My Happy Birthday

Yesterday my day started off early getting up to take my youngest child to his swim class which he loves.  It was fun to be in the water with him and we stayed to play after class in the water park.  Although I would loved to have stayed in bed a little longer initially I was glad to be up getting the day going.  My afternoon was relaxing… my kids said I couldn’t do my chores!  So while they folded laundry and Rick worried about dinner I got to spend time reading my book out on my backyard swing and trying out a new pie recipe my good friend had given me for my birthday dessert.  Relaxing may have been my best gift.

I like picnics on my birthday.  I don’t remember a time when this wasn’t so… it’s such a great time of year for grilling and eating outdoors.  We had a beautiful day for that this year, a perfect temperature for a change with a cool breeze even and no rain.  Rick suggested we get out my last package of imported Zweigles White Hots and New England Style buns.  My birthday was as good a time as any for this and must signify that it’s about time to go on vacation to replenish my supply.  He also made baked beans, roasted corn on the cob and Lindsay made a fresh fruit salad.  It was all delicious and even better because I didn’t have to prepare much of it!

After dinner we played Ladder Ball in teams watching out for young yard wanderers.

My peonies are in bloom, a little late this year but beautiful as always.

Presents had a kitchen theme this year mostly.  I even got a toaster so the kids can quit microwaving their bread to make it warm or so I don’t have to toast it in a frying pan.  Kaitlyn had made me some pictures that she was very excited about showing me.  Haley made me a CD of “car songs” that I like and she approves of… a gift for both of us I suppose.

I finally get to replace my falling apart umbrella with this really great one that automatically closes as well as opens!  We had to try that out several times just for fun. 

I got a pretty fun looking slow cooker cookbook with all kinds of great ideas in it, a World-Wide Ward Secret Recipes cookbook that also looks fun, some new spatulas to replace the ones that bit the dust this year and a little something fun to hang up in my kitchen.

A very fun looking Cranium game for FHE came out of another package and a book that was on my wish list that I’m excited to get to read this summer.

The natives were getting restless… for cake!

This was my Raspberry Chocolate Cream Pie I made from a recipe my friend, Deanna, sent to me last week thinking I might want to try it for my birthday.  My other friend was with us, also named Heather, who has a birthday exactly one week before mine and decided she wanted to try it too.  So we both got a copy and made it for our birthdays.  Deanna is a real trend setter, I told her.

This pie has a pastry crust though I’m thinking crumb crust for next time and is the only part of the pie that is baked.  Then comes a layer of fresh raspberries that cook down to a puree and a cheesecake layer after that topped with a chocolate cream layer garnished with fresh raspberries and mini-chocolate chips.  Serve with a small portion of raspberry chip ice cream and it is one delicious birthday treat. 

I had a very nice day filled with a little bit of each of the things I like best and that’s just how a birthday should be.