Anything served on themed paper party supplies for the Cat in the Hat, like all things relating to the classic work of children's author Dr. Seuss, are the stuff that make good times. Fun with absurd characters only thinly disguises the moral. Children who let in the mischievous stranger while mother is away get more than they bargain for.
The timeless story deserves a timeless recipe. Try serving this variant of spaghetti and meat balls. Find or make pasta hats. Boil them and serve on top a large meatball decorated to look like a cat face. Make the facial features from cooked spaghetti noodles and add a cooked pasta bow tie for each. Serve each cat in the hat with canned spaghetti sauce. Add a large bowl of salad, punch and fruit each along with serving utensils, plastic flatware, paper cups and bowls. Make sure not to forget the Cat in the Hat Birthday cake!
Pasta hats are a bit hard to locate and expensive when they are available. Making the dough and pressing them with a pasta machine may be the most economic approach. Pasta can also be rolled out with a rolling pin. A simple recipe is two cups of flour, one egg plus three egg yokes, two teaspoons salt, and enough water to form workable dough (1/4 cup or so). Roll out very thin. Cut into cone shapes about three inches tall angled to three inches at the widest. Draw the two outside edges together and press using a little water. Fold up about 1/4 inch at the bottom to form the hat rim. Dry for at least two hours. Later cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or to taste. Use care that the hats don't move around much or they will loose their shape. Have a Tasty Time! By just adding even one simple food item to the menu will help create
a complete Cat in the Hat theme party feeling. |
