On Thursday June 9th we celebrated Gearoid’s 31st birthday. Unfortunately we missed having our friends and family around but we made due with just the two of us.
My preparations began Wednesday when I wrestled with cake ideas. We have a problem with a tiny oven that doesn’t really function the way I want it to. The way birthdays work in the Netherlands is that you supply the cake for your coworkers or you take them out for a drink. Not on their birthdays but on your birthday. You treat people on the day celebrating your existence. So, being a proud baker I wanted to make something impressive. However, culinary disasters here in the Netherlands have affected my confidence. I decided on a simple chocolate cake cooked in my loaf pan. Three hours later I had a cake that was overcooked on the top and collapsed when I cut it.
Thursday morning, Gearoid stopped at the grocery store and picked up a couple of cakes to share with his co-workers. They rewarded the cake with a book by a Dutch author, a children’s book with your first 1000 Dutch words, a Josh Ritter CD, a gift certificate, and a bottle of the University’s beer. Yes, the university has its own beer.
Gearoid came home with a birthday boy bubbliness and I made him a special dinner of blue cheese mashed potato pizza (sounds weird but it was delicious). He opened his Martens-style (i.e. newspaper) wrapped video game and movies from me and enjoyed his birthday beer. We finished the evening with the edible parts of my failed cake topped with some Ben and Jerry’s. Small, intimate, and cozy- I do believe he had a nice birthday.
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