Today is Jay's 40th birthday. I made his favorite Eggs Benedict this morning for breakfast, as usual, and this evening we went to Liberty Market for dinner (one of our favorite restaurants, and you get $10 off on your birthday) and had a delicious meal.
The kids and I wrote a song for Jay and the kids sang it to him tonight. (I will post video and lyrics later.) Then we had cake, of course. He requested Tres Leches, another favorite, but not pretty, so no photos. But it's very scrumptious, especially with strawberries on top. Yum! (Too bad I couldn't have any. I've lost 25 pounds in the last 10 weeks, so I'm not complaining! Woo hoo!)
I gave Jay a new hard case for his guitar.... the one he had was junk. And the kids gave him a couple of other small gifts.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY! You are the greatest husband, and I'm so grateful that you are such a wonderful father too. I love you!
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March 20, 2012
March 21, 2011
Jay's Birthday
Yesterday was Jay's birthday. We celebrated on Saturday by going to dinner and then to see I Am Number Four. (Jay's choice..... go here to read what I thought of it.) This is what he wanted me to make for his birthday cake.... a recipe from an advertisement in a magazine! Oh brother.
Actually, it turned out pretty good.
That was Saturday.
Yesterday (Sunday, his actual birthday) I made him his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict. And for dinner, his favorite meal....
- Rib Eye steak, rubbed with butter and seasonings
- Red potatoes, boiled and buttered, with garlic salt and parlsey
- Salad of red leaf lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette
I made him another cake, which we took to his parents' house to share with the rest of his family. I made this Strawberry Cake (adapted from Paula Deen)....
I layered the cake with this filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 large box banana cream pudding
2 c. milk
Beat cream cheese; add pudding and milk and beat until smooth and thick. Spread half of mixture on top of first layer of cake. Add second cake layer and top with remaining pudding mixture. Frost the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip, and top with fresh strawberries.
It was yummy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!
Want to see what I gave him? Go here and here. He loves them both. I think I did pretty good this year.
That was Saturday.
Yesterday (Sunday, his actual birthday) I made him his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict. And for dinner, his favorite meal....
- Rib Eye steak, rubbed with butter and seasonings
- Red potatoes, boiled and buttered, with garlic salt and parlsey
- Salad of red leaf lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette
I made him another cake, which we took to his parents' house to share with the rest of his family. I made this Strawberry Cake (adapted from Paula Deen)....
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 (3 oz.) box strawberry instant jello
- 1 (16 oz.) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup water
I layered the cake with this filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 large box banana cream pudding
2 c. milk
Beat cream cheese; add pudding and milk and beat until smooth and thick. Spread half of mixture on top of first layer of cake. Add second cake layer and top with remaining pudding mixture. Frost the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip, and top with fresh strawberries.
It was yummy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!
Want to see what I gave him? Go here and here. He loves them both. I think I did pretty good this year.
March 21, 2010
Celebrating Jay's Birthday
Yesterday was Jay's birthday. I made his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict. Personally, I don't like it, because I don't like Hollandaise sauce, but I make it for Jay on special occasions.
[By the way, here is the easy way I make "fake" Hollandaise sauce: Combine 1/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. mayo, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. mustard in a small sauce pan and heat. This is enough to cover 2 eggs. Jay says it's great.]
Jay spent most of the day helping Collin make his car for the upcoming Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. That was how he wanted to spend the day, so he was happy.... especially since he likes how it's turning out.
I spent most of the day (after my 10 mile bike ride....aaahhhh) making a birthday cake for Jay. He usually wants "Hula Hula Dream Cake," but this year he wanted something like it, but strawberry. So I had to get creative.
I found a fantastic recipe* for strawberry cake on allrecipes.com (How do I know it is fantastic since I'm not eating sugar? Well, I accidentally licked my fingers when I was making it.... ooooooops. And besides, Jay said it was. I put a piece in the freezer for me.). I modified the recipe a little bit.
To make it like "Hula Hula Dream Cake," I mixed a large box of instant banana pudding with 2 cups milk and 8 oz. cream cheese and spread that on top of each layer, then covered the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip.
Then Jay and I went to District for dinner. It has become one of our favorite restaurants; we have been at least a half a dozen times and have never been disappointed in the least. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the prices are very reasonable (dinner entrees are $15-$23). (Plus it's in a great location if you are headed to an event downtown afterward.) The menu is changed a bit every season, but there are a few items that always seem to be there, and they are definitely worth trying; the Baked Tomato Soup, the salmon with shrimp risotto, and the short ribs. (The breakfast buffet is delicious too.)
