Friday Five: Las Mananitas

Mother Laura over at RevGals hosts today's Friday Five. It's birthday time in her family and she asks:

1. When is your birthday? Does anyone else (famous and/or in your own life) share it?
My birthday is on October 25. I did find this beautiful picture from Astronomy Picture of the Day for Oct. 25, 2005:



2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for the chosen few?
I'd rather have an intimate celebration with family and/or friends.

3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s)--good, bad, or both.
When I turned 50, I was going to Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX and my second child AE was going to Trinity University. On my birthday I had a 7 o'clock philosophy class, and so I was only going to meet AE for dinner, feeling a little sad that I couldn't be with the rest of the family. I was totally shocked to find everyone at La Madeleine's! Husband CB had taken 15 year old BJ and 11 year old MJ out of school to drive 2 1/2 hours to get to the restaurant on time. And son DH had driven from College Station to be there, too. I was totally surprised. They had also ordered La Madeleine to bake a cheesecake, which is my traditional birthday cake, for us to share. (It wasn't as good as my husband's!)

4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share the cake recipe). Or would you rather have a different treat altogether?
When husband CB was going to grad school at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, we lived in married student housing. I learned that one of CB's fellow organic chem buddies always baked his wife her birthday cake each year. I liked that idea so much that I convinced CB to do that for me, and he's been doing it for the past 30 years! And I always have cheesecake, and it is still the best one I've ever had.

CB adapted Craig Claiborne's recipe for New York Cheesecake:

2 pounds cream cheese, preferably at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs

Coat and seal an 8 inch springform pan with butter. Set oven at 350 degrees.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the cheese until it is absolutely smooth. When the cheese is smooth, beat in the vanilla and sugar. Beat well and then add the eggs one at a time. After adding eggs, do not beat any more than is necessary to mix ingredients thoroughly.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Level top.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Then turn the oven off and cool in the oven, with the door open.

Refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Craig Claiborne said that this freezes perfectly, but we've never tried that!

5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em?
I've only had one "surprise" party. When I was in 5th grade, my mother planned a surprise birthday party for me. When I was over at my friend Caroline's house, she received the invitation, and I still remember looking over her shoulder as she read it. I never told anyone else about it, and I never told my mother that I was not surprised, even when I was an adult. I acted surprised when the event occurred.

But I guess I did have another surprise party--when I was surprised on my 50th. That was a real surprise!