Jan 28, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me!


For some reason I'm usually a hard person to surprise. That's sad, because I LOVE surprises! Yesterday I found a really nice one over at Rebecca's blog where she featured me on my birthday. That sure made me feel loved and special and was a sweet way to start my day! (thanks again Rebecca!)

It was a babysitting day for me, and my five year old granddaughter insisted she was going to make me a cake "all by myself!" I told her she could do that in the afternoon...that we needed to make breakfast first. So she set out to make some pancakes from scratch...


I like mine with peanut butter and maple syrup! I love it that she loves playing in the kitchen with me.

A little later on she was ready to do the cake. I told her I'd like to try a Red Velvet Cake with Fluffy White Frosting. She asked me to just set all the ingredients on the counter and she could handle it. Ah...not quite so fast there sweetie :) I did the measuring and she did the dumping, pouring, and stirring. The recipe for the cake was given to me by my aunt back in 1967, the year I graduated from high school! I didn't have buttermilk, so I "made" some by adding vinegar to the milk. The frosting recipe I took off the internet.

Red Velvet Cake

2 oz. red food coloring (usually 4 liquid bottles) *

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or put 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a 1 cup measure and add milk to make 1 cup liquid)

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (or regular white flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tsp. baking soda


Mix food coloring and cocoa to make a paste and let stand. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, then add cocoa paste. Beat well. Add buttermilk, flour, salt and vanilla. Beat well. Add vinegar and soda, then mix by hand.


Pour batter into two 8” greased and floured round cake pans. Bake in 350℉ preheated oven for 30 minutes.


*I used the 2 1/2 bottles I had in the house and it was plenty.


Fluffy White Frosting

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine milk and flour in saucepan and cook till thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla with beater. Add milk/flour mixture. Beat until frosting thickens and becomes fluffy.




This was really easy to make and oh so delicious! I told Elylah it was the best birthday cake I ever tasted, and she said "well you're the best grandma!" ahh...

My mom had us over in the evening for a birthday dinner...



And she surprised me with a yummy pineapple upside down cake, which was always my dad's favorite (big smile)...

The kids entertained us with this game of ring toss (a paper towel holder and a bunch of bangle bracelets)...

I started to sit down by hubby and the babydoll said, "hey, I was going to sit there!" So funny...

Another birthday surprise that I received came in the mail from an old friend that I have reconnected with on Facebook. Thank you Leslie!

Hubby has an electric throw on mail order for me. All the stores were out of them...(can you imagine THAT?) Then there was a Starbucks gift card from my kids...and a dozen or so birthday cards...

One of my funniest cards I received was from an old friend who is just about my age. It said: "I know your real hair color, your real weight, and your real age...guess you're stuck being nice to me the rest of your life."

The last surprise of "my" day was a nice long phone conversation with my son who lives in SC.

I had several birthday "outings" with family and friends that were on the calendar for this weekend. I had to take a rain check on all of them because...I ended up coming down with a head cold of some kind. So I'm lying low for a couple of days so I can get well.

Thanks for sharing my day with me!

12 comments:

Rebecca said...

Sounds like a WONDERFUL day! (VERY sorry about the head cold.)

I'm going to steal the red velvet cake recipe. I bought one from WalMart for $8 for my celebrations earlier this week. It was good & no work or mess involved. But yours sounds delish! (I do the same thing when I don't have buttermilk.) And Gary loves peanut butter on his pancakes.

We have SO much in common! LOL

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Hi Jacquelyn,
So sorry to hear you are feeling under the weather hon, but so glad
you had such a nice birthday and something to look forward to after your birthday!!

Your Grandaughter did a great job on the red velvet cake, that is my hubby's fav cake.
I haven't made it in quite some time, but we happened to find a red velvet cheesecake from cheesecake factory for Christmas and it was great, very rich tho, you can't hardly eat a whole pc. One thing that makes it really good is to add black walnuts to the icing.
I think that was called the Waldorf Astoria signature cake.

Liked the funny card you got from your friend, I have a pillow that is similiar that I got from a friend, it says"You will always be my friend, You know too much!! lol
I thought it was a riot!!

Well, my dear continue to have a
Happy Birthday!!
Blessings, Nellie

Wanda..... said...

Your birthday celebrations were very nice, Jacquelyn, especially the cake baking session. Both grandkids have grown so much. Hope your cold improves quickly!

Jess said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! And many blessings in this new year too!
Wish I could have surprised you this year as well.
But I did find out that all the pain I'm in stems from 2 cracked ribs!!!
A first for me...and with so much to do. =(
"LORD, we need your healing touch!"
Love and ((HUGS))

Maria said...

Hi Jacquelyn, Oh thank you so much for visiting!
This is the first time that I participated in Pink Saturday! What fun!
I learned how to frost cupcakes with a Wilton tip this spring for my daughter's wedding shower. Since then, I've made them for a few occasions. I couldn't resist using pink frosting for my friend at work -- she's such a sweetheart!
Oh it would be fun for my cupcake to be in your sidebar! What an honor!
Thank you!
I wish you a lovely, lovely weekend Jacquelyn.
Blessings to you~
Maria
ps. Your granddaughter is just darling!

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

Hi Jacquelyn, I'm popping over via sweet Maria. Your blog is a oh so lovely, yummy and sweet. Thanks for sharing that amazing recipe, I must try it one day soon!
I wish a a sweetest of Sundays x

Lori said...

Happy Birthday sweet lady! I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. How fun to work in the kitchen with your adorable granddaughter...she is beautiful by the way...we eat pancakes with peanut butter at our house too...cake looks delicious too...looks and sounds like a good day though...take care of yourself...blessings, love, hugs and smiles being sent your way. ((((Jacquelyn))))

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

That cake looks delicious! I never turn down cake, never... even if little hands make it.

Happy Belated Birthday! May this year hold for you many sweet memories, the rich favor of God, and love at every angle. You are a blessing to this world!!!!!!!

peace~elaine

Deborah Ann said...

Aw, happy birthday Jacquelyn! My birthday is Jan 27th...looks like we're pretty close in celebrations!

I love peanut butter, but never heard of using it on pancakes. I do have to try that!

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated Birthday to you Jacquelyn...thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos! :)

Pat said...

What a beautiful birthday celebration! You are loved and it shows!
There's no amount of money that could buy what you have in family and the love they show you...I wish you continued blessing thoughout the year!
Hugs!!

Stefiart said...

Hapy birthday...Very nice family!