Brings back good memories and a piñata party.

The normal Saturday activities occurred:

Run with Bangs Friend first thing in the morning.  I tell ya, running with other people makes the time go by so fast. 

And then hours of randomness that included going to the mall and on a hunt for the perfect piñata.  

I made one of Billy’s favorite foods for a dinner we went to at night.  It is called Beach Pasta.  His mom used to make it for them when they would go to the beach as kids and so it brings back good memories for him.  I love it because it tastes really fresh and who doesn’t love large amounts of noodles.  (PS if you are smart you won’t add the olives but I did just because B$ does like them but I picked mine out).

DSC 1671

I have no measurements of anything but this is how we make it.   Cooked penne pasta tossed with fresh cooked corn on the cob pieces, thin sliced carrots, celery, sliced black olives, chopped ham, cheese (we used mozzarella), olive oil, salt and pepper.  We made enough for 40 people.  We are going to be eating this for the next week straight.

Just hanging out at the table eating pretzel thins.  We had those with tabouli, amazing. 

DSC 1682

It was our really good friend’s birthday party and so we had a bbq party to celebrate.  

DSC 1684

The corn on the cob deserves it’s own picture because it was just that good.

DSC 1685

We wanted to do something creative for her party (the gorgeous blonde) and so I brought a piñata and filled it with candy.  It was a very good idea.

DSC 1687

Brooke took a few swings too.   And now I have enough tootsie rolls for a while (you have to admit, the flavored tootsie rolls are actually really good).

DSC 1691

There is just something so special about birthday cakes.  F.u.n.f.e.t.t.i.  for the win.

DSC 1695

And a family picture with the side of Brooke’s head.

DSC 1698

PS in just a few days it is our FOUR YEAR anniversary.   Pretty darn crazy.  We are pretty much experts now. 

—————————————————————————————-

What kind of cake did you have for your last birthday?

Olives:  gross or delicious (no fighting in the comments… we have to respect each other’s opinions)?

How was your weekend run?  Long?  Race?  Easy and relaxed?

You May Also Like

113 comments

Reply

Wow four years?!? You are for sure an expert! That funfetti ale looks good! My last bday cake was an undercooked cookie cake and it rocked. Lots of frosting. No to olives! Yesterday’s run was a relaxed 10 miles. I was a little sad I ran through a color run and I had no idea it was going on 2 miles away from my house!

Reply

I am so jealous you had funfetti cake. I may have to make some today now! I had a cookie cake for my last birthday :) Olives are disgusting, unless they are on pizza. My run was only 1 mile today but it was my first run in 5 weeks! Working back from IT band/SI joint issues so hoping I am only adding mileage from here & not needing more PT!

Reply

Corn on the cob always deserves it’s own spotlight – that stuff is delicious. And that cake … omigosh. It was my dad’s birthday just last weekend and we had a homemade Black Forest Cake to celebrate. Still dreaming about it. Olives, on the other hand… just no.

Happy Sunday!

Reply

Amanda I LOVE corn on the cob, especially when you can find some fun holders to jab in the sides!!

Reply

My last cake was a cheese cake! Yummy! And I definitely heart olives. I would eat them on just about everything =) My husband and I will be coming up on our four year anniversary in August! It’s crazy to think how fast time flies! Happy early anniversary friend!

Reply

I still need to know where you find those flavored tootsie rolls. Do you eat the Beach Pasta hot or is it cold? If it is cold, do you add the cheese when it is warm so it melts?

Reply

I didn’t have cake… Ben made me a giant fruit salad in a watermelon for my birthday fully equipped with candles and it was awesome. (I’m not a cake lover) Then we got froyo after eating all the fruit, obviously.
I have never tried an Olive (yes, I know… my username but it holds a different meaning).

Reply

what!?! you have never tried an olive. as in, never put one in your mouth? it is time.

Reply

Never. I know… I know… but they just sound/smell/look funny :)

Reply

10 mile run.
I like olives, but don’t go out of my way to purchase or make recipes with them.
Strawberry shortcake.

