Earth Mother - Making Birthday Treats Together

Moscow Food Co-op Earth Mother

Making Birthday Treats Together

by Julia Parker, from the May 2004 Newsletter

Between the 1st of May and the 14th of June our family celebrates all four of our birthdays (seven birthdays between April 30th and July 1st if you count the dogs). I enjoy celebrating our birthdays and try to make each person’s day a meaningful celebration.

The key to celebrating these days well, plus helping my family feel loved and appreciated, and not completely abandoning my beliefs about sustainable living and nutrition is a delicate balance. As my family’s birthday marathon approaches, I have been thinking about alternative birthday cakes, treats, and desserts that use less sugar, artificial coloring, and refined flour. I’ve also been thinking about the benefits of cooking with kids. Cooking with kids helps them learn planning, math, nutrition, reading and self-sufficiency. It can also help older children learn about food costs and budgeting, as well as prepare them for life outside the nest. And, well, it’s fun!

Here are some of my ideas for a wide variety of tastes, ages and preferences. Kids can help with buying ingredients, mixing, measuring, and decorating with a range of supervision based on their age.

J.D., May 1, Age 36
Last year my spouse, J.D., did not want any sugar in his birthday dessert. So, I made him a “cake” from a whole honeydew melon. I peeled it, sliced off the top, scooped the seeds, and sliced off the bottom to make it flat. Then, I filled the inside to overflowing with different berries. It looked fancy for his birthday, but really wasn’t any different than a fruit salad.

Joshua, May 19, Age 17
Our son Joshua will undoubtedly want a pecan pie for his 17th birthday. (Although teenagers can be unpredictable, I don’t think this preference will change.) Pecan pies do not leave much room for nutritional improvement—at least not as far as fat and sugar are concerned. I’ll try to increase the nutritional value of pecan pie by using whole wheat pastry flour in the crust and organic eggs from our hens in the filling (See my grandmother’s pecan pie filling recipe below). Did I mention that we do NOT celebrate the hens’ birthdays?

Simone, May 22, Age 4
One item I’ll be trying to eliminate this year for my daughter’s 4th birthday is food coloring. I know Simone wants a beautiful cake with lots of color. We’ll make a sponge cake with whole wheat pastry flour and iced with a mixture of cream cheese and honey for the base of our edible flower art. (See recipe below.)

We have decided to decorate her cake with edible flowers instead of colored frosting. Some lovely edible flowers include the PETALS of: roses, tulips, yucca, lavender, nasturtiums, primrose, Borage, dandelion, violets, chrysanthemums, hollyhocks and lilacs. Remember when using flowers on cakes to eat only the petals, to use flowers grown without pesticides (not from the florist), and to taste-test them. (For more information on edible flowers look for Web sites or books from the following: Iowa State University Department of Horticulture; ‘The Edible Flower Garden’ by Rosalind Creasy; starchefs.com, edibleflowers.net)

Julia, June 14, Age 37
For me, well, I’m going to the Red Door for a slice of chocolate torte. After all, life is all about balance. Isn’t it?

Simone’s Birthday Cake (adapted from “Carla’s Hot Milk Sponge Cake” in More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Beat well: