Janet here:
We're doing a joint post today in honor of S's 19th birthday. S was home last week for spring break from college, so there were plenty of food requests on his part. "Will you make that dank macaroni and cheese with blue cheese and bacon you made Dad and G?" he asked. "And will you make my birthday cake?"
The answer, of course, was yes. My days of making our children's birthday cakes (or ice cream pies in our case) and special meals are dwindling. And it makes me just a little sad. The last 26 years of my life have circled around our children, seeing to their needs, helping them grow, watching them take flight and sometimes fall. They have been the earth to my moon, steady in their place as I revolved around them.
Now they are leaving my universe. It is all as it should be, but on this day — S's 19th birthday, the last year of my youngest child's years as a teenager — I am feeling just a little adrift. I will find my own orbit, of course, just as they will find theirs. And the orbits will intertwine at different points than in our past, as we create different paths as a family, as siblings, as individuals. I wonder what the stars will bring.
Rachel here:
All I will add to the beautiful sentiments my mom shares today is this: May your day be happy, S. May it feel festive and may you know you are loved (you are, endlessly). And know, that though we are all dispersed around the country, we are all celebrating you today, we are all making note of the incredible fortune we have in knowing you. Though a man in every sense now, it feels appropriate to quote John Lennon: you are a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. I love you.
A mother and daughter dish and cook their way through life, one recipe at a time.
Showing posts with label birthday dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday dinner. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Day After World Pasta Day, or My Birthday in Food
Hey Ma-
Woh...you made pasta sauce from scratch? After this post? I'm just saying...you were pretty close to life AK when you wrote that. I shouldn't bust on you, though, and instead should welcome you back to the land of homemade pasta sauce. It's a really nice place to hang out.
So, I know I told you that I made chicken pot pie from scratch this weekend. I did and I have a whole blog post about it coming your way. I was going to share it with you today (lets just say this was an epic evening in the kitchen...I took a photo--no wait, THREE photos--of the mess I made...and yes, there were three photos taken because that's how many it took to really encompass the aftermath), but then my birthday happened yesterday and it was so freaking filled with food that I had to tell you about it.
So, first, M got the go ahead to start eating real foods. We bought her baby oatmeal, mixed it with a ton of breast milk, and John and G and I sat down with her on the floor and let her have her first go with non-liquid food (thanks to my auntie Kaja--who blogged here for giving M her first spoon!). You saw what she did when allowed to gnaw/suck on a plum...she was BESIDE herself this evening with cereal. G took a video and I'll try to get it up here soon so you can see it.
Speaking of G, he and I had lunch together today which was really, really, really special. It's been so nice having him here and I'm beyond touched that he chose to stay through my birthday before heading onto his next adventure. It's been years since I was with any of you guys on my birthday, a fact that I kept remembering while he and I ate.
The creme de la creme, though (I think I didn't write that right...), is my birthday present from John. As we speak my homemade birthday apple pie is in the oven (it's so tall I don't know how he fit it in there) and he's making burgers and artichokes (my request...I understand Dad made you the same thing for your birthday? OH--and that he GAVE YOU A COOKING LESSON?!? Obviously you're forbidden from using anything you learn on the blog...that would be like cheating...just kidding, that sounds super fun) for dinner. My present from him, though, is insanely awesome.
What? You can't read that? It says:
Hello my dear!
It is your birthday! And I'm gonna feed you!
Three meals!
This Friday!
Oh, you can't read this either? It's the inside of my card and IT'S A MENU. This Friday I will be eating (you should probably get a bucket to collect drool in before reading any further...):
Breakfast: Homemade sausage, roasted potatoes, 2 eggs over medium with a toasted baguette
Lunch: Pate on baguette with gherkins and small salad
Dinner: Appetizer- greek cheese with pears
Soup: pumpkin
Main- roasted duck breast with caramelized figs and port wine demi glaze
Dessert- chocolate pot du creme
Yeah, it's going to be awesome. Clearly, the moral of the story is that no one should call me Friday because I will be eating aaaaaaallllllll day long. I'm a lucky lady.
Alright, off to my dinner now. Wish you were here. I love you.
xxoo
R
Woh...you made pasta sauce from scratch? After this post? I'm just saying...you were pretty close to life AK when you wrote that. I shouldn't bust on you, though, and instead should welcome you back to the land of homemade pasta sauce. It's a really nice place to hang out.
So, I know I told you that I made chicken pot pie from scratch this weekend. I did and I have a whole blog post about it coming your way. I was going to share it with you today (lets just say this was an epic evening in the kitchen...I took a photo--no wait, THREE photos--of the mess I made...and yes, there were three photos taken because that's how many it took to really encompass the aftermath), but then my birthday happened yesterday and it was so freaking filled with food that I had to tell you about it.
