Lots to Celebrate

With three February birthdays and Valentine's Day, our family had a lot to celebrate.
Sara's birthday came first and she celebrated with a trip to Mexico with three girlfriends. Megan and Sara were born in the same hospital room and have been friends since. Megan is an E.R. doctor and has lots of airline and hotel "miles," so she took Sara for her birthday. We had a chance to help out a little with "The Reeders," but Reed is at the age now where he and his Daddy are "buds," and Gary handled most of the parenting without our assistance. Sara's favorite birthday cake is Red Velvet (and it came in the form of cupcakes this year), and she loves Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Actually, it's our family's favorite jello salad, and being red, was perfect for Valentine's Day, too.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Yield: 8 to 10 servings (9" x 13" inch pan)

Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping, if desired.




Jon's birthday was next and he would love to have had the opportunity to make the trek to CA to be there "up close and personal" for the national off-road races he loves so much. Jon has loved "motorized vehicles" since he was old enough to talk, and has made a name for himself as one of their "golden voice" announcers. Instead of the trip, he took one day off work and watched the race from the comfort of his own home. He requested Turtle Brownies instead of birthday cake and took them to work to share with his co-workers and then, later, his family and friends.


Ky's birthday is last, and we're actually celebrating hers a little early. Instead of the usual birthday party, she opted this year to spend the day with her BFF (Best Friend Forever), shopping and having lunch at the Olive Garden, which we will do tomorrow since the public schools are closed for Presidents' Day. I think she's growing up and, in a way, it makes me sad, but I guess we can't keep them little forever.

Judging from what Ky is wearing, one might guess that she's a TWILIGHT and Edward Cullen fan. Do ya think? The sweatshirt was what she wanted for her birthday and I thought I'd have to send it back because it was so large. But, she said she loved her "Edward dress," and it's fine the way it is. Makes it easy on me.
I decided to include the photo of the raspberry lemonade, despite the fact that you really can't tell that the ice cubes are heart-shaped and pink. I had made heart-shaped ice cubes for Ky's birthday party last year, so she wasn't surprised by that, but she asked me why they were pink. I said, "Well, you tell me what tip I taught you about making ice cubes for punch." She thought a second and then said, "Oh yah, you make the ice cubes for the punch out of some of the punch so that when you add them it doesn't water down or dilute the punch." She did remember! And she is growing up.

Everyone in our family LOVES bar-b-que beef brisket, and Steve is our Master of the Big Green Egg. The brisket sandwiches were a hit with our birthday kiddos and our Valentines.



Finally, inasmuch as it's practically a universal declaration that one CANNOT celebrate Valentine's Day without chocolate, I'll share the recipe for the Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake we enjoyed. DISCLAIMER: If you are "dieting" (bannish the word for this holiday!), there is not a single redemptive quality about this decadent cake (unless you believe the old addage, "calories disappear when the food is eaten with friends or family"). I've been making this cake for as long as I can remember and there are dozens and dozens of similar recipes out there, but as you can see, this particular recipe is provided by Ree Drummond (pioneerwoman.com). ENJOY!

Chocolate Sheet Cake
- makes one 18x12-inch cake -

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond.

Ingredients
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

Icing
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir together and set aside.

3. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa.

5. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

6. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.

7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.

8. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture.

9. Stir together until smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes.

10. While the cake is baking make the icing. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (I just wash out the same one I used for the cake. Makes me feel responsible and productive.)

11. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.

12. Add the milk and vanilla.

13. Add the powdered sugar. Stir together.

14. Dump in the chopped pecans and stir until well combined.

15. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it as evenly as possible.


It was fun to celebrate all three of our February birthdays, and oh, how we love our kids and grandkids. But it is Valentine's Day, afterall, so I will close this blog by thanking my hubby--and best friend--for another wonderful year. I love you, Sweetheart!