Reply

That piñata looks like fun-what a good idea-you have such an awesome fun group of friends! Yesterday I did my first run/walk in almost 3 months! ITB injury felt good. I had to force myself to go easy, because it felt so good to get back out there. Today is back to good old exercise soreness!!

Reply

I think it was chocolate? To me cake isnt cake without buttercream icing ;-)

OLIVES ARE THE WORST THING EVERRRRRRRR. URGH. ACK. NO.

I have to work this weekend :'( So no runs for me. xox

Reply

Also you are right- your blonde friend is sooo pretty!

Reply

I’ll admit that I’ve never had an olive, but I’m going to go ahead and say gross.

My run this weekend was great, other than a huge blister on the arch of my foot. Not so fun dealing with that for 10 miles.

Funfetti cake is deliiiish. Jealous!

Reply

Weekend was GREAT!!! I had a 7k race ((so super short! It might has well been a 100meter sprint…))
Then I went to a surprise 40th birthday party for my aunt that was THE BEST FOOD BUFFET EVER. They had a chocolate fountain. Enough said.

And I do ice cream for dessert (or anything with apples, like apple crisp)

And sorry… I am an olive fan!!!

Reply

My weekend run felt good and easy- love when that happens! I try to like olives but I just don’t. I do however, LOVE flavored tootsie rolls!

Reply

You know, I don’t think that I got a cake for my birthday! The last one was definitely one made by my niece and my sister-n-law. My niece looooves sprinkles!
Um, if the olives are really really really small, then I don’t mind them. But to just eat them……..no. :)
That pasta salad looks really good! It gives me an idea on a recipe!!

Reply

I love love love other people’s birthdays, even more than may own. Piñatas are the greatest thing ever!!!!
I am planning a summer birthday extravaganza for a bunch of friends and I must include one!

Reply

No olives ever.

Four years is awesome!

I went out with work friends for an impromptu bachelorette party. There were seven of us. My co worker mentioned she had been married 10 years. I was proudly able to say I have been married longer than NEARLY everyone at the table had been alive. I’ve been married 27 years and my boss is 30. I had to leave the party early. I had 12 miles to run in the morning… ;)

Reply

I love your top with the sail boats!
PS I will eat your olives for you.

Reply

That salad looks amazing! I have to be honest, I’m not an olive fan, but it works out because I give the ones in my salad to my hubby! I had a spice cake with cream cheese frosting for my last birthday. My running girlfriend made it for me! Yum!

Reply

My ‘long’ run was 12k, coming back after baby.
Corn on the cob!!! I missed it last season because the thought of it made me sick. Can’t wait for July!

Reply

My legs were screaming for a break so no long run for me this weekend. That beach pasta looks so good and right up my alley. I will have to give it a try, without the nasty olives.

Reply

I had cupcakes for my last birthday. Carrot, red velvet, hummingbird, and strawberry. Yes I ate one of each! It’s not even 9am and now I want cake! I like all olives except black olives. That pasta salad looks delicious!! I love your idea of bringing a piñata, I’ll probably steal that idea soon!

Reply

I’d say your weekend is pretty perfect this far! Food, friends, running, perfection. Corn on the cob and funfetti cake makes for the best weekend. I made brookies last night and thought of you and Brooke. They better taste as amazing as they look!

Reply

I can’t really remember what kind of cake I had, I think just a boxed white cake…I love olives, but only the black ones not the green. I have a 8 mile run planned in less then an hour with one of my running buddies. 1 week til my 6th half marathon!!

Reply

Easy run! I jogged 3 miles around 9 last night. I normally prefer mornings but I knew it wasn’t going to happen this morning. Best part was my hubby biked along side me and we went around a golf course path. We passed the “no running or biking” signs each hole hehe. What daredevils.

Reply

Both the pasta and the cake look so good! I always have ice cream cake for my birthday, because who doesn’t love ice cream AND cake together? ;) I kind of want either red velvet or carrot cake for my birthday this year though. Switching it up :)

Reply

This looks like so much fun!! And I love funfetti cakes, so yummy :) And I can’t stand olives… ick!

