1St Birthday Food Ideas

If you are looking for a cake I recommend the Festival on bunker (between Coon Creek and Hanson). They have a deal that if you buy a cake from them you get baby's first cake free. It is a single serve cake with a little bear on it and is perfect for the baby to play with. They have lots of choices and the cake is really good. We have used them for my older son's last 2 birthdays. There is also The Sweet Shop over by big lots on coon rapids blvd. They have great cakes, but they color the baby cake red on one side which seems like a nightmare for a 1 yr old.

We just had my youngest son's first birthday party on Saturday. I did shredded bbq chicken in the crockpot (3-4 chicken breasts, 1 jar of bbq sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours then shred with a fork), a meat and cheese tray and taco dip (2 bricks softened cream cheese, 1 16oz container of sour cream, 1 packet of taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and taco sesoning and spread it on a tray or platter. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes. You could also add olives and/or jalepenos). And yellow cake with chocolate butter cream frosting.

Hans Bakery in Anoka is the best; I have lived here my whole life and my mom used them and now I do too.

Good side dishes would be mac and cheese, jello and maybe carrot and celery sticks.

Good Luck and Happy Birthday to your daughter.

I am in the same boat. My daughter will be turning one in couple weeks. I was thinking of doing sloppy joes as well and also hot dogs for the little kids that will be coming. Target does a really good cake/idea. I love there pull apart cakes. They are all cupcakes, but decorated on the top to look like a cake.

If you are looking for a good cake shop, there's a place called Retha and Sandy's sweet shop. Great Cakes. It's actualy located in Coon Rapids off of Coon Rapids BLVD by the Big Lots.

A side dish idea, I have a recipe for a tortilini salad. I got it from my cousin and it's been a big hit every time we use it!

For my Son's first birthday party, I just went to Papa Muphery's and got pizza's. I had chips on the side. But with Sloppy Joes you could also have like patato salad or a mac salad.

I am not sure about a bakery as I do not live in Andover. If you are looking for a good cake, Wal-mart does some good cakes. We used them when we got married and the cake was really good, and everyone loved it. I would of used them for my Son's first birthday party, but a friend wanted to make a cake for my Son instead. :)

Have fun planning your Son's birthday party.. :)

My favorite bakery for cakes is Cakebox (I think in Brooklyn Park/Center). But we use Hans in Anoka a lot because it's closer and fairly inexpensive. They have some great treats besides cakes & cupcakes (try the Beehive!). They are also flexible for things like unfrosted cupcakes, etc.

Some things we've done for my boys' birthdays are hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, baby carrots, baby pickles, string cheese, pretzels, and (of course!) cupcakes. It's super easy, relatively non-messy, and everyone is happy.
Most importantly, have fun! I put too much effort into my 1st son's party and it wasn't any more fun than my 2nd son's party that was more laid back and simple.