What's wrong? Can't connect.

[Juniper]

In my hometown f.ex. there is one very old bakery, they have a specialty called Wiener Kranz.
It's a cake, that is (oh my, loss for words) - you kind of wind the dough together so it becomes a round wheel and it is filled with nut and fudge. (Passionfruit will know the word 'Wickelkranz' I guess).

Mmm fudge...

[lyricfox]

I could make a new one. Do you guys like apple strudel (sp?)?

First cookbook I ever had was a Hungarian one. The first dessert I ever did was a cherry strudel. I don't have any room here to stretch the dough or I'd make one.

[Passionfruit]

real live apple strudel made by a real live German?

I don't know how to make it the traditional way. I just buy raw puff pastry and fill it with apples and other stuff. (And puff pastry is French.)

I love how in Germany the birthday person is responsible for making cake for the party, and then waits for her friends to come over and lavish her with gifts (or anyway that's what Jana says...maybe she's just using her gullible American friends for gifting purposes... )

That's how it's usually done in Germany with friends. In family the parents or the siblings sometimes bake the cake. How do you celebrate a birthday in the US?

BTW, I had two American flatmates who could bake very yummy cookies. American cookies are very different from German ones, they often contain much more butter/oil and egg.

[Passionfruit]

You should try their rum cakes.  My MIL's just about gets you drunk by cutting it! 

That I can actually make without buying prepared pastries. I like them with nut powder, chocolate and rum, one can also combine that with some fruits like cherries. I've even tried it with whisky, which tastes also good.

I have an aunt in the black forest, who is very Catholic and very strict and mean, but she can bake the best black forest cake I've ever eaten.

[rose]

I don't know how to make it the traditional way. I just buy raw puff pastry and fill it with apples and other stuff. (And puff pastry is French.)
That's how it's usually done in Germany with friends. In family the parents or the siblings sometimes bake the cake. How do you celebrate a birthday in the US?

BTW, I had two American flatmates who could bake very yummy cookies. American cookies are very different from German ones, they often contain much more butter/oil and egg.

Yes, cookies are very different in the US than they are in Europe. Less like tiny little cakes or crackers, more like...a cookie

American birthday parties are a whole area of cultural anthropology that I am sure lots of people have written theses on. I only know that they vary a lot by region, religion, and time of year. There is nearly always cake, although not always ice cream. Children's birthdays have lately been getting way out of control, in our area, and costing a small fortune and take a production company to put together. I draw the line at slumber parties over 5 kids, nowadays, and don't do theme birthday parties at all. Like pretty much everything in the US, birthday stuff is a big business
here's a birthday site that shows this type of American goofiness pretty well
http://www.celebrateexpress.com/celebration/default.aspx?TabID=0

[FierFlye]

That's how it's usually done in Germany with friends. In family the parents or the siblings sometimes bake the cake. How do you celebrate a birthday in the US?

That's how all my childhood birthdays were.

[thain]

Children's birthdays have lately been getting way out of control, in our area, and costing a small fortune and take a production company to put together.

How right you are.  Fortunately, there are some sane people here and there.  My nephew recently turned 5, and his mom just reserved his favorite park for the afternoon and invited his kindergarten friends.

One of the best birthdays I had as a kid was at my house.  We had a sandbox and swing-set, and mom hand-made an ewok costume for my brother to wear, which thrilled me to no end (although I seem to remember it scaring the **** out of a few of the kids).  Granted, not everyone could hand-make an ewok costume, but there are plenty of ways to make a party memorable and fun without shelling out enough money to make my rent for the month

[Mithril]

American birthday parties are a whole area of cultural anthropology that I am sure lots of people have written theses on. I only know that they vary a lot by region, religion, and time of year. There is nearly always cake, although not always ice cream. Children's birthdays have lately been getting way out of control, in our area, and costing a small fortune and take a production company to put together. I draw the line at slumber parties over 5 kids, nowadays, and don't do theme birthday parties at all. Like pretty much everything in the US, birthday stuff is a big business
here's a birthday site that shows this type of American goofiness pretty well
http://www.celebrateexpress.com/celebration/default.aspx?TabID=0

Ugh, yeah. One of my neighbors had a ball for their three year old. They made princess gowns handmade for the twenty or so girls and prince costumes for the boys. They rented a party hall, hired a band, and hand fancy finger food. For a *three year old*

[RandallS]

For a *three year old*

How stupid.

[rose]

Ugh, yeah. One of my neighbors had a ball for their three year old. They made princess gowns handmade for the twenty or so girls and prince costumes for the boys. They rented a party hall, hired a band, and hand fancy finger food. For a *three year old*

what, no doves released as happy birthday was sung? Please. Some people are *so declasse'!

[rose]

How right you are.  Fortunately, there are some sane people here and there.  My nephew recently turned 5, and his mom just reserved his favorite park for the afternoon and invited his kindergarten friends.

One of the best birthdays I had as a kid was at my house.  We had a sandbox and swing-set, and mom hand-made an ewok costume for my brother to wear, which thrilled me to no end (although I seem to remember it scaring the **** out of a few of the kids).  Granted, not everyone could hand-make an ewok costume, but there are plenty of ways to make a party memorable and fun without shelling out enough money to make my rent for the month

Now that is my kind of party, as a mom. One of the best birthdays I ever did for my dd (in my opinion, anyway) was a princess party where we had a blast making the invites, which were shaped like glass slippers...much glitter and 4 yr old mayhem, lots of fun. And my son had a super fun knights and castles party one year where the big activity was all 8 or so of the kids he invited making cardboard swords and having a big swordfight all over the playground where we had the party:)

[Mithril]

Now that is my kind of party, as a mom. One of the best birthdays I ever did for my dd (in my opinion, anyway) was a princess party where we had a blast making the invites, which were shaped like glass slippers...much glitter and 4 yr old mayhem, lots of fun. And my son had a super fun knights and castles party one year where the big activity was all 8 or so of the kids he invited making cardboard swords and having a big swordfight all over the playground where we had the party:)

Sounds a little like my Pirate party when I was 5. Treasure chest filled with chocolate gold coins, cardboard swords, tinfoil pirate hats, and we turned our plastic jungle-gym-thing into a pirate ship.

[rose]

Sounds a little like my Pirate party when I was 5. Treasure chest filled with chocolate gold coins, cardboard swords, tinfoil pirate hats, and we turned our plastic jungle-gym-thing into a pirate ship.

oh yeah, the pirate party! Very fun. We did that one when he was 6 Sadly, my kids are now too old for parties that involve costumes and cool props, and they just want to go to the movies and have sleepovers.

[thain]

Sadly, my kids are now too old for parties that involve costumes and cool props, and they just want to go to the movies and have sleepovers.

They'll grow out of it.   I don't know why it is that teenagers get such large sticks up their arses when it comes to really letting loose and having fun...hell, I was that way, too when I was a teenager.  Now?  A pirate party is an excuse to have fun

[Star]

Now?  A pirate party is an excuse to have fun

Heh.  Yup.  I was at a pirate party myself earlier this year.  The birthday girl was turning 30, IIRC.