Last night we tried the Shrimp Po' Boy Sliders as a starter. We were kind of sad to not have the tomato soup (we have had it every other time we've been because we love it, but we decided to try something different) but the sliders were excellent! Then Jay had the filet mignon, which absolutely melted in your mouth; it came with potatoes and mushrooms which were also very good. I had the halibut, which was slightly spicy and very delicious, and came with jalapeno cheddar hush-puppies and a crab fondue that was HEAVENLY! I couldn't stop gushing about it every time I took a bite.
Then we walked a block to symphony hall and enjoyed the Phoenix Symphony concert featuring Mozart's "Requiem." It was excellent, as usual. It was a very nice evening, and a great way to celebrate the birth of the man of my dreams. :) (He is going to hate that I put that in.....)
* STRAWBERRY CAKE
(from allrecipes.com with a few modifications)
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello
4 room temp. eggs, separated (the recipe didn't separate them, I did)
2 3/4 c. pre-sifted cake flour (I used all-purpose, but I did pre-sift before measuring)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. strawberry puree (I just threw some frozen strawberries in the food processor and chopped them up fine, then measured out 1/2 cup. I put the left overs on top of the filling.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9" round cake pans. Cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time; mix well after each. Combine flour and baking powder and stir into batter, alternating with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Divide the batter between pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on rack at least 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans.
NOTE: The batter was really thick, making a very dense and moist cake, but that's not necessarily bad. If you want it lighter/fluffier, I would probably add a little more milk and a little less flour.
[By the way, here is the easy way I make "fake" Hollandaise sauce: Combine 1/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. mayo, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. mustard in a small sauce pan and heat. This is enough to cover 2 eggs. Jay says it's great.]
Jay spent most of the day helping Collin make his car for the upcoming Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. That was how he wanted to spend the day, so he was happy.... especially since he likes how it's turning out.
I spent most of the day (after my 10 mile bike ride....aaahhhh) making a birthday cake for Jay. He usually wants "Hula Hula Dream Cake," but this year he wanted something like it, but strawberry. So I had to get creative.
I found a fantastic recipe* for strawberry cake on allrecipes.com (How do I know it is fantastic since I'm not eating sugar? Well, I accidentally licked my fingers when I was making it.... ooooooops. And besides, Jay said it was. I put a piece in the freezer for me.). I modified the recipe a little bit.
To make it like "Hula Hula Dream Cake," I mixed a large box of instant banana pudding with 2 cups milk and 8 oz. cream cheese and spread that on top of each layer, then covered the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip.
Then Jay and I went to District for dinner. It has become one of our favorite restaurants; we have been at least a half a dozen times and have never been disappointed in the least. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the prices are very reasonable (dinner entrees are $15-$23). (Plus it's in a great location if you are headed to an event downtown afterward.) The menu is changed a bit every season, but there are a few items that always seem to be there, and they are definitely worth trying; the Baked Tomato Soup, the salmon with shrimp risotto, and the short ribs. (The breakfast buffet is delicious too.)
Last night we tried the Shrimp Po' Boy Sliders as a starter. We were kind of sad to not have the tomato soup (we have had it every other time we've been because we love it, but we decided to try something different) but the sliders were excellent! Then Jay had the filet mignon, which absolutely melted in your mouth; it came with potatoes and mushrooms which were also very good. I had the halibut, which was slightly spicy and very delicious, and came with jalapeno cheddar hush-puppies and a crab fondue that was HEAVENLY! I couldn't stop gushing about it every time I took a bite.
Then we walked a block to symphony hall and enjoyed the Phoenix Symphony concert featuring Mozart's "Requiem." It was excellent, as usual. It was a very nice evening, and a great way to celebrate the birth of the man of my dreams. :) (He is going to hate that I put that in.....)
* STRAWBERRY CAKE
(from allrecipes.com with a few modifications)
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello
4 room temp. eggs, separated (the recipe didn't separate them, I did)
2 3/4 c. pre-sifted cake flour (I used all-purpose, but I did pre-sift before measuring)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. strawberry puree (I just threw some frozen strawberries in the food processor and chopped them up fine, then measured out 1/2 cup. I put the left overs on top of the filling.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9" round cake pans. Cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time; mix well after each. Combine flour and baking powder and stir into batter, alternating with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Divide the batter between pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on rack at least 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans.
NOTE: The batter was really thick, making a very dense and moist cake, but that's not necessarily bad. If you want it lighter/fluffier, I would probably add a little more milk and a little less flour.