Reply

I’m so excited for local corn on the cob. One of the best things about summer!
And I had cupcakes for my last birthday – decorated to look like shoes. Pretty fabulous actually. Half were red velvet, and half were chocolate.

I will accept black olives, but kalamata and green do absolutely nothing for me.

Reply

My husband made me a delicious gluten free chocolate and peanut butter cake!

I love olives they are amazing and I could literally eat a whole can…probably two cans

Reply

I love corn on the cob! It reminds me of when I was younger and it was a staple at most of our family dinners. I also realized that champagne mustard and corn on the cob go together like a match made in heaven!!!

For my most recent birthday I had baklava as dessert at Opa! (greek restaurant in Los Gatos) instead of cake. It was a nice change but you can never go wrong with funfetti!

Reply

Funfetti is my fave. My last cake was Maggiano’s chocolate cake = quite possibly the best EVER!

Reply

Olives are delicious! I have yet to find a kind that I don’t like.

Reply

I’m with you! Love olives!!!

Reply

So so gross! The one food I refuse to eat! I hate it when they are chopped up on pizza and you cant get them all off!

Reply

My birthday was last week and I only just realized that I didn’t have a birthday cake! Do birthday pancakes count??

My run was nice and relaxed, my first long run after my first half marathon so I just wanted to see how the old legs were holding up. 9 nice slow miles felt awesome!

Reply

That pasta salad looks delicious! Do you cook the corn, or use it raw off of the cob? I want to make it, but with a couple of modifications — adding a little blanched broccoli and some halved grape tomatoes, and subbing roasted turkey for the ham (and maybe a splash of vinegar to the olive oil)!

Reply

I am going to have to try all of your modifications, that sounds amazing! We cook the corn on the cob first!

Reply

I am loving your shirt! Where did you get such a cute t??

Reply

Thank you! It is from J Crew!

Reply

Oh if course it is! Love me some JCrew

Reply

Olives are delicious!! I actually didn’t have a birthday cake last year. We had birthday fro-yo instead!

Reply

Okay, so i actually have no idea when the last time i had birthday cake for my birthday :( I guess it’s okay since i have so much cake (and cookies and brownies and dessert bars…) every other day of the year.
I don’t mind olives, though i rarely have them.
Yesterday was my long run, and it was a for no reason tough one. I had a hard time finishing, and pushing myself through it. Luckily i had a new song on my playlist that helped push me through some hurdles. Hope your having a great Sunday!

Reply

I just finished the Nike Women’s half marathon in D.C. What FUN! Such a great crowd, beautiful course, gorgeous weather, and very nice bling at the end. This was a top 5 race for me (even though I took it easy, pace-wise). Yay!

Reply

Last year for my birthday, my mom made the most delicious chocolate cupcakes with homemade peanut butter frosting. They were TO DIE FOR. I’m totally craving corn on the cob now too! :P

Reply

First. Your top in the family photo is adorable. Where did you get it?! Second. Have you tried the sesame pretzel crisps? I just did this weekend and they are amazing.

The last cake I had for my birthday was kind of a gag cake. The counselors I worked with at my summer camp last summer bought me a “poop” cake. It was chocolate with chocolate frosting and had big frosting poops on it and flies. It was HILARIOUS, but very weird if you’re an outsider and reading this comment. Sorry if I freak anyone out.

Olives. I like them! I really like Kalamata (greek) Olives. They’re so tangy

My weekend run was easy and relaxed…and very short, but it was good :D

Reply

Thank you! It is from J Crew!

Reply

Oh wow, the food and cake look delicious.

My weekend run was brutal, so glad I got it out of the way though.

