Birthday Prep

Our schedules have been so chaotic lately it's probably a good thing there's been a countdown on the wipe board in the kitchen to remind us Carter's birthday is coming up.

Like we'd forget.

This morning, with some 48 hours to go, Daddy and I decided we better get his gift. His list this year is pretty simple: basketball hoop, Mad Libs and a whoopie cushion. Typical 11-year-old, I guess.

We headed into work early so we had time to stop at Wal-Mart and pick up 2 out of 3 items anyway. He's going to be thrilled.

Since there is no school Friday, we had to take care of birthday treats, too, so he could take them to school Thursday. Carter likes to have something creative (read: putzy). Last year, he took "bacon and eggs" made out of pretzel sticks and almond bark. This year: cheeseburgers and fries....


The recipe is pretty simple. Frost two sides of an Oreo (red for "ketchup" and orange for "cheese") and add a 'Nilla Wafer on each side for the "bun." You can't beat a recipe that uses frosting for "glue"! Throw in a side of shoestring potatoes for "fries" and your order is up!

Carter thought the burgers looked like the mini-burgers you see advertised on TV!

We made enough for each classmate to have two burgers and some fries. Since he has to carry them on the bus, I put them in a cake pan that has a cover. But if you make this for a potluck, there are far more creative ways to present this -- perhaps a red dining tray or on a red-checked cloth inside a basket. This will work for a bunch of hungry fifth-graders, though!

With the present and treats off this list, that just leaves two things: 1) Make cake for the family party. 2) Accept that my baby is growing up. (And if I can't and am falling apart, use frosting as "glue"!)