I absolutely LOVED reading everyone’s comments on yesterday’s post about not waiting for Friday. You guys rock!
Anywho, we celebrated hubby’s birthday tonight (even though it was yesterday) and what birthday would be complete without cake. But more on that in a minute.
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Hubby and I have spent many-a-year celebrating special events in. We like cooking special meals at home just as much as we do going out. It’s more cost-effective, but can also be more personal and meaningful to celebrate with special dinners cooked at home. Don’t get me wrong, we love to celebrate by dining out…we just don’t do all our celebrations at restaurants. Thusly, doing Eat In Month during hubby’s birthday month isn’t too big of a deal for us.
In fact, if the way to a man’s heart is truly through his stomach (and I think there’s something to this old wives tale people), then this was the meal that hooked hubby – his birthday meal. Hubby’s birthday meal is typically comprised of my dad’s famous steak recipe, potatoes, and a veggie. I pretty much always do roasted potatoes and asparagus – two of hubby’s faves. I’ve basically been cooking the same thing every year since we first started dating. Sometimes the classics never get old. 🙂
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I ended up not leaving work till 5:45pm and still needed to go the grocery store to get everything for dinner. I had plans to make a full dinner and even bake a birthday cake from scratch! Yikes.
Because of my late schedule, the decor was kept minimal.
I did manage to print menus.
Menus are one of my favorite touches to add to a special meal in to make it seem more personalized.
The term “Chez” is one I learned in French class in high school. Supposedly “Chez” is commonly used for restaurant names in France. I usually title my menus “Chez Diana”, meaning “from the house of Diana”, but tonight I went for a Chic theme. 😉
I scored this bottle of wine at $5 off at the grocery store – Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon (from France). Hubby and I really enjoyed the wine.
For many of hubby’s birthday meals, I try to do an appetizer course, like pan-seared shrimp or baguette and brie, but tonight I kept things simple again.
We just had a baby green salad (since hubby likes baby greens way more than spinach) with lots of green bell pepper (hubby’s fave raw veggie).
And for the main event – filet tips a la Dad, rosemary roasted potatoes, garlic asparagus.
We got the steak from a new local butcher shop in town, The New York Butcher Shoppe, and hubby commented that he really liked the steak. I was really happy with it, too. It was nice and tender and you could taste the quality.
Dessert was homemade yellow birthday cake with homemade Ghiradelli chocolate buttercream frosting.
Remember to use your parchment paper under the cake trick when you’re frosting. I think I learned this one from Sandra Lee.
I may have just happened to lick all the parchment pieces as I removed them from the cake stand.
Fini!
Well, a birthday cake is never done without candles, right? I put 3 + 2 candles on there for hubby’s 32nd birthday. (We didn’t have 32…lol).
Mood lighting for the big blow out!
I used this cake recipe, except I subbed 4 eggs for 8 egg yolks. And I made a double batch of this chocolate butter cream using Ghiradelli chocolate squares.
Both recipes were fabulous, though I do have plans to develop my own Not So Sweet versions. 🙂
I thought the cake was nice and moist and the frosting was really good, too.
Remember to use your toothpick trick when you’re wrapping up your cake. Stick toothpicks in the top.
Then, cover with saran wrap, draping over toothpicks. This will keep saran wrap from sticking to the frosting and pulling it all off when you remove the wrapping.
Do you like to celebrate special events in or out?
Oh my gosh, I have NEVER seen that toothpick trick before. Genius! What a wonderful birthday meal you prepared. I can’t believe you did all that in just a few hours.
I KNEW you would like that! LOL.
hi,
i recently found your blog and really like it…
i can’t BELIEVE you did all that when you came back from work and managed to bake a cake from scratch. that is awesome. this is a great idea.. I liked your tip on the toothpicks, i did not know that.. great idea. 🙂 A happy 32nd b’day to your hubby!
I personally love to celebrate my b’day outside because my husband barely cooks, however he loves for me to celebrate his b’day indoors since he loves my cooking. i always make him a nice meal on his b’day and we always go out for mine. 🙂
Aww, you are such a sweet wife! Everything looks delicious. Especially the cake! 😉
The toothpick trick is an old standard in our family. Even our great-great relatives do it! Looks like he had a great birthday dinner 🙂
This looks like SUCH a beautiful birthday in!! If I had someone to cook like this for me I wouldn’t mind not going out at all. I really want some of that frosting especially 🙂 Happy birthday to the hubs!
We are all for celebrating big events at home (most of the time). I can usually whip up a delicious meal for much much cheaper than going out. Plus, it is always fun to branch out and try to make something new and fancy.
Diana, I just have to tell you that your cake looks incredible — so fluffy and moist and delicious. Your hubby is a lucky, lucky man. 😉
Wow I can’t believe you made all of that. That cake looks amazing.
You did an incredible job with this! I hope your husband had a great birthday! We do most special occasions in, unless it is the kid’s event and they really want to go out. Everything looks delicious!
we celebrate them both places depending on the day. That cake looks to die for! I can tell you we definitely don’t celebrate like that 😉
Diana, your homemade cake looks amazing…delicious!! I may have to steal this recipe for a birthday soon…or just for any special event since my husband’s birthday was this month (past).
That was so mean of you…I mean, to post perfectly swirled frosting pictures? moist cake crumbs? SO. HUNGRY.
I love your tip about the personalized menus. That’s something I might try for my hubby’s upcoming birthday. I have to try and beat last year, when I made him a bacon bourbon birthday cake.
wow, you’re a great wife! that cake looks amazing. 🙂 my fiance and usually celebrate big occasions by going out, but we love making meals in on a regular basis.
such a beautiful meal. I love menu’s too. great idea!
and I never knew to put toothpicks to keep the saran off the frosting
SWEET!
happy bday to your hubby.
Cake looks delicious!!! Happy birthday to your hubby! I like celebrating special events both in and out 😉 Can I have both, haha
Your cake for your husband definitely looks better than the one I made for my husband!
http://gamereviewwiki.com/bikinibirthday/2011/01/25/matts-birthday/
I want that cake! Please send me some. lol
Yellow cake with chocolate icing is my absolute favorite! And we use the toothpick trick around here too!! 😀
The cake looks divine! 😀
I actually like to keep celebrations pretty low key and stay in.
OH. MY. WORD.
fabulous. the dinner, the cake, the presentation. any man would be lucky to have you, I mean that!
SO impressed with your cake decorating skills! And printing menus is such a cute way to make an at-home dinner more special. On my birthday I always asked my mom to cook, but my brothers prefered to go out.
beautiful cake!! we do a combo of celebrations in and out… i agree, it’s fun to stay home sometimes 🙂
Your blog has become one of my most favorites to read. 🙂 The cake looks fantastic. I need remedial icing making 101 because mine never turns out just right. I might have to give that recipe a try!
Sweetest wife ever! What a perfect dinner!! And the cake looks amazing. Drool. I usually like dinner in and dessert out (frozen yogurt please!!)
What a sweet birthday dinner! And happy belated birthday to your hubby! 🙂
That cakes looks so yummy!
I think our mood for dining in versus dining out varies so much on how we are feeling and less on the occasion. We do love to cook together and both look forward to prepping for home celebrations.