Daddy-O

Ah, Nostalgia!

I decided to take it way back for my dad on Father's Day this year.  He has memories, and has shared them often, of this amazing cake that I made once growing up called "Dirt Cake".  Yes, you heard correctly: Dirt Cake.  It is a very sophisticated dessert crafted to resemble mud. 

Most of the time the cake concoction is put into a plastic-wrap-lined flower pot and some fake flowers are inserted.  Et voila!  You have yourself edible earth.  High class.  I know.

The funny thing about nostalgia is that we are often reminiscing about something that wasn't exactly what it actually was.  In my dad's version of the story I clearly made this cake for him.  In reality, my mom saved the recipe and put it in a scrapbook full of childhood memories that she gave me when I got married.  The recipe was on pink paper was from my junior high Home Ec. class.  It was our Mother's Day assignment.  The worksheet had been filled out complete with prices, stains, and all.  See below.



Serve to Mom Dad with a smile and a hug.
Apparently, my mom did not "long remember" that Mother's Day, but Dad did.



So, this Father's Day, after my dad's 60th birthday in May, I wanted to treat him to a little bit of the past.  I did, however, make some updates.  I ditched the flowers, and even the flower pot.  But kept the requisite gummy worms (although, not in the original recipe, everyone knows they belong in Dirt Cake).  Here's how it turned out:





My little guy generously allowed me the use of his toys.




My sister and I assembled this and laughed the whole time.  Look at the little loader with Oreo crumbs in it. Bu-hahaha!




Construction scene: complete with men, rocks, trees, barriers, and disproportionately large earth worms.



Happy Father's Day Dads!