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My Mom was a fuss-maker! I mean she had celebration in her blood! So when it came to birthdays, there were rituals and special moments I remember to this day. We had this revolving cake plate that played "Happy Birthday" and it was so exciting when the plate was playing for you!! I was one of five kids, and our birthdays are Nov. 20, and 22nd, January 6, 9 and 28th. 

Even though our celebrations were close together, each one was unique. We always picked the menu on our birthday and, of course, the cake! (I remember one year my brother decided he didn't want cake so we had birthday pie!) This was my 14th birthday in 1976 - note the baseball theme on the cake; I was dressed for a Bicentennial play at school!

From the earliest days, I recall asking for "chicken, rice and gravy" as my birthday dinner. Today it lives on as "Grammy's Chicken" in our family, and although it is an old-fashioned simple meal, I wanted to share it with you. 

Grammy's Chicken Dinner

Ingredients:

2 eggs

Italian style bread crumbs

boneless chicken breast 

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup chicken broth

Your favorite rice

Heat a little oil and the butter in a pan. Beat the eggs in a bowl and dip the chicken in the egg, followed by dredging in bread crumbs. Saute in a pan - about 5 minutes each side until golden brown and cooked through. While chicken is cooking, melt butter in a sauce pan until golden brown, whisking flour in until golden brown. Then add the broth and simmer until thickened, (sauce can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more). Serve with your favorite rice and vegetable. I love gravy on the chicken and rice! 

Then I started thinking about the cake, always homemade and from scratch! I remembered when I was in grade school I would ask for chocolate cake with seafoam icing. It was my favorite! And then it hit me, although I make so many of my Mom's recipes today, I have never made seafoam icing!  It was super popular in the 1970's but you don't hear about it today, luckily I found her recipe and here it is! 

Seafoam Icing 

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

5 Tbsp. ice water

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla

Take a double boiler and get the water boiling. Place all ingredients - except for vanilla - in the top and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until mixed. Then beat on high about 4-6 minutes until the icing forms soft peaks. Add vanilla and beat for one minute. Immediately ice your favorite cake, mom's was always chocolate. 

The only downside of all this fuss making was my poor husband had to learn early in our marriage that I was expecting lots of attention from breakfast to dinner! Luckily, he was a fast learner. The running joke is, "where's the marching band?"- because that would be the ultimate party! Hasn't happened yet, but hope springs eternal! Last year when I turned 50, the girls and Sean ordered an amazing cake from the pastry chef at Skytop where we celebrated the event. It was a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing that looked just like the ski slope we love to ski on as a family. 

 

This year, as I turn 51 with a more subdued day, I hope that we can resolve to accept growing older with joy and grace because I am truly grateful for all the years with you!