A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I had no idea there was a day that celebrated chefs, and that it is an international day too. But there is. And it’s today, October 20. Today is International Chef’s Day, celebrated all over the world for all those that cook for everybody everyday. Today, is the 22nd official year that chefs have been recognized and honored, though chefs have been feeding a hungry world all throughout history. Let’s hope this trend continues. 🙂

International Chef’s day was created to honor the culinary profession and to encourage chefs to pass on their skills, knowledge, and passion to the next generation. The day was established by the late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher, who was then the president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) in 2004. Dr. Gallagher created International Chefs Day to recognize the noble role of chefs as educators, mentors, and community leaders—focusing heavily on teaching children about healthy eating, nutrition, and sustainability.

This year’s theme for International Chef’s Day is “Food Explorers”. This theme was chosen to encourage people of all ages—especially children—to explore ingredients, discover where food comes from, learn how it is grown or harvested, and understand healthy eating, sustainability, and the joy of cooking. This is right up my alley. I LOVE doing this, and do it all the time. Every chef, in every corner of the world, has something to teach. By sharing your knowledge, skills, and passion for food, you can help future chefs become curious, confident Food Explorers.

So whether you are a professional chef, who has been in the industry for many years or just starting out or a “home chef” or teaching young kids the joys of cooking, hats off, or toques off, to all of you. You deserve to be recognized for all that you do.

I loved teaching kids how to cook, and still do. I just don’t know that many kids anymore. They’ve all grown up. 🙂

Me as a much younger, much thinner chef, with my Sous Chef Miguel.

And as a much older, more seasoned chef, passing down my love of cooking to the next generation, with brothers Micah, Asher and Noah.

And me today, still doing what I love – cooking for and feeding people, especially for those I love. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Do what you love and love what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come your way. ‘Til next time.

What’s a birthday party without cake, right?! Since Janet’s birthday menu was Italian, I had to make her cake an Italian cake too. I searched through my Italian cookbooks and nothing was really jumping out at me. I finally had it narrowed down to two; either an apple or a lemon cake. I asked the birthday girl what her preference was, and she said lemon. I think I was sending out secret messages to her, because I was hoping she would choose lemon. 🙂

Italy is part of the Mediterranean region. That whole area is known for its abundance of fresh citrus fruits, such as lemons and oranges. These delicious citruses have been an integral part of the Mediterranean cooking and diet for centuries. Lemons in particular, are then unofficial symbols of Italy, and specifically Southern Italy.

Italian Cream Cake

This is another cake that takes a lot of time to make and is another labor of love, but is definitely worth all the effort.

The Sponge or Torta di Spagna

Preheat the oven top 325* F or 163*C.

Spray (2) 8 1/2-9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

7 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 TBSP lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

Combine the flour and salt together and set aside.

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Mix the sugar with the egg yolks, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract.

Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites then add into the flour and fold in together until everything is thoroughly mixed together. Pour equal amounts of the batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cake to cool, then place in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours before cutting and filling.

After the cake has completely chilled, make the Limoncello simple syrup and lemon filling.

Limoncello Simple Syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Limoncello liqueur

Bring the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the Limoncello and mix in thoroughly. Let cool for a bit.

Cut the cake rounds in 1/2, making 4 rounds. Generously brush the simple syrup onto each round.

Lemon Cream Filling (Lemon Custard)

2 lemons

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

4 large egg yolks

1 large egg

Grate the lemons with a lemon zester, making sure to not get any of the white pith. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and set aside.

Mix the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together.

Mix the milk and the lemon zest in a saucepan and just bring to a boil.

Add a little bit of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, making sure to stir constantly while adding so the eggs don’t scramble. Once everything is thoroughly mixed together, add the whole mixture into the rest of the milk, and mix constantly over a medium-low heat until it starts to thicken. Add the lemon juice and mix in completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using.

When ready, spread the lemon custard generously over three of the four cake rounds, and layer one of top of the other. Leave the top layer clean.

