The Birthday

Today was the Eldest's birthday. The Young One and I spent the morning picking up baking stuff and the Young One bought a manga (Japanese comic book) to give to her sister.

Since we are all following the WW plan, I wanted to make a treat we could have, and still have that birthday cake feel. I found a recipe for Key West cupcakes at Betty Crocker and I modified it using sugar free vanilla pudding and cool whip instead of real whipping cream. It was blistering hot and humid and the filling and icing quickly became goopy so the cupcakes had to live in the fridge for few hours.

I found a Wilton cupcake stand at iParty and thought that would make the cupcakes look more like a birthday cake. The cupcake stand will get a workout this month as we celebrate 3/4 of the family birthdays.

Amazing how the ritual has changed since she was little. When she was little, the celebration lasted all day. Sometimes there would be an afternoon party with small children. Since the birthday is also in the middle of prime vacation week, the celebration was usually an outing, or a movie and then dinner at a restaurant where the waitstaff would sing.

At nineteen, she came in from work, tore through her gifts with smiles, tolerated the singing of the birthday song, scarfed a cupcake or two (only 2 points each!) and went off to kickboxing class.

Think I'll have another cupcake.