eleven already?? ::::
Eleven!
Peach made it clear from the beginning that pandan chiffon cake wasn’t her choice this year. Ice cream cake for her birthday. Oreo. From Dairy Queen. And I don’t have a photo of it.
We celebrated her actual birthday a couple weeks ago at a teppanyaki place, her request, with all the fire and buttery rice she desired. Her sleepover party with several of her tweeny friends occurred on a recent weekend when I was out of town for work. Eat had the pleasure of resetting the heat when it went out (while giving me a play-by-play during one of my networking meetings whereby I gave up and left from the distraction), making a firepit for s’mores, watching how quickly pizzas and chicken wings disappeared, and the sleep deprivation that comes with squealy fifth graders trying to be covert when gossiping (loudly) into the wee hours of the night.
My baking needs for Peach’s birthday decreased substantially this year, along with my general replacement in the kitchen. I’m being censored more and more, by tweens, internet recipes of cookies, and the malaise of underappreciated homecooking. (Trader Joe’s, you are winning by far here.)
Such is life.
I’ll have more time to see Peach lament her small bedroom. Her need for more clothing because she keep growing out of the things she has. The stealth watching of her on social media, having fun with friends. Seeing her develop as an artist. See the line drawing above? She started it earlier this year, then pitched in the trash after giving it a frustrated crease. I love the perspective of the people and the facelessness — the unending possibilities of who these people might be. A family? Friends? Strangers? Multi-generational? Multi-race? Multi-ethnic? Better than an Oreo ice cream cake.
Happy Birthday, Sweets. I can’t believe you are eleven years old already! I love you.
There is no birthday cake recipe for today. There are many past recipes to choose from below (you won’t be disappointed):
One year ago: pandan chiffon cake (for Peach’s tenth birthday — definitely one of my favorite cake flavors ever)
Two years ago: kitty sugar cookies (for Peach’s ninth birthday — so cute!)
Three years ago: painter’s palette cookies (for Peach’s eighth birthday — so pretty!)
Four years ago: coconut cream puff birthday (for Peach’s seventh birthday — delicious!)
Five years ago: black cocoa cookie-coffee-almond ice cream sandwiches, salted pumpkin and pepita caramels, strawberry cream cheese frosting (for Peach’s sixth birthday)
Six years ago: rainbow brown sugar cupcakes (for Peach’s fifth birthday), apricot oatcakes
Seven years ago: revelatory caramel cake (for Peach’s fourth birthday), lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting (also for Peach’s fourth birthday), sgroppino al limone.
