Truthfully, he was more interested in our dog, Ava, than unwrapping presents this morning. But I did happen to catch this shot of him in open mouth disbelief at how awesome his gifts are. It's blurry, but I love it anyway.
We took Nate out for a special birthday lunch at Friendly's (because they specialize in local, organic fare there) and he had a great time rejecting most of the food we offered him. He did eat a bit of his grilled cheese sandwich and some peas, but he didn't want anything to do with the french fries. What kid doesn't love fries?! I guess I should consider myself lucky. Here's a shot of him reading the menu, sporting a pureed sweet potato mustache (my back up food).We finished the day with a glass shattering rendition of Happy Birthday to You and some cupcakes. I originally thought I would make some healthy prune cake or substitute applesauce for sugar in a recipe or something along those lines. But what fun is that? Instead, I made cupcakes from my favorite cake - my Grandmother's Banana Cake. It's dense and delicious. I used organic ingredients where I could. It's super easy. Here's the recipe:
Grandma's Banana Cake
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 c. banana, mashed
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. milk
Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add banana pulp and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. (My mini cupcakes took 20 minutes and my standard cupcakes took 23.) Cover with cream cheese frosting. (This is where any vague attempts at being healthy went out the window. I used store bought Betty Crocker.)
We presented Nate with a big cupcake to do with as he pleased. He chose to grab it with one hand and toss it from his highchair. Then he happily spread the frosting left on his palm across his face and in his hair.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATHANIEL!
