Josiah's birthday fifth birthday party was a total blast... He had such a great time running around and being crazy with his buddies- I don't think he remembered that it was his birthday party for most of the time, but he certainly enjoyed himself.
Can you guess what happened to me and my camera right after this picture?!
Fortunately it still works. I guess posing for the picture was just bothersome enough for Josiah that he had to exact a price for his trouble.
A few of the things that made Josiah's birthday party outstanding...
-a hot, super-sunny day
-the six super-soakers Grandma Flavia brought, and her willingness to play with them too!
-loads of friends, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents
-two big sisters gung-ho to make lil' brother's birthday a hit
-two malte-poos, a pugle and a sweet chocolate lab- all under a year old and happily frisky
-a campfire for a smores buffet- try nutella or peanut butter... Yum!
Josiah was spoiled with all sorts of great gifts, including several pairs of his favorite style of shorts (long basketball) a cool Star Wars coloring book, and his own walking stick from the Cedar River. He was thrilled with every single thing he got, even though he didn't show it right away.
Timmy was the die-hard pool fan... There is no such thing as an inappropriate time, or inappropriate apparel for the pool for this guy. He's a fanatic.
Why aren't pot bellies as cute on everyone as they are on these little guys?
I was concerned that Josiah would be unhappy that his cake was unfrosted- it was a pound cake, and I made strawberry rhubarb sauce to go with it, and had some vanilla ice cream on hand too. Very good, but not as glamorous as the usual food-colored affairs. I waited for him to give a look of dismay when I brought it out, but instead he gave a little smile and said, "My very own cake!" Whew...
He seemed to like it quite a bit, actually.
I'm going to share the recipe because it was awesome... Sadly not healthy, but delicious. (If you want to find it in a better format to print, search on epicurious.com; that is where I found it.)
Preparation
Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.
Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).
Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
Thanks to all the wonderful people who helped make Josiah's celebration so memorable. As he said when he came outside early in the morning, before any guests even arrived, and saw the balloons hanging all around... "Wow!! I've never had a party like this before!"
Can you guess what happened to me and my camera right after this picture?!
Fortunately it still works. I guess posing for the picture was just bothersome enough for Josiah that he had to exact a price for his trouble.
A few of the things that made Josiah's birthday party outstanding...-a hot, super-sunny day
-the six super-soakers Grandma Flavia brought, and her willingness to play with them too!
-loads of friends, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents
-two big sisters gung-ho to make lil' brother's birthday a hit
-two malte-poos, a pugle and a sweet chocolate lab- all under a year old and happily frisky
-a campfire for a smores buffet- try nutella or peanut butter... Yum!
Josiah was spoiled with all sorts of great gifts, including several pairs of his favorite style of shorts (long basketball) a cool Star Wars coloring book, and his own walking stick from the Cedar River. He was thrilled with every single thing he got, even though he didn't show it right away.
Timmy was the die-hard pool fan... There is no such thing as an inappropriate time, or inappropriate apparel for the pool for this guy. He's a fanatic.
Why aren't pot bellies as cute on everyone as they are on these little guys?I was concerned that Josiah would be unhappy that his cake was unfrosted- it was a pound cake, and I made strawberry rhubarb sauce to go with it, and had some vanilla ice cream on hand too. Very good, but not as glamorous as the usual food-colored affairs. I waited for him to give a look of dismay when I brought it out, but instead he gave a little smile and said, "My very own cake!" Whew...
He seemed to like it quite a bit, actually.
I'm going to share the recipe because it was awesome... Sadly not healthy, but delicious. (If you want to find it in a better format to print, search on epicurious.com; that is where I found it.)Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)
Preparation
Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.
Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).
Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.
Thanks to all the wonderful people who helped make Josiah's celebration so memorable. As he said when he came outside early in the morning, before any guests even arrived, and saw the balloons hanging all around... "Wow!! I've never had a party like this before!"