Birthday, Tom and Jerry Style

For the past two years, the kids have picked the theme for Roy's birthday. This year there was no question....it would be TOM AND JERRY! Roy and the kids love this show and watch it together daily. My big problem was coming up with a Tom and Jerry cake. Surprisingly, when I googled it, tons of cake ideas popped up, but they were elaborate cakes with fondant, something I haven't mastered. So, I took some ideas from one cake and ordered a cake topper from another place and came up with what is probably the cheesiest cake I've ever made (pun intended):

Do you get it? It's supposed to be a piece of cheese with Tom and Jerry on top. Tom's tail is stuck in a mouse trap. Get it? Like I said....cheesy. It was very tasty, though:)

So today I made a huge mistake that caused me to stand in my kitchen and give myself a good tongue lashing. I had planned Roy's birthday dinner for a few weeks. I was going to try a new recipe that I knew he'd like: The Pioneer Woman's Beef Brisket. I read up on how to prepare it, marinaded it for 48 hours and this morning I just knew that I would have a hit on my hands tonight. So I calculated the poundage of the beef and the time it would take to slow cook it to tender goodness. Let's just say I calculated wrong. At 5:15, I peeked under the foil and realized that it was nowhere done. What I thought was going to take 2.5 hours ended up taking 5....WHAT WAS I THINKING?!!! I have been beating myself up all night.....I'm basically a loser. BUT It was extremely good brisket when we sat down for Roy's birthday dinner around 8:00! Here is my patient family waiting for their dinner.


Yes, the kids are already in their pajamas and poor Charlotte was in bed. She missed out on the birthday festivities.

So we sang the song and blew out the candles....ate the cake....

...and opened presents...

...and then sat to watch, what else---Tom and Jerry:)