Happy fall, everyone! Isn't it good to see the leaves changing and to wear comfy sweaters? I know I love it. However, you may think differently. When one of my good friends thinks of fall, all she can then think of is winter and how nasty Wisconsin can be sometimes. But, until then, why don't we all enjoy fall and think about all of the lovely food that it brings?
So I say ""Onward!"" in the spirit of the forthcoming holiday season. Like I said, I love fall, especially because my birthday happens to be exactly three days before Halloween, which this year falls on a Wednesday.
If you don't have a fall birthday, pretend you do and celebrate along with us. First, I'd be hard-pressed to find a Badger that didn't like birthday cake. It seems we're brought up to love it. Maybe Mom messed up when we were seven and made carrot cake instead of marble, but I'm sure she came around the next year and surprised you with Funfetti.
With cake has to come ice cream, or it could just be a regular weekend in my apartment, where we frequently enjoy frosting from a can. Other variations on these staples can include cupcakes and brownies, but I think we can all agree that no birthday can be complete without a fire hazard on whatever we bake.
Secondly, birthdays can signify ‘entitlement,' and I am sure I will play that card on Wednesday. This basically means that you can go crazy and order whatever you want, whenever you want. Then justify it simply by stating those three magical words, ""It's my birthday!"" A friend told me she favors crab legs on her birthday, again, because she can. So go nuts the next time your age goes up a digit.
I must make one final addition to this discussion about birthday ""food."" I realize that some celebratory items come in the form of ""refreshments,"" and believe me I'll be sampling my fair share this year. All I ask is that you take advantage of the quality that is afforded to you on your birthday. Let your friends buy you that extremely rare microbrew you've wanted, instead of more of something cheaper. It's your birthday. They'll be willing to make you happy, if just for that one day.
It wouldn't be fair to all of you non-fall birthday peeps to just keep going on this birthday theme. If for some reason you don't celebrate my birthday, you can enjoy Halloween. After all, you live in Madison, and it's pretty much standard here.
Obviously, Walgreens will be going nuts in the next few days selling bite-sized portions of sugary-filled goodness. With that said, do you ever just get tired of Halloween candy? I know I do. To fix that, why not try putting your own spin on traditional Halloween treats? One of my personal favorites is anything themed around blood and gore. Truly, I don't think there's ever enough of it at Halloween.
You could decorate your cake like brains for a zombie party, or tag along with the vampire trends and do something Twilight-esque. Here's where you can take the birthday advice and just do something because you can. If you want to simply sit on the couch and eat Twix, feel free, but a little creativity can go a long way.
To end, I'd like to propose a toast—enjoy your fall birthdays and have a truly frightful Halloween!
Don't moan about turning another year older, plan a monster mash with Claire. Send her your plans at crwiese@wisc.edu.
