Birthday Day & Birthday Soiree

veggie kabobs from my birthday bash

My birthday (last Wednesday) was pretty low key. I just hung out with my mom for the day, which was so nice because until only two days before I hadn't been home in eight months! We shared steak nachos at Dos Coyotes, went shopping at the mall (no purchases - I wasn't in a decision-making mood), then hung out at the park (she practiced her penny whistle while I painted my toenails & read).

For dinner, we got takeaway salads & sour-cream-&-chive mashed potatoes (heavenly) from Jack's Urban Eats, one of my fave restaurants, where I worked the summer after graduating high school after the manager commented that I was there more than some of the employees. (I've toned my consumption of their food down a bit since then, but I still love it!)

In the evening, I met a couple of friends for a drink at The Corner bar & restaurant near my neighborhood. While I waited for mis amigas, I made a new friend - apparently the Head Chef, hanging out after hours. He bought me a shot, which is not usually my thing, but it was my birthday so I was feeling adventurous. Plus, I'll be honest, I wanted my birthday to be acknowledged since for the most part it was so relaxed. While chatting with my pals, my new friend brought over warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top! Everyone in the bar sang to me, & then we devoured the dessert in all of its goodness.

This weekend was my planned celebration, & I must say I planned it well! For beverages, I made white sangria (a hit!), red sangria, & berry margaritas. They really took the bite off the hot day. And my food theme was kabobs:

* veggie kabobs: red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplant, zucchini, red onion, & button mushrooms. oven cooked.
* chicken kabobs: marinated in Sioux-Z-Wow, and alternated with either pineapple or apple slices. oven cooked.
* caprese kabobs: cherry tomatoes (red, orange, & yellow), mozzarella chunks, & basil leaves. served fresh, with olive oil, basalmic vinegar, & freshly ground pepper.
* fruit kabobs: apples, oranges, plums, strawberries, & pineapple. served fresh.
* strawberry & chocolate kabobs: whole strawberries with shaved chocolate sprinkled on top.

My mom & her fiance also made a huge bowl of amazing guacamole that was gone in minutes!

[I somehow managed to completely fail at taking photos, but the veggie kabobs are pictured above, & the caprese ones are below, pre-dressing.]

Overall, it was great to see the friends who are important to me. I got lots of love - hugs, cookies, cards, a few gifts, & some catching up. I was happy to find that my high school friends & college friends really like each other, too! My only real regrets are (a) that I didn't take many photos & (b) that I didn't get any games going (so I guess I'll have to plan another get-together soon).

Over & out for now, but I do plan to get back into blogging more regularly, so keep your eyes peeled!

<3