Birthday Cake

....was about the only thing that saved the party yesterday.  Although I'm usually a half decent cook, my birthday dinner for Scott yesterday bombed.  Hard.  It was so bad that I stooped to the level of bribing Ben with extra cake if he would eat my fish.  During the meal, I actually whispered in Ben's ear and said, "Ben, if you will eat some of my fish, I'll give you an extra piece of cake for dessert. "  Ben whispered back, "OK Mom, I'll do it."  He was even discreet about it!  That is definitely a sign of a baaaaaaaad dinner. 

The family tradition is to have the birthday person select the birthday dinner and type of birthday cake.  Scott chose whole fish, rice, and asparagus for dinner. He selected German chocolate cake for dessert. By the way, did you know that German chocolate cake is a tough cake to make from scratch!? When you have some free time, check out how many steps are to that cake in Joy of Cooking -- you have to melt some chocolate on the stove, sift some other ingredients, fluff the butter, make meringue with the eggs....good grief! And then there is the clean-up!  Anyway.....

Whole fish.  Sigh... Only Scott.....  So, no one in the family really likes to eat whole fish (except Scott), but he says it "makes him feel like a king" and why wouldn't you want to do that on your birthday?  (Well, one reason I can think of is that the fish is staring at you through the meal, but I digress).  So, I went to the local fish store to purchase a whole fish yesterday -- a seafood specialty store, no less, only to find out that they don't have any whole fish at that location, only fillets.  Part of me though, hmmmm, no fish at a fish store.  Strange.  The other part of me thought, darn, I was so looking forward to deboning a fish. So, instead, I got some salmon fillets stuffed with crab cakes.  I thought that would be a nice fishy birthday treat.  I paired the fish with broccoli rice au gratin and steamed asparagus.   

The asparagus were tasty, but the fish and the rice were just plain awful.  1) I definitely need to find a new seafood store. You know, like one that sells fish.  2) The rice was like eating a cheesy salt lick.  I don't usually make rice from box kits, and we had all forgotten how salty it is!  Ewww! 

Poor Scott asked after dinner, "Have I been extra bad this year?" No dear, I just forgot how to cook yesterday.  Sorry!!  Fortunately, the cake was tasty, even if it does have coconut in it.  Happy Birthday again, Dear!  (Enjoy your economic tome and unassembled wheel barrow too!)
 
(Here's a photo of a VERY happy Ben eating his second piece of cake.)