Put the cake back in the refrigerator for at least an hour before finishing with the fondant.

The Fondant

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

5 TBSP milk or water – I used milk

1 TBSP lemon extract

Mix together thoroughly and pour over the top of the cake and spread all around the sides of the cake. I had extra toasted almonds from my Cassata alla Siciliana Cassata Alla Siciliana, and my cake needed something else, so I added the almonds around the sides of my cake. Then I made a little whipped cream, using my leftover Limoncello sauce, and finished my cake with that and added the rest of my lemon zest on top.

The final results ….. DELICIOSO!!!!! Everyone raved about the cake. It was so moist and filled with lemony freshness. It was a huge hit. 🙂

No matter what you do, make the most out of everyday. Life is short. Live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Janet’s birthday was the last of my September/October birthdays, and we celebrated in style. Janet said she wanted a simple dinner; one that her grandkids Peter and Emily would enjoy too. I knew Peter liked chicken Parmigiano, so that’s what Janet picked for the menu. The rest of the dinner was simple rustic Italian that would compliment the chicken Parmigiano.

I was in the kitchen most of the day getting everything prepped and working on Janet’s cake. The cake too followed the Italian theme, and was an Italian lemon cream cake.

Larry and I also cleaned the house to get it ready for our little party. I set the table and got it looking very festive. (I accidentally broke my nice camera yesterday too, in the midst of the melay, so for now, I am limited to using cell phone pictures until we can either get it fixed or replaced).

We set the time for 5:30, but Janet and Bob came earlier since Bob was helping Larry with the sprinklers. Janet and I visited in the kitchen as I was cooking. Once everything was finished, and Janet’s son Brian and his family arrived, it was time to get the party started.

The birthday girl. The menu was chicken Parmigiano, a simple salad, garlic bread and sauteed zucchini and crookneck squash. Of course we enjoyed some Italian red wine to compliment the meal as well.

After dinner, it was time for presents, games and of course, CAKE. Even though Janet’s birthday is in October, ironically, hers was one of the first jewelry sets I finished in this busy birthday season. She likes warm earth tones, so her set is Tiger’s eye.

Janet loved her set and had me “autograph” it for her too. I recently started signing my pieces, and Janet wanted hers signed as well.

We took a little breather in between our big dinner and presents with a game of Telestrations, which is a hoot and a half. It’s similar to Pictionary. We play this game quite a bit, and we have all discovered it is much more fun when none of really know how to draw at all. The things we came up with; oh my. We laughed so hard and had a ton of fun.

After a few rounds of fun and laughter, it was time to bring out the cake (more on the cake later).

After cake, we played a few more rounds of Telestrations before everyone called it a night. Brian and his family had an hour drive back home. Dorrie and Juneau had to be part of the birthday celebrations too. They hate not being included in all the fun and festivities. After all, they are part of the family too. Even Otis and Nicky joined us after awhile.

Emily and Dorrie became fast friends. Juneau was camera shy, but she managed to get a little bit of her paw in the picture too. 🙂

It was a very fun and festive evening and Janet had a very Happy Birthday. Life is all about getting together with friends and family and enjoying all the good times together, especially over good food. Good friends, good food and good times! It doesn’t get much better than that. 🙂 We’ve been good friends with Janet and Bob for about 20 years, and counting. We decided years ago, we are more like sisters and family rather than just friends. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Celebrate all the good times as much as you can while you can. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

Since our return home from Bonaire, we have been super busy and constantly on the go. We haven’t stopped yet. I am in the middle of baking yet another birthday cake and preparing yet another birthday dinner. This time it’s for Janet. I made my cake last night. Today, I will finish the cake and then get everything ready for her dinner.

But with all that has been going on, I have also still managed to find time to make a lot of shiny bling as well. I just finished yet another pair of earrings. I put the finishing and final touches on yesterday.

