Did somebody say being sad was an excuse to eat??????

I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so I've made back home from burying my father and when I tell you that food...along with God (of course!) helped pull me through??? (Do you not hear the baptist choir shouting in the background? HALLELUJAH...THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!) YES!!! I'M BACK AND HUNGRY! (LMBO)! How could I forget that the birth of my fat soul was at Harlem Hospital??? Can anyone guess how long it took me to make it from LaGuardia to the corner store on my block for a hero??? If you can guess the amount of time, I'll bake you something special just for humoring me!

Okay...I've calmed down...

I returned home on this past Sunday EXHAUSTED! I was not even aware that there had been such a bad storm the same night that I arrived home because I slept so hard. It was great to be back in the city of dreams, but there was just too much going on during this trip, especially concerning the reason I was there in the first place. I was so happy to visit with family and friends, which lightened things up. And you know I wouldn't be in my right mind if I DIDN'T try to eat myself into a comma! So my favorite guilty edible pleasures in NYC are...the classic hero from the corner store (turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, oil & vinegar)...the greasy Chinese food we grew up eating while walking to the park...fruit popsicles with big chunks of fruit in them...fried plantains...flaky crusted Jamaican beef patties...the slice of pizza that drips orange grease into the paper bag when you fold it in half...Hebrew National...need I say more???? My fat soul had to beg for forgiveness after this trip!

I will tell you that my week got off to a great start because I got to make one of my favorite cakes on Monday...carrot cake! For some reason, I really enjoy making dense cakes. The carrot and hummingbird cakes are two of my very favorite cakes to make. I received responses today from those who received the cake and they were very pleased, so I was really glad to hear it. I've been making this cake for a long time and you would think that I wouldn't care what people thought because this point, if the recipe wasn't a success, I would have changed it by now; nevertheless, I love to hear people's opinions...even if they don't like it...I like to find out what it is exactly that turned them off.

I'll be making the classic Red Velvet cake tomorrow for a new client. I'm very grateful for all of those who support me and all of my charitable efforts. People were so good to me when I was growing up and I want to make sure that some kid feels some of the love that I felt.

With Valentine's Day coming up, I think I am going to order a bulk order of red food coloring (lmbo)!!! February is like the anniversary of the red velvet cake and the strawberry cake!

I'm back to doing it my way...and LOVIN' IT!