Happy Graduation!!!

This weekend, my oldest daughter graduated from high school. To commemorate the occasion, we threw her a rainy garden party that ended up in the garage. Luckily, the sun came out long enough for me to take this picture of her cake:

The cake was chocolate with a homemade mocha icing. The mocha was to foreshadow all the coffee she is going to be drinking in college.

The rest of the menu also reflected her future endeavors. I served paella and tapas to highlight her Spanish major. Everyone LOVED the paella and it is just about the easiest thing in the world to make. Thank you Martha Stewart for the recipe.

I also tried the Cupcake Bites. that she featured on show. They were a hit also!

Happy Birthday to Me:-)

My birthday was May 28th however, I have been so busy celebrating, I haven't had a chance to blog.

First, we had a party with my in-laws. I made this cake. I took a page from Martha Stewart to make this one. In her Year of Cakes, she made Peanutbutter Cookie Cupcakes. Well, I just took that and converted it into a cake. It was peanutty with a tangy creamcheese frosting. Yummo!

Then, on my actual birthday, I am embarassed to say, bought a cheesecake. I know, I know...I spend the whole year making cakes and goodies for everyone and on my birthday...I purchase. In my defense, I was really sick the weekend before but still...I will have to do better next year.

Next, Jeff and I celebrated our 5th anniversary and since we are foodies, we went out and tried Mr. B's Steakhouse. The whole meal was fantastic but the dessert (of course) is what caught my eye. I had a flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce and a chocolate gelato. I am not a big berry person because I don't like mushy berries but these raspberries were perfect. They were cooked just enough to give off their juices but they retained their shape. Just beautiful. And the presentation was unique. Each piece was set on a rectangular platter like a work of art. I am definitely going to have to recreate this for some occassion very, very soon.

Lastly, my oldest daughter graduated from high school this weekend. The celebration was really special and her party is coming up at the end of the month. I am doing a spanish theme (paella and tapas) to highlight her minor in college. And dessert, is going to be a chocolate mocha cake to foreshadow all the caffine she will need for those all-nighters at Madison. I will be happy to report the outcome of this event early next month.