March Birthdays and Nostalgia

It seems to me that we always have some degree of consciousness of the vast difference that separates Australia from North America.  For one thing, there is the constant calculation of the time difference.  We really should have installed a clock set to Pittsburgh time when we first moved to Melbourne, but instead we subtract various numbers of hours depending on the time of year to determine which day, and what time of day, it is for our loved ones.  

Then there is the spectre of the long-haul flight required when we go home.  The awfulness of it subsides somewhat as the months increase since the most recent journey, but still it hovers as a necessary obstacle to overcome when next we wish to make a visit.  There are two times when the distance seems especially great, however, and that is when someone is ill, or when there is a special day to celebrate. March brings with it six birthdays within our greater family, so perhaps it should not surprise me to feel especially wistful in this month that means spring in the Northern hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern.

The first birthday we celebrated this year was Sophie's.   Sophie had requested a trip for ice cream rather than cake for her birthday, but I thought we needed at least a token cake for the photos.  We should have left it as a token rather than attempting to eat it.  Something went horribly wrong in the baking of this particular cake (purchased from the supermarket), and it went straight to the rubbish bin after one mouthful.  It was so awful that Katie worried that she had ingested some deadly poison.

 

To compensate for the truly dreadful memory of that one mouthful of white chocolate cake, Sophie accompanied Ross a few days before his birthday to help pick out his cake.  I have made it nearly three years without baking a cake in Australia.  I figure there is no point starting now, especially since we have so many wonderful bakeries within walking distance.  This one we shared together over the weekend before Ross's big day.

The chocolate cake was as decadent and delicious as it appears, but even better was the panettone prepared by Gillian.  She knows it is a favorite in our family, with the adults at least, and every mouthful was savored.  It is one of those cakes that gets better each day that it has to absorb the flavors.  Yum. Ross had to go out of town the next day, and I nearly didn't save any of the leftovers for him.

The other four birthdays in March are of my grandmother, my nephew Oliver, Ross's sister Gretchen, and her daughter Alissa.  Last year the Heagys were able to visit us in March, and we had cupcakes to mark the occasion. Here is a photo of Sophie and Alissa from that visit:

Next I will post one of Oliver, taken in June of last year, followed by one of my grandmother.

It was while talking to my grandmother on the day before her birthday that I began to feel especially nostalgic.  Our conversation recalled many memories of the times we have spent at her lakeside house in Michigan, and by the next afternoon, I hit upon the remedy, for that day at least.  I decided to make an approximation of the pancakes that she serves us every visit without fail.  I knew this would be difficult, because right off the bat I was missing the most important ingredient:  her homemade applesaauce.  That could not be helped.  But after searching for some time, I found a recipe I judged to be similar, albeit without the applesauce, and as soon as James and I got home from school we went to work.

 

The buttermilk oatmeal pancakes were in fact delicious.  They were hearty, and proved to be the perfect after school snack for all four delighted children.  Katie even responded, without any prompting from me, that they reminded her of Oma's pancakes.  I think that was because I added plenty of cinnamon to the batter.  As a bonus, no one noticed the whole wheat flour in the batter, and the leftovers had to be carefully divided out the next morning for breakfast.  I felt closer to my grandma as a result of this hour spent in the kitchen, my guilty conscience over failing to bake birthday cakes was somewhat salved, and I was thrilled to discover a recipe that will surely become a keeper for our family.

 

Comments

[Suzanne]

I laughed at Sophie's cake catastophe (it's a good thing she only wanted ice cream) was jealous of Ross's 2 cakes both looking equally fabulous and was so happy when you found a recipe to bring back memories of your Grandma's pancakes. March is full of birthdays in our family as well - interesting! Enjoy your Easter holiday

[Christie Wilkin]

Thanks Suzanne! Hope you have a Happy Easter.

[Linda Renaud]

Enjoyed the storie of Sophie's cake....best to stick with ice cream, especially with all the wonderful Gelato you have there. Jealous of the Panettone Gillane made...especially with the pudding layers. Have a wonderful time in Darwin and the Outback...miss you guys. We had snow again last night.