Birthday Memories With Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake

Birthdays are a time for celebration. I mean who wants to have a birthday without some type of recognition of their special day that belongs solely to you? What would a birthday be without a cake? That's like icing on a cake, no pun intended.

Some of my best memories of my childhood revolve around the backyard of my parents home. My mother, God rest her soul, always made sure that my brother and I would always have a birthday to remember. She would invite the neighborhood kids, family, and just about anyone else over who wanted to have some fun. She would have some very thought out games, activities and prizes for everyone who attended. Heck, she even made sure that my brother got a present even though it wasn't his birthday.

It sort of turned into a tradition because I knew when his birthday came around I was going to get a gift too. Yes, I guess you can say she spoiled us Garcia brothers but we loved it.

Probably the best part of our birthdays was the cake and ice cream. My father worked for an ice cream company during that time, Southern Belle for those of you old enough to remember. They had the best ice cream in town, hands down. In fact, many of my friends and relatives to this day, still remember coming to my birthday parties and remember the ice cream.

Then of course, my mother would make a cake that was out of this world. She always made the cake from scratch and the icing too. She knew my favorite was chocolate so we had that most of the time when it was my birthday. And yes, like most mothers she let me lick the icing out of the bowl. I miss those days and I miss my mom but she left me and my brother with a ton of great memories. Even to this day when my birthday comes around I still think of her and have to look up to the heavens and say, "thanks Mom."

Yesterday I asked my Facebook friends "What's your favorite type of birthday cake?" The answers I received made me hungry and if any of you want to make me a cake and drop it by the studios I won't complain.