My Last Big Temptation

Last night we threw my parents a 40th anniversary party with a Hawaiian theme.  That meant besides the garish fake flower decorations, plastic leis and funny tabletop palm trees, we also had some amazing food - enough tropical fruit to fill a grocery aisle, delicious hor d'oeuvres like mini quiches, pastry puffs, crackers and cheese, pita chips and hummus, a chocolate fondue bar with everything imaginable to dip and a whole roast pig. Yup, it was a bonafide pig roast!  After making my favorite recipe of my mom's potato salad as well as a huge crockpot of Hawaiian baked beans, I knew this party was going to be my biggest temptation yet.  As everyone chowed down on the goodies, I stood there with my chicken and romaine salad with orange pieces and satisfied myself with the sights and smells of the amazing banquet.  I knew I could eat strawberries yet somehow I got to the end of the night without eating a one.  I did however have two tiny bites of moist pork just to see what it tasted like - that was the extent of my cheating.  But before I could pat myself on the back for being so good, there was still the cake.

When I ordered the cake, I ordered it from what has become my favorite cake place, Ceres Bakery in Portsmouth.  Thanks to my best friend, she introduced me to this bakery, it being the place where she got her wedding cake (thank you, Erin!).  So I decided to go for it and order a coconut creme cake, a flavor I have yet to try.  You can see the amazing job they did with it...  You can only imagine the agony I went through helping to cut that cake and NOT take even one taste of it.  By the time I was done serving, I had coconut creme filling all over my hands which I had to go. wash. off. my. hands!  That's right, not even one little lick.  However, I did cut a big piece off and take it home and freeze it right away - I'm not stupid.

Though I had to exercise complete control and severe deprivation last night, I had a fabulous time and proved to myself I could get through something like that without failing.  My crowning achievement came even before the party started when I slipped on a cute sundress that hadn't fit me before and now was perfect!  It was definitely worth it.


P.S. Even with my two bites of pork, I still lost 0.4 lbs from yesterday.  :-)

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!