Birthdays are special no matter what the age! Who doesn't love a party with cake and ice cream. At my age, I can let go of all the candles, but I do love a yummy cake. My grandmother, "Mama Tip" made the best birthday cakes ever. We had the choice of white layered cake with homemade caramel icing or a white layered cake with white icing and the most beautiful handmade flowers and roses you could imagine. I loved the beautiful flowers, but the white cake with caramel icing was the amazing. She would beat the caramel icing by hand in a large bowl with an old wooden spoon. I waited patiently until she was done icing the cake so I could lick the bowl clean with the small remains of caramel icing!
Her cakes were scrumptious and never lasted very long. Every morsel was eaten and our fingers would scrape the bottom of the cake plate to get the soft residue from the bottom of the white cake which was moist, gooey and delicious.
This was no cake made from a box, but all from scratch. There was one more thing that made these cakes outstanding! Each birthday cake was actually a MONEY CAKE! Yes, that is what I said! Isn't that just absolutely AWESOME!?
Mama Tip would wrap a silver dollar in foil for the birthday person. Then she would individually wrap dimes, quarters, nickels and pennies. She would spread the first layer of icing on the first cake and then place each coin wrapped in foil on top so everyone sliced piece of cake would find a treasure within the layer. She then put on the top layer of cake and finished icing it all around the top and sides! She tucked a toothpick on the corner where the first slice would be cut for the person who was having a birthday! What fun it was to see what was wrapped inside the foil. It made every birthday festive and full of laughter. I have continued this tradition with my children, my grands and sometimes friend's birthday cakes that I have made.
A number of years ago, I was working in Chicago managing a team of engineers creating a software product. One of the guys on my team had a birthday and I decide to take a him a birthday cake. I got to the airport with the cake carefully wrapped and put it thru the security belt only to have buzzer and sounds go off like crazy. I suddenly realize I had not told the security about money being in my cake. I was of course questioned about what was in the package and I say "A Money Cake" they looked at me like I was crazy....so they sliced the cake open only to find money wrapped in foil inside the cake! They laughed and wished they were going to the party, but let me continue on with my cake. It looked a little worse for wear when I delivered it to the team...but not a speck or a coin was left after the party was over!
Family traditions are wonderful. My grandson's favorite family dinner is Taco Night with Banana Pudding! When my children were in school and I packed their lunch, there was always a note in their lunch box. My daughter now continues that tradition with her son.
We have a family sign when we say goodbye which mean "I Love You"
Traditions bring families together and if you have a tradition that everyone loves you can be sure that it continues through the generations which will create wonderful stories to be told for years to come.
If you don't have a family tradition...you are welcome to take any of the ones I have shared. Because of our quarantining this year; spending more time than we sometimes like with family...why not create some cool traditions! If you have a favorite tradition email me or tell me about it in the comment box below so I can share them with everyone.
This link will give you more family traditions to consider. https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/fun-family-tradition-ideas/
Have a blessed weekend, wear your mask so this virus won't last!