Happy Birthday to Amber....6 days later.

Our oldest daughter turned 23 years old last Sunday. We were camping at the time so we arranged a belated birthday dinner for her today. I hope she enjoyed herself and that she knows how much we love her and how proud we are of her. It's fun to see her finding her way as a young woman, wife and Mom.

The menu:

Barbecued pork spareribs


Potato salad


Fresh corn on the cob


For dessert I made a banana cake.


It's a recipe I got from an old friend.

BANANA CAKE

1/2 lb unsalted butter (no margarine! NEVER margarine!)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 teaspoon baking soda (Who has a 2/3 t. measuring spoon? Do you? I just eyeballed it.)

5 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup walnuts, chopped

2-3 extra bananas, sliced just before you use them

Prehaeat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add mashed banana. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to butter and egg mixture. Stir till well combined. Add butternilk and vanilla. Mix. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cakes completely. Slice bananas and completely cover one layer before topping with second layer.

Frost with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 pound powdered sugar

1 stick of butter (room temperature) ~do I need to remind you that margarine is forbidden?

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese till well blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix till light and fluffy.

We sang...we ate cake...good times were had by all.