Birthday Cake report

Hell, with those skills she can pay her way through college working in a patisserie! Sounds awesome.

-L.

I was busy writing for a deadline yesterday and didn't pay a lot of attention to her. We made dinner and I went back to my computer, she to her homework. I heard kitchen noises and didn't pay much attention to that, either. She came walking into my office with a yellow cake she had made from scratch, covered with whipped cream with sliced strawberries and asked "Exactly how busy are you?" Twinkle in her eye...

We ate cake.

Later she told me that the first time, she had "messed up some mixing when I didn't watch it closely." Her cut layers were uneven (I told her a few ways to deal with that this morning. She looked like a light bulb went off over her head.), cake was a tad dry (She waited until it was "brown" before sticking a toothpick in.). But I think it's cool that she did it all alone. Recognized that she had made a mixing mistake and dealt with it. And recognized that my telling her how to cut layers evenly wasn't a negative criticism. I was in the process of eating my third slice. How badly could I feel about it? I told her nobody's gonna get up from the table and leave if the layers are uneven. She laughed.

I asked why she wanted to do it. She said, "Because." Good enough for me.

Pastorio

She sounds like a real sweetheart. How old is she? The thought of parenting a daughter terrifies me. Stories like yours make me want one, though. :)

-L.

She's the center of my universe. And she's growing up which means we can share more sophisticated ideas, and she's growing away, which is inevitable as she begins to shape her own life, which means she approaches and avoids...

She's more fun than most adults and her sense of humor and mine intersect most wonderfully.

She's 14, a freshman in high school, pretty, graceful, articulate and generally attractive to boys. A couple seniors have indicated interest and I only had to threaten one for both to understand that she's too young for them and their intents. But she much likes their attention...

So I'm a daddy of an utterly unique child - just like every other kid...

Her dacquoise drew a few teachers into that classroom and the principal found his way there before it was gone. Kind of culinary telepathy...

Pastorio

Is this the caviar daughter, i.e. "Your Ladyship"? That's a great story.

Bob, as the proud father of three girls in the same age range (13, 13, and

15), I can say you speak for a lot of us! And they are indeed unique... One is my baking and cooking companion, and I'm thankful for at least one to be. Another loves math and all things techie, and has great confidence in her ability to handle *anything* she puts her mind to. (Now, with a few more years of common sense, she could do great things!) The third is just a lovely, every girl-next-door princess. All beautiful, all different, and all very special...

Dave

Yes. When she was about 9, I guess.

Long story short, I was showing off for the woman who is now my wife and The Kid was there. I was doing all sorts of professional culinary showoff stunts and finally plated dinner. I garnished it with a sprinkle of caviar.

The Kid tastes and wrinkles her nose. Says, "Daddy, I don't like caviar this way..." *This* way..." My aristocratic daughter... Cracked me up.

I spit a lot of food all over my wife to be.

Pastorio

Awwww...you guys are making me want to adopt a girl!

-L.