BOOKS, BIRTHDAY, and BABES!

BOOKS!

A few months ago while digi scrapping with friends, several of us decided to start a book/recipe club. We would select book and create a food inspired by the book. Our first book was Little Bee and we enjoyed a combination of British and African foods, which were delicious! This month's book was Snowflower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See. I won't spoil it for those of you who want to read it, but I will say that it is a fascinating look at Chinese culture and the intricacies of friendship. Last night five of us gathered to discuss the book and share our recipes.

We feasted on Mom's Fried Rice - yes , that's the recipe's title! Dorothy, it was delish! The Rice Congee Soup (Jook) was yummy, too and easy to make. Love easy to make foods, don't you?
Add to the feast, Shanghai Chicken and Rice (made with Tastefully Simple's new Shanghai Stir Fry Sauce). I am having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
We ended our feast with Chocolate dipped fortune cookies (Ying & Yang!) and Chinese Almond cookies for just the right amount of sweetness. Gotta love the chocolate! Jenni confessed that the almond cookies were her very first attempt at baking a cookie from scratch. They were delicious and definitely a recipe we will be making again for our families.
I don't know what we enjoy the most, the book discussion or the food! I think it's a tie. I enjoy talking about books with friends and eating great food. What could be better?Next month's read is The Help by Kathryn Sackett. Check out the next generation of Book Club! Tara's little girl, Sophie, will definitely be carrying on the book club tradition!

BIRTHDAY!

On Saturday, we celebrated Sasha's seventh birthday with a pizza party. Sasha's middle name is Rose and every year her mom and dad get her a rose for each year of her age. Beautiful pink roses for our beautiful Sasha Rose.Simba was loving the roses too. He is such a gorgeous cat and quite the poser! Just ook at that face! You can tell Simba loves attention.
Sasha loves getting all dressed up and having her hair done in different styles. For her special day, her mom created a new Sasha style! She was so proud of how her mom fixed her hair with her princess crown perched on top!
Little Dixon had a blast at his sister's party wearing a birthday hat and joining in on the fun with the "big kids!"Presents are such a fun part of birthdays. The adorable young man enjoying Sasha opening her gifts is her "boyfriend" Adam. What a cutie!
From stuffed bears, art supplies, and girly girl gifts to a scooter, Sasha loved all her presents. However, I think she enjoyed having her friends and family help her celebrate most of all. She beamed the entire afternoon and was definitely sad when everyone had to leave.
This gorgeous fall day had to include pumpkins and pumpkin artists! Give kids markers, paints, and a canvas - in this case, pumpkins and their creative juices just flow - no inhibitions - just pure enjoyment.
And last, but not least, a pinata! I loved the ice cream cone filled with candy! Could it be any sweeter?!?!Smack it good Sasha! Check out that swing! Adam finally broke it open after everyone had at least a few shots at it.
As the candy spilled forth, Dixon grabbed a lollipop and enjoyed every sticky minute of it! Just try and take the lollipop away - you could lose an arm! This little guy is serious about his lollipop!
Several days before her big day, Sasha designed her own cake. She wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate icing topped with hearts, pink roses, and "Happy Birthday Sasha" written in fancy writing. A princess crown was the finishing touch! The girl knows what she likes! The cake was so good!
BABES!

Last but not least, I had to include some shots of "the babes!" Aren't the girls just too cute? They are stylin! Future models, maybe?!?! Or just camera "hams!"
Emme is now four months old and a real cutie! Just like her mother and . . .

her Nana! (Hee! Hee!) Her smile lights up her face and makes everyone around her smile too!

Spending time with friends and family keeps me grounded. Enjoying life's simple pleasures makes each day special and worthwhile. Thank you friends and family for being a part of my life!