[Sun]

Originally Posted by dixie

I was just wondering what your birthday traditions were food wise? Does food play a huge role (family meals, going out with friends) or is it just something that happens at somepoint during the day?
Oddly, food plays a huge role in every holiday and special occasion OTHER than birthdays. If I'm dating someone, a nice quiet dinner somewhere. If not, there is an obligatory dinner with the parents unless they are out of town. Otherwise I sit at home with the kiddo like any other day, so just regular meals.

Do any of you have any favorite birthday or special occasion recipes, restaurants or desserts???
If I do go out, it's usually for steak (my fav).

Birthday cake? Icecream cake? Cupcakes?

I have been thinking about this over the course of the last week. I haven't focused much on it, but the idea of picking out a cake is always a serious task. There is so much to choose from! Do you go with your all time favorite or to mark a special milestone or change in your life, do you go with something completely different?

Homemade? Locally made/purchased? Store bought?

I'm one of those folks who's never had a birthday party, so things about that stick in my head...especially the store-bought cake. For some reason it has been important over the years. (You know, childhood wishes of wanting the pretty store-bought-decorated cake, etc etc.) Soooo....once I got older, I started buying myself one of those tiny store bought cakes that only serves 1-2. At this point, it has become my own tradition. I'm more than happy with that. lol

I think that birthday traditions are sweet. I like yours.

This is a subject that I rarely ever discussed because when I was growing up we were not allowed to celebrate birthdays, as my Mom is a Jehovahs Witness. So for many years I just worked on my birthday and almost buried the idea of any celebration because the messaging that I got as a kid was "you are not important enough to celebrate" and that, sadly went hand in hand with some serious emotional and physical abuse. Having recovered from that as a young adult work kept me away from that memory. Then one year a girlfriend threw me a surprise party and I was shocked. Never had a party before. It was only the femmes in my life who ever gave me celebration.

For that I am forever grateful.

Celebrating a life is a really important thing to do. You are very blessed to have parents who are there to celebrate you, with you.

Lucky girl.