Is it too late to share an apple recipe? I know this time of year some of our heads are getting crowded with gingerbread men and little round peppermints; however, I feel like I would be cheating you out of a fabulous find if I didn’t share this recipe I tried from Smitten Kitchen.
My family has a running joke about how I try to cram vegetables into things that shouldn’t have green stuff in them. So ever since Ray was born, I’ve thought it was only appropriate for me to follow that tradition for his first birthday cake.
I know. Cruel, right?
Why would I steal the joy from my baby’s first birthday experience by using it for my own sinister health nut purposes?
I don’t understand why we insist on thinking that way. As if a child whose diet has consisted of mashed up squash and green beans would really complain about having a fruit or vegetable in his cake. It’s still cake, right? If anything, the fruit-laced variety should taste more familiar. And anyway, if my “sinister health nut plan” succeeds, he’ll enjoy more fruits and vegetables throughout his childhood than he will boxed cake.
Yeah, now we’re all convinced I’m a bad parent.
Sarcasm aside, I did feel a little guilty about doing something too absurd for his birthday. So I took a more moderate approach and decided to bake up a seasonal cake that even non-health nuts would enjoy. That lovely blog, Smitten Kitchen, gave me just the recipe I was looking for.
This Spiced Applesauce Cake is pretty frugal as far as homemade fancy cakes are concerned. I mean, there isn’t a ton of butter, since it calls for applesauce, and I used our ~50 cents-per-pound local apples for the sauce. Some on-sale cream cheese helps the cost of the frosting, and everything after that is pantry basics.
In case I haven’t been obnoxious enough with the links – or you’ve been too spell-bound by my words to click any of them yet – you can go here to go see this delightful little recipe for yourself.
In the end, regardless of anyone else’s opinion about my parenting, it was most important that the new little one year-old enjoyed his first birthday cake. Which he certainly did.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
If you’re a parent, what kinds of health-conscious things do you do that might seem sacrilegious to our culture’s notions of feeding a kid?
If you aren’t a parent, what kinds of things do you do for yourself that other people might consider strange?
Glad to be a weird parent,
10 comments
Katie Hebert
12/10/2010 at 8:07 AM (UTC -6)
Looks yummy! I will have to try it. I’m glad you’re a weird parent too… That way I won’t be alone in my weirdness when my babies come along.
Happy Birthday Lil Ray!!
Steph
12/14/2010 at 11:40 AM (UTC -6)
Katie – And so when exactly are those babies gonna come along? haha, j/k! No pressure
Kelleigh @ Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs
12/10/2010 at 9:11 AM (UTC -6)
That does sound yummy!
I tried to hide my homemade apple sauce (which is kinda chunky) in a box of brownies once, and it did NOT go over well with the boys. However, I hide stuff in their food all the time, and they have NO idea!! I love that!
Steph
12/14/2010 at 11:21 AM (UTC -6)
Kelleigh – LOL! Yeah, Chris got teased at work when I packed him what looked like a veggie burger. Definiely should have shredded veggies smaller.
Cate
12/10/2010 at 9:59 AM (UTC -6)
I’ve had my eye on this recipe ever since Deb posted it! I can’t wait to try it. It looks scrumptious.
Steph
12/14/2010 at 11:19 AM (UTC -6)
Cate – Definitely. should. try. it.
SusieBee
12/10/2010 at 10:32 AM (UTC -6)
Happy Birthday dear Ra-ay!
Hey I put grated zucchini in my (grown) kids brownies when they were here visiting recently. They actually loved it.
Great photos again Steph!
Steph
12/10/2010 at 2:40 PM (UTC -6)
Thanks SusieBee!
Rebecca Burgener
12/12/2010 at 2:09 PM (UTC -6)
I give my kids much less sugary candy and soda than many around me, and I don’t feel I’m depriving them a bit. We also drink lots of water as opposed to kool-aid or juices. I haven’t cooked a “healthy” birthday cake, but you’re right. He won’t know the difference.
Katie Hebert
12/14/2010 at 1:06 PM (UTC -6)
Haha, wish I knew!
All in good time!