Happy 6th Birthday, Cate!

4/12/2023

Mac and Cheese Two Ways

For her special birthday meal, Cate shared that she really loves macaroni and cheese. She also informed everyone that mac and cheese can come in "bite" form explaining,

"They’re crusty and there’s a ball of crust with it. Like skin. And then there’s mac and cheese in the middle. You can make it with anything you want, but usually I don’t put anything on it.
But maybe with some lemonade to drink… pink lemonade! Yeah, to make it you pink you put strawberries."

After hearing Cate share this information, her birthday committee friends Finlay, Michael, and Lucas knew what they would need to prepare to help Cate celebrate on her special day!

Michael, Finlay, and Lucas drew their representations of a delicious "mac and cheese" meal

Michael's mac and cheese with a spoon

Finlay's mac and cheese at a restaurant

Lucas's mac and cheese on his plate at home

Following a recipe for "Baked Macaroni Parmesan" that Cate's family enjoys at home, the birthday committee created their ingredient lists, collected both food and cooking tools they would need, then prepared a scrumptious macaroni and cheese!

It’s so easy to grate cheese. Look how much cheese we grated!
It’s easy to do, it didn’t get long to learn it. It usually takes me two years to learn something. It’s so fun! - Finlay

I’ve done a lot because I am patient. I was so patient at the meeting.
I’m doing slowly so I can get bigger pieces.
I’m still grating because I need to do hard work. - Michael

The committee cooks learned how to prepare a béchamel sauce for the macaroni.

I can almost taste it...
The bigger the food is, the better it is! - Finlay

It looks like cheese heaven
- Finlay

In addition to macaroni, the team also prepared a fun strawberry lemonade recipe
to accompany the main dish (per Cate's request)!

What are we going to do with the strawberries?
Are we going to smash them to make strawberry lemonade? - Lucas

Creating the "Bites"

You can bread it, like take mac 'n' cheese and put bread on it. No, crust. Make crust by putting it in the freezer? We did it before... - Finlay
For Jade. - Lucas
We breaded chicken! That makes crust. - Finlay
(recalling Jade's chicken tender recipe for her birthday meal)

Mac and Cheese Bites, by Finlay

Decor

As you already know, in addition to preparing the birthday child's meal of choice the committee friends also arrange a table setting and create decorations to embellish the birthday meal tables.

Knowing their friend Cate, the committee members knew that they should create Pokémon characters to include on the tables.

We need paper and markers. - Finlay
And then we can put them on the table. Maybe we can make feet to stand it up somehow? - Lucas
That's a great idea! - Finlay
Have we ever created feet to make paper up before? - Sam
Of course! The paper houses! - Lucas

Cate was consulted on which characters were her favorites. She offered to create a drawing for her friends to use to inspire their own creations.