Anybody Want Some Cake?

This is cake week here at the Barlows. Why? Two birthdays in 3 days is why. Which is why I just extend the holiday eating to include this week. Thankfully, one boy wanted chocolate and one wanted vanilla or, as he said, “vanilla with white frosting but NOT with that buttercream!” He’s a little bit opinionated about his own birthday cake.

I’ve been a little obsessed with cake lately, myself, and it has nothing to do with the cakes this week and everything to do with a taste of salted caramel frosting that I tasted — was it only last week?– in Seaside. Now, that frosting was very yummy. It was very memorable. It is why I’ve got a stack of recipes to evaluate and a few of them to make, maybe. Like I need that….and yet, I have a feeling that it’ll get done, you know? All I need is a reason….anybody want some cake?

Enough with the caramel frosting digression….let the birthday pictures roll….

First we have #3 here. Bless his heart — not only is he a middle child but his birthday is also sandwiched between Christmas/New Year and his little brother’s birthday that comes only 2 days after his own. He wanted to have homemade cinnamon rolls for birthday breakfast and hot dogs and curly fries for his birthday dinner.

He wanted chocolate cake, smart boy.

I totally have Aldivored that recipe, by the way, and I’ll post it soon. Just having to go to one store totally rocks. And maybe, just maybe I should totally use the word totally more, totally, right? Methinks I’m turning into a pumpkin and need to go to bed. Totally!

Here’s #4. I awoke this morning to this child standing at my bedside pinning this birthday button to his jammies. (Joanie and Rhonda, the button that y’all gave me has been very well used.) He was so excited that it was his birthday. He requested, “chips with ketchup to double dip the chips in,” for his birthday breakfast. I think that he just added on the chips as an afterthought so that he would have a vehicle for the ketchup. Needless to say, we didn’t join in with him in his birthday breakfast selection. He enjoyed it, however, so that’s a good thing. It is surprising to me how much I just roll with it as my life goes on. Chips and ketchup for birthday breakfast? Sure! Taking Ho-Hos for your class treat instead of nicely decorated cookies or cupcakes? Why not?

Another birthday, another cake. This was the aforementioned vanilla or “White!”. Good thing that he didn’t notice that he had a Frangelico cake since his mama forgot to buy vanilla. I’m without vanilla more than I have it, seems like. Perhaps next year I can talk him into a caramel cake or maybe he’ll wise up choose something different, although, this cake was good and the frosting was, too. Maybe I’ll blog this recipe…it’s a good one to have.

I just love the composition of this image. Note the older brother cowering in the background as Happy Birthday was sung and the candles blown out. Atypical for others = typical for some Barlows.

After the birthday dinner was eaten, the brothers got together and transformed into super heros of their own invention….I give you

Cosmic and The Frog. You know which one is which.

My little January babies — characters, the both of them.