Happy Birthday to Me! (Pink Cake)

Monday was my birthday and I love everything about birthdays! Cake, ice cream, parties, family dinner. I am in love with the whole thing.

I really love the cake. Always have. Doesn't matter where it's from or how extravagant it may, or may not, be. Cake is a sure sign of celebration and I am always up for that.

I received this cookbook as a Christmas gift several years ago. Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson. It is a collection of cake recipes that includes some vintage recipes, some new, and a good amount of writing and photos that any fan of baking and/or nostalgia would enjoy. I have read through it several times but have not attempted any of the recipes before yesterday.

The cover features a beautiful pink cake on a white stand and is the whole reason I asked for this book in the first place. So, I attempted to make this three layer chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream. Spoiler alert: things did not go perfectly.

Never fear! I did, in fact, end up with a chocolate cake with pink frosting. It resembles the picture in the cookbook even though the pink icing is not raspberry flavored. The cake turned out dense, but delicious. The meringue based buttercream frosting did not turn out and after 24 hours of puzzling over ways to save it I moved on to Plan B.

Meet Plan B: Basic cake frosting tinted pink with red food coloring. It may not be gourmet but it met my main goal of having pink cake. I say, "mission accomplished."

A lot of thoughts ran through my head over the last few days regarding what to share with you on the topic of cake. To bake or not to bake? Make it from scratch, from a box, or from an order form at your favorite bakery? Baking is a science. So, the chance that something will go wrong is likely greater than it would be when cooking a dinner or making hors-d'oeuvers which are more open to interpretation and rule bending.

I would liken baking to beginning a new fitness routine. If you are new to it enter in with caution. Listen to your body. If the opportunity arises maybe ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough to handle a baking disaster. Do not enter into a baking endeavor on the morning of a holiday or under any kind of extreme stress such as a breakup, potential pregnancy, or while watching a Debra Winger Movie Marathon.

The important things to know here include: (1) people love cake. (2) making or buying someone a cake is a lovely gesture that will not go unnoticed. (3) Making a cake from a beloved family recipe is a great way to spend a day reminiscing while sharing traditions with friends and loved ones. (4) Have a back up plan. Just in case.

So, whats the recipe?

Easy version: Order a cake fully baked and decorated from a reliable bakery. There are tons of great bakeries in the KC area. HyVee, Costco, Dulce Bakery, Bloom Bakery, and Three Women and an Oven are all on my list of go-to places.

Low to Moderate Difficulty: Bake a cake from a  box or  from your favorite recipe. Order pre-made frosting and decorations from your local bakery. Most will mix, flavor, and tint frosting to your specifications. You can make the cake ahead and freeze or refrigerate it until the day before your event. Pick up the frosting and assemble your cake within 24 hours of your event.

Masters Level: Bake a homemade cake from your favorite recipe. If you are a skilled baker you can likely tackle a recipe from any well written cookbook. Use your favorite frosting recipe and flavor or tint to meet the needs of your cake. Cut the cake into a custom shape and/or decorate to amp up the excitement for your event.

The goal is to have fun and celebrate important moments with the people in your life. So, if you don't enjoy baking use the easy version. If you love to bake than go crazy!

People sure do love homemade desserts!

(Special thanks to my coworkers for eating the majority of my beautiful pink cake!)

Here are some examples of fun cakes I have made in the past. I would rate myself as a cake novice so if I can do it most of you can too.

37th Birthday: Cowboy Cupcakes

Barbie Cakes for Twins
1 Pink, 1 Purple (made w/a friend)

8th Birthday:Dirt Bike Cake
(Kids were excited about the donuts!)

1st Birthday: Farm Cake & Cupcakes

Birthday Dinner (5 Hour Stew & Mary Ellen's Rolls)

January is my birthday month so I am sharing, what has historically been, a very popular birthday meal in my family. It's perfectly delicious on a cold Winter day.

We all have favorite meals that remind us of home. The meal you crave on frigid days like today (when you wake up and it's 12 degrees outside). Who wants to go outside in that kind of weather?!? Not me. I want to eat!

For me, that meal (or should I say, "one of those meals") is 5 hour stew and Mary Ellen's Rolls. This meal is a combination of two of my favorite comfort foods.

Happy New Year! (Flavored Yogurt & Fuel To Go Muffins)

Happy New Year!  

Today is a day for new beginnings.

Some of you may be thinking it is a bit of a leap to go from writing about KC Singles to posting recipes. It all makes good sense...in my head. So, allow me explain.

Being single is expensive! Meeting friends for meals or happy hour adds up over time. Cooking for one is not all that exciting so singles eat out A LOT or eat prepackaged and take out food. They are taking care of all of the household chores that couples may split so cooking often falls off the bottom of the list.

Cooking is a great way to show how much you care for and appreciate the people in your life and that includes yourself. In my experience, when you are cooking for one or maybe two people there is not much opportunity to practice. When you do cook you need it to taste great - every time.

My Final Word on Singles. Now, Let's Eat!

Here it is. Finally. The short and sweet version of what I have learned about KC Singles. The post your short attention span has been waiting for! 

Over the last two years I spent a substantial amount of time pondering the life of KC Singles. I blogged about what I learned in a single conversation with a handful of them. I read countless articles, surveys, and advise columns. I have talked and talked and talked to anyone that would engage me on this topic. 



In the process I have become increasingly certain about the following Truths:

As Promised: My Brave Interviewees

Many, many thanks to everyone who shared their story with me in 2014.
If this group is any indicator KC Singles are quite the dynamic group!

The Wild Ride (W19)

We met for beers on the patio at McCoy's. One of my favorite KC spots for sure! Conversation came easily as we covered online dating, the surprises that accompany moving away from home, settling into a  new job/career, and growing a network of friends in a new city.

My biggest success in memory is completing my first year of teaching and surviving in KC alone. 

Let me just say that she makes surviving look good! She lives Downtown. She is poolside at the Intercontinental in the Summer. She kicks it at happy hour or goes out dancing on the weekends. She frequents concerts and musicals or explores the city in her free time. Whether she is glammed up and heading out on the town or casual and cute headed to a Royals game she definitely knows how to have fun!

This Is The Best Time Now (W18)

Woman 18 (W18) was 41 at the time of the interview. She grew up in a military family and her immediate family currently lives in the KC metro. If you were (or are) an NKOTB fan you will love this little fun factoid! A friend of mine has been friends with Donnie Wahlberg for years. We have spent time with him on several occasions. For a while I dated one of the NKOTB bodyguards.

She has a lot to juggle right now. Based on our conversation she is in the midst of multiple changes. Her early 40's have found her enmeshed in professional and personal life changes. I asked her what is working best in her life right now and after a quick, knowing laugh, a scrunched facial gesture, and a swirl of her glass of wine she emphatically replied. I could almost see the laundry list of emotions and events scrolling behind her eyes.