Hey, just because we are locked up doesn’t mean we can’t party! Actually, birthdays are kind of a big deal in here, an excuse to celebrate, a way to relieve the boredom and sadness at being separated from family and friends. Of course, the food is the highlight and you can’t have a birthday party without a cake. (Cheesecake is usually the fav and there is a recipe below.) The women get together, make food, play games and give little handmade gifts.
On Piestewa yard for my besties last party, I made a big chocolate cheesecake and we all collaborated on buffalo chicken bagels- yummy! Parties require quite a bit of planning, weeks ahead of time because usually we add up the cost of all the food and then everyone who wants to participate contributes some of their ingredients. Then we hold on to them until the day of the party when we ‘cook’. For this party I paid a girl to make a big card and then everybody signed it. I also made a gift bag out of construction paper and we filled it with candy, hair ties and other little things. That was a big deal but sometimes friends just get together and share brownies or a meal. Try the recipe below- it’s surprisingly good!
***Please note- many ingredients don’t have actual amounts or measurements. That’s because the supplies we get from the store are packaged in bags and we don’t have access to measuring spoons or cups. But experiment – that’s half the fun! ‘And remember, we live by the old adage- ‘Use it up, wear it out. Make it do or do without!’***
Cheesecake
- Powdered coffee creamer
- Lemonade Drink Mix
- 7-Up
- Graham crackers
- Strawberry/blueberry Pop-tarts
Make the crust with crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafers and add a little 7-up to moisten. Mix a bag of coffee creamer with two spoonfuls of lemonade drink mix, and add 7-Up until a thick batter forms. Pour half the batter over the crust, layer with pop tarts, then pour the other half of the batter on top. Set in an ice chest for 4 hours to set. If you want to get creative, you can add hot cocoa mix to the batter or instead of pop tarts, mix in and top with any candy bars or M & M’s even. The crust could be made from crushed cookies also!