The stones are Labradorite. Surprisingly, these didn’t take too long to make at all. Maybe I am getting the hang of this jewelry making thing. 🙂 The funny thing is that for the past 3 or 4 pairs of earrings, I have wanted to make this design, but the earrings always took on their own personality and came out as something completely different. In fact, even with these, I started out with another design in mind, but this is what I finished with. 🙂 I was still in the final polishing stage when I took this photo. I did clean them up quite a bit after I took this.

They look gold on this background, but I assure you they are pure sterling silver.

Here is the first rough photo I took as I was still in the designing phase.

Another rough with all the pieces soldered together before I set the stones.

Once I finish one project, I quickly move on to the next. As I said, I just finished these yesterday and I already have my next project ready to start, and have already starting the initial designing phase of it. For right now, everything I have been busy making have been gifts for others. These are too, as well as my next project, and quite a few after that. The Holiday season is quickly approaching, and I have my work cutout for me. Soon I will start making more bling for me too. After all, I do love my bling! 🙂

Now ….. I am off to finish a cake.

Life is short. Make the most out of every minute and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We are having another birthday celebration in my jewelry class today. It is for Buzz, one of our instructors. He and one of the other instructors requested pumpernickel bread. I have to confess, I’ve never made pumpernickel bread before and I don’t k know that much about it either. But, I made it yesterday for today’s celebration. I plated it all as a charcuterie platter too,with various meats and cheeses.

Traditional pumpernickel is a dense, dark rye bread that originated in Westphalia, Germany, in the 15th century. In 1570, baker Jurgen Havland established a traditional method in Soest, Westphalia, using only cracked rye kernels, water, and salt (with no wheat or commercial yeast). Because rye grows well in cold northern climates where wheat struggles, pumpernickel served as a vital winter survival food. Its long shelf life allowed it to stay edible for months or even years after the initial baking, leading to its adoption as a military field ration.

Traditional pumpernickel is baked in lidded pans at low temperatures (around 120 °C) for 16 to 24 hours. Needless to say, I did NOT make my bread this way. This extremely slow cooking process causes natural grain sugars to caramelize and triggers the Maillard reaction, turning the loaf dark brown and giving it a mild, sweet, chocolate- or coffee-like flavor without needing cocoa or artificial color. The American version used a combination of wheat and rye flour, commercial yeast, and flavor enhancers like molasses, cocoa powder, or coffee to mimic the dark color and soft texture. It relies on a multi-day sourdough starter and lactic acid bacteria rather than baker’s yeast. I did use my sourdough starter that Julia and I made together when she was out visiting me. Cooking with Julia

The word pumpernickel is a combination of two different German words – pumpern and nickel. Pumpern means flatulence or to break wind, and nickel is a variation of the name Nicolas, and is a German association for goblin, rascal or devil. When combined, the word pumpernickel roughly translates to mean the “farting goblin” or “devil’s fart,” a name given by locals because coarse, unprocessed rye berries were notoriously difficult to digest and caused gas.

Here is my first ever attempt at making pumpernickel bread. It did not rise as much as a traditional pumpernickel, nor is it as dark. It is NOT a black bread like it is supposed to be traditionally. Maybe next time it will come out more like it is supposed to. But it still tastes good, and that is really all that matters. 🙂

Pumpernickel Bread

My recipe said it is usually made in either rounds or loaves, so I made one of each. It also said poppy seeds are often used to top the bread, so one was topped with poppy seeds and the other was not. I used my sourdough starter, but I will give you the full recipe as it appears in my cookbook, Great Breads by Martha Rose Shulman.

The Sponge

1 TBSP dry active yeast

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm coffee

3 TBSP molasses

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

2 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the water for about 5 minutes, or until it is “creamy. Add the coffee, molasses, ginger and breadcrumbs and mix together well. Add the flour 1 cup at a time and stir by hand, about 100 times, changing the direction every now and then while scraping down the sides of the bowl. You are looking for a consistency like thick mud. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.

The Dough

1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil

2 1/2 cups rye flour

2 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4-3/4 cups white flour, or as much is needed to shape the dough

Fold the oil into the sponge.

