A philosophy on birthdays

I'm just going to be blunt. Alex is such a strange duck. His ideal birthday (which is today) would be nobody saying happy birthday, no special treatment, and coming home to watch a movie. I guess ice cream would be nice. Basically, it is like every other day. Oh, and the birthday breakfast he always requests is oatmeal. OATMEAL!

So depressing.

However, to respect his wishes (somewhat), we are compromising. Even though I've offered to make crepes, stratas, overnight french toast, clafoutis, popovers, ANYTHING- I accepted his request on oatmeal. But to elevate oatmeal as much as it can, I found a rocking recipe. It basically tastes like a big oatmeal cookie for breakfast. Therefore, I have to share this recipe and it is below.

Next, his favorite people (Liam and I, duh) are meeting him for his lunch break at his favorite restaurant. And tonight when he gets home, we will get in sweats and watch a movie with ice cream.

Before you roll your eyes at how utterly lame I am, I am planning a dessert and game night with friends this weekend. All of his favorites- lots of cards and Settlers, lemon bars, ice cream, homemade peppermint patties, and chocolate cake with mousse filling. Okay, the last one is completely my idea. And it still sounds lame, but I have to remind myself this is not my birthday.

Notwithstanding, I absolutely adore that man.

But while we are chatting about it, here is my philosophy on birthdays.

First off, low expectations. What a downer to start with, right? But high expectations in this case usually lead to disappointment and attitude. If your expectations are low, then every little thing is wonderful! Win win.

That being said, birthdays should be thought out ahead of time. To me, birthdays (and any holiday for that matter) are the perfect excuse to break from the monotonous day-to-day. That's why I love them so much- they are something different and anticipated for. Celebrating is always a good idea.

Growing up in a family of nine kids, birthdays were that magical day of the year. We didn't really do presents, but a lot of "special treatment"- which actually meant a lot more. A homemade happy birthday banner, breakfast (usually pancakes or waffles, because why not start the day off on a huge sugar rush?), front seat in the car, and your choice of dinner that night. Magical indeed.

Which leads me to, birthdays should be full of good food. This doesn't require any further explanation.

And lastly, birthdays shouldn't be stressful. That's when you know you have gone too far and are completely missing the point.

Enough talk, back to the recipe. I'm serious, you gotttta try it.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

1/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup craisins (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 apple, pealed and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix oil, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl
3. Add oats, baking powder, salt, and milk. Stir in fruit.
4. Pour into greased 9" square dish.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm.