Dad's 80th Birthday Party (with Gifts, Decor & Recipes!)

I've  been absent from The Devilish Dish lately and with good reason! My Dad turned 80 years young last week, and we celebrated this weekend with an old-fashioned party in his honor.  When Mom asked for my help, my best friend since 6th grade Barbara and I were immediately on board.   Mom estimated around 75 friends and family showed up to enjoy homemade cobbler, ice cream and a lot of fun!

This was a party for the ages!
We had so much fun planning this.
Love my Dad!

Barbara designed, ordered and sent out the invitations. They featured a picture of my parents when they were dating.  (They will be married 58 years this November!) My mom had made my dad his first ever birthday cake.  (That's sweet and a little sad all at the same time.)  You can tell by all of these numbers I'm throwing around this was before running to Michael's for cake decorating tools was even possible.  She told me she used a potato peeler to "grate" a Hershey Bar to spell out "Happy Birthday Billy" on that cake.  A true labor of love.  So was this party, but totally worth it.  

Here's the adorable invitation  I'm so glad to have Barb
in my life.  We've been friends since 6th grade,
she's practically my parents other daughter.
She and her husband Keith and their daughter Emily
showed up early to the party and helped in every capacity.
Friends are truly the family you choose for yourself!

My Dad was one of ten children.  Sadly, several of his brothers and sisters including his twin brother are no longer with us.  His twin brother, my "Daddy Vernon" was just as special to me as my Dad.  We wanted to make sure and honor his memory at the party as well without making it too sad.  Vernon was Will Rogers made over.  He never knew a stranger and he would never want anyone to shed a tear at a party.  So we added a few extra special touches to remind everyone to celebrate in his memory too!

Only one picture of my Dad and his twin brother exists from their childhood.  Isn't this exactly how you picture little boys from rural Oklahoma in the 1930s and 40s?  Dusty overalls and hand me down boots.  This picture is very precious to our family and served as the inspiration for the party decor.

Snickers Dip

I took this dip along with a bag of pretzels to one of our very first tailgates several years ago.  And more than once I heard, "Oh my gosh what is in this?" and "You have to try this dip."  Needless to say it was gone before game time, because face it, who doesn't love a Snickers Bar? Years later tailgaters are still commenting on this dip.  It's that memorable!  Even better is the dip only has four ingredients.  It's super easy to make, and you can even make it ahead of time.  Serve it up with some pretzels for the perfect sweet and salty combination.  You'll get your Snickers fix in a cute dessert form!

Get your Snickers Fix in dip form!

The perfect sweet and salty combination!

Snickers Dip

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip topping
6 regular-sized Snickers candy bars, chopped

Pretzels for dipping

Cream the cream cheese, brown sugar and Cool Whip together with a mixer.  Stir in the chopped candy bars.  Refrigerate before serving.  Serve with pretzels for dipping.

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time: 0 

[Gluten-Free] Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

My husband and I were discussing the whole gluten/celiac diagnosis the other night. We both agreed that it's a good thing we enjoy cooking.  The hardest thing I've found about going to an all gluten-free diet is giving up convenience.  It is possible to wake up in the morning and prepare a gluten-free pancake that tastes great.  It's not always convenient to wake up in the morning and prepare a gluten-free pancake.  And dining out simply takes a little research beforehand. I've found that most restaurants have their gluten information posted online.  I can look ahead of time and find something on the menu to enjoy without being a pain in the neck or confusing the servers.  So for the most part, I'd say I'm happily adapting.  That was until I looked at him and realized, "The thing I will miss most will probably be your homemade chili with a big handful of oyster crackers in it."  While I'm sure there are some tasty gluten-free crackers out there, I haven't really searched, nor have I yet to create a homemade gluten-free cracker.  So I decided rather than eat his Award Winning Chili sans crackers, I decided I would substitute a recipe with all the great flavors of chili, but also a super healthy version that doesn't need crackers.  Substitute some vegetable broth for the chicken broth and you've got a great vegan recipe as well.  You'll never miss those crackers once you enjoy a bowl of this hearty, colorful chili. 

So colorful and tasty.
You'll never miss the meat or the crackers!

Serve over basmati rice or grilled chicken breasts.

Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large, heavy stock pot.  Over medium-high heat, add onion.  Reduce heat to medium, cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the bell peppers and sweet potatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook one minute more.  Add the chili powder and other seasonings.  Stir in tomatoes and broth.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook uncovered approximately 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.  Stir in beans and cook another 10 minutes until heated through.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in lime juice.  Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.  Delicious served over rice or grilled chicken breasts. 

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 50 minutes