Birthday Post #3: Chop Suey

The first birthday that I celebrated with Dennis as my boyfriend (#26), I asked him what he would like me to cook for his birthday dinner.  Without hesitation he answered, "Chop Suey."  "Chop Suey," I asked him?  Turns out he was the kid dishing up obscure Asian cuisine at his birthday party while all the other kids had pizza.  Go figure.  So, like any good girlfriend would do, I asked my now-MIL to dig up the recipe from the old archives.  Sure enough, it was there, confirming that Dennis was, in fact, that kid.  I have to say, I was skeptical at first, but it turned out that beef, rice, cornstarch, canned veggies, and a bit of shortening was a rather tasty combination.

This Sunday marks 5 years of cooking Chop Suey for Dennis' birthday dinner, except now I pull it from my own recipe box.  I love that it's one of the few dishes we share together that holds meaning.  In its own special way, it connects me to Dennis' early years that I only hear about through pictures and stories.  And unlike the kids at his birthday party, I clean my plate every time:)