[cwcdesign]

For Will's birthday, I made a family favorite that we call Chicken Juniper, named after my Mom's horse and my Dad's boats. It is also known as Elegant Chicken in the Forum Feasts community cookbook. Dried beef, chicken (I use tenders now) wrapped in bacon, with a sour cream and mushroom sauce, sprinkled with paprika - a really 60's/70's casserole. It is baked low and slow. I served it with green beans and brown rice - we have a could of days of leftovers.

Turns out it's my brother's birthday dinner as well!

[cwcdesign]

Will's birthday was Sunday. On Saturday, I made the brown butter cream cheese frosting from Dessert Person to frost the carrot cake I had frozen the Sunday before. The frosting is delicious - you just need time to make the brown butter and then bring it back to the right consisitency. Claire had said to frost the layers while frozen - I was concerned because they wouldn't sit flat and I thought I had put too much frosting on the edges between the layers to fill the gaps. She also suggested that you frost the frozen cake and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours before serving.

I shouldn't have worried. This was by far the best carrot cake I have made (sorry KABC) not too sweet - carrots soaked in buttermilk, toasted pecans and no other additions. Spices were grated fresh ginger, cinnamon, dried ginger and a tiny bit of clove. The cake rehydrated and with the frosting was just right.

[cwcdesign]

I made butter garlic ramen with shredded carrots and a fried egg. Will didn’t have an egg since he’d had 2 for breakfast. I really like the Lotus brand brown rice and millet ramen. I also like their pad Thai noodles.

[cwcdesign]

We had artichokes with ranch dressing for dinner - they were big.

[cwcdesign]

I made the 3 layers for Will’s birthday cake (next Sunday) and wrapped and froze them. It’s Claire Saffitz’s carrot cake and the batter is delicious. I will frost it on Saturday while the layers are still frozen with her brown butter cream cheese frosted bong.

[cwcdesign]

Will had his first Pfizer shot today. It's also nice to see all my young co-workers taking advantage of the new availability.

[cwcdesign]

I made the whole dinner tonight (it helped to have the day off). I grilled chicken tenders in a lemon/Parmesan/mayonnaise marinade. It was nice, but I’ll make chicken salad with the rest and I think that will be really good. We also had baked rice and roasted green beans, mushrooms and garlic tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and s&p.

[cwcdesign]

Thank you BA and chocomouse - we did have leftovers, but took half the cake to work where everyone was happy to share. Will and I each had a nice sized piece for dessert for the last 3 nights and are glad we don't have more -it's a very rich cake and he had an extra piece. Of course I have to make his cake in less than 2 weeks and we will probably share with work again.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by cwcdesign.

[cwcdesign]

Mike, I haven't been in touch with Zen in a while, but I'll reach out and see if my contact information is still good. I think we lost touch after Cindy died, both going off in our own directions.

I tried FB once for an art class and never did anything else with it. All my mom's friends tried to get her to join and I convinced her not to - it was the last thing she needed!

I know several people, including Will, who are no longer using it.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by cwcdesign.

[cwcdesign]

Will made Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce (HBH) that I requested for my birthday dinner. We've had enough for 2 nights of leftovers.

Tomorrow, since I'm off. I'll figure out something fun.

[cwcdesign]

Thank you all for the birthday wishes - it was a little more festive this year than last, even if it still was just the two of us.

I am a huge chocolate fiend, so of course a chocolate cake.

[cwcdesign]

The two libraries (one in Massachusetts and one here) I've been involved with accept donations only for their book sales. They don't bother going through them to see if they could use any. They also have auxiliary groups that manage the donations and the sales.

[cwcdesign]

Will is now eligible to sign up for his shots. Georgia opened sign-ups to any adult over 16 regardless of health issues on the 25th.

[cwcdesign]

It was my birthday on Friday, so last week Will made a chocolate layer cake from Claire Saffitz's book, Dessert Person. He used her brown butter cream cheese frosting and added the chocolate from her chocolate version. It was really good - very, very chocolaty - one of my co-workers said he went into a chocolate coma (I had taken half to work). It was Will's first layer cake - he may have over mixed a little - the KitchenAid can need some getting used to.

This morning he made Sourdough blueberry pancakes on the Baking Steel on the grill. We used chocomouse's syrup and had Canadian bacon. yum!

He wants Claire's carrot cake for his birthday in two weeks.

[cwcdesign]

I am so sorry for those of you who are having symptoms from your shots. That’s miserable. I hope you are all on the mend soon.

I had my 2nd Pfizer shot 3 weeks ago and while my arm was sore I chalk it up to the nurse. My first one was high on my arm (had to be my right since my left was recuperating from the surgery). The nurse was a nursing student at the local college, and I never even felt it touch my skin on the way in or out. Second shot was from a school nurse, I think it was lower and it was like she jabbed me - it hurt the minute it touched my skin. When I had my physical, my doctor said the majority of his patients had minor symptoms for both, some had more severe, but so far none really bad. One of his patients was in the Pfizer trial and found out she was given the vaccine (much to her relief).

I had one friend who was sure he was going to be really sick with his second, but wasn’t.

Be sure to drink lots of water before, They recommend not taking pain medication before the shot, but can after. After more water, ice and rest should all help, we were told.

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