My birthday is in December just before Christmas. I don’t have a problem with that – not that I could change it! I know people who switch their kid’s birthday parties to summer in order to avoid the competition with the seasonal onslaught. It works for them. My parents never did that, but they did make certain that my birthday and Christmas were separated. That is NOT to say that others did – hint, hint. When you are a little tyke, it’s really not cool to get a birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper. Now I’m just glad to keep having those birthdays, and I’ll take a gift in any kind of paper. In fact, you don’t even have to wrap it as long as it comes in a little blue box that says Tiffany & Co. (fill in the name of your favorite jeweler here).

This year was one of the “biggy” milestones for me. (Remember…it’s not polite to ask a lady’s weight or age.) My birthday fell in the middle of a really busy week and since we were leaving for our daughter’s house and the holidays the following weekend, I asked hubby to make the celebration just an easy, non-event- NO SURPRISES. Well, when the evening of my birthday rolled around he wanted to know where I would like to go eat. I gave him a name or two – he suggested two of our favorite Italian places. Reminding him that we had just eaten at one of those a few nights before, I suggested “B.G.” (that chain that features really nice fish dishes). He said ,” Let’s do pizza.”

By this time, tired as I was from corralling hormonal middle-schoolers all day, I was about to slug him with my favorite cast iron skillet. Patience is definitely not my middle name. Why was he being so darn ornery? But…I put on my sweetest, most tight-lipped, Southern belle smile and told him in no uncertain terms that I absolutely did not want pizza – there were pizza leftovers still in the fridge – and if I wanted that then I would just stay home and stick a candle in a piece of cold pepperoni. Realizing that my sense of humor was not doing the talking when I told him that, he decided that fish was an excellent idea and off we went. (Isn’t it amazing how quickly men can be convinced to come to the right decision?)

It was a pleasant, tasty dinner. However, I must admit that I really was looking for a little something more than a card and cod (actually it was snapper). Thus far, the evening was not looking too promising gift wise. Maybe he had taken the idea of “real simple” a little too much in earnest. About the time I was ready to perfect my bestest pout, he pops the question, “So what do you think about Italy in March?” Me in all of my brilliantness responded smartly with something akin to checking the Weather Channel for him. A big wide grin worked its way across his face, and I realized that I had been “got.” In short, my present was a trip to Italy! (He is still teasing me about not picking up on all of the food hints he dropped.)

So come late March, we’re off to enjoy Venice, Florence, Rome and the Tuscany area. In honor of that, I’m sharing one of my favorite pizza recipes. Its a classic Pizza Margherita – so easy, but just delicious. While you are preparing it, pop in a DVD of Under the Tuscan Sun or put in a Pavarotti cd. Prego.

**Make sure these are good and ripe. You might prefer to use your favorite pizza sauce instead of the tomatoes. I think it’s better with the tomatoes – and it’s prettier with those pretty Italian colors showing.

Mangia bene, vivi felice. (I think.)