Happy Birthday to Me!

Can't believe it's October already. What happened to September? Oh yes, I need to post something about Chinese Moon Festival and all the pastries I made this year. I had a good birthday this year. Nothing loud, but it was so cozy. Dear husband, and kids in a small portion, gave me the gift I wanted - a Staub 6.5 quart round "La Cocotte"! I used it right away to make the Chinese beef stew for noodle as my, and the rest of the family's, favorite birthday dinner. 

The cake was the black and white cake from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours". I decorated it my way. I made some changes to make it less sweet. Kids loved it, but husband and I still thought the sugar part can be toned down more. 

I need to come back here more often. We picked about 10 pounds of apples last weekend, and I am already make different apple treats. I'll leave it for the next post. 

Celebrate another year with love, joy, and hope!