For the second year in a row, John requested a baseball themed birthday party so we headed over to a local schoolyard to Play Ball!
He is serious business when it comes to the sport.
So Luke and some of the other parents played a little pick up game with the kids.
We had hot dogs, chips, pickles, and apples for lunch.
John requested a baseball field cake so I did my research, planned it all out and came up with this:
It actually turned out better than I expected!
(If you are not interested in cake making minutia then skip ahead to the next picture.)
Leah and I made this recipe the day before with all my typical substitutions (sprouted spelt flour, coconut oil, sucanat, etc.), then that evening I put the 2 9 x 12 cakes side by side and cut the curve to make the field shape and began decorating. I bought Cherrybrook Kitchen "healthy frosting" which was too sticky, so John and I mixed it in the food processor with Organic Valley's cultured cream cheese to give it a more spreadable texture. Then I had found India Tree natural food coloring for the green field color, but it wasn't bright enough. So my neighbor said she heard that Spirulina (an algae superfood) was a natural option for food coloring (naturally, I already had that in my cupboard =)) and I was shocked by how much it looked like real grass.
I used Trident gum for the bases, gluten-free cookie crumbs for the dirt, and piped cream cheese mixed with honey for the foul lines and "Happy Birthday, John." Lest you think I have amazing fine motor skills, I actually cut out pieces of thin cardboard to create boundaries before sprinkling the crumbs, including various sized toilet paper roll tubes and a piece of manilla folder for the outfield boundary.
I found the baseball player figurines after 2 trips to various gigantic, suburban party supply stores which are beyond overwhelming due to the glut of plastic junk destined for landfills in poor community's backyards (and are particularly disgusting during Halloween, I must say). They are a bizarre reflection of the materialism and entertainment values in our culture and if I never step foot in one again, I'd be completely content. (Hey! How did I get on this soap box again?)
Yet my small purchase supported the whole system, so I am continuing to try to find the balance of celebrating freely, yet responsibly without unnecessary guilt. (Moving on. Ahem.)
I should disclose that the frosting actually tasted, ever so faintly, like real grass as well. But only one kid mentioned that it tasted "funny." My poor kids, who are subjected to the abuse of eating unsweetened yogurt, sauerkraut and kombucha, thought it was just fine, thank you very much! And it's not everyday you get active cultures, antioxidants, and phytonutrients in frosting, so you're welcome very much! =) (I'm starting to sound eerily similar to my mother who still justifies a long season of feeding us "carob desserts.")
The team picture:
And the MVP:
We love you, John!
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