Tori Spelling may have become a household name after playing Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, but to her kids' friends, she's legendary for her birthday party-planning skills.
"I never thought I'd have four kids," Spelling says. "If I had, I probably wouldn't have gone as far as I went planning birthday parties, because now my kids expect these amazing parties, but they also know that we're a DIY family, and we've got to figure out how to make it work ourselves."
When Spelling's daughter, Stella, wanted a panda-themed birthday party, they started making dozens of origami pandas to decorate the room.
"My daughter was like, 'we could have Panda Express,' and I just gave her this look, and she said, 'Or we could make our own sweet and sour chicken,'" Spelling says. "It's completely different from how I grew up, and I'm glad that I've instilled that in my kids. They'll tell me what their vision is and how we can make it happen."
It makes sense, then, that she's starring in David Tutera's Celebrations (Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on WeTV), working with the famous event planner to bring celebrities' most over-the-top party ideas to life.
"I tell him all the time, 'you know you're the Ricky to my Lucy, right?'" Spelling jokes.
During a break between filming episodes, Spelling stopped by the Delish kitchen to show us how to make one of her favorite weeknight dinners and share some of her best party-planning and cooking tricks.
She Has a Not-So-Secret Source for Killer Birthday Cakes.
Ever since Spelling's first birthday party, the actress has always gotten a cake from Hansen's in LA. "I feel like between us and the Kardashians, they get a lot of exposure," she laughs.
It's been a family tradition up until recently, when she started stumbling upon mom-preneurs on Instagram who made gorgeous cakes. "I love reaching out to other moms and bakers and working with them to do things with us, both for my kids' parties and for my website, EdiTORIal."
She Turns into a 'Beaver' When She's in the Zone.
"My husband says I do this thing when I'm really into cooking, baking or crafting, and I sound like a beaver," Spelling confesses. It's a combination of a clicking noise and a shimmy/sway from side to side as she works.
Hey, we all have our quirks.
She Swears by This Onion-Chopping Trick.
The Internet is full of tricks to keep you from tearing up when you chop onions, but there's one Spelling swears actually works: Fold up a paper towel and stick it halfway out of your mouth as you dice. The idea is that the paper towel absorbs some of the onion's fumes, so you're less likely to become irritated by them.
"I've had friends come over and they're like, 'uh, why is there a paper towel in your mouth? What's wrong?' and I'm like, 'Sorry, I'm just chopping my onions,'" she says.
She Has One Rule for Cooking.
Spelling tries to introduce her kids to all kinds of new ingredients, which is why her family hosts a weekly "Around the World" cooking night, where they try a dish from another country. Even when they're having burgers or pizza, Spelling and her husband, chef Dean McDermott, challenge their kids to include an unexpected ingredient.
"Everyone makes a suggestion, and we make it," she explains. "I tell them, 'you can have one bite. If you hate it, you don't have to try it again.'"
One recent test? Gummy bears on pizza.
"My husband has this gummy bear salad that he makes," Spelling says. "He mixes gummy bears with dressing, and it's awesome, so that's probably where they came up with the idea."
Instead of melting down the gummy bears, like McDermott does in his salad recipe, the family decided to use the treats as a topping on a dessert pizza with mascarpone cheese.
"It wasn't the greatest, but you know, we tried it," she laughs.
There Are Two Things You'll Always Find in Her Fridge.
Spelling always keeps hard-boiled eggs on hand, either to enjoy as a protein-packed snack, or as one of her go-to breakfasts. (Her other favorite way to start the day? Avocado toast with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.)
"We also go through a ton of string cheese in my house, because my kids love it, so I'll always have it in the kitchen or in our diaper bag when we go out," she says.
There's One Food She Makes Herself Eat.
"I'm not a huge vegetable person. I'm just going to say it," Spelling confesses. "I have to put on my poker face and eat my vegetables in front of my kids and pretend I'm getting my Popeye muscles."
Peas and Brussels sprouts are the two sides she considers most tolerable, as well as any you can "cover in butter and salt to make them more delicious."
She's Big on Bringing the Party to Weeknight Cooking.
Baked potato bars have been popular at parties for years, but they're also a super-easy (and customizable) weeknight dinner.
"Just put out a bunch of toppings in ramekins, like cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, crumbled bacon, whatever," Spelling says. "You don't even really have to know how to cook to do that."
She Has Two Secrets to a Great Shepherd's Pie.
If you love the meat-veggie-carb combo that is a Shepherd's Pie, but you want the meat to have more flavor, Spelling recommends cooking the beef (or ground turkey) with a can of beef gravy. If you're worried about the dish getting runny, simply strain out the excess gravy before assembling the "pie."
Second, to add a little fun to your pie, top it with a ketchup smile. No, seriously.
"If you're a kid or an adult, a smiley face on your shepherd's pie is just amazing," she says.
Get her shepherd's pie recipe.
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