The Birthday Club
Posted: Friday, May 01, 2009
by Grammy Guru
http://grammyguru.com
My
Birthday celebrations were called birthday dinners. They were served at noon, as close to the actual birth day as possible and were an opportunity for the women of the family to showcase their culinary talents. The honoree was exempt from bringing a dish for the meal, but I know the birthday girls never used this as a reason to come empty handed. Everything was cooked from scratch, and whatever was in season from the garden was incorporated into the menu. Although they often made other side dishes for the meal, it was assumed the dessert course for the dinner would be provided by mom and grandma. My mother was considered the best cake and bread baker and my grandmother, the best pie baker in the family. Cousin Bonnie always made a fancy jello or fruit salad and someone always made chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes. There was usually at least one other meat dish, and, of course, fresh vegetables adorned with herbs. And no birthday dinner was complete without sweet tea. Mom always made the birthday lady's favorite cake. It was her special gift to the honoree. Mom didn't own an electric mixer; therefore, hand mixing a cake was truly a labor of love.
My grandmother hosted many of the birthday dinners and delighted in doing so. A quiet, modest woman, she had a gift for making her guests feel like family. About an hour before the ladies arrived, I was dispatched outside with instructions to pick flowers for the table. It was an honor to be entrusted with such a task. Grandma never bought a flower plant in her life. Every flowering plant in her garden had first been a slip or a seed given to her by someone she knew. Her yard was a riot of color due to the many varieties of flowering plants, yet when she placed the cut flowers side by side in an ordinary glass vase, they became a work of art, the colors complementing one another perfectly.
I didn't attend mom's birthday dinner after I entered school, because her birthday was in April. Yet, I do recall going to at least one of them, and that someone made her favorite cake, a Lady Baltimore with nontraditional pink tinted, almond icing. Every April, when mom's birthday rolls around, I remember that birthday dinner, her special cake, sitting on the crystal pedestal cake plate I now own, and mom's face, flushed with modesty when the ladies sang, "Happy Birthday, dear Mary!" I may not recall specifically what the food tasted like that day, but I can tell you from personal experience, every birthday dinner would put Charlie Trotter's or Emeril's food to shame.
I no longer have anyone for whom to prepare an April birthday dinner; however, I'm going to make a meal for my family next weekend, and in memory of mom and the other ladies of the birthday club, I'm going to prepare some of their all time favorites. Care to join me? If you can't make it, here's one of the simple, yummy recipes. And if your birthday is this month, Happy Birthday!
FRESH FRUIT SALAD WITH DRESSING
2 bananas, sliced dash nutmeg
1 cup strawberries, sliced in half 1 large cantaloupe, cut in 4
2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed wedges
½ pint whipping cream 4 lettuce cups
2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon
½ cup shredded coconut, toasted juice
Combine bananas, strawberries and pineapple. Set aside and chill. Whip cream; add sugar, coconut and nutmeg. Chill. Arrange cantaloupe in the lettuce cups and fill with the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice and serve with dressing. Serves 4.
Grammy,Memories like that are some of life's 'big little' blessings. Sadly, many in the younger generation have never and never will experience that kind of special joy. As one who cooks everything from scratch, I could not only see the foods you described but I could taste and smell them as well!I very much enjoyed sharing in your experience by your words and wish you a special day next weekend,NancyPlease log in to respond to this comment.Thanks for the comments, Nancy. I agree I have been blessed with wonderful memories. Hopefully, I can impart some of those traditions to a new generation beginning next weekend.I think I packed on a few pounds just thinking about all those birthday foods. But, as you know, when things are made from scratch, they just taste better.Best wishes always,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Great article. Well done.A very interesting tradition-I like.Please log in to respond to this comment.Time to start your own similar tradition, Connor? Or do you just need a care package?Thanks for taking time to read and comment.Best wishes,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Grammy, this was not only heart-warming, it was a learning experience. I can't imagine children not attending a birthday celebration. Was this a tradition in your family alone or something that was a cultural thing for the time? I am interested.What a blessing to have such fond memories. I did get a chuckle out of your sharing about your brother. I remember when my brother chased me down the street with a broom when we were younger and mom was not home.Thank you for sharing this beautiful story, I am blessed.Please log in to respond to this comment.Hi, Teresa,Thanks for the lovely comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the article.As far as I know, the custom of birthday dinners exclusively for the women on the maternal side of the family was a tradition begun by one of the aunts. The ladies would gather once in awhile to quilt and have lunch afterward. It seems that practice may have morphed into birthday dinners when someone brought a birthday cake for one of the ladies. I do recall one birthday dinner when the quilting frame was set up in grandma's living room, and everyone added a few stitches to the quilt after the party.In our family, children had their own special birthday party. Most of the time it was held on Saturday or Sunday, following church, and included immediate family, the paternal and maternal grandparents and aunts and uncles with their children. A large meal complete with cake was the order of the day, and often someone made homemade ice cream. Yum!My big brother became much nicer after I was 18. Hope you can say the same about yours!Blessings right back!GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Loved being carried back into time and a family gathering - what fun they all had. Thanks for sharing the recipe - and the story from your families traditions.Good Fortune, CherylPlease log in to respond to this comment.Reminiscing is fun for me too, Cheryl. So glad the article was a good read for you! The recipe is so easy, even I can make it!
Best wishes,
GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Grammy, thanks for sharing your memories and recipe. Sometimes it is good to look back.Please log in to respond to this comment.A pleasure! Thanks for commenting.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Dear Grammy Guru,Thank you for a very interesting article. I enjoyed tremedously reading it because it brought back memories of the birthdays we celebrated in our family.God bless and good day!NenitaPlease log in to respond to this comment.Nenita, I'm glad the article brought back good memories to you also. Thanks for commenting.God bless!Please log in to respond to this comment.
This a great idea! In my family all the women get together for a week to celebrate everyone's birthday for that year. It's fun.Please log in to respond to this comment.Well, I sure like that custom! Thanks for the idea. And thanks for commenting.Best wishes,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
