One of my favorite days of the year: the day Michael and I are finally the same age again. :) This year, Michael wanted an outdoors/hunting type cake. So, I decided to take off with that idea, and do all outdoor type food. Bbq sandwiches, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, dirt, and cake. My morning started early, getting the big roast ready for the oven. First the dry rub, and while that sat, I mixed the cake and got it baking, started boiling the potatoes, and shredding the cabbage. I managed to cut the end of my thumb, and completely through the end of my thumb nail doing the cabbage, but after Michael helped wrap it up, went back to cooking. Isn’t it strange how on the days you have the most to do, the house seems to get the messiest? I don’t know how I managed to use so many dishes, but I felt like every time I was turning around I had filled the sink with dishes again. After the potatoes were boiling, the cabbage was shredded, and the second cake was in the oven, time to marinate the roast. I’ve never done bbq this way, so I was pretty excited to see how it turned  out. Finished decorating for the party, and while the roast marinated decided to scrub the bathroom and do a little more cleaning. Finally, the roast was ready for the oven! Not realizing how much liquid was in the pan with the roast, and grabbed it and headed to the oven. Right as I opened the oven door, I spilled the liquid everywhere! The floor, cabinets, oven. Yes, it was a mess! Put it back on the counter while I mopped the floors again, cleaned the counters, and of course, the oven. Finally everything was clean again. Take two. I carefully picked up the dish this time, and turned to put it in the oven. This time the entire dish slipped from my hands, sending the 5 1/2 pound roast, glass baking dish, and of course, lots more liquid all over the kitchen. Little pieces of glass, mixed with raw meat and marinade made their way all across the kitchen floor and hallway. For a few minutes all I did was stand there, staring at the mess. It was already past noon, so there wasn’t time to go through the whole process of buying a new roast, marinating and cooking it. It’s times like these, you really can’t let the situation get the best of you. So, as I stood there, looking at hundreds of pieces of glass all over my freshly cleaned floors, marinade all across the tile, the roast I spent all morning preparing covered in a coating of glass, the end of my thumb bandaged up, the huge bowl of potato salad sitting on the counter with no bbq to go with it, all I could do was smile. Really, it was a little funny. :) That evening, thanks to Michael’s parents, we had pizza and chicken, along with my lone bowl of potato salad, the dirt, and Michael’s birthday cake, that thankfully managed to come out okay. :) All in all, we had such a fun evening, and even though things weren’t perfect, being with people you love is the most important part. <3

The dirt and grass cake :)

Grass cake, and…. a picture with the Birthday Boy! <3

We had a great evening, but definitely missed our family in Grand Cayman, California, and Tennessee. <3