My Birthday Weekend

My Happy Birthday Cake made by Carla and Thomas.  Notice the humming birds above my head!

Well another birthday rolled around and I don't feel any different.  I wonder what that's all about!  Anyway, it was a perfect day for a birthday up here in "God's Country".  Beautiful blue skies, not too hot or too chilly, lots of sunshine and best of all, not many mosquitoes!

Carla, Jim, Thomas, Izzy and Louie came up to help us celebrate.  My morning started fairly early with a little wake up call from Izzy, Thomas's beautiful white Husky puppy who is 7 months old.  As I opened my eyes there were two pale blue eyes staring at me!  She really didn't want to go outside, just wanted to say hello in her quiet little way.  What a funny dog!

 Here's Izzy!  Her tongue always seems to be hanging out!

We spent most of our day outside, starting with breakfast on the porch.  Carla and I sat in the sun and visited.

 Jim and Bob are getting breakfast on the porch.

 We watched Izzy run laps around the house and finally chase a little ground squirrel under the car.  She was too big to fit clear under so she guarded the car for a long time so the poor squirrel couldn't get out!  Meanwhile the hummingbirds enjoyed their breakfast of sugar water.  Thomas went for a run and the rest of us just relaxed on the porch or in the sun.  We didn't even work up enough energy to go fishing or for a walk.

 Jest a settin' in the sun relaxin'

Thomas and Carla finally started making my birthday cake and I looked up how to grill a turkey breast.  Bob and Jim ran into town to pick up some supplies we ran out of.  It was just a really quiet peaceful kind of day.  The cake came out of the oven and we had to kind of figure out how to make ganache for the frosting without the right kind of chocolate.  Carla rigged something up and I have to say it was truly delicious!

Darn good chocolate cake with strawberry filling and top and a ganache frosting.  Way rich and delicious!

For dinner we smoked the turkey breast on the grill.  Thomas made an herb butter rub and we used some of  Pat's smoking chips.  Jim made corn on the cob on the grill and we had a great dinner out on the porch.  We did not have to share with the bugs either!  We have a bug repellent lantern we used for a centerpiece.  There was no wind so it worked perfectly!  We watched Indiana Jones after dinner and did a lot of visiting.  A fun day.

Poor old Louie is not doing so well he is blind, deaf and can't smell so well any more.  He loves his cabin, though, so he spent time outside but mostly slept in his room (the honeymoon suite).

Carla and Jim are showing off Louie, Max and Maizy back in 2008.  Now Max is gone to doggy heaven, Maizy is in San
 Antonio and Louie is still in Casper

Today is an entirely different day!  I still had the wake up call from Izzy, but it was cloudy out.  We did not eat outside and Carla and Jim went for a 4 wheeler ride scouting out potential places to build a cabin for themselves.  Thomas and I visited and I made some waffles for him to eat.  About noon Carla made some smoked turkey breast sandwiches with our leftovers and they left for home.  As they pulled out of the yard, the thunder began to roll and within minutes it began raining and didn't quit.  It is still very gloomy out but maybe a ray of sun might come out even though the thunder is still grumbling!

I am now spending time trying to add labels to all my former blogs (83 of them!)  so I will be able to find specific ones if  I want a recipe or to see a picture or just reminisce.  It is taking a long time so I decided to write this blog and then do some laundry and get ready for our trip back to Denver tomorrow!  I'll have to get back to the labeling another day.  Bob just finished watching the Rockies beat the cubs in a 3 game sweep!  So much for this week end!  By the way it sure was nice to sleep in our own bed for a few nights!

I feel like I need to add a recipe:  Hmmmm!  Maybe my version of Whiskey Creek Honey Cornbread.

My Sweet Honey Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Cup yellow cake mix (or 1 Cup pound cake mix)

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup well drained canned or frozen corn kernels

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

2.  Combine yellow cornmeal and cake mix in a medium bowl

3.  Add milk, egg, oil and honey to dry ingredients and mix until batter is mostly smooth about 1 minute.

4.  Fold in the corn kernels.

5.  Bake in a greased 8 inch square baking pan for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

*A variation of this is something JJ's family would like--well so might I.  Instead of the corn, stir in 1/2 Cup chocolate chips--really!  Maybe even stir them in with the corn, too!

This makes a sweet chewy corn bread that is almost worthy of dessert but I serve it with chili or enchilada pie or beans and rice. 

All the ingredients for the special cornbread except for the milk are here!

Add the milk.  Question for my former foods students:  What's wrong with this picture?

Fresh out of the oven!

 You can almost see the steam from this warm piece of yummy cornbread.

 One last look at my beautiful cake before we cut into it!