We are finally getting back on track with our Tuesday Dinners. The days around Christmas and New Years were a little rough on us with a flu virus that has been rampaging the area.
We did celebrate Christmas as a family on New Years Day, with a potluck style meal and a gift exchange. It was really a wonderful time, and we got to see our “sister” in California and her boyfriend via Skype.
And sure enough, two weeks after Christmas, my birthday rolls around. I have to say I am pretty set in my ways when it comes to birthday dinners. I have varied very little in the last oh… 15-20 years or so… (Hard to believe I have been choosing the same meal since I was like two right?) My meal consists of Beef Stroganoff, Blueberry Muffins, and a vegetable I like, which was corn this year (often times its asparagus, but that wasn’t looking so great at the store). My dessert for the majority of these years is a Chiffon Cake with either strawberries or raspberries, depending on which looks best it the store that year. Now, this is not just any chiffon cake, it is lightly flavored with cinnamon and is hollowed out in the center, then filled with whipping cream and chopped up berries. Then it is frosted with more whipping cream and decorated with more berries. It is so light and fresh, and qualifies as breakfast the next morning because it is dairy and fruit!
Our group was a little small, and I expect it will be even smaller for a couple of weeks as our expecting mothers are nearing their due date, my sister was able to make it to this dinner. So we had my 3 kiddos, and 9 adults.
I am very disappointed in you.
Why you wanted me to show up to the church while I was sick? (My youngest daughter was baptized over the weekend)
Nooo (pointed look at her belly)
What?
You’re STILL pregnant!
Your sister wanted her niece to be born on her birthday.
Of course, I already share it with quite a few relatives.
Oh, sorry to disappoint you.
I think she is disappointed too. Isn’t your husband coming?
Yes, he is changing the oil in his truck, it wasn’t going very well when I left, apparently, the filter got put on too tight by whom every changed it last time.
That’s not good, those are hard to get off, hope he doesn’t break anything.
Me too, I guess we will find out.
Well hi! I didn’t know you were coming.
I brought recipes.
The scone recipes, I’ve been hearing so much about?
Yep, blueberry, and chocolate.
Awesome.
Hi!
Hey! I brought your soaps back. Did you like the article?
I did! The picture was amazing! Didn’t I respond?
No.
Well, I responded in my head and I really liked it!
Good! Shoot, I forgot my camera! I don’t even have my phone! I’ll be right back.
Come on and sit down.
Oh, I’m not eating, I just came to visit for a little while.
That’s ok you can still sit.
Go ahead,
Bless this house, Lord we pray, keep us safe by night and day. Amen
This was a gift to my parents for Christmas
We’ve got that prayer right here now.
Good, then you can say it.
We like to hear you.
Are those blueberry muffins?
Noodle! Noooooodle!
Just a second the noodles are coming, how about some meat?
Noodle!
Do you want a muffin?
NO! Noodle.
These muffins are great! I need to take them home for breakfast.
They can’t be worse than donuts.
True they aren’t fried at least.
Fried muffins sound amazing.
Yes, they do.
When are you planning on having the next edition of your magazine come out?
Hopefully next month, I have been working on its website and having some technical issues, but hopefully, that is taken care of.
You don’t usually put lemon in your blueberry muffins. (Weird looks all across the table at me).
Dang it! I swear my taste buds still haven’t recovered. Everything tastes sour or smells spoiled to me.
More meat- meat?
Ok, here is some more.
So this is your birthday dinner huh?
Yep, has been for years. Nothing like a good sour cream based sauce, like any good Russian dish.
Is Beef Stroganoff Russian?
Yes….
It’s kind in the Stroganoff…
I don’t know that Russian dishes usually have sour cream in them, though.
I guess I really haven’t had much to judge, the couple of recipes I know have it.
It’s usually hearty food, isn’t it?
It would make sense, it’s cold there.
I was thinking Borscht soup.
That’s made with beets.
But I think it’s usually topped with sour cream.
Hey! He is still alive, on his way here. Must have gotten the oil changed.
So, I got my worms.
You haven’t heard about the worm farm she is getting have you?
No, but that’s good. I was about to say the tapeworm diet is a terrible idea.
Ha ha! Nope, just regular garden worms.
She was getting a little lonely, has them all named.
Just trying to start some composting.
Did you show her the worm farm with little ramps for the worms to climb up?
That would be great!
Environmental enrichment for the worms.
They should be starting to multiply soon. We will have thousands of worms
So how many worms do you have exactly?
1,000.
That’s like a Fear Factor episode.
Can I take some of those muffins home?
Sure.
Just in time for cake.
Don’t worry, I ate your muffin for you.
There are muffins right here?
Those are mine to go home, I ate yours.
Haha. Ok.
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Emily (mmphf), Happy Birthday to you!
Wow, there are a lot of cameras pointed at me right now! No, don’t touch the candle! Hot!
Here you go. (Hands out the candles to the ‘kids’)
Hey! That’s mine!
No, don’t eat the candle!
Wow, she took a bite out of that.
Sure did.
Piece, please? Piece, please?
Can she have a little piece?
AHHHHAHAHAHHAAHHAAHGAHH!!!!
I think baby, would like some too….
She really knows what cake is doesn’t she?
Oh yes.
She gets that from my side of the family, my Grandma had a huge sweet tooth. We all do.
They do.
I like this kind of frosting.
Whipped cream?
Yeah, I mean I like a good buttercream, but they are so hard to find.
I think most frostings taste like shortening anymore. I usually scrape it off and try the cake.
You know, I still don’t like cake, I just like YOUR cake.
Well, Mom’s cakes are different. I really don’t like other cakes either. I haven’t had very many good cakes.
Most just aren’t made like this.
Linda from the dump’s cakes are really good, though.
WHAT?!?
She made cakes for my sister-in-laws weddings. I thought the same thing the first time I heard her referred to as Linda from the dump, but her cakes were actually really good. Real cake and frosting. I don’t think she makes them anymore.
I wasn’t sure you were serious.
It’s kind of like saying Grover, or Oscar the grouch makes a good cake.
I know!
I brought the documents for you to read.
Oh, awesome! So when do we get to go visit your new property in Scotland?
HA! I don’t know.
You can take it home to read.
I can read it now.
At some point here, people were leaving, I didn’t realize we were WAY past bed time and my children started destroying the house. Time to call it a night.
By the way, check out my AMAZING new logo!
Thank you, Nikki Wyrembelski! (She can make you a logo too!)
The Tuesday Table 