Today is my birthday. I used to make a huge deal of my birthday, especially before having kids. I'd make cupcakes to share with everyone, have big parties, all that. I know it is very self absorbed-but hey, it's my birthday and it was always crazy fun, so there you go.
I still try to make a hoopla of my birthday, but things are a little different now. . . . but still all good. This year, my big hope is that the stomach flu/barfing/fever thing Sadie got this week doesn't spread though the whole house. Pete and I are going out for dinner tonight, and I hate throwing up an expensive dinner. That's the worst. It's like, doubly bad. You are sick and you wasted a great meal.
My b-day wish list is so immature, I seem to be regressing every year. I asked for some books about comics (Wait, that not regressing, that's just cool.) and clothes and jewelry from a catalog aimed at 15 year olds. In an alternate universe, I'm wearing Marni, but in reality, my budget and lifestyle is more Alloy. (Topshop, come to the US!) What is 35 anyway? I can't get a hold of this age. You can't really say "early 30s" anymore and I am still trying to decide, when looking at skincare products, if I am in the "mature" skin type now. I think I am. At least I've noticed that "dry/mature" get lumped together a lot.
I found out I get to be partying with Buddha today too- His ever-changing birthday lands on May 24th this year-I am so excited by this and so are the girls. He might even get his name added to the cake if he's lucky.
The cake this year is:
Orange Zest Cake with an Orange Glaze
Cake:
1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest from 1 orange
Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. Add all the rest, alternating the milk and the flour. Pour into a greased 8 " round pan. Bake 35-40 min or until it tests done. It will almost fill the pan completely. Let cool.
Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoons melted butter.
Whisk all this together until it's not lumpy. Add more liquid or powdered sugar to make it pour, as needed. Pour over the cake. When it dries, it will firm up.
When Pete and the girls made this, they split the cake in half after it cooled and used lemon curd in the middle and then poured the glaze on top. I think marmalade would be good too. Or raspberry jam, you get the idea. Enjoy!
