Birthday Apple Cake on Friday the 13th

I've been making the same apple cake for Dan since 1990--not every year, but often. Back then, he was 33 and I was 29. The tradition has been interrupted with a very deflated lemon meringue pie and small French apple tarts with homemade butter dough. 

The cake contains toasted walnuts, chopped apples, oil, flour, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, some other basic ingredients--and very little sugar. I doubled the recipe this time and used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour [our friend Anne is GF] and The Neat Egg powdered egg substitute [for vegan Figgy]. It turned out delicious. We all liked it except Punch, who focused on the mango sorbet. I think the key to success is that the crisp fall apples and earthy walnuts still ride front and center, pure, unadulterated and packed with flavor. I will post the recipe soon. Too tired and busy tonight.

TCOY, Day 14 off Sugar Road. Made planned exception for this very low-sugar bday cake.

1. Met my friend Rach for healthy lunch from Marcel--hadn't seen her in a while. We walked to Anderson Park and ate outside. I had the roasted veg special over hummus....so yummy. Rich, with that hummus bed--couldn't finish it all.
2. Salmon and baked potato.
3. Half banana.
4. Grape-Nuts.
5. Hair blowout by Christina!
6. Applied makeup.
7. Job hunted.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Salon 212, blowout, $35 plus tip for stylist and shampoo person, $45.
• Sandwich Theory, iced coffee plus 50 cents tip, $2.75.
• Sun Graphics, color copies of two recent magazine articles and 2 copies of resume, about $5.
• Marcel Bakery & Kitchen, lunch with Rach and later, 2 mini cheese pastries so I could sit and work on laptop. With tip, $15 + $3.20, $18.20.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $70.95.

RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF SEPTEMBER 13: $1,129.50.

AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $86.88.

Big-ticket 🎟🎟 September spends:

🎟 Citarella at Hudson Yards, dinner; plus fresh fruit, etc. to bring home, $35.

🎟 Whole Foods, groceries, including present for Fig and big yellow mum plant, $84.

🎟 Whole Foods, groceries, including salmon for dinner and an iced coffee from the barista, $63.

🎟 ShopRite, groceries, laundry detergent etc., $50.

🎟 Sky Zone [worth it, Punchy went with her nice friends], $25.

🎟 Joyist, $29.

🎟 Kings, groceries, $46.

🎟 Piazza della Sole, comfy, high-end shoes, half-price, $90.
🎟 Gasoline, twice, $52.
🎟 Chinese lunch with Sis, $33.
🎟 Grocery shopping in Connecticut w Sis, $48.
🎟 CPAP dr. co-pay, specialist, $50.
🎟 Whole Foods again, including 3-pack soy candles, pound smoked salmon and Hydro Flask for Punch, $166.
🎟  Jackie's Grillette, casual dinner and soft drinks for three, plus tip, about $45.
🎟 Salon 212 blowout plus tips for job hunting Friday, $45.