Birthday Present
I realized that I hadn’t updated the blog in quite some time when people began calling me to tell me to write something. Nothing bad had befallen me, I haven’t had writer’s block, I suppose you could say I’ve been on summer vacation. We’ve picked 45 pounds of tomatoes (45 pounds!!!), gone camping, made ice cream, and splashed in the pool. And somewhere in the past month I had a birthday; thirty-two years old. I didn’t really ask for much; an ice cream cake and a day with my boys. But now I am going to ask you all for a belated birthday present. I want to know who is reading and a little a bit more about everybody. I know there are quite a few of you out there. Come on out from behind the internet, leave a comment, and tell me:
What’s your favorite birthday treat and how many candles do you like in it?
For me, it’s Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake. In my younger days I was fond of the mint-chocolate-chip ice cream/chocolate cake combo, but my new favorite is strawberry ice cream/white cake. And I always have the number of candles equal to the number of years. Always. The cake is starting to get quite bright and the smoke plume from when I blow out the candles is impressive, but I vow that I shall have the proper number of candles – even if I live to be 107 like my great-grandmother.
So leave me a comment. You never know, I might just make you something special on your birthday.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:37 am
My favorite birthday was spent in the woods. We went camping up from LA to Washington’s Olympic national park. My 21st birthday was spent hiking through the Redwoods with Gina. I don’t care too much for presents or parties, they make me feel uncomfortable and materialistic, although I do appreciate a truly thoughtful gift, one that I would never think of or perhaps buy myself. As for the dessert and flames… to go along with the camping theme, a S’more and a camp fire is all I need.
Happy Birthday Gina!!
August 25th, 2010 at 6:00 am
When I was wee, my mom worked in a French restaurant and every year the chef made me a baked Alaska. Haven’t had one in quite a long time though
I have no strong opinions about candles, though. Frankly, I could do without ‘em altogether!
August 25th, 2010 at 7:50 am
Brenda’s Peanut Butter Chocolate cake from the pastry shop in my hometown. It has chocolate cups on the top filled with a peanut butter mousse, and I like a candle in each one – no more.
http://www.pastry.net/web/cakes/ShowCake.aspx?ID=13&Type=Torte
When I turned 21, my parents came to CA to visit, and my mom brought this cake in her carry-on for me. I don’t think I shared it with my friends
August 25th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Hi, Gina! I’m a stealth reader of your blog.
Growing up in New York, it was a birthday tradition to get an ice cream cake from Carvel. They’re all ice cream, no actual cake, and have a layer of chocolate crunchies in the middle. They’re harder to come by out here – grocery stores sometimes have them, but it’s just not the same… As for candles, I’ve always liked the big ones with numbers on them, plus an extra regular candle “to grow on.” (I realize that at 40, I’m unlikely to grow any taller, but a girl can dream!)
August 25th, 2010 at 9:19 am
I use Google Reader, so I am not sure that shows up in your stats. I found you through a comment left on Clueless but Hopeful Mama’s site.
We usually skip my birthday since it is right before Christmas, and we are on our way out of town to visit family. I think we have had cupcakes (without candles) a couple of times, but I cannot remember the last time I had a birthday cake.
August 25th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Happy Birthday!
I love carrot cake w cream cheese icing, and hate the taste of wax. I prefer spelling the numbers with candles, so the wax puddles are easier to avoid. But from time to time it’s nice to have all the candles (I’m also 32, so this is still possible without making an extra large cake).
Found your blog when you visited the PIO and got a link from there I think..
August 25th, 2010 at 10:31 am
My great-grandmother’s angel food cake. When you ask people what their favorite cake is you never hear people say angel food. It is generally just too “meh” to be a favorite, but her angel food was something special. Even though she passed on her recipe when she died no one else seems to be able to reproduce it quite the way she used to bake it.
And I have to say no candles for much the same reason Jeff doesn’t like parties and presents – its just too much of a fuss made over me to be fun. If I have everyone’s attention it should be for something more interesting than my putting out a small fire with my lungs.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I guess my favorite cake is almond with soy cream cheese frosting. I can’t remember the last time I had a whole cake on my birthday, I usually have one slice or a cupcake with one candle in it. I don’t like to go without the candle, I think the mini fire ceremony is important but I don’t know why.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
For my birthday, I think I’m more excited about the dinner. I like to go to my favorite restaurant. Pretty much any dessert will do! I don’t have a particular preference about candles. When I was little, I liked having one candle for every year, but that has lost its charm! I think my favorite sweet treat on my birthday was when I turned 21. I was in France and had a “tarte aux fraises.” With your wonderful baking skills, I bet you could whip up a fabulous “tarte” of anything!
August 27th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I’m not a big birthday cake guy but this did remind me of your apple cobbler. Still the best I ever had. As for a favorite birthday my favorite was when we all went to The Sky Room 4 years ago. It might have been the last time you and Jeff were out without first arranging a baby sitter. I have wonderful photos to prove it. Friends, food and good wine!
August 27th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
When I was about 12, I remember having about 10 friends over – all girls. We all wore dresses to parties, still. My Mom and Dad fixed my favorite meal, (Sloppy Joes, which we called Taverns) and we listened to “rock n roll” records. My birthday cake was one my Dad got at a bakery. It was a Barbie Doll in the middle, and her long puffy dress was the cake. I thought it was the most beautiful cake I had ever seen. I still have pictures of it, and I still have the doll!
My Dad died in 2005, at age 90, but about 20 years before, he had filled out a book I gave him, to record his memories. One of the questions in it was “What is your most memorable birthday?” He wrote it was his 13th, because it was the only time he ever had a birthday party. When I read that entry, it made me cry. They had been very poor, and he was the youngest of 10 children, so actually having any kind of party was quite an extravagance for them.
August 27th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
I love everyone’s stories. I think, though, Grandma Marie’s story of her father touches me most. Reminds me of a similar story my father told me, but it’s not a birthday story so I’ll save it.
I don’t have a favorite birthday food. I don’t care about cake or candles, but I do want my loved ones to remember the day for me and commemorate it. My favorite thing to do is something I’ve never done before–a new museum, restaurant or hike is great. The ultimate: a little trip out of town to a new place.
Happy birthday, Gina.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
I agree with Petrea – I just enjoy being around friends and family. Birthdays were a little dysfunctional in my house growing up so I’m at a loss to describe a tradition now that I think about it. I’ll have to start that anew now that I have my own little family! We celebrate Astro’s adoption day by giving him a long walk, tons of peanut butter and a really nice, extra pricey bone. Does that count?
August 31st, 2010 at 3:54 pm
For Cathy Corcoran : There are Three Carvell Stores in the Greater LA area with one in Passadena on Colorado Blvd.
When I was growing up in New Jersey there were two stores in town and I had the ice cream cake , Mint Chocolate chip and vanilla Ice cream. The best birthday memories are the ones with Mom and you and Tony and Sara. I missed so much other time with you guys growing up and having to work the long hours or be gone that birthdays. Next year Gina we will go to Carvell and get you a great Ice cream cake.
I now enjoy the birthday parties you have for the boys.