Happy Birthday to Me!

Last Thursday we had an early birthday dinner since I was going to be in Paris for my actual birthday. It was the idea of our French friends that I should cook dinner for everyone since it was my birthday....So I did. For some reason though, they decided the menu. I finally put my foot down when I was about to buy the 18 eggs that their dessert recipe was calling for. We bought one of those ready-made cakes you just have to bake (how American of me). There was no sign of frosting in the French supermarket, it doesn't seem to be something they do. All I really wanted was a good old fashioned birthday cake with frosting. You can't stick a candle in a crême brulée!

Anyhow, we had a great time with our little random meal and my Laval friends all got me Star Academy (think "American Idol") or cow-themed presents. It's not that they think I'm a cow or anything, it's just that us English assistants are obsessed with the French obsession with cows. There are images of cows on just about everything and they are huge consumers of dairy products. So we have a running joke about cows.

I left the next morning for Paris. Davin came from New York for the weekend and I took him to eat my favorite crêpes, my favorite hot chocolate, my favorite goat cheese salad, etc. Since Davin had never been on the sightseeing cruise on the Seine I went on it for the umpteenth time. Even though this was at least the sixth time I've done the cruise Davin was the one that was falling asleep, not me. I got to see a bunch of my Paris friends the night of my birthday and that was really nice too. It was a great weekend.

I still want the birthday cake though.