We had a birthday party for my husband this weekend.  I was busy hostessing, so I hardly took any photos.  But the fun parts were: bringing lots of indoor furniture outdoors, candles & strings of lights, the fire pit, great mood music, healthier snacks (humus & pita, apples & caramel, pistachio chips, shelled peanuts), pasta salad & chili, and one of my favorite cakes…Warm Lavender Almond Cakes.

The cake recipe is originally from the book The Herbal Kitchen.  I also found it online.  I really enjoy cooking with lavender and drinking homemade lavender tea.  Lavender has a great scent and a deep flowery taste (so use sparingly!), plus I use lavender buds from my garden so they’re pretty much free.  I served the cake topped with whipped cream, strawberries, sliced almonds, and a small side of vanilla ice cream.  Everyone said it was really good in a unique sort of way.