Mix the rye and the salt, then fold in the wheat flour. Turn it out and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, adding as much of the white flour as needed to make the dough. When finished the dough will be very stiff and elastic, but still tacky on the surface. Shape the dough into a ball and cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it doubles in size once again.

When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two pieces equal in size. You can either shape into a long roll or log or into a ball. Place them onto a lightly greased baking pan.

Make an egg wash with 1 egg and 1/4 cup of coffee. Make 3 or 4 slashes in the top of the loaves with a serrated knife, then brush with the egg wash. You can add either poppy seeds or black sesame seeds if you like. Cover again and let rise for about 40 minutes once more.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 205* C.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, brushing with more of the coffee egg wash again about 1/2 way through the baking process. Bake until the bread is dark brown and is hollow when tapped on the bottom. Allow to cool before cutting.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday, no matter what you do. Learn new things. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone. Walk on the wild side. Live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Is it a tortilla or a frittata? The simple answer is yes. Depending on where you are, this simple egg and potato mixture goes by both names. In Mexico, a tortilla is something completely different. It is a flat bread made by using either corn or flour and can be filled with anything you like. It is usually served warm. But is Spain, and most parts of Europe, they have a different name. What we call frittatas, they call tortillas or tortillas espanola. I just call them delicious. they arelike a quiche made with potaotes.

These deliciously easy egg and potato dishes date back to the days of the early Romans. The word frittata comes from the Italian word friggere, meaning to be fried. It also has Persian and Neapolitan influences as well. The Persians made egg based dishes with herbs that spread all throughout the Mediterranean regions. In Naples, Italy these simple egg dishes were rustic and made by the simple folks who loved off the land.

The tortilla española (or tortilla de patatas) is a traditional Spanish potato and egg omelette that first emerged in Spain during the late 18th century. Potatoes were brought from South America to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 1530s. The word tortilla is a diminutive of torta (meaning “little cake”). When Spanish explorers saw corn flatbreads in Mexico, they called them tortillas because they looked like traditional Spanish potato cakes. In Spain, a tortilla is a thick, egg-and-potato omelette (known as a tortilla de patatas or tortilla española), whereas in Latin America and North America, a tortilla is a thin, corn or wheat flatbread. Originally, they were made with only eggs, potatoes olive oil and salt. Those are still the primary ingredients, but today you can fill them with anything you like, and onions are now a staple too. They are often ordered either con o sin ceballas, or with or without onions.

Tortilla Espanola

I made my tortilla espanola with onions, peppers and bacon. As long as you use the staples of eggs, potatoes, olive oil and salt, the rest is up to you and your imagination.

2 large potatoes, sliced into thin rounds

4-5 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled

1 onion, sliced very thin

1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 jalapeno and 1 spicy red pepper, diced fine

4-5 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191* C.

Spray a cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cook the bacon to your liking, then remove and let cool before crumbling it.

Add a little olive oil to the bacon grease and cook the onions and peppers until they have softened and the onions are just starting to brown.

Combine the cooked onions and pepper mixture with the bacon.

Par boil the potatoes for about 10-12 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

Mix the eggs, cream and seasonings together.

Arrange the potato slices around the bottom of the cake pan. Add a layer of the onion mixture on top and repeat.

Pour the egg mixture on top and bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the frittata/tortilla is browned on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Esta mui rico! You can serve this for any meal, anytime of the day, from breakfast to dinner. No matter when you serve it, I guarantee you’re going to love it.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

I love finding all kinds of fun food facts and trivia. Some of the things I learn just seem so outlandish, but they are true and always FUN! 🙂

1. The first meal eaten in space isn’t what you would think it would be. It was beef and liver paste with chocolate sauce for dessert. It was eaten by the Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April, 12,1961 on the Vostok 1 Mission. He chose his meal, not for its taste, but because it was space friendly. It all came from tubes that looked like toothpaste tubes. Doesn’t this sound tasty? UM……. NO, NOT really, NO !!!!!!

