Cat Party: Happy Foster-versary!

Last February my life changed when I agreed to foster my neighbours two cats while he found them a new permanent home. Fifteen months later and it looks like that home is us: I have become a proud and obsessive cat mummy. Despite the constant puking, toilet-drinking and litter-tray scooping, they truly light up my life and I wouldn't be without them.

Meet Duke (ginger) and Shadow (black).

Following the lead of our neighbours downstairs who invited my housemate, myself and the boys to their cat Storm's 'adopt-adversary' party, it seemed only right to mark the boys first year with us with a formal celebration. So a bit later than a year but a celebration none-the-less, we invited them back for the foster-versary party.

Naturally I ran amok searching in Pinterest for insane cat-themed party food ideas. I had to rein myself in slightly given that it was a school night and time was short, but not a bad effort.


Cocktails & Canapes

Ocean Water G&T's 
Just add a bit of blue food colouring, I was a little heavy-handed!

Kitty Kibble 
Fish crackers in a cat bowl - not one your cats actually use though!

Crudite Rainbow Fish
Chop vegetables of various colours into sticks then go crazy arranging them into a fish! The Boyfriend claimed it looked nothing like a fish but I was pretty happy!

Blue Cheese Dip 'Bubble'
Any dip you like but I love this one and it's really easy - you could have several to look even more like bubbles!

300ml sour cream
100g mayonnaise
150g strong blue cheese (roquefort or St. Agur are good)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Blitz in a food processor then chill until ready to serve.





Starter

Smoked Salmon Pate with Crispy Potato Fish

for the pate:
150g smoked salmon trimmings
200g soft cheese
juice of half a lemon
tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1. Blitz in a food processor, taste and season. It'll need pepper but maybe not much salt as smoked salmon is already quite salty.
2. Do chop the dill before you put it in the food processor or you can get long pieces that don't get caught.
3. Decant into dish and chill until ready to serve.

for the crispy potato fish:

2 large baking potatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Wash the potatoes then chop into slices about 1cm thick.
2. Using a fish-shaped cookie cutter, cut a fish from the centre of each one; keep both pieces.
3. Put both the fish shapes and the remaining outer pieces into a dish and toss in some olive oil.
4. Season well then spread out on a baking tray.
5. Cook for about ten minutes at 180c until golden, then turn and repeat on other side.
6. Serve when crispy and cooked through - keep an eye on them as mine got burnt!



Main Course

Fish Pizzas

This makes two pizzas and serves 4-5 adults

for the pizza dough:

300g strong bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
200ml warm water

1. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients then add the wet. Mix and bring together into a dough.
2. Turn onto a floured worksurface and knead for about ten minutes until smooth.
3. Roll out as thin as possible on a sheet of greaseproof paper then use a sharp knife to cut into a fish shape: no template just freestyle according to what will fit in your oven!

for the tomato sauce:

500ml passata
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano

1. Mix all ingredients together in a pan then simmer for ten minutes or until thickened slightly.
2. Spread evenly over pizzas getting as close as possible to the edges.

for the toppings:

anything you like but I used the following -

1 bag grated mozzarella
1 bag grated cheddar
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 each red, orange and yellow peppers, thinly sliced
handful black olives, halved
1 pack pepperoni slices, halved
1 pack chorizo slices, halved

1. Sprinkle mixture of cheeses over each pizza.
2. Prepare all toppings and arrange on a tray.
3. Invite your guests into the kitchen to design their pizzas in teams!
3. Cook at 220c for about ten minutes: keep an eye on them as all ovens are a bit different. 
4. It will probably take two of you to get them into the oven on greaseproof paper but by all means use a pizza stone if you have one!



Dessert

Cat Litter Cake

I'm embarrassed to confess that I didn't make this but on another occasion with more time I definitely will. Bought cake us gross and this was particularly bad. However!

1. Make a sponge cake of whatever flavour you like as long as it is in a tray bake form. Ideally use a disposable tin tray that you can also serve it in.

2. Once cool, ice the cake with a layer of buttercream.

2. Blitz 1/2 packet of biscuits in the good processor to make tough crumble resembling cat litter - digestives or something that kind of colour. Sprinkle evenly over the surface to cover the buttercream.

3. Pipe chocolate fudge icing or similar into poo-shaped swirls (surreal moment, can't believe I'm typing this).

4. If you like add small piles of chocolate covered raisins.

5. You can go one step further serving cake in an actual litter tray and serving with a litter scoop (both new and clean of course!). I stopped short of this but make no promises for next time.

Fish Bowl Jelly

1. Depending on number of guests, make up the relevant quantity of lemon jelly or another pale colour. 

2. Add a small amount if blue food colouring to achieve your desired water effect.

3. Pour into your roundest glasses or one big fish bowl. 

4. As the jelly starts to set, push in some fish sweets so they are 'swimming'.

I used a vegetarian sugar-free jelly mix which may be why it wasn't clear - didn't look as good but I steer chest of gelatine. When I have more time I'll try a version using agar-agar flakes and see how it comes out. 

I also couldn't find fish sweets so had to substitute foam shrimp - I know you can get these in the states so maybe somewhere that sells American stuff.

Strawberry Mice

Large strawberries

Flaked almonds

Chocolate chips

Strawberry laces 

1. Wash, hull and halve the strawberries.

2. Assemble as per the picture using chocolate chips for eyes and nose, then flaked almonds for the ears.

3. If you want the tails to stay on when the mice are lifted from the plate you'll probably need to attach using a cocktail stick or maybe some royal icing or something that will set hard.

Deluxe party next time minus all the shortcuts. And yes I freely admit this is all crazy. But it was fun.

If you love the photos of Duke and Shadow, they're taken by my wonderful friend Kate from Kate and Dog Photography. Check out her website to book a shoot for your own babies! www.kateanddog.com