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I am preparing a surprise birthday party for my husband.  This year is a milestone birthday for him, although he wouldn’t want me to tell you which one.  He will be entering a new decade of life, so I want for us to celebrate this event more than we usually do.  Since my husband is a man who likes to keep everything simple in life, I will keep the guest list small.  He surely would not enjoy a grand affair, nor would he want a lot of presents to open.  That’s why I’m asking the guests to only bring lighthearted birthday wishes in the form of humorous greeting cards.  For those who insist on a present, I’m suggesting they make a charitable donation to those less fortunate than us, in my husband’s honor.

In order to keep costs to a minimum, I will have this party at our house, instead of renting a party room.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate because we have a lovely back yard which my husband adores.  We have ample seating for everyone with our patio furniture and lawn chairs.  The covered outdoor fireplace and our solar garden lighting will provide just the right amount of illumination.  Our outdoor stereo system is perfect for providing festive music.

My husband is not a cake lover, so finding suitable birthday refreshments is always a troublesome matter.  In the past, we have had oatmeal cookies or vanilla ice cream with various fruit toppings.  One year, he was perfectly content with popsicles.  This year, I have decided to serve a gourmet turtle cheesecake.  The rich caramel and chocolate fudge combined with the distinctive tanginess and texture of cheesecake will be a special treat.  The sprinkling of salty pecans will certainly keep his taste buds satisfied.

Flash forward:  With all of the planning of this surprise birthday party accomplished, the day of this celebration finally arrived.  Mother Nature provided a gorgeous evening.  Our parents, siblings, children and friends were in our back yard, waiting to shout the customary “Surprise!”, as I led my husband outdoors to enjoy the delightful weather.  Cards were opened, read, laughed at, and passed around for all to enjoy.  “Happy Birthday” was sung as I presented the turtle cheesecake, complete with a few lit candles, to my husband.  As I predicted, my husband and our party guests thoroughly enjoyed this birthday cake substitute.

It was an evening of quiet, comfortable pleasure; full of stimulating conversation, light-hearted jokes, and treasured fellowship of close friends and family…exactly the kind of celebration that my husband appreciates.

After everyone had gone, when I asked my dear husband if he had any clue about the surprise birthday party, he replied with a gleam in his eyes, “Well, the turtle cheesecake was a surprise.”  Turtle cheesecake is, indeed, the extra-special treat for this extra-special birthday!

Tags: birthday party, caramel cheesecake, cheesecake birthday cake, cheesecake dessert, cheesecake recipe, Cheesecake Recipes, chocolate cheesecake, turtle cheese cake, turtle cheesecake

This entry was posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 10:53 pm and is filed under Cheesecake Recipes, Cooking & Food Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.