March 20, 2009
Happy Birthday Jay
Today is Jay's birthday. I got up early to make his favorite breakfast before he went to work.... Eggs Benedict. I make fake Hollandaise sauce, and he says he likes my Eggs Benedict better than any he has ever tried (and believe me, he has tried it a lot... every time we have breakfast in a restaurant). In case you don't know how to make it, here's how:EGGS BENEDICT
1 English muffin, split, buttered and toasted
2 sliced Canadian bacon
2 eggs, poached
Hollandaise Sauce
Basically, you just cook and assemble these in order. But timing is important here because each element is cooked separately and then assembled just before serving, and you don't want to get anything cold. Here is how I do it.
1) Turn on the broiler in your oven.
2) Make "Mock Hollandaise Sauce" by combining in a small sauce pan 1/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. mayonnaise, 1 tsp. mustard, and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Stir and heat through; cover and keep warm on low.
3) Spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and fill half-way with water. Bring to a boil.
4) Meanwhile, butter each half of the muffin. Lay muffin and bacon on a baking sheet; set aside.
5) Crack each egg into a measuring cup. When water boils, turn it down to a simmer. Gently side each egg into the simmering water. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
6) While eggs are cooking, broil muffin and bacon for about 2 minutes, or until muffin is toasted. Put a slice of bacon on top of each muffin half.
7) Remove eggs with a slotted spoon; lay each on top of bacon. Spoon the sauce over the top of each egg.
By the way, I don't like Eggs Benedict, but I will gladly make it for Jay... on his birthday and Father's Day. :)
We will celebrate tonight by going out to dinner, and then to "Last Chance," Jay's favorite store, where he gets all of his nice dress shirts, suits, and dress shoes. If you haven't been introduced to the wonders of "Last Chance," read about it here.
Here is a little treat in honor of Jay's birthday because he LOVES to watch people's mishaps (plus he loves Tom Bergeron's humor). Watch here and here.
October 19, 2008
Busy Weekend - Part 1
We had a great weekend. On Friday night, Jay and I stayed at the (brand-spanking-new) Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel for my birthday. Everything was very nice, and the staff was excellent too. It was so fun to have it be so new... I'm quite sure we were the first people to stay in that room.Speaking of the room, we reserved a regular room but we were upgraded to a suite... sweet!
We were on the 30th floor... the highest but for the governor's suite on the 31st floor... so we had a spectacular view of the city.
We had dinner at District (the hotel restaurant) which was just as good as last time. 
We both had the baked tomato soup... to die for! I had the fantastic salmon with shrimp and asparagus risotto. It was delicious.
Jay had the chicken pot pie. (I know this picture looks like an entire chicken, but that's just the puff pastry on top.) Jay loved it. 
We were too full to order dessert, but the general manager knew we were celebrating my birthday and sent this out with his complements. Yum! So we stuffed ourselves some more.
Afterward, we walked across the street to the Arizona Center, and we went to see this movie. It was quite funny! (I can recommend it only with reservations.... it was rated PG-13 for good reason!)
When we returned to our room, we found this lovely note from the GM and a "little treat."
Since we don't drink, we had a good laugh. It was a very nice gesture. We didn't want him to think we didn't appreciate it, so we took it home as a souvenir, and it will probably sit on a shelf in our closet for many years. (I don't know anything about champagne... does it get better with age?)
Here is where we did NOT eat breakfast the next day. Matt's Big Breakfast is a very popular breakfast spot.... there are usually twice as many people in line as the restaurant can accommodate. (Think Pizzeria Bianco.) 
Instead we went back to District for breakfast. I just went to the buffet, which was elegant and delicious... everything from eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, to french toast, steel cut oats, all kinds of cereals, yogurt, pastries, and fabulous fresh fruit. Jay is a connoisseur of Eggs Benedict, and we heard theirs was special, so that is what he got.... and he wasn't disappointed.After stuffing ourselves again, we walked over to the Public Market and browsed for a while, checking out the local produce, crafts, etc.
I bought these delicious tortillas.... the best whole wheat tortillas I have ever tasted! 
It was a very fun little get-away... the perfect birthday gift. Thank you Jay! You are the best!!!
May 26, 2007
Anniversary Get-Away
We continued celebrating our 10th Anniversary this weekend. Waiting one week saved us several hundred dollars. I guess Memorial Day weekend is when the cheap summer rates official start at the local resorts. Instead of paying the nearly $500/night rate normally required at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort, we paid just $179.
Friday was the last day of school (half day), so we dropped off our kids at my sister's house (thank you!) and headed off to North Scottsdale. When we went to check in, they said they had upgraded us to a suite! It was so nice! I wish we could have stayed longer. After getting settled, and checking out the resort a bit, we went over to nearby Kierland Commons for a stroll, and had dinner at North. It was excellent! I had a delicious pasta dish with a very light Parmesan sauce, spinach, mushrooms, toasted pine nuts, and grilled shrimp, and Jay had a very tasty pizza.
