Friday night was spent with a few friends in the yard around the fire with a cocktail or two and steaks on the fire. It was a balmy 60ish degrees on that February night,the sky was clear and the stars bright and shining. A perfect night giving no clue of the gift I was about to get.
On Saturday afternoon I picked up Madeline my 3 1/2 year old most adorable Granddaughter. She and I are having a pajama party to celebrate Granmama's birthday(birsday as Madeline say's it).We spend the day laughing, playing and making pretend cake in her pretend kitchen.I suggest to Madeline that maybe we will make a real Birthday cake for the dinner party with her parents on Sunday.Her eyes light up and she says with such excitement and enthusiasm " Granmama can we put sprinkles on it?" There is only one answer you can give to a request like that. I so enjoy the big toothy smile that comes to her face as I say "yes we can" I put Madeline down for her nap with the promise of sprinkles with white frosting when she wakes up.
As she sleeps I set about making a devils food cake from scratch. I'm not a confident baker so I thought it would be easier and I would be much more successful if I got the cake baked while she slept. While the cake is in the oven and Madeline sleeps soundly I scour my favorite cook books looking for a nice fluffy white frosting that would lend itself well to sprinkles. I find what I am looking for just as Madeline wakes up.
It is off to the kitchen with us. The cakes are nice and cool they smell good and look very good as well.Madeline has her pots and pans on the kitchen floor banging away. As I prepare the frosting on the stove top I can't stop from laughing quietly to my myself at the cooking interpretation that is playing out on the floor behind me.
The cake is finished put in to the cake holder and set safely on the counter top to wait for Sunday nights dinner.Every 15 minutes or so Madeline stops what ever she is doing and looks at me with her big brown eyes and her shy smile( the one she saves for finger wrapping if you know what I mean) and she say's"can we have cake now?" or "I think now would be good for cake".That is until it started snowing. She totally forgot that there was cake.That however is a story for another time.
After playing in the fresh snow for a while Madeline and I tucked ourselves into bed,settled down and watched a movie together before we fell a sleep.
I can't imagine a better slumber party or a better birthday for that matter.All my favorites things were there,Madeline,cooking,friends and SNOW.However my birthday blessings were not done yet.
Sunday dawns bright,clear and cold enough to keep the snow from melting.That meant sledding for me and Madeline.
Madeline's first words upon waking are to ask for Cake! making me laugh.
Dinner is at 4:00pm for 6 adults and Madeline. I decided to serve a pork roast and an orange gravy cooked in a crock pot and a sea food pasta dish.I found both recipes at AllRecipe.com.( that site never seems to let me down) Both dishes were 5 stars according to me and my guests.Even still 5 stars and all the best very best part of dinner was when my son donned an apron came into the kitchen and completely took over cooking the seafood dish.( his first job as a teen was in a seafood restaurant making him the expert)Side by side we cooked,talked,joked and laughed together.Enjoying the rare treat of each others company.
With dinner served , devoured, and cleared away we finally serve the cake.I had a piece of cake right along with everyone else but I can't tell you how it tasted I was so busy watching and enjoying Madeline with her extra large slice of cake. With her eyes closed chocolate crumbs and fluffy pink frosting all over face she smiles the biggest smile you ever did see and says "I made this cake"
The perfect end to the perfect weekend,A very happy birthday to me.
Now that is how you party all weekend long!!
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