A 10th Birthday to Remember and A Tale of The Chocolate Cake That Never Was
The morning started out like all 10th birthday mornings should…
The birthday girl was all smiles and giddiness…
I can’t believe I’m 10! This is going to be the best day ever!
Birthday waffles were served per SiSi’s request.
And the birthday girl even got to open one present…
Green polka dot sheets from Pottery Barn Teen to go with her 10th birthday room makeover.
Then it was off to school for the kids, and time for me to head to the store for birthday supplies and ingredients for SiSi’s birthday cake of choice: Chocolate Cake {recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Annalise Robert’s Gluten-Free Baking Classics} with Strawberries and Whipped Cream. {The same topping her brother, Big Tex, had for his birthday.}
The day got busy, as my days often do :-), and before I knew it, it was time to pick the kids up from school, cake not made…
The birthday girl was still beaming when I picked her up from school, and her wish for birthday frozen yogurt was made, so off we walked, with a couple of friends in tow, to the local frozen yogurt neighborhood joint, Golden Spoon.
Fro Yo in hand, we walked back home to do some homework before SiSi’s soccer practice, and 10 roses were presented to the birthday girl.
Then it was time for me to make THE cake.
I turned the oven on to pre-heat it around 3:15, and next thing I knew, the power was out.
Hmm…
Maybe since I had put the AC on due to the heat wave we had been having, I had blown a fuse…
Checked the electric panel…
Nope! No fuse blown…
Headed outside to see my neighbors emerging from their homes, only to report that their power was out too.
Hmm again…
To make a long story a little bit shorter :-), we found out soon enough that this was an unprecedented power outage in San Diego County extending into parts of Baja California, South Orange County, and Arizona.
The power would not be coming back on any time soon…
SO, with alternate birthday cake plans in mind, the kids and I headed down to the neighborhood Vons.
It was closed, but the bakery near by, O’Briens, was still selling pastries, albeit in the dark, and for cash only.
I scrounged together what cash I had, and purchased one cherry turnover {for the Birthday girl}, one lemon turnover {for the Birthday girl’s brother} and the largest fruit and cheese danish I have ever seen, for everyone else to share.
Then there were a few initial tears when SiSi thought her dad might not make it home that evening to celebrate.
You see, traffic was at a standstill due to no traffic signals working AND when your dad works for the local utility and the power is out across the county, there is work to be done!
But all was OK when he managed to break away from the EOC {Emergency Operations Center} and drive home for a few hours to help celebrate the big double-digit bithday.
The rest of the evening was truly a birthday night to remember…
Street soccer was played with friends {both big and small!}…
Dinner was shared with neighbors: Turkey burgers and Cheese pizza on the grill {made with Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust}…
Candles were blown out by the light of our fire pit and birthday danish was shared with everyone…
Then, we ended the evening with a neighborhood “ghost walk” to check out the gorgeous star lit sky and we stumbled our way though the dark house in to bed, where the birthday girl declared,
This was my best birthday ever!
Happy Birthday my sweet 10 year old! I love you to the Universe, Beyond, and Back! xoxoxo
Do you remember your 10th birthday? What was YOUR best birthday ever???
P.S. The power came back on at our house around 1:10 am, and SiSi enjoyed a little leftover danish for breakfast this morning 🙂
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