It's September 22! You Know What That Means - Happy Hobbit Day! :D

Yes, I'm a geek, nerd, weirdo, superfan - whatever you want to call it. I actually celebrate Hobbit Day.

What is Hobbit Day?

Well, first of all, for those who haven't read either The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, September 22 is both Bilbo and Frodo's birthday. And they are Hobbits.

So I'm doing a tribute to them both today. :) And if you're not a Tolkien fan...I'm sorry. And a little warning - I recently converted my most anti-Tolkien friend into a Ringer. You've been warned.

What is a Hobbit?

Well, I would suggest reading the books, but if you can't or won't, then I can tell you that Hobbits are small, nimble, and can walk through woods very quietly. They like the colors yellow and green, and prefer living in either Hobbit-holes, or low houses. If they have a second story to their houses, they sleep on the ground floor. They rarely wear shoes, and have curly hair on their feet. They're fond of food, and like to eat six meals a day if they can get them.

It's for these reasons, and the fact that they're generally simple folk, that most people in Middle-Earth don't think them worthy of much notice. But two of our favorite Hobbits, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, proved them all wrong. :)
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in 'An Unexpected Journey.' Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in 'The Fellowship of the Ring.' For those of you who are in the know, Frodo's adventure started on September 22, when Bilbo gave up the One Ring as he left Hobbiton. This date was also their birthday; in The Fellowship of the Ring, it is Bilbo's one hundred and eleventh birthday, and Frodo's thirty-third.

Earlier, in The Hobbit, Bilbo spent one memorable September 22 in Lake-town, before the dragon Smaug was killed. He had a terrible cold on that occasion, as he had spent a long time in the water (there were barrels, and the dwarves were in them...it's a long story).

Frodo also left Hobbiton on a September 22, and made for Crickhollow after selling Bag-End to the Sackville-Bagginses.

It was because of these two Hobbits that the dwarf kingdom Erebor was reclaimed from the dragon Smaug, and the One Ring destroyed. Hobbits may not look like much, and they might be small and fond of food, but they're made of strong stuff.

As Galadriel said in the movie 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." And she's right, of course. Anyone who's read these books or watched these movies has learned lots of things - not the least of which is that you don't have to be big, or famous, or important, to make a difference!

My Hobbit Day
Unfortunately, Hobbit Day has a way of sneaking up on me, so I don't get to eat this delicious cake today. But I thought you all might like to know how I did it to get ready for your own Hobbit Day celebration! :D

My Recipe Contribution for Hobbit Day:

Ingredients:

One cake mix (I used lemon)
Heavy whipping cream
The fruit of your choice (strawberries and blueberries work amazing, by the way)
Vanilla
Sugar
Colored sugar sprinkles

~Choose any cake mix (or recipe) you want, and prepare according to the directions.

~While it's baking, get a half-gallon carton of heavy whipping cream, some sugar, and some vanilla. Add the sugar and vanilla to the heavy whipping cream while beating with a mixer. Don't forget to taste-test often! Once the cream is stiff and thick, you can spread it over your cake.

~Once your frosting has been spread to your satisfaction, decorate with your choice of fruit at the top and bottom edges, for a border.

~Choose your Middle-Earth language and what you want it to say (I used part of the first line of the poem that's on the Ring), and carefully cut it into the frosting.

~Choose the color of sugar sprinkles you want, and pour some into the palm of your hand.

~Carefully sprinkle the sugar, using your forefinger and thumb, into the knife-marks you made in the frosting, until the words can be clearly seen.

~Eat, if you can bear to cut it! Refrigerate to save for later. :)

Did you use my recipe? Share a photo! Or a recipe you did use. That would be just as awesome. ^-^

Have an awesome Hobbit Day!