A few weeks ago, three of us hosted a Boho Baby Shower for our sister-in-law and our newest niece. It was a team effort for us to spoil Hannah and Baby O. I love how everything came together. We decided on a theme, and Stephanie, of My.Party.Style put her amazing party planning skills together to bring it all to life. I created the invitations, thank you notes and signs using a beautiful watercolor graphic. Sometimes I design my own artwork, while other times I purchase graphics to create additional designs. This graphic was perfect for our theme.
I also put together the menu and catered the appetizers and desserts. Michelle helped set up and put together the Mom-osa Bar. Stephanie created these cute Boho Baby Shower favors using sprigs from her aloe plant. Additional touches that helped make for a special day were having guests write a message in a storybook to sign in, bringing a book instead of a card, and pre-addressing thank you envelopes to save time for the mama-to-be. Instead of party games, guests painted and decorated Blessing stones and created hairbands and hair bows for Baby O.
Below you can find more links to products, and recipes found online.
We used these cool and eco-friendly Pure Palm Plates and Silverware online to serve appetizers and desserts. The Mom-osa bar included champagne (and sparkling water) for the bubbly, assorted juices from Simply Juices, and fresh fruit as garnishes.
Chipotle Meatballs is a make ahead recipe I adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Albondigas (Meatballs) in Chipotle Sauce. I love this recipe because there is a semi-secret ingredient that makes them amazing! It’s semi-secret because I’d never heard of it until I found this recipe, but I’m going to share it with you! The secret—masa harina (corn tortilla flour). It’s a game changer. I also call these Enchilada Meatballs because they taste like an enchilada!
1/4 cup masa harina
1/4 cup hot water
2 lbs. lean ground beef (the recipe calls for ground pork and beef) I’ve usually made them with all beef or I’ve also made them with pork sausage and beef. I also usually double the recipe because these are great to make ahead and freeze, which is exactly what I did for the shower. Making things ahead of time helps with the day before/day of prep.
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoke paprika
1) Combine masa harina and hot water in large bowl.
2) Add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and spices; mix well.
3) Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls
4) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until no more pink inside. I usually check them around 20 min.
5) Drain on paper towels, let cool completely. I usually will freeze individually on cookie sheet then put meatballs in resealable freezer bag. If I’m in a hurry, I just make sure they are all cooled before putting in bag without the freezing individually step. Freeze up to 6 months. To serve, thaw in refrigerator overnight.
For sauce, combine one can beef broth, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste and 1 canned chipotle chile pepper in adobe sauce, seeded and finally chopped. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Stir in meatballs and heat through. You can also serve them in a crockpot. *Tip: I puree the entire can of chipotle chile peppers, then use 1-2 Tablespoons for sauce (depending on how spicy I want it). I freeze the rest in ice cube trays, then pop out and story in freezer bag for all the other uses. I do the same thing to the can of tomato paste. That way I’m not wasting any of it or scrambling to find other recipes to use it up right away.
Pesto Chicken Crescent Ring
I love making crescent rings because they are so simple, but look nice and are easy to serve.
Steak Bruschetta
1 to 2 pounds flank steak (marinated overnight in garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil), grilled to medium (145 degrees) and sliced thinly.
1 to 2 French baguettes (depending on number of people)
2 diced Roma tomatoes
1 onion, diced
Shredded parmesan
Fresh basil, chiffonaded
Slice baguette(s) on the diagonal. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Toast for 1-2 minutes in 400 degree oven. Add sliced piece of steak, and tomato/onion/parmesan mixture. Bake 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil.
The three desserts we had were Mini Classic Cheesecakes, which my oldest daughter made. She has made them a few times and they are always a hit! They taste just like the real thing only in mini, nearly bite-size versions. I also made Tuxedo Brownies, which is a Pampered Chef recipe I received years ago at a party. I topped them with a pink chocolate O that I piped, strawberry slices and orange zest (those were probably my favorite!). A mint leaf or raspberry would be another great topping. The final dessert was Strawberry Cake Pops. I used a white cake mix and added pureed frozen strawberries instead of frosting after breaking up the cake. They were rolled into balls, then I inserted a small treat stick into them before freezing. They were then covered in almond bark. Some were decorated with piping chocolate. I created flags for the sticks with washi tape we found at JoAnn’s Fabrics to add another fun Boho detail.
It was a fun afternoon with family and friends, celebrating this beautiful mama-to-be and and an already loved so much Baby O! Can’t wait to meet my newest niece!
