Birthday Treat

It was recently the birthday of a friend's daughter, and to our suprise, we were invited to attend on the evening. I'm sure she didn't really want us there! What 20 year old wants to share her birthday with a couple of old foreigners?!

In reality, all of the family are lovely, and we were treated as nicely as everyone else.

I didn't know what to take. I had no idea what to buy as a gift, and birthday cards are not really the done thing here. In a moment of inspiration, I decided to make a trifle!

Easy peasy. Sponge cake from the supermarket, along with a big tin of cocktail fruit. No sherry, so a good helping of moscatel, then in with the jelly. (That took me by surprise - it was powdered stuff, that you have to mix with water and bring to the boil. No eating the raw cubes!) I did the best cheat of all, and topped it with a tin of Ambrosia custard, then made pretty cream rosette flowers all over.

They had never had anything like it before. They quickly figured it all out (I didn't give them the secret to the custard though) and I'm sure it will be a new addition to their sunday tea! Several of them had seconds, so it must have been ok. I left the remainder in their fridge, and the dish came back the next day - empty.

A little strange I know - but one of the guests was someone who had had a gastric operation to help lose weight. I found this very fascinating, as the ins and outs were described. I think it will be easier to stop eating so many biscuits and crisps. But very well done to them. It must be terrible to get to such a sad state of self worth that this seems to be the only course of action. (And yes - they did look lovely and slim - and simply ate a small amount of everything going. They were full by the time the birthday cake came out, so simply took a bit home for the next day.)