2. There is a tree called a fruit salad tree in Australia. A fruit salad tree is a single tree that grows multiple compatible fruit varieties on the same rootstock through grafting. One tree can produce up to 6 different kinds of fruits all at once. Each branch or limb is grafted with a different variety from the same botanical family (such as stone fruits, citrus, or apples). Individual fruits keep their own unique flavor, color, size, and ripening schedule, extending the overall harvest window. So if space is an issue, but you still want an orchard, you can plant one of these fruit salad trees and get all kinds of stone fruits all from just one tree.

3. Accidental tea bags. Tea bags were accidentally created by Thomas Sullivan, a New Yorker who sent out his tea samples in silk bags. His merchants—who didn’t know Sullivan intended the bags’ content to be emptied—threw the whole bag into a pot. So in 1908, the tea bag was accidentally born!

4. German Chocolate cake was first made in Dallas, Texas in the 1950’s, not Germany. The name itself is derived from Samuel German, an English-American who created the baking chocolate bar for Baker’s Chocolate Company (also known as “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate”) almost a century eartlier.

5. Did you know there is actually a disorder that is a fear of cooking? WHAT???? It’s called mageirocophobia.  Mageirocophobia is an official term that describes those who have a genuine fear of cooking (which can also stem from the fear of making mistakes). Many people feel anxious about preparing food, trying a new recipe or cooking for other people. With mageirocophobia, cooking or watching someone else cook can bring severe anxiety. Some people experience overwhelming symptoms that lead to panic attacks. It most probably comes from OCD, known for its repetitive thoughts and urges and perfectionism, or an expectation of flawlessness that, when not met, causes severe self-criticism. Fortunately, I DO NOT have mageirocophobia.

So there you have it. A new batch of fun food facts. You are now once again ready for your next round of trivial pursuit.

Have fun no matter what you do, and learn new things along the way. That keeps us on our toes and makes life interesting. Live life to the fullest and have as much fun as you can along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Cassata alla Siciliana is an elaborate Italian sponge cake with a mascarpone, chocolate and pistachio filling. It is the unofficial dessert of Sicily, especially for special occasions. Cassata alla Siciliana is a historic Sicilian dessert that evolved over a thousand years through Arab, Norman, Spanish, and Baroque influences. The Arab influences brought the citrus flavorings, nuts, and ricotta cheese, though I use mascarpone cheese instead. The name cassata comes from the Arabic word qas’at, meaning the round bowl or basin used to shape the dessert too. The Spanish introduced chocolate into the mix. The fondant icing was a gift from the Baroque period. This is a very popular cake, and has many different variations.

Here is my own variation that has become a signature cake of my own. Everyone who has tried it loves it, and now they request it too. You have seen it here multiple times too. I make the cake the same, but every now and then I make subtle changes to the presentation. Because of the mascarpone cheese, which is an Italian sweet cream cheese, sometimes I refer to this cake as an Italian cheesecake too.

Cassata Alla Siciliana

This delicious cake isn’t hard to make, but it is definitely a labor of love. It is labor intensive and requires ample time to make.

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C.

Spray two 8 1/2 or 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

8 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Whip the egg whites with a dash of salt together until they form stiff peaks.

Mix the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together. Then add the melted butter and mix again.

Gently fold all the ingredients together and mix well. Pour equally into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool completely. Keep them in their cake pans, then wrap in aluminum foil and place in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.

Step 2- The Rum Simple Syrup and The Filling

Remove the cakes from the freezer about 30-60 minutes before slicing. Slice each cake in 1/2 horizontally, so you get 4 rounds.

Make the simple syrup and the mascarpone filling.

Simple Rum Syrup

2 cups suar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup rum or spiced rum

Place in a sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Brush each slice of the cake generously with the rum simple syrup.

Mascarpone Filling

3-4 oz mini chocolate chips

3/4 cups coarsely ground pistachios

3 cups mascarpone cheese

1 cup powdered or confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp grated orange peel

Beat the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and together and mix well.

