How to celebrate your birthday when it ends in a zero...

This is how you celebrate your birthday when it ends in a zero.

Have a tea. At your house. Make a lot of tea food. Invite the friends you really love. Buy a funky dress and a funky hat. Make your friends do the same. And laugh. Laugh a lot.

It was a really good birthday.

Foodie Friday - A Heavenly Banana Cake

So I did get my very own copy of Heavenly Cakes, Rose Beranbaum's new book. I haven't signed up to be a Heavenly Baker because of too many on going projects, but I have dabbled a bit with a few of the recipes.

Last weekend, I made her Banana Refrigerator Cake with Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Frosting. This cake is a bona fide winner. Who knew that a banana cake could be so light, so tasty, so spectacular???

For the first time ever, I used baking strips around the outside of the pans and I have to admit that I am thrilled with the results. The cake rose perfectly and the outside edges didn't over brown while the center finished baking. I'm a convert. I'll be using them from now on.

Next time I make this cake, I'll definitely use Rose's frosting variation that omits the white chocolate. Even though the frosting on this cake is pretty wonderful, my husband and I have agreed that we're just not white chocolate lovers. For those of you who are, go for it. You'll have a heavenly experience.

Please go visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum. You'll finds tons of folks who have prepared a Foodie Friday post.

PS: Maybe next week I'll have some pictures from the benefit tea that we're doing this weekend at our local library. I started baking today and I'll be at it until tea time on Sunday afternoon, so please forgive me if I don't visit you all until after Sunday!

Foodie Friday - One Roast Pork, Four Meals

Last Sunday I made a traditional roast pork dinner. With only my husband and me in the house now, we had plenty of leftovers and managed to put them to good use.

One night we had an improvised version of Hu Tieu do Bien, a Vietnamese soup. It's fast and easy when you add the thinly sliced cooked pork just before serving.
Next up was a batch of guilt free Roast Pork Egg Fu Yung. Making the pancakes in a non-stick skillet really reduces the calories.

For the sauce,I used defatted leftover gravy as the base, and enhanced it with a dash of soy, a bit of mirin, a little rice wine vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil.
Tasted like the restaurant version. Always does.

Tonight, we thoroughly enjoyed another round of the Asian Street Sandwiches that I did a post on back in June. They're always a treat.

With such different dishes, we didn't grow tired of eating the same meat all week, but just to change things up a bit, I may have to declare next week vegan!

Please go visit Designs by Gollum to see who else has cooked something up for Foodie Friday.

Move Over Kate Spade...

I've gone into the purse making business.

I've made 7 dozen of these babies.
Dooney and Burke and Coach should be worried, very worried. I'll be giving them a run for their money...
because my purses are filled with what every woman wants...
Chocolate!

Bet Kate Spade is shaking in her boots...