Happy New Year! Here’s hoping for a more beautiful 2012.

The birthday of my son is December 31st, the date when almost everyone is preparing to usher in the new year. He turned 17 last year, seems like a long time ago when it’s just a few days back. For the first time, we did not celebrate it with a party, opting to take a walk in New York City and a nice Texas barbecue lunch at Hill Country BBQ in West 23rd. I recommended this restaurant days earlier during a dinner that my friends and I had with a former classmate who visited New York with her family for the holidays.

If you are in New York, and craving for barbecue, try their lean moist brisket. It is moist and not chewy, a sign of a good meat. My husband ordered the pork chop and was disappointed but their barbecue sauce save the day for him. We enjoyed also the side dishes of baked beans, pickled okra and coleslaw. I had Arnold Palmer, a refreshing drink of mix lemonade and iced tea served in a mason jar. Hill Country BBQ’s brisket and pork ribs are deliriously good!

And of course, what is a birthday without a cake. I made him a Red Velvet Cake, the same one that I baked for my daughter’s birthday. This time though, I used two eight inch round pans.

Don’t be surprised, this recipe calls to mix the vinegar with the baking soda. Just a note, this recipe is adapted from a Red Velvet Cake of Better Homes and Gardens. I deviated from the recipe by using Cream Cheese Frosting instead of the Buttercream Frosting that the recipe suggested.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 of an 8 oz package cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter,milk and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. You may add milk a teaspoon at a time for a desired spreading consistency.

Blogging Mama’s tip:

Use a star tip (Ateco#852) to decorate the cake.