Birthday Sillies And Chocolate Cake

Last night for Mr. G's birthday, the kids were all here, and we had a fun evening.  I picked up the pizzas, and made a salad to go with it, and chocolate cake for dessert.  We did a lot of laughing at dinner, as usual.

The dancing began right after dinner.

Uncle "Goo" (Drew) playing guitar and singing for us, and the dancing and party atmosphere continued onto  the back patio.

We sang Happy Birthday to Geeps.

 Geeps opened his gifts and got hugs from his two favorite girls.

This is the best chocolate cake ever!  I  have been making this for 26 years.  I got the recipe from a lady that used to live next door to us when we first moved to Corona.

Here is the recipe, written onto index cards, about 26 years ago, and from the drips and splatters on it, you can see that this cake has been made a LOT!

And the back side.

See what is written on the bottom?

The salad I made to go with the pizza is a salad my Mom has been making for years.  I believe she spotted it on the package of a box of pasta one time, and over the years, we have added this or that to it, but it is a delicious "go to" salad for us.

These are the ingredients, all except for the rotisserie chicken that I had yet to purchase.  That was a story in itself...running to Sam's at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday night for ONE item, discovering the parking lot had just been paved and I could not enter it, standing in a line that was NOT moving for half an hour, only to be greeted by 20-something girl who insisted I had no change coming, that I handed her a 5 dollar bill and not a 20 dollar bill.  To which I replied, " please count your tray then, because you owe me 15 dollars change"  She begrudgingly opened her register, with a sour puss look on her face, to discover that my 20 I handed her, was put into the 5 dollar space in the tray!!  OOPSIE!!!  I digress.....
About the romaine, this is a trick my Mom taught me.  Cut the core off the bottom, and wash lettuce. Then lay onto a clean tea towel, top with another clean towel, and roll up to absorb water, and put into fridge to crisp the lettuce for a couple of hours.

Boil the pasta, and run cold water over to cool.

Cut crisped romaine, halve the grape tomatoes, toast the pine nuts for more flavor, cut breast of chicken into bite sized pieces, sprinkle parmesan in, chiffonade fresh basil, fresh cracked salt and pepper, croutons, and caesar dressing.

Yes, I used my 30 yr. old Tupperware bowl.....(shriek) and there was no proper table setting fit for a celebration, or fresh flowers (gasp) and I cook on 20 year old appliances that are limping along, and I have very little counter space,
20 yr. old tile, not granite (shame), but despite all of that, it was goooooood!!!

No ice cream for me.
So there you have it.  An easy-peasy, but delicious meal.  A fun birthday celebration, with great music, and all of our favorite people. ( We did miss Mr. Noah, he was at his Daddy's )
Happy Birthday Greg!
PS   This is for you Niki.  My granny stripe.  Not quite as many rows as you have, but I am LOVING it!!!