Joyce Gourmet

Happy 64th Birthday to my Father-In-Law visiting from Japan. Fresh peaches, poached. Fresh peaches, pureed. Double Vanilla Ice Cream layers Graham Cracker and roasted pecan crumble Pound Cake base layer All covered in whipped cream then topped with Graham cracker & pecan crumble and poached peaches.

One of the sweetest people I know, I am so thankful and blessed that I met Kim while we were both undergrad students at UCSD.  We both stayed in SD after graduating and often met up to have dinner together.  And often times it was various Thai restaurants or Super Sergio's for Pollo Asado / CA burritos.  I definitely missed being able to meet up for our late night dinners when I moved to Japan and lived there for the next 5 years, then DC for the next 2.  And now that we are back in SD for the next couple of years, I am so happy I am able to catch up, have our daughter play together (yes, I can't believe we are mommy now!) and that I was able to make this Japanese Strawberry Shortcake for her birthday! Happy 30th Birthday to one of my best friends, Kim!  

\ "They're two they're four they're six they're eight Shunting trucks and hauling freight red and green and brown and blue they're the really useful crew All with different roles to play Round Tidmouth sheds or far away, Down the hills and round the bends Thomas and his friends Thomas he's the cheeky one James is vain but lots of fun Percy pulls the mail on time Gordon thunders down the line Emily really knows her stuff Henry toots and huffs and puffs Edward wants to help and share Toby, well let's say, he's square They're two they're four they're six they're eight Shunting trucks and hauling freight red and green and brown and blue they're the really useful crew All with different roles to play Round tidmouth shed or far away Down the hills and round the bends Thomas and his friends They're two they're four they're six they're eight Shunting trucks and h...

  My favorite type of cake is the Japanese spongecake.  Combine that with Hello Kitty for a Japanese themed birthday and Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (Japan's spongecake) topped with Hello Kitty, but this time wearing a Japanese summertime Kimono, or Yukata. Autumn, a budding artist, enjoys drawing Japanese anime characters.  She has even created her own manga comic book with its own storyline.  She has a passion for learning Japanese, singing & dancing to Japanese songs, drawing Japanese characters, and of course love for Hello Kitty. So when her mother asked me for some ideas for Autumn's birthday party, I mentioned, "What about Japanese themed party?"  I could teach the girls how to make rolled sushi.  When asked to make her birthday cake, I knew I had to incorporate Hello Kitty wearing a Japanese Yukata to Autumn's request for a lightly sweetened cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Each of the 8 & 10 inch tiers had triple lay...