beach party

I don’t like the beach.

I could think of a million places I would rather spend a summer afternoon that don’t involve sitting in the blistering sun, getting sand in my underwear, and watching as some boorish 8 year old tramples over a sandcastle that took me an hour to construct.

Yeah.

I surprised everyone, even myself, when I suggested a party at the beach to celebrate my quarter century. Deep down I was longing to squish sand between my toes and hear the crashing of falling wave crests, something I haven’t done in years. Armed with some towels, lawn chairs, a miniature barbecue, and a loaded picnic basket I headed off with my closes friends and family this past weekend. Destination: Cedar Beach on Lake Erie’s north shore.

The weather turned out to be perfect for someone like me who enjoys the shade and hates the heat. The overcast, 75*F weather was the best you could ask for. No beach umbrellas required. Sunglasses optional.

We arrived, plopped down our picnic basket, and fired up the mini barbecue (after a bit of fiddling around). Champagne bottles were popped for mimosas and we laid out or beach towels to relax on the sand with good food, good drink, and good company.

I love Cedar Beach. It’s quiet and serene. It can be a bit tough to find (I apologize to my friend Tina who spent an hour and a half scouring Essex County in search of the place) but I think that just adds to the appeal. It sort of feels like your own private beach. We certainly treated it that way.

Me, my two cousins, and my sister.

No one went swimming because, the unfortunate thing about Lake Erie is that there is so much E. Coli in the water (about 700ppm) that it’s not safe to swim in the waters. Maybe that’s why the beaches of Essex County are so quiet. It’s really disappointing that the water is so badly polluted. It didn’t stop me from swimming in it as a child, but now I know better.

The beach party was an amazing idea– one of the greatest picnics I’ve had in a long while! It was such a perfect day that it might have even gotten me to rethink my whole outlook on going to the beach.  …I just might want to head back there before the season is over.

Matt bought me this pre-made cocktail for my birthday because he thought it would be fitting. He’s kind of adorable. I sipped on it mixed with orange juice because it was a bit too strong to be a beach cocktail.

I made some date filled cookies and some whole wheat zucchini focaccia for the occasion.

My friend Dan worked to get the barbecue lit so that we could have some burgers and sausages.

And of course, my lovely sister made cake, cake, and more cake.

First there was the red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. In a word: moist.

And then there was my birthday cake. The cake that made me think I had died and gone to heaven. 5 tiers of decadent coconut deliciousness.

This might be the best cake I’ve ever had in my life. I kid you not.

When I woke up the next morning after my gluttonous day at the beach, I threw on my gym clothes and got ready to go for a run. I opened the fridge to grab my bottle of water and there it was staring me in the face. Leftover coconut cake.

I grabbed a fork and sat down at my kitchen table, in my workout clothes, at 8:00 in the morning and indulged in a piece of cake. Would I rather wear a bikini or eat cake for breakfast? The answer is always cake.

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