Dinner Party Diaries: Volume 1 Issue 18
Sometimes you just have to go over the top for a party. Two of our fur babies are turning one, so for me, this Cat Boys’ First Birthday Party is one of those times. Whether you want to have a birthday party for your cat(s), have a human kid who would love a cat themed party, or just think a cat themed dinner party would be fun, this dinner party should hit the mark. As with all of my parties, I encourage you to get ideas from the menu, decorations, and prep plan below. Then adapt them to suit your specific situation.
For most of my dinner parties, the goal is to plan the prep work and space it out so that you can finish things up after work on a Friday without being in too much of a time crunch. I will admit up front that this cat themed dinner party involves more prep work than usual. That said, this is the kind of party that is the most fun if you lean into the over-the-topness while planning and preparing for it.
Food Highlights from the Party
Entrées
Aren’t the paw prints cute?
- Braised Beef Short Rib on a Gorgonzola Cauliflower Chia Cake
- Honey Mustard Salmon Bites on a Cheddar Creole Cauliflower Chia Cake
- Mini Chicken Meatloaf on a Bed of Garlicky Spinach and a 3 Cheese & Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cake
Appetizers
Desserts
Keto Milk Bar (with Strawberry Almond Milk, Creamy Keto Chocolate Milk, and Vanilla Almond Milk)
Before and After Shots
Party Decorations
Before (Left): Some cute cat toppers and paraphernalia for the Dessert Table
After (Above): The Dessert Table
Cat Cakes
Before: Of course, the cats needed their own Birthday Cakes.
After: It looks like Harrison and Henry Enjoyed them.
Piñata for the Cats
Before: Cat Toys to stuff into the Piñata
After: I think the Chaos Crew beat the Piñata
Balloon Garland
Before (Left): We all knew that the balloon garland would be entertaining.
After (Above): We weren’t wrong. It’s up there, but I wouldn’t call it my best work.
Background: Why have a cat themed party?
I have fur babies rather than human children. Two of our cats / kids, Harrison (Ford) and Henry (Ford) are having their 1st Birthday. However, just because my kids happen to have fur, that doesn’t mean that they can’t enjoy a birthday celebration. 😻 Right? And if our human friends get to have a good time too, so much the better.
Planning the Menu for a Cat Themed Dinner Party
In planning the menu for the Cat Boys’ First Birthday Party, I took the opportunity to really embrace my inner cat lady. And, of course, not to forget dietary restrictions, this menu as written is low carb and coconut free.
Cat Cuisine
For the cats, I made two types of homemade cat treats–regular Tuna and Tuna & Cheddar. I also got them cat cakes. You bake them in little fish-shaped silicone molds.
Tuna & Cheddar Cat Treats In Progress
Tuna Cat Treats In Progress
1st Round of Homemade Cat Treats – Straight Tuna Flavored
2nd Round of Homemade Cat Treats – Tuna & Cheddar
Cat Inspired Human Cuisine
For the people food, we really wanted to mimic the idealized version of gourmet cat food that you see in the pictures on the cans. If you’re not familiar with such things, the pictures often show juicy cubes of meat or seafood with a side of vegetables and a creamy sauce with a garnish. The reality of canned cat food is definitely not that. However, I did say “idealized” so keep that in mind. If you’re interested in another pretty cool and grander scale version of cat-food-styled human food, check out Fancy Feast’s Fête du Feline for International Cat Day.
Appetizers
To start things off, we’ve got Mini Keto Salmon Loaf Bites with a dollop of Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream. They really are the perfect little bite-sized appetizers. Then to continue the small-bite idea, we’ve got Everything Shrimp Bites on Parmesan Crisps.
Entrées
The main course is where we really try to stick to the idealized gourmet cat food concept. Cats are notoriously picky eaters, so we had to have variety. To that end, we went with a chicken entrée, a salmon entrée, and a beef entrée.
To streamline the preparation process, I’m using a similar base for each dish but varying the flavor profile to complement the associated protein. For the chicken dish, we have a Mini Chicken & Spinach Meatloaf on a bed of Sautéed Spinach atop a 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cake. Moving onto the seafood realm, the plan is Honey Mustard Salmon Bites atop a Cheddar Creole Cauliflower Patty. Finally, there’s Beef Short Rib Cubes in a Red Wine Reduction Sauce atop a Gorgonzola Cauliflower Chia Cake.
Dessert & Fun
Finally for Dessert & Fun, we have a Keto Kitty Litter Cake along with some very addictive Keto Meow Munch to snack on. And, of course, we can’t forget the Milk Bar to quench our thirst, stocked with Vanilla Almond Milk, Keto Strawberry Almond Milk, and Keto Chocolate Milk.
Fun for Everyone
Harrison and Henry have grown a lot since we adopted them in January . However, in my opinion, they’ve still got a ways to go before they qualify for their “Cat” Cards. They are wild, energetic kittens to the core. Keeping with that idea, we got them a piñata to fill with a variety of cat toys.
Straight from the Cats’ Mouths
If you want to “hear” the cats’ version of the party, check out the corresponding post from the Cat Chaos Corner.
Party Favors for Their Cat Friends
Unlike a human kid’s birthday party, it doesn’t work so well to invite “cat friends” (i.e., the cats of our friends) over to play. (If you’re new to cats, play dates aren’t really a thing.) So instead, we’ve got little goodie boxes filled with toys and homemade cat treats. Our friends can just take them home for their cats to enjoy in their own space.
Take Home Goodie Boxes for the Cats of Our Guests (No, the cats were not in attendance.)
Getting Ready
As I mentioned this one is a bit more “all out” than our typical Friday night dinner party. That means my advanced prep work had to start more than 2 days before the party. Keep reading to see how this Cat Boys’ First Birthday Party went!
The Chaos Crew in Party Prep Mode
Play Time
Bath Time
Nap Time
The Final Menu
Appetizers
Entrées
Desserts
Cat Treats
Wine Pairings
- 2016 Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut (Starter with the Appetizers)
- 2019 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate Clonal Series – Pommard (With Entrées)
- 2020 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate Clonal Series – Pommard (With Entrées)
- 2015 Peju Province Winery Orange Muscat Late Harvest (With Dessert)
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