So, yesterday...

...was obviously my birthday. It also reminded me that I have posted about my birthday every year since I started this blog. This will be the third year.

Just like the last few years, this is a progressive birthday. I had all these great plans on having dinner AND dessert ON my birthday. Nope. Didn't happen. Why? For the first time I can ever remember, I have a summer cold. It started yesterday afternoon just before the kids got home from school. Joy. So, my DH took pity on me and sprung for takeout even though he was perfectly willing to cook dinner for me like he had planned. It was just too hot and I was just too cranky to put up with the oven being on.

Today, I am still sick but moving better (it's amazing what a few doses of medicine can do for a person!). My mom called this morning and told me she is coming home today and will be back around dinner time. My brother (yes, the one with the broken knee and bionic parts) is bringing her home and my nephew gets to tag along! Yay! Well, those two are camping out at my house tonight (yeah, not even worried about the clean laundry that still needs folded or the boys' room that still needs to be finished...that's what being sick does to me).

I have, however, made my dessert for my birthday. When DH and I were on our mini-vacation he took me to Applebee's and I loved it. I was so stuffed that I couldn't even eat dessert! And what a dessert I found! So, I decided to make my own version for my birthday. And here it is:

I don't know what Applebee's calls it but this is my Strawberry Chocolate Mousse. Underneath the mousse is a layer of crumbled Oreo-type cookies. This is such a simple dessert! Start to finish (if you don't wait to plate it until later) would be about 30 minutes.

Ingredients are simple:

• Dreamwhip packets - I used two packets
  
• Instant Chocolate Pudding - 2 4-oz. packages
• Oreo-type cookies - I will leave the number of packages up to you! Lol!
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract
  

Just follow the instructions for Mousse on the back of the Dreamwhip Box (double the recipe if you want a lot...that's what I did). I crushed the cookies in a gallon-size storage bag - and freaked my boys out at the same time! The ramekins actually belong to my 18 y/o from when he made Creme Brulee a few weeks ago. I put about a serving spoon of cookie crumbs in the bottom. Two serving spoons of mousse on top of that and then a fanned strawberry on top of the whole thing. Assembly took about 5 minutes for 5 ramekins. I have enough to do about 5 or 6 more.

I may not get overly excited about my birthday, like I use to do, but I certainly enjoy experimenting with desserts..

Well, DH is almost done with the steaks and the redskinned parsley potatoes are about ready to come out of the over (geez, it's hot in this house!!!), so that's it. Give the dessert a try! You'll love it!