Today is mine! I love birthdays — how can anyone not? Gifts, cake. . .and more cake. And sharing it with you all on the blog is just more added fun. I had my birthday party last Saturday, and dear hubby outdid himself — a home made spaghetti and meatballs dinner with bread and a cake, all made from scratch. I received some lovely gifts from family and friends, and a Wii Fit ahead of time from hubby (much fun, after you get past the trauma of the chubby Mii, LOL), who also says he has some extra surprises in store. But as much as I enjoy the goodies, I am just so thankful for all the wonderful people and things in my life as I enter this new year. Those are the real gifts.

Anyhoo, I was doing some research on birthday lore for a book a while ago, and found out some really interesting things about our own personal holidays. Such as that ancient people used to celebrate death days more than birthdays, as your death signified your return to God. (I’m really glad we turned this one around!) Birthdays as we know them are pagan in origin, as are so many of our holidays and traditions. (And as everyone knows, pagans know how to par-tay).Greek celebrations, specifically, were tributes to Artemis. The Greeks would make honey cakes for her each month, lighting them with candles to make them look like the moon. Traditionally only men were celebrated on their birthdays, until in Germany they started doing so for children, and the tradition grew. In many countries, birthdays are still considered mainly a religious ceremony. Hindus don’t celebrate their birthdays until they are sixteen years old, but on their first birthdays, however, Hindu babies have their heads shaved to rid them of any evil spirits, which is also the idea behind singing, spanking, or making of loud noises. Wishing someone Happy Birthday is a wish for bad luck to stay away from them in the year coming.

So, that’s a little folklore lesson on b’days. Kind of neat, I think.

As a gift to YOU, if you will tell a b’day story or share a tradition or go out and find a piece of birthday folklore and share it in the comments, I will choose a winner at the end of the day to receive a copy of my March Blazing Bedtime Stories w/Kimberly Raye (mine is “I Wish He Might” a story about a tabloid reporter who meets a sexy genie), AND a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (US Residents Only). Three other winners (everyone eligible) will receive signed copies of the Bedtime Stories book.

I hope a lot of you will come by to celebrate my special day with me. I may be out and about, but I will pop in to comment as I can…

Sam

Good morning, Isabel Sharpe here, from Wi(ll-it-ever-be-spring?)sconsin. On the 15th of each month I’ll be providing a Blaze-appropriate recipe for your enjoyment, everything from mood-brightening cocktails to tantalizing appetizers to hot main dishes and happy-after sweet endings, because as a devoted foodie, I believe when it comes to pleasures of the body, eating and drinking are right up there with . . . you know.

Today’s recipe is about celebration: of our Blaze blog’s first month, of Harlequin’s 60th anniversary, and of course, of love and everything wonderful about it, especially the naughty bits. What better way to celebrate than with champagne, my very favorite indulgence? I’m one of those people who sees athletes spraying the stuff around the locker room and thinks, “God, I hope that’s cheap Asti.”

On my refrigerator I have a comic strip: Man comes up to the bar and says, “A bottle of your very best champagne!” The bartender asks, “What’s the occasion?” and the man says, “Thirst.” That’s my kind of thinking. When I grow up I want to be able to have a bottle of the “good stuff” in my refrigerator at all times for when the mood strikes. Until then I have to be content with a bottle of the “okay stuff” in my basement.

In this recipe, the champagne is mixed with pomegranate juice flavored with orange and ginger. Don’t bother buying expensive champagne when you’re mixing, but don’t buy garbage either. Domaine Ste. Michelle, made in Washington State, is my current favorite lower-priced sparkling wine (if it doesn’t come from the Champagne region in France, it can’t be called champagne.).

Epicurious.com will allow me to post the link, but not reproduce the recipe

Isabel’s tips: Mix the non-champagne ingredients together rather than measuring them individually in each glass, and try using only a tablespoon of the mixture first, unless you like your drinks sweet (I don’t) in which case use a couple.

Enjoy!

Isabel

P.S. I’m sending this for posting early because I’ll be on a road trip with my kids on the 15th. I will do everything possible to find wireless Internet so I can check in during the day, but can’t promise. So apologies ahead of time if I don’t respond to comments right away!