Tiny Sprout Love First Birthday Edition
Tuck in, this is a long one because, my baby is ONE! How did that happen? I know everyone says that, but seriously, this year went so fast. I feel like I’ve just started to get my feet under me again. At the same time it feels like forever ago that he was a tiny baby. He’s such a little person now. He’s even toddling all over the house. He did not disappoint, in true C man style he walked exactly 1 week before his first birthday. He is definitely my kid. Hitting those milestones exactly on schedule and not a minute before. After this truly wild and crazy year, I was ready to celebrate.
I love birthdays. Love them. In my family we joke that we don’t have birthdays, but birthday months. Birthdays are about celebrations and traditions. Ever since I left home I’ve always traveled back for my mom’s birthday no matter how busy I was. We spend the day together, usually have an outdoor adventure of some sort, and always lots of food. On my birthday my best friend takes me to get my nails done and then out for lunch. She has done this for me when we were broke, when I lived in Boston, even when we lived on opposite coasts. S is an architect and loves amazing food so for his birthday I try to find a new restaurant preferably in a cool building. When it came to planning C’s birthday it was a great excuse to celebrate and start some new traditions. The celebration turned out to be more than I ever could have imagined. The incredible outpouring of love and community that we had that day blew my mind.
Here’s what it was like to turn one in the Tiny Sprout Love family:
The night before the big birthday S and my brother-in-law stayed up to help finish up the decorations while I baked. We covered the wall in the entryway with giant photos of C (see the awesome post from Kitchn for instructions), hung the banner, filled the room with twinkle lights, and put out the giant gold letters spelling out his name. My child is not going to have an confidence problem.
Don't mind the party prep happening in the background!
Since before I was pregnant I thought it would be amazing if my kiddos woke up to a room full of balloons on their birthdays, so that’s exactly what we planned to start the day and it couldn’t have been better. At 2 am S and I were still filling up balloons, and let me tell you that man got every ounce out of the helium tank. Final count, 65 balloons for our baby to wake up to on birthday morning. C LOVED it. Worth it.
Balloons aren’t the only think I’ve been thinking about since before I had kids. I have been thinking about my baby’s first birthday cake probably since the moment I decided to have kids. For me, birthdays are all about the cake. I love cake. Love it. The worst part about being gluten-free is the lack of good cake in my life. However, I have a secret weapon when it comes to baking, Wegman’s Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix is awesome and works as a 1 for 1 replacement in any baking recipe. It alters the outcome slightly, but still results in delicious baked goods. Unless I tell people they never know they’re gluten-free. So you see this birthday cake was not only Connor’s first taste of cake, it was also an excuse for me to eat lots of cake. I agonized over which cake was the best. Then I realized that a really good mom shouldn’t try to influence her child's cake preferences. A good mom should guide, but ultimately, when it comes to such important self defining preferences she has to let her child make up their own mind. So of course, to be a good mom, I would have to introduce him to ALL the cake. OK, it wasn’t all the cake, it was 5 cakes and it was also a great excuse to use pretty cake stands. Win win win.
My mother, mother-in-law, and I each baked different cakes for the party, each with a mini version for C. Have I mentioned that this kid is loved?
My mother in law made carrot cake from my husband’s childhood. I tackled a white cake with seven minute frosting that my mom made every year for my birthdays as a kid and an apple spice cake from my favorite cookbook that is my go to cake for parties. My mother made a lemon cake that is my current favorite and “THE” chocolate cake. You know this cake, the one that every family has a version of, the one that is made for every birthday and has traveled long distances to show up just in time for the special day. It’s the cake I always request for my birthdays now.
We let C go at all of them before everyone showed up for his party. With just family and close friends around we put the cakes down on a sheet and let him loose. I was so excited, which cake would he choose? I couldn’t wait. He on the other hand, decided to take his time. He sat there and laughed at us all. He seriously didn’t know what to do with himself until S decided that enough was enough and he took a bite, then C was all about it.
The verdict? He is my kid. He has decided that they are all amazing and he must have them all every year. My plan may have back fired a little bit. Maybe a multi flavor 8 layer cake? Thoughts?
The party followed C’s cake tasting and everyone else was able to sample the cakes as well. S had a great take on keeping things kid friendly and still offering cocktails for the adults that suited the season perfectly. He filled giant glass drink dispensers that we have from our wedding with cider from a local farm and added apple slices and spices. He set out bottles of bourbon and let the grown-ups mix their own.
I was overwhelmed by the joy and love we were surrounded with. I am so grateful for all the friends who have been with us for years and for the incredible community we are just starting to build where we live. I know my kiddo will be well loved and supported for his entire life. I want to blame the fact that I kept tearing up on the copious amounts of sugar I consumed and the fact that I stayed up until 2am finishing cakes, but the truth is, it was all the love.
Below are a few of the amazing cake recipes. None of them are healthy, but they all use whole ingredients and are approved by none other than the birthday boy himself. My little one year old, and the true king of the Wild Things…..C.
Golden Lemon Chiffon Cake
From the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, served with raspberries on top
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup salad oil
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup (4) egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl; make a well in dry ingredients. Add salad oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and grated lemon peel in order given. Beat until satin smooth.
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in large mixing bowl. Beat until they form very stiff peaks (stiffer than for meringue or angel cake).
Fold egg-yolk batter gradually into egg whits with down-up-and-over motion, turning bowl gradually. Bake in ungreased 8x8x2- or 9x9x1 3/4-inch pan in moderate oven (350) 30-35 minutes.
Apple Spice Cake
This is actually the Lazy Chef's Fruit Torte recipe from the amazing Sarah Copeland. It can be found in her book, The Newlywed Cookbook. This is hands down my favorite cookbook. My husband gave it to me for our first anniversary and I use it for everything. I use apple slices in place of the other fruit and dust it with powdered sugar. It may be the Wegman's mix, but it puffs up nicely and is perfect for apple picking season.
Here is a link to the full recipe on Relish: http://relish.com/recipes/lazy-chefs-fruit-torte/
White Cake
There are a million versions of this out there. This one comes from the depths of my mother's recipe box. This is the entire recipe, exactly as it is scribbled on the scrap of paper I found it on.
1234
3 C Flour
2 C Sugar
1 C Milk
3 t BP
1 t Vanilla
1 C oil
4 eggs
350° 50/60 min
Enjoy!
