What makes dacquoise unique and special is texture. What other dessert can you get elegant creamy, dense, crunchy, airy, chewy sweetness in every bite?

There is only one that I know of and that's an innovative variation on bread pudding where fresh french bread is torn and toasted first, the pieces loosely mixed with heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and laid out on a sheet pan in a convection oven. Once the crispy pieces have brown, pull, mix with milk chocolate and shards of dark chocolate, let cool on the pan, mix in strawberries and loosely pack in a bucket and refrigerate. Bites are sweet, gooey, crunchy, chocolaty and a strawberry, again, cleanses the palate from the fat and carb goodness.

I always wanted to make a line of savory bread puddings (lamb, feta, tomato, rosemary) that you would get in your grocer's freezer but texture was a problem in freezing and then baking.

To me a home cooked meal for a birthday is more personal and loving . You are celebrating that person's birthday . Anniversary is different, both are celebrating a milestone . You go out to dinner . Everyone is different I suppose .

Oh Dixie. She isn't complaining about the lifestyle.

When I want to REALLY tick Mrs. LWJ off? I reminder her that not only her every dream has come true but most of her dreams have been wildly surpassed. She grew up poor.

I have made a point of ticking off most all of the items on her bucket list over the years. With one exception: She has always wanted to hold a baby chimp. Which, we accept probably isn't ethical or smart.

Takes 42 here. But I make a double box in a 13x9. The kids inhale it so it doesn't last long.