3-2-1 Blast off Birthday Party

Turning three is a big deal ... at that matter turning a year - any year - at our house is a big deal. Turning 3 was a big deal, however for Bendeguz because he finally understood that he is having a birthday and he truly was the center of all the festivities.

Since he has been 'traveling' to space as long as he can talk, we thought it would be well suited to have a birthday party honoring his passion. We celebrated his special day by a space themed party filled with lots of fun.

He got this adorable shirt just a few weeks before his third birthday: it had a space ship tie on it ... perfectly appropriate for the occasion ... as it is clearly visible from this prideful and 'totally-cool' look he had when we took his personal picture. The space ship pinata (a last minute find) made a perfect decoration along with his banners.

All of his little guests had to pass the astronaut training test ... games like walking in a straight line after being spun on a swivel chair, knocking out aliens with balls, and jumping high on a mattress. His friends were all rewarded with official metals for his great accomplishments.

My favorite part of birthdays is to capture that face, that joy, that happiness, that excitement, that love in my children's eyes when all their friends circle around them to sing 'Happy Birthday'. I love cool cakes, and this happy moment needs to have that specialness, a one of a kind sweet creation that they will see only once in their lives. Bendeguz's spaceship cake had rich chocolate filling with raspberry jam - just as he requested.

Now, that is the face I want to catch!!! It is just all about him for a few minutes. .... I might have to correct that: it is all about him a lot since he is our 'baby' but this time all eyes were on him.

We adore this little boy so much I don't think we have words to express it. He is the funniest, silliest little man, so sharp and has such a great sense of humor. He is all boy - head to toe - and he is all lover from inside out. You think you need hugs and love ... he is the one to turn to. He has those two cute dimples above his simile that are the signs of true happiness. I have loved seeing those dimples the past three years ... may many more of those years come!!!

For the love of baking

Do you see this sweet lady???? It is all her 'fault'. It is because of her that I love to bake so much and appreciate the joy of crafting something delicious for others enjoyment. This sweet lady is my Grandma, and when I say sweet, I mean salt of the earth, the most caring, loving, giving person who God could have given me for a grandmother. She bakes up the most wonderful things out of nothing, things that were lowered in wells or tucked away under pillows to rise just to turn into delicious pastries that are famous in her village. She is in her 76th year and it is nothing for her to get up at 3 am to turn 15 pounds of flour into warm buttery biscuits and rolls to please any cultural event in her village - in fact there are no public gatherings without her goodies. She refuses to use time saving or electric devices, still kneads her bread and whips her cream and meringue by hand. The joy and happiness that her baked goods bring out of people is her biggest complement - you wanna win my grandma's heart 'dig in and enjoy' (it worked for Jeff). She shares all her receipts and hears it a lot that "I tried it, but mine was just not like yours' - and this is how she ends up doing the holiday baking for half of her village friends.

My grandma was the one who planted the seed and nurtured my love for baking. She let me crack - and ruin - dozens of eggs before I learned to separate the white and the yoke, she let me stir the batter both ways - despite superstition that it would flatten your cakes, taught me to braid and fold and twist and to put all your love into what you are making (and always 'draw' a cross over anything that you put in the oven - I bet you all wonder now how come your baking sometimes doesn't come out right?!). She has always been and she will always be my inspiration, my go to person when it comes to new or really old receipts and I hope I can preserve and master making some of her delicious goodies.

I think I have came a long way. I know that, as sometimes I can't pass along my receipts, because I can't remember how much of what I put in it. But it has not always been like that. I mean yes, I was always lousy at following receipts, the 'I know better' attitude often ended up with something bad. But I was not always a good baker. There were times when I got the bread baking fever and baked away 25 pounds of flour just to be disappointed over and over. They were not failures, just small steps. Those were the times when the ducks would run away when they spotted me on the trail - in memory of my previous loaves that they could hardly swallow even if they were choking it down with water. Or the days when you could have a loaf of my 'wonderful' bread for a doorstop any day of the week. Yup, those days, they were fun, especially when I found out that the pound of yeast that I wanted to use up was not SO active any more - hence the bricks that kept coming out my oven.

But now things are as easy as pie, as whipping up a great loaf of bread or making birthdays cakes in shape of insects or flowers or cars or you name it. I love baking and I love sharing my baked goods. This is why I am so thankful for my family and friends who love to eat so I can stay in the kitchen. And I am so thankful for my wonderful grandma who helped me find this joy in my life and who inspires me every day.

This was fun ... held together by 'nails'.

One of my grandma's famous pastries - plum jelly filled with toasted nuts on top.

Oh, and the .... no comment.