So, first, M got the go ahead to start eating real foods. We bought her baby oatmeal, mixed it with a ton of breast milk, and John and G and I sat down with her on the floor and let her have her first go with non-liquid food (thanks to my auntie Kaja--who blogged here for giving M her first spoon!). You saw what she did when allowed to gnaw/suck on a plum...she was BESIDE herself this evening with cereal. G took a video and I'll try to get it up here soon so you can see it.
Speaking of G, he and I had lunch together today which was really, really, really special. It's been so nice having him here and I'm beyond touched that he chose to stay through my birthday before heading onto his next adventure. It's been years since I was with any of you guys on my birthday, a fact that I kept remembering while he and I ate.
The creme de la creme, though (I think I didn't write that right...), is my birthday present from John. As we speak my homemade birthday apple pie is in the oven (it's so tall I don't know how he fit it in there) and he's making burgers and artichokes (my request...I understand Dad made you the same thing for your birthday? OH--and that he GAVE YOU A COOKING LESSON?!? Obviously you're forbidden from using anything you learn on the blog...that would be like cheating...just kidding, that sounds super fun) for dinner. My present from him, though, is insanely awesome.
What? You can't read that? It says:
Hello my dear!
It is your birthday! And I'm gonna feed you!
Three meals!
This Friday!
Oh, you can't read this either? It's the inside of my card and IT'S A MENU. This Friday I will be eating (you should probably get a bucket to collect drool in before reading any further...):
Breakfast: Homemade sausage, roasted potatoes, 2 eggs over medium with a toasted baguette
Lunch: Pate on baguette with gherkins and small salad
Dinner: Appetizer- greek cheese with pears
Soup: pumpkin
Main- roasted duck breast with caramelized figs and port wine demi glaze
Dessert- chocolate pot du creme
Yeah, it's going to be awesome. Clearly, the moral of the story is that no one should call me Friday because I will be eating aaaaaaallllllll day long. I'm a lucky lady.
Alright, off to my dinner now. Wish you were here. I love you.
xxoo
R
Friday, April 16, 2010
Oops!
Rachel here: So, my mom and S are off on a college visit and though she was supposed to be tending to the blog this week, she sent me a text message at 4 o'clock this morning saying that she'd forgotten to finish and set live the post she prepared for today. It's on tuna casserole and, since she only got through the ingredients segment of the post, tune in next week for her whole approach (since I've never made tuna casserole).
I've been largely missing from the blog this week and I've found myself, in turn, missing the blog. It's such a nice outlet for engagement with my mom and all of you and it's a good balancer to all of my school work. While there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking done in my kitchen this week, John and I did venture out last evening for a birthday dinner with our dear, dear friend Carl. We went to Venus where we had a delicious dinner and a fabulous time. Back when John and I lived in Berkeley, we were in walking distance from Venus and we found ourselves there pretty regularly. Since moving to Oakland, we haven't gotten back with the same consistency. We were both promptly reminded, though, of why it had been such a staple in our going-out repertoire when it was just up the street. John and Carl both had the lamb, our friend Mikee had the steak and I had the polenta. Each of the dishes were packed with flavor (my polenta sat on a hearty drizzle of balsamic reduction...yummy), as were the flatbread and ricotta appetizers and the desserts we all dutifully shared. The staff was wonderfully friendly and it was a great evening of conversation and celebration. I would definitely recommend stopping in (they serve food all day and, yes, it's all delicious) if you haven't or if you find yourself in Berkeley, though for dinner reservations would be wise (unless you go early).
Anyway, sorry for straying from our regular broadcast today. Tune in next week when we feature quiche, tuna casserole, John (our illustrator and my man) on Food for Thought Thursdays and other food adventures. Until then, stay well, eat well, and have a good weekend.
I've been largely missing from the blog this week and I've found myself, in turn, missing the blog. It's such a nice outlet for engagement with my mom and all of you and it's a good balancer to all of my school work. While there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking done in my kitchen this week, John and I did venture out last evening for a birthday dinner with our dear, dear friend Carl. We went to Venus where we had a delicious dinner and a fabulous time. Back when John and I lived in Berkeley, we were in walking distance from Venus and we found ourselves there pretty regularly. Since moving to Oakland, we haven't gotten back with the same consistency. We were both promptly reminded, though, of why it had been such a staple in our going-out repertoire when it was just up the street. John and Carl both had the lamb, our friend Mikee had the steak and I had the polenta. Each of the dishes were packed with flavor (my polenta sat on a hearty drizzle of balsamic reduction...yummy), as were the flatbread and ricotta appetizers and the desserts we all dutifully shared. The staff was wonderfully friendly and it was a great evening of conversation and celebration. I would definitely recommend stopping in (they serve food all day and, yes, it's all delicious) if you haven't or if you find yourself in Berkeley, though for dinner reservations would be wise (unless you go early).
Anyway, sorry for straying from our regular broadcast today. Tune in next week when we feature quiche, tuna casserole, John (our illustrator and my man) on Food for Thought Thursdays and other food adventures. Until then, stay well, eat well, and have a good weekend.
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