Her Day + My Day = TOO MUCH CAKE!!!

Birthdays are supposed to be all about friends, family and fun! And shall we not forget...CAKE! I am here to proclaim this birthday was all about the cake! Ice cream sundaes and carrot cake Tuesday. Lemon tart and raspberry scones Thursday morning. Extra slice of carrot cake Thursday night. Molten chocolate cake for lunch on Friday. Red velvet cupcakes Friday afternoon. Cookie cake and traditional birthday cake Friday night. And finally, Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream Saturday night! Do ya think I had enough cake??? As a result, I am now the not-so-proud owner of an extra large addition to my already wide hips. I literally felt them grow! Can you imagine?

Thought I would give you a quick run down of the whirlwind of activity from last week. We had THE best time! Take a look!



Her Day

Keri actually had two days of celebrating. Tuesday was an early celebration with my Mom. Keri had to come to Asheville for a doctor's appointment so we took advantage of her being in town and had a girl's night.



It started with dinner at Outback where Mom had them deliver complimentary ice cream sundaes with their version of the Happy Birthday song. I can never pass on Hot Fudge, so of course I had a few bites. We then headed home to watch American Idol and feast on this scrumptious cake.



The lady I work with, Cathy, is married to a world-class pastry chef. One of his specialties is this carrot cake. It is his own special award-winning recipe. My mouth waters just thinking about it.



This was Keri's only request for her birthday...carrot cake...just MORE proof she is my daughter. lol!



I behaved and only had a super small piece. But what a fantastic treat for the taste buds!!! We had an incredible evening. My mom is a riot and the laughter was constant!



On to her real day...Friday! For her true birthday party, we had a Keri-oke party! Get it? *snort* There is this incredible little sushi restaurant in downtown Athens where you can rent karaoke party rooms. We had a group of approximately 20 college kids and the old folks (Keri's dad, me and Keith). It was an absolute BLAST!



The young folk were so much fun! Lots of eating, singing and dancing! Here is where the cookie cake and traditional birthday cake made their appearance. Again, I was well behaved and only ate a small piece of each. Good thing. By this time I was on sugar overload!

Side Note

I cannot forget to mention another birthday celebration last week. My co-worker, the one with the awesome baker of a husband, also had a birthday...the day before Keri's! We celebrated her big day with lemon tarts and raspberry scones. If I didn't love Cathy so much and my moral compass was more askew, I would have to try to steal her hubby away from her...lol! You cannot imagine how incredible his baked goods are. And he continually spoils her with her favorite treats! Wouldn't you know, she is a tall, skinny thing too! Again, if I didn't love her, I would HATE her!!!

You Say Sushi. I Say "Shoo"-shi.

I mentioned Keri's party was at a sushi restaurant. I must admit, I am not a fan. The taste...the texture...my senses revolt at the mere thought! Raw fish? Really?



But I was feeling adventurous Friday night. I guess that's what happens when you get old! You are no longer afraid to try things. You start realizing your days are numbered so you might as well give it a go as you may not get another chance! So I took my leap of faith on a sushi roll!



Got to admit, this one was VERY good! I'm not sure what was in it and quite honestly, I don't think I want to know. But it was fantastic! It might have helped that is was 10:30 at night and I was ravenous. It took me the better part of the party to decide on what to order. I waited to see what everyone else got before placing my order. I had an ulterior motive for waiting. I assumed if they didn't die from consuming raw meat, then I would probably be OK. When my selection arrived, I scarfed it down at such a rapid rate I don't think the taste registered until the last few bites. And I have evidence to prove this point. It wasn't until I had cleaned my plate that I noticed the unbelievable burning sensation on my lips and tongue! I had no clue it was going to be that spicy! And no, I did not eat wasabi. At least I don't think I did! My tongue has not been the same since!

My Day

A final day to celebrate! Thank goodness!!! My fun time began on Friday at work. My boss took Cathy and me to a wonderful restaurant downtown as a treat for our birthdays. He insisted we order dessert. We tried to resist, but he would not listen. We ordered flour-less molten chocolate cake to share. Delicious, but rich! Then back at the office we had red velvet cupcakes from the local bakery! By this point, my resolve was gone and I ate my entire cupcake. YUM!

On to Saturday...my actual birthday! I had asked Keith to share a day on the lake with me. He was all too eager to grant that wish. Lots of sunshine, gentle breezes, great music and speedy rides across the water! A bit of heaven on earth. We had a combo lunch/dinner at the marina. Dining alfresco while listening to a one-man-band playing Bob Marley and James Taylor. Perfection! Rather than gorge myself on more cake, I took the unconventional route and requested cake batter ice cream from Cold Stone as a late night treat. My FAVE!!!

I'm sure most of you are sitting there wondering how in the world one person could consume so much sugar in just a few days. Well, guess what? I'm wondering the exact same thing! If I hadn't lived it, I wouldn't believe it!

Now, I must go and find a crash diet to help shed the extra poundage! Why is it you can gain 5 pounds in 3 days, but it takes 3 months to lose those same 5 pounds??????? Geez!!!!!!