Friday Five: Las Mananitas

1. When is your birthday? Does anyone else (famous or in your own life) share it? August 9th...I'm not sure anybody famous shares it. I do have a cousin with an August 1st birthday, and throughout our childhood we often had joint celebrations and a joint cake. She reminds me that our mothers (who were sisters) would hold a plate on edge between the two clusters of candles to prevent battles over who blew out which ones!

2. Do you prefer a big party or an intimate celebration for the chosen few? Intimate celebrations are what we've mostly had, although my daughter threw me a wonderful GREAT BIG PARTY for number five-oh.

3. Describe your most memorable birthday(s)--good, bad, or both. The fiftieth was pretty special! But on my birthday in '06 I was all by myself on the road in Ontario; spent the afternoon on the beach at Agawa Bay, and treated myself to a steak dinner that night in Sault Ste. Marie. Nice in its own way too!

4. What is your favorite cake and ice cream? (Bonus points if you share the cake recipe). Or would you rather have a different treat altogether? I am very fond of Black Forest Cake; or my Killer Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe (chocolate cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup hot water, a slug of almond or peppermint extract, and a cup of nice big dark chocolate chips folded in just before it's baked)...with mint chocolate-chip ice-cream.

5. Surprise parties: love 'em or hate 'em? Never had one--not that I remember--I dislike the IDEA, I'd probably love the party once I was over the shock!