Reply

My bday cakes are always red velvet. It’s my absolute favorite. My run was nice and relaxed with just enough hills to give me some sore legs today (my favorite kind of run :)

Reply

Olives=gross!
Ran an easy 10 miler yesterday. Taper time for my triple threat at The Flying Pig in Cincinnati this coming weekend. I’m running a 10K and a 5K on Saturday then a half on Sunday. I could have signed up for the full instead of the half but just sounded like too much work. :) Can’t wait…..I’m helping a friend to complete his first 5K!!!
Hmmmmm……I love cake but cannot remember the last time I actually had a birthday cake???? Might just have to make myself one this September! :)

Reply

Wow, 4 years! Congrats! :) Christian and my 2 year dating anniversary is on May 2nd… time flies!

Reply

The random little bottle sticker in the picture is hilarious. Not sure why I find it so funny, but I do.

Flavored tootsie rolls are the best. I buy them in bulk at Winco. I think we need to discuss the flavors and which are best and it what order. That is how I can judge a person’s awesomeness ;)

I like olives. Sorry.

I don’t usually have cake for my birthday. Ice cream or fro yo is usually what I get. Or even brownies trump cake.

Have you gone shopping recently? I feel like each post has a new shirt that I think it is super cute. I am having serious closet envy. Can you please teach me how to dress myself? Thanks!

Reply

That Beach Salad looks delicious, except for the olives. I loathe olives! I had a red velvet cake for my birthday, nothing beats red velvet when it’s done right. I had a very slow 9.5 mile run on my treadmill. I hate my treadmill, but I’m glad I have one anyways.

Reply

The husband and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary on May 2!! Ours is going to be a low-key celebration though…we’re expecting our first baby in July. It’s been a crazy year! :)

Reply

ahh you are the BEST. thank you for helping with the best party ever! loved the pinata and love you! XO

Reply

My birthday was Friday and I had an Oreo ice cream cake. Very yummy! I used to HATE olives but started craving them when I was pregnant with my first. He loves olives too! No running this weekend. I am nursing a sore hip. I hope to ease back into it this week.

Congrats on the 4 years!!

Reply

Happy bday on Friday!!!!! That cake sounds amazing! Hope your hip gets better ASAP!

Reply

Flavored tootsie rolls are the best, especially the vanilla! We had funfetti cake for my daughter’s first birthday, and she LOVED it (big sister agrees). Yuck to olives. Had to settle for tempo run on the treadmill this weekend because weather was awful. Congrats on upcoming anniversary! My husband and I are celebrating our 10th in August. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun!

Reply

The last cake I had for my birthday was homemade pound cake! I love this stuff!

I absolutely hate olives! I don’t know why; I love almost every other vegetable, but for some reason I can’t make myself eat these.

Reply

The last cake I had was funfetti but with half frosting because I don’t really like icing but my roommates do so I compromised!

I’m learning to like green olives!!

I ran a half marathon with my best friends this weekend and now I’m so sad it’s over!!! It was a blast!

Reply

pinatas are pretty much the best birthday idea ever!
costco layered chocolate cake remains my favorite cake ever. followed closely by their carrot cake.
olives are wonderful! bring em.
and i pr’d in a 1/2 yesterday! good times:)

Reply

Love olives and this pasta salad looks yummy!

Reply

It was the Nike women’s half today!!! 13.1 baby, my first :) DEFINITELY not my last.
Mmmmmm cold pasta salad. Sounds really good right about now

Reply

My birthday was this week and can you believe I had NO birthday cake? What’s up with that? My parents took my healthy lifestyle a little too far and got me and Edible arrangement. I’m still a little upset.

Reply

I need to send you a cake.

Reply

This is a travesty. We should start a kickstarter to send you a cake :)

Reply

I think that would be amazing! And to top it all off, Lululemon lost my package in the mail!!!

Reply

I loooove olives! Although I’m not really a fan of green ones, but I like all other kinds. And I ran a 5K this morning with two of my friends! That’s my longest run in a few weeks… :(

Reply

My four year anniversary is May 9th!
I love the flavor of olives, but they need to be chopped super small cause I hate the texture.
I’m just getting used to running outside again after a year of bad knees and severe allergies kept me tied to the treadmill, so my run yesterday was short, sweet, and amazing.

