Birthday lunches

When you work in a big office, there is always the monthly "birthday cake."

Someone picks up a cake from a grocery store and brings it in so that everyone in the office who has a birthday that month can feel special.

Not so, here in the rural South.

I was just informed this morning that it would be my responsibility to bring a dish for the birthday lunch to be held on Friday for the November office birthdays. Apparently, each person is supposed to bring something, be it food or plates, napkins or drinks, for a big birthday lunch.

My first impulse was to bring bruschetta - I've been dying for some good bruschetta. It'd be easy to make Thursday night after work and I could toast the bread here in our little kitchen's toaster. Toss on the cheese and it'd be easy and beautiful. It's one of my favorite dishes to take to friends' houses for dinner or whip up when I have unexpected guests. What's not to love about it? Simple, elegant and, really, healthy and decadent in all the right ways.

I asked everyone else what they were going to bring. For the birthday cake, there will be a homemade-that-morning-chocolate chip pound cake. Someone else is bringing a bag of chips. Another is going to grill hamburgers out back so someone is bringing buns. Potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, a vegetable tray and a watermelon.

It's November... I thought that was all summer food or for picnics. Not so!

One of my co-workers, also a "foreigner" (read, not local), is going to bring spinach dip and rye bread. That elicited some "oohs" and "ahhs".

I wonder how the bruschetta will go over. Maybe it'll be a hit. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'd be better off bringing ice cream.

The next Friday, we're having Thanksgiving... and we're all supposed to bring something. The company will provide a turkey. Fridays are looking more and more intimidating.