I have enough stuff.  So I decided for my birthday (not today, but soonish) instead of buying myself a wrinkle cream, I would do something for somebody else.  It has nothing to do with food, except that when I cook I LOVE to listen to music.  This summer when I was camping in that tent at that place with the questionable cuisine, I bought a CD from a teenager called Chris Peters, whose musical talents are palatial.  He produced it, mastered it, engineered it (you get the picture–he’s a phenomenon) and at 16, (or whatever he is; I don’t like to think about it, because right behind it is what the heck was I doing when I was 16?).  Anyway, I forgive him for being so incredible at such a young age because he is an inspiration to me and all of the rest of everybody out there who is throwing their dream out into the world of trying to see what happens.

The album is called “California Someday Soon”
Perfect gift for the tween or teen nearest you.  You can find info on myspace.com/chrispetersmusician

And I’m going to make myself a birthday cake.  Not just any birthday cake, but my grandmother’s recipe for:
Applesauce Date Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg (grate your own nutmeg)

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1 stick of room temp butter

2 eggs (room temp-warm them in their shells in a bowl of warm water)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of sugar (1 cup white and 1/2 cup brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups of HOMEMADE applesauce (just peel apples; add a few drops of water to a covered pan and simmer)

Sift dry.  Cream the butter, sugar and then eggs.  Combine the wet with the dry and fold in HOT applesauce, dates and nuts (pecans or walnuts)
Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce pack of Phili Cream Cheese

1 stick of room temp butter

juice from 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 box of confectioner’s sugar

Cool cake layers, then spread with frosting.  Top with candles and sing.