Tricia's Birthday Dinner

The Birthday Girl!

When you come from a big family, and then you have a big family, there are happily a lot of birthdays to celebrate.  Tonight we celebrated my youngest daughter Tricia's birthday.  She was 30 on Tuesday, but our dinner in her honor was tonight.  It was a small group with Tricia, her fiance Jeff, Katie, Henry and Pete, and also my sons Jeff and Joe.  I had four of my five kids and my two grandsons in one place, which is just about all I ever need, and of course, we missed Meghan (we always miss Meghan).  She and Mark are loving life in California.  Tricia's Dad Gene and his wife Kathryn were both working tonight.  It  seems impossible to find a time that works for everyone these days, so we are especially looking forward to having them join us for brunch at Katie's Easter morning.

For dinner tonight, we had chicken spiedies, a romaine salad, broccoli, and a home-made macaroni and cheese that I put together last night.  The topper was Tricia's chocolate with chocolate birthday cake.  I've been so busy with work that I had to rush home to frost Tricia's cake, which I was in the process of when she and Jeff arrived.  And then I had to wrap her gifts at the last second, searching for Scotch tape and finally getting it all done after the guest of honor arrived (!)  You'd think I'd have my act together by now, but that's just the way it is when you work all day and then try to accomplish something after work!  Anyway, it was all worth it with such a delicious and happy dinner, and I am very glad that we'll be together again in just a few days, enjoying an Easter brunch on what is supposed to be a beautiful day!

Once again,  happy birthday to my lovely daughter Tricia.  It seems like just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital.  Yesterday, plus thirty years!  xoxox

Hershey's Chocolate Cake and Frosting
(recipe on the Hershey cocoa can)