a great time and ate a lot of food. That is ALWAYS what you want at a kids party, no leftovers!

Oh and that giant ‘centerpiece’ of LEGOS? I poured it out onto the table and let the kids build and build, then take home all that they could carry. For more LEGO party details – like decor, favors and the giant LEGO pinata – go, HERE.

This was one of the things the Kid was VERY specific about. There HAD to be cupcakes and they HAD to have yellow LEGO heads on them that he could eat. Okie dokie, then…tyrannical 7 year old on the loose…

ingredients:
blue cupcakes (recipe here)
frosting
1 (14 ounce) bag of yellow candy melts
black royal icing

First I made a batch of cupcakes, then dyed them blue. I didn’t want a dark LEGO blue, somehow that seemed even less appealing then these bright blue ones. Blue food just ain’t appetizing. Then I frosted them and went to work on the lego heads…

The Kid wanted me to use fondant, (yes my 7 year old is well versed in cake decorating) but I decided to go another route.

Since I had drawn with chocolate before, I thought I’d try out candy melts and form LEGO heads. I’m not really a fan of candy melts, I like to use more natural products myself, but I figured I’d give it a shot because the yellow melts were certainly…yellow.

Then I melted a bag of candy melts in a double boiler, just enough – I didn’t want it totally runny, I needed a thicker consistency to manage on the parchment. If I had LEGO molds like with the chocolate minifigs, life would be so much easier.

I printed out LEGO head images from the computer, then covered that print with parchment paper. Working quickly with a piping bag and #2 tip, I outlined the LEGO head, then filled in the rest.

Use a toothpick to even it out a bit, but don’t worry, these will be flipped. Just use the toothpick to try and get rid of any air bubbles.

Let set in the freezer, then flip them over and you have a nice tidy LEGO head!

For the face, I just freehanded the eyes and mouth with some black royal icing!

There you have it! Perfect little edible toppers for your LEGO party!