Happy Birthday to ME!

I'm very fussy with "birthday cakes!"  Everyone wanted to
purchase one at a bakery, but I refused.  Instead opting for one of my very own
creations with exactly the type of cake I wanted.
So...I made a delicious "Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake"
from the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, page 448.
This dense yellow cake is the perfect consistency for a birthday cake!
Here it sits on my sister's dining room table awaiting dessert!

My birthday dinner consisted of a Mexican Feast!
New Melamine plates in the patterns of Mexican/Spanish
pottery are waiting delicious food!  Nancy used
an American Pottery piece as the centerpiece filled with
flowers currently plentiful in the garden.

Four kinds of salsa were served as an appetizer then replenished
for our Tostadas.
Peach Salsa, Strawberry Salsa, Tomato Salsa and
Hot, Hot, Tomato Salsa are pictured here!

From the grill came the chicken along with peppers and onions. 
Cheese was sprinkled over the Tortillas and then grilled. 
Everyone garnished their Tortillas with chicken, peppers, onions,
salsa, hot sauces and sour cream!  A colorful rice was made
using Uncle Ben's Rice, red bell pepper, peas, scallions, and
yellow sweet corn all adding their own bits of color! 
Can't forget the saffron!

When our friends arrived, they brought 2 beautiful arrangements
that fit in perfectly with our theme!  Couldn't be more perfect!
I think you'll agree!

Here's a better look at one of the centerpieces brought to us by
our dear friends.  Hot sauces were plentiful along with
the baskets and Spanish glazed pottery.  Nancy made
Sangria the day before.  Recipes for the different salsa choices
and Sangria are from our cookbook.
A picture perfect evening, a picture perfect setting,
picture perfect food along with great friends!
What could be better than this? 
NOTHING!!

Lastly, the cake...yummy, perfect in every way with a nice
scoop of Golden Vanilla Ice Cream by Hood!
The perfect ending to a lovely, hot summer evening!