Reply

Absolutely love your blue boat top!
Looks like you had an awesome time!
http://www.sherbertdreams.wordpress.com

Reply

Today is my birthday!! I didn’t have any cake, but I did eat a LOT of cinnamon rolls =).

I did 26.2 miles yesterday – 25 for each year of my life plus one more for the year to come! It was my first (unofficial) marathon!

Reply

Ahhhhhh wow!!! Congrats!!! That is so awesome!

Reply

That corn on the cob looks SO GOOD! Now I’m sad I don’t have any to eat for dinner…

Hope you had a great weekend!

Reply

I love funfetti. My mom makes it for me every birthday ever. We also had it as our wedding cake and the baker thought we were crazy, but it was soo good and all of the guests liked it; except my Grammy, but she’s kind of a party pooper sometimes. :)

Reply

I had a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles for my last bday cake (you can never have too much chocolate).

I love olives – they rank in the top 3 of my favorite foods.

I had a fantastic weekend running wise, this morning I P.R.’d at a local 5k race. It was fantastic. My time was 21:25/6:54 per mile! (Another runner tried to get in front of me at the start…she didn’t)

Reply

obviously you can never use the word ‘fantastic’ enough

Reply

Fresh homemade strawberry pie

Waaaaay gross

Great 10k race this morning (I even got a PR) yay me:)

Reply

Congrats on the PR!!!

Reply

Thank-you :)

Reply

Ummm, I can’t help it but olives are one of my absolute favorite foods! I love olives of all kinds.

I had a bit of a shorter run this weekend. I’m tapering for a race next weekend…my first in two years (I’ve been out of racing because of injury) so I’m psyched!

Your family is GORGEOUS. You, Billy, and Brooke are a beautiful sight together.

Reply

Thank you so much Joy!!! I will forgive you about the olives thing:)

Reply

I’m a big fan of the strawberry and banana shortcake my mom makes me (usually for my birthday). It’s the best cake in the world. I’m not usually a fan of any professionally made cakes, which is always disappointing because they’re usually the best looking. And totally agree with you on the flavored tootsie rolls-love the cherry ones so much!

Reply

It’s our 4 year anniversary in 2 months !

Reply

What kind of cake did you have for your last birthday?
-Chocolate cake with peanut butter icing made by mom. She covered the cake in cut up Reese’s Cups. Yummy!

Olives: gross or delicious (no fighting in the comments… we have to respect each other’s opinions)?
-Eh, not a fan

How was your weekend run? Long? Race? Easy and relaxed?
-Did 15 on Saturday, relaxed till the last mile were I sprinted. I did 8.5 today at a relaxed pace.

Reply

I love your shirt so much! Where did you get it?

Reply

Thank you! It is from J Crew!

Reply

I had triple chocolate cake with fondant…I was in a severe sugar coma! I’ve never eaten an olive, actually! I’m thinking no on that one…also I’m tapering before my first half! Ah! So nervous/excited!!!

Reply

Pretzel Thins are one of the best snacks ever. The flavored ones are delicious and the plain ones are awesome for dips. Love them. Your corn on the cob looks like it was amazing…makes me so excited for summer and all of the fresh corn! Olives = delicious. I ran a marathon on Saturday, so that’s all my running for the weekend!

Reply

I go with double chocolate EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR. Never fails. It’s my fave!

That pasta looks delish, going to need to give that recipe a try!

Reply

Janae motherhood looks good on you!!! You’ve never looked better than in the photo above…makes me smile :)

Reply

Wow, thank you so much Pam!

Reply

For my last bday, my husband ordered me gluten-free, vegan cupcakes from a local bakery. I’ll be honest – the vegan icing was gross.

I’m sorry, but to me, olives are gross. My husband, however, has an ongoing love affair with kalamata olives.

My weekend was great. Ran a half-marathon this morning, followed by way too much (delicious!) Mexican food out on the lake.

That salad looks delicious! Pasta makes everything better mmmm.