After dinner we bought tickets to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." But it was opening day, and when we entered the theatre we realized we would be relegated to the front row, Jay said, "Forget it," and walked out. I went running after him, and said, "What, you want to throw away $20?" He replied, "No, I'm going to get our money back." I laughed, "They won't give us our money back." He was completely confident.... "Sure they will." I stood there in awe as he marched right up to Guest Services, handed over our tickets stubs and said, "We want our money back." The agent smiled, took the stubs, and said, "Would you like cash, or do you want me to credit your card?" My mouth dropped open, while Jay calmly replied, "Just put it back on our card." While the agent printed our receipt, Jay went to get the car, and I just stood there dumbfounded. I had no idea you could do that! I was proud of him for being so bold. I'm too chicken to do something like that.
We finally admitted we would rather spend time at the beautiful resort then spend it packed in a room with several hundred noisy, obnoxious, "Pirate" fans. Jay had insisted that he wouldn't wear a swim suit in public (he thinks HE'S embarrassed), so I hadn't even bothered to bring mine. But when we got back to the resort, the pool looked so lovely after dark, with all the lights, that Jay said, "Let's go swimming." I inquired, "But did you bring a swim suit?" "Well, yeah, just in case." Duh. So, we ran over to the local Wal-Mart and I found a decent one. We swam in the main pool for a bit, sat in the hot tub for a bit, shared a hammock for a bit... ah, it was lovely.
This morning we slept in until 9:00 (lovelier still!) and had a nice (but expensive) breakfast at the bistro downstairs. I had whole wheat pancakes with blueberries and pecans, and Jay had eggs benedict. Then we put our suits back on and headed off to the "Sonoran Splash" pool, where we took a dip, lounged around and read for a while (here is what I'm reading), and enjoyed ourselves like kids on the water slides. After that we reluctantly headed back to our suite, showered and dressed, and (sigh) checked out. It was a glorious, relaxing get-away, and I can't wait to do it again. Until then, we're glad to be back home with our kids, and sleeping in our own bed. After all, there's no place like home.
Friday was the last day of school (half day), so we dropped off our kids at my sister's house (thank you!) and headed off to North Scottsdale. When we went to check in, they said they had upgraded us to a suite! It was so nice! I wish we could have stayed longer. After getting settled, and checking out the resort a bit, we went over to nearby Kierland Commons for a stroll, and had dinner at North. It was excellent! I had a delicious pasta dish with a very light Parmesan sauce, spinach, mushrooms, toasted pine nuts, and grilled shrimp, and Jay had a very tasty pizza.
After dinner we bought tickets to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." But it was opening day, and when we entered the theatre we realized we would be relegated to the front row, Jay said, "Forget it," and walked out. I went running after him, and said, "What, you want to throw away $20?" He replied, "No, I'm going to get our money back." I laughed, "They won't give us our money back." He was completely confident.... "Sure they will." I stood there in awe as he marched right up to Guest Services, handed over our tickets stubs and said, "We want our money back." The agent smiled, took the stubs, and said, "Would you like cash, or do you want me to credit your card?" My mouth dropped open, while Jay calmly replied, "Just put it back on our card." While the agent printed our receipt, Jay went to get the car, and I just stood there dumbfounded. I had no idea you could do that! I was proud of him for being so bold. I'm too chicken to do something like that.
We finally admitted we would rather spend time at the beautiful resort then spend it packed in a room with several hundred noisy, obnoxious, "Pirate" fans. Jay had insisted that he wouldn't wear a swim suit in public (he thinks HE'S embarrassed), so I hadn't even bothered to bring mine. But when we got back to the resort, the pool looked so lovely after dark, with all the lights, that Jay said, "Let's go swimming." I inquired, "But did you bring a swim suit?" "Well, yeah, just in case." Duh. So, we ran over to the local Wal-Mart and I found a decent one. We swam in the main pool for a bit, sat in the hot tub for a bit, shared a hammock for a bit... ah, it was lovely.
This morning we slept in until 9:00 (lovelier still!) and had a nice (but expensive) breakfast at the bistro downstairs. I had whole wheat pancakes with blueberries and pecans, and Jay had eggs benedict. Then we put our suits back on and headed off to the "Sonoran Splash" pool, where we took a dip, lounged around and read for a while (here is what I'm reading), and enjoyed ourselves like kids on the water slides. After that we reluctantly headed back to our suite, showered and dressed, and (sigh) checked out. It was a glorious, relaxing get-away, and I can't wait to do it again. Until then, we're glad to be back home with our kids, and sleeping in our own bed. After all, there's no place like home.
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