I’m turning 35 years old on Sunday and I have very mixed feelings about it. I think it’s a good thing, mostly. I’ve long since moved past the trauma of finding my first grey hairs or noticing a wrinkle here and there. But I really have nothing to complain about. In my wildest dreams I never imagined my 30s could have been so wonderful. I’m married to the most amazing guy and we live in a fantastic neighborhood. I love my job. To say my 30s have been an improvement over my 20s would be the understatement of my life.
However, I’m beginning to feel anxieties about the passage of time and what it means to reach my mid-30s (holy cow it feels weird to write that).
Time is a funny thing. The older you get, the faster it goes. Jeff and I have been together for 6 1/2 years and it feels like both a lifetime and the blink of an eye. We’ll see a news story referenced on TV and I’ll say in shock “That was two years ago? How is that even possible?” It worries me. Four years in high school was an eternity. In the 10th grade I was with my first serious boyfriend for 9 months and that felt like the longest time ever. What does that mean for tomorrow? If two years is a passing moment at age 35, how will it feel in another ten years? My family is growing older; my sweet cat is showing signs of age. 35 is a time of complete joy but there’s also anxiety just under the surface. And every year it continues to grow.
I don’t dwell on any of this for very long. Each day I cherish my good fortunes and take on new challenges with vigor. And I push those anxieties away so they don’t overwhelm my thoughts. But they exist, and I know they’re not going away.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Sliders
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup regular mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon fines herbs
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- slider buns
- optional: dijon mustard for serving
Instructions
- Set the oven to broil and place the oven rack near the top.
- In a medium sized bowl, gently pick through the crab meat to remove any shells. Try not to break up the lumps.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the mayonnaise until well combined.
- Add the breadcrumbs, Old Bay, fines herbs, garlic powder, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until well combined.
- A little bit at a time, gently fold the wet mixture into the crab meat. This part takes some patience because you really want to avoid breaking up the lump meat.
- Using a kitchen scale, weigh out 3 ounce sliders. Depending on the size of the slider buns you might want to slightly increase or decrease the size.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a baking sheet (baking spray works well) and place the crab cake sliders on the sheet.
- Place a small piece of butter on top of each crab cake.
- Broil for 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure they don't burn. Don't flip the cakes, just allow them to cook on one side the entire time (the lack of filler makes them very delicate). If the tops seem like they're going to burn, lower the oven rack or switch the broiler to a lower setting. You're not cooking the meat but you want the filling to solidify and the egg to cook through.
- When the tops are golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and allow the crab cakes to cool slightly before serving.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
These look incredible! Great recipe!! :)
Happy almost birthday, girl! I know you’ll be rocking this next year and so on and so on :) And these crab cakes look amazing!!!!
Happy birthday, Jen! You’ve accomplished so many wonderful things and I am sure there will be many more to come.
Firstly, Happy Birthday. I always think about how life really does go by fast and I know it’s cliche but it ain’t no rehearsal and I try to stay safe, happy and be grateful of everything around me. Secondly…sliders, crab, the bomb!
Not dwelling on your age IS the way to go, girl! Channel your 12 year-old spirit and carry it around in your old lady body forever! :) OK, so if I’m going to make crab cakes…these are the ones I’m making! I love that you use just a 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, but lots of flavors! Think I’m gonna make these this weekend!
I agree about the time…while I was at BlogHer last week I visited my cousins, and they were celebrating their 20 year anniversary…and I was their flower girl! It was so strange to see their wedding tape. Time really does fly the older you get!
I hope I feel as happy as you do at 35. I’m 26 and going through that wtf do I want to do with my life. It’s kind of a mess with the job hunting right now bc I have to decide what job do I want next, do I even want to do video, where are the jobs, how far will I move, yet I want to move closer to my parents. Then of course who will actually talk to me to even have a chance of being hired. Then try to work a job I pretty much hate right now while I’m trying to get out. Oh and keep up with blogging (which is the only thing not making me cry lately). So pass some sliders my way as we figure out where the time goes :)
My 20’s were almost too fun(international travel, celebrities, blah, blah) and I never thought anything could top it. But my thirties are far, far better. I’m much better as a person than I was in my 20’s (minus the metabolism and increasing need for night cream). So far, I feel like if I come to then end of a long life and I’m able to live any decade over again, it will be my thirties, hands down. But who knows, maybe my forties will kick ass.
And I LOVE the idea of these sliders, they look gorgeous.
Happy belated birthday :)!!
Happy birthday!!!
Sliders are so much fun, my husband would love these :)
I think I’ll serve these for the big game! The look incredible!!
These were so so good. Can’t wait to make them again! :)
Can they be baked instead of broiled? Serving as a side with Wellington for Christmas Eve meal as an alternative for vegetarians? Broiling will be an interruption to an already busy schedule just prior to serving the meal.
Thank you.
Need a prompt reply because Santa is already loading his sleigh!
Hi Sheryl, they can be baked; you’ll just lose the nice crunchy top. They’ll still cook! Unfortunately, I can’t give you an exact temp/time since I never prepare them this way. Maybe Google for some other crab cake recipes and try using those temperatures and times? I’m assuming 350-375 F range. I’d love to hear how they turn out! :)