I added the orange peel to the pistachios and chopped them together in the food processor.

Fold the chocolate chips and pistachios into the cheese and sugar mixture.

Once the mixture is made, generously spread on top of 3 of the 4 cake slices and layer them on top of each other. The top layer will be plain, though brushed with the simple syrup.

Carefully put back into the cakepan, cover with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator. Allow it to set for at least another 3-4 hours hours before finishing the cake with the fondant and the toasted almonds.

The Fondant

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 egg white

2 TBSP water

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 cups toasted almond slivers

Mix the powdered sugar, water, egg white and almond extract together well, then pour over the top of the cake and spread over the top and the sides of the cake, making sure to cover the whole cake. Firmly press the toasted almonds around the sides of the cake and/or the top of the cake.

I added a little whipped cream and more chocolate chips and ground pistachios on top for decorations. Carefully wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This cake is definitely a labor of love, but love it you will once it is done. And so will everyone else. You will have people begging you to make it again and again. 🙂

Love is always the special ingredient to any recipe. People will feel and taste the love you put into every dish. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride, no matter what you do. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Lauren chose to celebrate her birthday with an adventure, and chose the Erie railbikes. There were 11 of us, including the 4 of us, Lauren’s 2 kids and their partners and Wendy, Marc and Zoe. We all got there about a half hour or so early and were playing games and having fun before our departure time. Everything was spookily decorated for Halloween, including the rail line.

Just before it was time to depart, the crew called everyone together to explain the history of the train rails and the railbikes and to go over the safety rules. It looks like the conductor forgot about some of the rules himself. 🙂

Then it was time for our railbike adventures to begin. We were in the first 3 cars. The rail lines are the second oldest rail lines in Colorado.

We pedaled down the tracks for about 1.5 miles before stopping and turning the cars around.

We were welcomed by the former riders and residents all along the rails.

We were also welcomed with beautiful bright blue skies and the beautiful fall colors. We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day to do this.

When we hit the end of the line, everyone had to get off the railbikes and the crew turned the bikes around so we could return.

We returned back to our starting point safe and sound. Then we all headed over to Mike and Lauren’s for some chili, cornbread and cake. I will give you the cake details in a bit. It was a fun adventurous way to celebrate, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 birthdays.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday while you can. Enjoy the ride along the way, no matter what you do and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We have been jampacked every since we got home from Bonaire. This weekend is particularly full.

We spend yesterday morning at our favorite local happy place, The Wild Animal Sanctuary, (WAS), where we saw lions and tigers and bears and then some, oh my!

After leaving the WAS we headed to Costco for some lunch and shopping. When we got home, I had to finish making/decorating Lauren’s birthday cake, which is a very labor intensive Italian sponge cake with a mascarpone, pistachio and chocolate filling (more on that later). We are celebrating Lauren, Marc and Zoe’s birthdays today.

We had a little down time before we headed out once again. We had tickets to see the Hard Rock Orchestra at the Buell Theatre, downtown.

The Rock Orchestra was GREAT! High energy, great musicians and phenomenal singers with extraordinary voices. It was a 15 piece band/orchestra, complete with percussionists, drummers, violins, cellos, horn section and 4 singers, 2 female and 2 male, all of whom had phenomenal voices. They played and sang hard rock songs set to an orchestra. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the singers were trained in opera. Their musical selections ranged from Led Zeppelin to AC/DC to Metallica to Evanescence and way beyond.

It was a very fun, very full and very busy day. Today is going to be another busy day, but not as busy. As I mentioned, we are celebrating 3 birthdays today. Marc and Lauren are both late September birthdays, and Zoe is late October. Lauren chose for all of us to ride the Erie bike rails today, then we are going back to their house for a chili dinner and of course the cake, or the Cassata Alla Siciliana.

Life is short. Do as much as you can when you can and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride no matter what you do. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.