In order for all my tasks to stay straight in my head, they have to be written on paper. With check boxes. Because otherwise my mind will never ever shut off. I will literally lie awake at night going over all the things on my to-do list…
So I have this. OCD? Yes. But oh so helpful too.
For the birthday party, it kept me right on track, and guess what? The hour leading up to our guests’ arrival was completely stress free. I had nothing to do because I had already done everything!
Here’s the food!
In addition to a veggie platter with ranch, chips with salsa & guacamole, we had a couple of salads.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad [gluten/wheat free, dairy free, nut free, soy free]
We’ve made this twice before and I thought it might be weird to serve brussels at a 1 year old’s birthday party, but Kyle was the one who pushed for this dish (and I only recently got him to TRY brussels!!), so that’s saying something about how good it is!
I used quinoa instead of bread to make it wheat/gluten free, but otherwise it needs no tweaks.
My mom brought a gluten free pasta salad as well. This dressing was more like a sweet tomato sauce – very different from what I was expecting, but really good!
And of course, it’s not a birthday party without cake!!
Clearly I’m not a professional froster…we’ll call it “rustic”, yes?
I shared the recipe for this chocolate cake before here. It’s gluten/wheat free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, and soy free.
If you refer to the above to-do list, you’ll see this was a Thursday night task. 🙂
As was the baking of the cake.
Both went into the fridge until Saturday morning, at which point I let them come to room temp. [I had to nuke the frosting for ~20 seconds in the microwave to soften it enough to spread, but it hardened again after.]
Ice ice baby.
I sliced ‘em small because it’s definitely a decadent dessert. It’s rich, but not in a way that leaves you feeling blah.
Baby’s first chocolate!!
I was nervous people wouldn’t like it. Or there wouldn’t be enough.
Paranoid hostess that I am, as a back-up, I baked oatmeal raisin cookies too.
You guys, I’m famous…The Kitchn published my question!
As you can see, the cake was a big hit, which meant there were lots of cookies left over for meeeeeee. Okay, and K and P.
I had a few for dessert later that night. Mmmmm…
Here’s the recipe I used for the cookies (it’s a combo of a bunch of different recipes I googled). I didn’t want to use multiple flours or xanthan gum so that’s why I resorted to making my own recipe up. I also didn’t want 48 cookies. Why do cookie recipes yield so many dang cookies!?!
Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies [gluten/wheat free, dairy free, nut free, soy free]
Ingredients:
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp gluten free whole rolled oats
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp gluten free oat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix wet ingredients together and stir so the egg is well whipped (make sure the oil isn’t too hot so you don’t cook the egg when it’s added). Add the rest of the dry ingredients, except the raisins. Mix until combined, then fold in the raisins.
Scoop and roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet (or parchment paper).
Bake for ~18-20 minutes. Let cool before removing from sheet.
Notes: If your dough doesn’t hold together it may be too soft – refrigerating it will help it firm up. However, if you leave it in the fridge too long, the coconut oil will harden too much and make it difficult to scoop – just let it come back to room temp.
These are really yummy cookies, if I do say so myself. Sweet, but not too sweet. Not exactly healthy, but not packed with excessive sugar or fat. I am a sucker for all things oatmeal raisin, but if you’re a chocolate person, feel free to sub some chunks for all or part of the raisins.
I love your lists! I am a total list making freak. And I am like you, if I don’t have it written down, my brain won’t shut off. But my OCD has definitely been beneficial for coordinating parties, potlucks, etc. Happy Birthday to Pat!
This is great, thanks for sharing! How do you go about your meal planning, plan first or groceries first and then plan? I know you’ve mentioned your food budget before, do you or did you find it challenging to stick to? Is it easier to cook/bake now that Patrick is a little older?
that cake looks amazing! I can’t wait for my next party, so I can make it!
I’m a list making FREAK. I used to have post it notes and lists all over my computer at work. Then… I found the wonders of workflowy. It’s game changing. check it out (www.workflowy.com) All it is is a simple bullet list, that you can check off when you finish it, but it’s browser based (and free), so you can have it on your computer, phone, tablet, etc. super easy. plus, you can go back and look at ALLLLL your lists from the beginning of time (i like that)
that cake looks yummy!
happy bday p!
First time commenting here after months of lurking! I’m OCD with lists too. I used to the be the girl with 25 different lists all on separate pieces of scrap paper cluttering up my purse. Just thought I’d recommend Wunderlist. In short, it is amazing. You can synch up your lists to your smart phone, computer, tablet, etc. Share lists with others (my favorite is making a to-do list for my husband and sharing with him 😉 And it makes grocery shopping so, so easy. Just check off the item as you put it in your cart and it falls off the list. Love it, and I think you would, too.
Love it. I am similar in that I need to write everything down, yet sometimes I don’t go back to what I’ve written, so I end up with many notes scattered all over the place and then I have to consolidate everything, and the pattern repeats like that. However, I’m glad you posted about this because I like the idea of individual boxes for checking off each item and outlining a daily/weekly checklist.
I sure am a heck of a lot more productive when I write out what I intend to do. Thanks for the reminder as to the advantage of having a checklist.
First, congratulations with the little man. Second, lists and running keeps your head clear… Third, I like icing more rustic. I think it’s prettier then all smooth. That looks like eating pastic… yuk.
Awwww Happy Birthday to P!
You list looks like a diary planner. Have you thought about getting one of those?
Hello! Can you tell me what GF pasta you like? I recently tried a corn and rice blend, but didn’t like it too much. Thanks!
nice! thanks for the tip. i do like using my reminders on my phone but wish i had the ability to sync w my computer so thats a cool tool. thats said, nothing beats a hard copy on paper.
hello fellow ocd list maker 🙂 thanks for commenting!! I’ve heard of wanderlust actually! Thanks for the reminder. I love the not so subtle husband sharing feature. Ha!
thanks katie 🙂
We are SO alike with our lists.
Happy Birthday, P! <3
i like a few brands – truroots ancient grain penne and tinkyada spaghetti are great. quinoa and brown rice based ones are usually the best in my opinion.
doesn’t surprise me at all 🙂
have you tried the wunderlist app? you can sync it across all devices (both iphone and androi) – it’s a life changer
I forgot to add, along with the google calendar and dropbox- your life is very organized and accessible from anywhere.
What a yummy party!!
Love the chocolate smeared P face 🙂
I’m a luddite in some ways, and when i write things out by hand on paper i’m more likely to remember them! I’ve tried evernote and always have phone reminders but old school pen and paper for me….
And leftover cookies? Makes party cleanup a bit less painful 🙂