Black-eyed Susan: Graduation Day!

Seeing your oldest grandchild find joy in a such a milestone is rewarding. My tall, handsome and talented, accomplished grandson, Max Taylor Olivier graduated from high school today. The service was motivational and impressive. Max was in the upper tenth percentile in his class of 320 and certainly one of the most poised and confident. The world awaits and he is anxious to go forth.

Michelle and I spent yesterday baking and preparing for a dessert bar to honor him, having inviting his classmates, neighbors and family. If it is chocolate or peanut butter in flavor, it will pass the bar for all of the Oliviers! So, after careful thought and review of the Petersen family favorites as well from the annals of my darling moher's recipes, we came up with this menu:

Double Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake
Chocolate Eclairs
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Charlotte's brownies
Peanut Butter Pound Cake
Charlotte's Old Kentucky Nut Cake
Peanut butter trifle with whipped cream and chocolate ganache
Salted Caramel Cheesecake

That's a lot of baking in one day! 7 pounds of butter and 3 dozen eggs later, not to mention a quart and a half of heavy cream and several jars of peanut butter later, this is the end result.

Max is a fine and accomplished musician, a cellist and pianist. I brought with me a vintage book of sheet music from 1946 ( which he promptly recognized and told us about the composer)! Lettuce, kale , and an oversized succulent seemed perfectly natural to fill this large trophy vase. I added two rolls of the vintage music pages into the mix for added Interest. Max's graduation announcement ( designed by my daughter, Michelle) was mounted on pages from the music as well and framed...I added a graduation card " Congratulations" along with two vintage music flash cards into the mix for perfection.

Chocolate Eclairs, Trifle and Salted Caramel Cheesecake...

Old Kentucky Nut Cake , Peanut Butter Pound Cake, Double Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake, and brownies in the background...You might recognize the Kraft paper table runner from my store, so cute!