Independent and Old

I am officially on the bad end of my mid-twenties. Gah. It's all down hill from here.

My birthday is always a strange thing. I come from a place that celebrates the 4th for a whole week, so that basically can't be topped. However, we gave Bessemer a run for its money this, our first 4th in Morgantown.

First, Aaron made omelets and home fries. They were so crispy and perfect. I could never do that.

Mmmmm...
I always wanted nothing more than a simple cookout for my birthday, which was no easy task living three flights up with no yard in Boston. So this year for my birthday, Aaron threw me a proper cookout. We cleaned the front porch (and strung some Christmas lights), had a couple of friends over, and did it up right. We had mojitos, steak tips, grilled veggies, a beautiful potato salad (recipe below), and dogs. And: two kinds of cake! Aaron made a decadent flourless chocolate cake (from scratch). It was so fudgey and yummy. Our friend Sarah brought over the quintessential 4th of July dessert: Jello cake decorated like an American flag with strawberries and blueberries. There are very few birthdays where I didn't have this cake, it is such a guilty pleasure, I'm so happy she made it. Sarah is from Kentucky and calls it a "Poke Cake." She has a beautiful southern accent: the most flamboyant and expressive I've ever heard in my life. I feel like I'm in Steel Magnolias every time we get together. I love it.

The best part was that Aaron did all the other cooking for the day. It was wonderful and exactly everything I wanted (even if it was pouring rain, whatever, that doesn't stop us).

Aaron's Dill and Horseradish Potato Salad

A week or so ago, we noticed some wild dill growing near the compost pile, so when Aaron mentioned he was making potato salad, I asked him to make a dilly one. This is what he came up with and it is just delicious.

Per pound of potatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, preferably red
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon celery, chopped

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon or brown mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon paprika

salt, black pepper to taste

Preparation: Boil potatoes with salt until cooked through. Allow potatoes to cool slightly before cutting into 1 inch cubes. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and mix well. Make sure not to over mix or else potatoes will become mushy.