Reply

Well Happy Early Anniversary!! Congrats!! Time has just postively flown by!! I’ve been reading your blog for I think 2 1/2 years now… crazy!
The birthday party looks fabulously fun!! and I LOVE the pinata! Nice touch! :)

Reply

You have just reminded me that I still have an imaginary coupon for a birthday cupcake that I have yet to cash in. My birthday was in February, and I still haven’t eaten my cupcake!! This must be fixed. What a fun day I loveee birthday parties!

Reply

I love olives!!!!!!!! They are so delicious. I guess I can understand that people don’t like them. Maybe its the texture? I don’t know but I think they are awesome. My weekend run was easy and relaxed just 3 miles. It wasn’t one of my better runs because it was so hot, mid 80’s. But it was a great stress reliever. I have a 5k planned for next Saturday. Brooke looks so cute and your hair looks so pretty and shiny! What products do you use?

Reply

Olives: No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!

Did about 10 miles on some nearby trails this weekend. I thought I was heading out for 6 miles, but that rapidly turned into 10 when I realized my run buddies were going longer. But that was excellent – and I was happy to sneak in the long run unexpectedly!

Reply

Um, is it weird to say you and Billy look like a celebrity couple? Because you really do, gorgeous!!

Reply

Thanks girl:)

Reply

My SIL made these amazing chocolate raspberry cupcakes for me for my last birthday.

I like green olives, but black olives are terrible AND they make everything else have that black olive flavor.

My last long run was 13 miles of taper on Saturday.

Reply

My favorite cake is store bought (Giant Eagle for the Northeastern people) with buttercream frosting and I get it every year for my birthday. I LOVE birthday cake! I am not a fan of olives. One of only a few foods that I refuse to eat. And my 2 year old loves them. My husband and I always give her our olives off of our salads. Ran in a 5K on Sunday. I wasn’t too happy with my overall time since the course was .2 miles too long. My pace was solid so that is what I am celebrating.

Reply

Yum, beach pasta sounds really good for a BBQ! I will have to remember that… minus the olives (I don’t like them either, and neither does hubby thankfully!)

I had a cookie cake for my last birthday… my mom makes it every year and I will continue to insist on it for as long as she will continue making it for me.

My weekend “long” run wasn’t very long at all because I’m tapering, but it was 55 degrees and gorgeous out!

Reply

I am not sure how many times I have to tell you that that type of funfetti cake is not acceptable when the Betty Crocker party chip with chips IN the frosting is 656835533 times better. I’m going to have to mail you a tub of that frosting so you can stop eating that sprinkled garbage and experience true part cake and frosting :)

Reply

Olives = gross. Corn on the cob = yummm!

I did a long run this weekend – 11 beautiful miles and only 2 weeks til the next half mary!

Reply

Ewww olives! I agree – gross! I love corn on the cob, but my braces prevent me from enjoying them. **sad face** Good thing the braces are coming off next month! Yay! **happy face**

I had the small red velvet cake cups (from P.F. Chang’s) for my birthday last year! It was yummy, but now I may have to try a funfetti cake! Looks great! No weekend runs for me, but I did 3 miles this morning.

Reply

I don’t think I had cake on my birthday last year, sighhh. Olives are amazing!!! I like all of them!

Are you guys hitting 4 years of marriage or dating?!

Reply

Marriage ahhhhhhhh!

Reply

Every single year, my mom makes me my favorite birthday cake: chocolate cake with rainbow chip frosting. This past year though, she dropped it on the kitchen floor by accident! She felt so bad (seriously, I thought she was going to cry) that I just laughed it off, scooped it up, and we still ate it. (Five second rule definitely applies to birthday cakes.) I’d be picking the olives out of that salad too though!!

Reply

Funfetti is the BEST birthday cake.

Reply

hahaha…yep….had one look me in the eye and walk out on me when i told him to stay after class tuesday…today was his first day back in with me….oh yeah, he got lit up…in a nice cinrag, you do that again and its on kinda way…

Reply

Mmm, Funfetti cake! Happy birthday to your friend!

Reply

I love the flavored tootsie rolls! They are the best!!!!! :)

Reply

I just had to come back and review the recipe, I am making corn tonight and plan on making the salad tomorrow.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *