They say baker's trade recipes on a knead to know basis.

I can cook just about anything. Give me a slab of cow and I'll grill it up for ya.. as long as you don't make me eat any of it..., or touch it really. Need a marinade or a sauce? I can conjure one up in a flash. Ask me to bake a cake, cookies, or bread and you'll hear the screeching of my mental tires locking down. I think it's because I don't really eat sweets so I'm not comfortable making these types of  foods. My mother on the other hand was/is always baking muffins, cookies, poppy-seed bread, etc., etc., etc. even though she isn't suppose to be eating that stuff. It's a habit. She came and stayed with the girls while I was gone on my last trip and she called to ask what we typically have for dessert. Say what? Do normal people still have dessert after dinner? I mean, sure when I lived with my sister we went through a 2.5 gallon bucket of cookies and cream ice cream A WEEK but that was more of a bedtime snack than an after dinner dessert. Maybe it's a generational thing and maybe that also explains how I gained 8 lbs the first month I lived in Lawrence. Hmmm.

Today is Daniels birthday and even though he is out of town for work I decided I was going to conquer my fear of failure and bake him a cake, damnit! But it can't be just any cake. No, this creation will be eaten by his parents and most likely some siblings so it has to be flipping outstanding! (No pressure Cj). I started early in the week researching recipes and soliciting suggestions. I even had to borrow a cake pan from my sister! I know my obsessive recipe reading, oven checking and toothpick testing tonight would have sent my Baker friend into a "WTF? Over" frenzy. What can I say? I'm just not comfortable baking. Besides, that is what Dillon's is for and thank goodness there is one really close by in the event this thing turns out to be a total flop. I'll give you the verdict on Monday. *Gulp*