I would like anything from a good bakery. My birthday sometimes falls on Thanksgiving and mostly just before or after. I have had my share of supermarket turkey shaped cakes and cakes with pilgrims. I used to ask for ice cream cakes as a kid because they at least had ice cream and usually weren't awful.....The worst was when I was 16. I wanted something grown up and beautiful. My sister talked my boyfriend and my parents into going to a amusement/arcade park for a surprise. The place was a castle themed park called Camelot. All the kids at my school called it "scam-a-lot" I was horrified. When the girl brought out the cake badly frosted and with day glow icing clowns and balloons I asked them to get it boxed and we went home to have ice cream instead. At least none of my friends saw it all. No I am not stealing this from the show Golden Girls. This actually happened to me! I had another cake disaster for my graduation. My sis and I got the freshest ingredients and made a cake from a cake bible cookbook from the library. I had spent a week prior making frosting roses for this masterpiece had saving them in the freezer. We made the cake and tasted the trimmed off parts it was fantastic! The next day we frosted it and that evening when the family tried it it was so dry no one wanted to eat it. After that I always ordered a cake from the European bakery I love in Pasadena. The other cake fail I was involved in was my cousin's wedding. She knew I could do frosting flowers well so she asked me to come over and decorate her wedding cake. She wanted me to use this lavender icing she made. I decorated the whole thing and we set it by the window. After an hour into the reception, the purple icing in the sunlight faded to blue and was melting a little. My part of the family was out drinking and laughing on the grass. My cousin's husband's family was inside being shocked at the drinking going on outside. The cake suddenly started to lean and lucky her husband's brother was sitting close by and grabbed for it. The top 2 tiers were saved but the lower ones crashed. She didn't put in any supports inside. But, great sport that she is, she just laughed and served her husband's family the upper layers and our family the toppled ones. We didn't mind a bit. She's a great gal and can laugh through anything. One of the weddings I can say I really enjoyed. Sliding color changing cake and all. Please no one get a bright colored cake for a birthday. At my granddad's 90th, my aunt ordered a NASA themed cake with dark blue icing. My Grandad worked in the space program after being in the air force during WWII. Everybody had a dark blue tongue and blue teeth. All these old people with blue lips and teeth! I love a simple cake with almond extract and some fresh ripe strawberries or peaches and whipped cream. I had a fantastic cake once made with 4 different pastel fruit flavored layers and also a very good Black Forest cake by a Belgian pastry chef who used to have a bakery in my city but has now retired. I'm too wary to try a special cake again but I love to make pies and decorate cupcakes with fresh flowers.

Thank you, ssommerville, NancyLouise and cynic! NancyLouise, the movie was very fun and I can't for it to be released on DVD. The trailer for the movie I posted, isn't the best acted or highly recommended film of all time, but I love the music and it never fails to entertain me :-). My favorite characters from the new Oz movie were The Wicked Witches, especially Theodora (Wicked Witch Of The West). Cynic, I bought the Director's Cut of Little Shop Of Horrors a month or so ago and I love how true to the musical it is. Our day yesterday was a lot of fun and the food at Red Lobster was fantastic as always :-). Dad and I didn't have room for dessert, but we enjoyed it very much. I haven't been cooking anything special lately or used my new skillets yet, but, I was texting my one best friend and former high school classmate yesterday and she and I made plans for a picnic sometime soon. We have to work out the details (like what food we want to make, if we just want it for us or to bring a few friends along), but we know we want to make some sangria at least lol. I think she'll like the idea of inviting a few people along, but, like I said, she and I have to work on it. Thank you again, everyone, and Happy Easter. Brad AKA Moonwolf

The cupcakes would be a cute idea, you could decorate each one with a letter so together it says "Happy Birthday To Our Queen" or the Queen - you could also put the cupcakes on a board in the shape of a tiara or castle (?) I did find a present cake, quite elegant, you could change the colors to reflect her brown, pink and silver favorites. The link is here for you. Hope you post the finished product! Suzan J Here is a link that might be useful: present cake...

Jude, the Hot Milk Cake was what I used for my wedding cake, I love the stuff. Here's the recipe I used, both for cake and frosting. The frosting does not contain powdered sugar. Hot Milk Cake - Pixistix Old fashioned, simple, melts in your mouth! 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 2 1/4 cups flour 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/4 cups milk 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter Beat eggs and sugar well. Combine flour with bk. powder and add to egg mixture along with vanilla. Heat milk and butter together until butter melts; gradually add to batter, beating until well blended. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Topping fom the daughter of Cindy NY Brown Sugar Topping 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 T unsalted butter 3/4 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup chopped pecans Combine the brown sugar, whipping cream & butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let stand 10 minutes. Whisk until of spreading consistency. Stir in the pecans. Spread over the brownies or cake. Let stand 1 hour or until set. Serve cold or at room temperature. Makes enough for an 8x8 pan. Just a note, the topping seems pretty runny when you put it on the cake, but it sets right up when cool, so don't worry. Annie