did you think i'd forgotten?

dear birthday, you are the best.

even though another year means, well, 

another year

of more wrinkles

grey hair 

& 

other assorted old person maladies,

it also means more wonderfulness.

last year matt made me a lovely little birthday dinner with friends,

which i loved,

so i asked for a repeat!

did you know that birthdays are an excuse for decorations?

(my friend anne hoppe always used to say,

"streamers make a party!")

so of course i had streamers

and also lots of candles!

and shiny sparkly garland things!

and confetti!

 i had had time that day to do some crafting (my box of treats to have on hand to give as gifts was woefully low),

so i restocked it, plus put a little take home fanciness on the place setting!

decorations + friends + food= a party!
(note: there are no photos of an extra member of the party: little m. she REALLY wanted to come down & join us, so she kept creeping to the top of the stairs, whining for me, stalling, and trying to sneak down the stairs)

matt kind of outdid himself.

like, for reals.

nancy's husband keith came to sous chef & dishwash for a while, which was glorious.

here's the rundown!

i missed out on taking pictures of the appetizers & bread matt made, 

but suffice it to say, they were good.

 cream of cauliflower soup with homemade croutons & beet chips

(it's from thomas keller's ad hoc at home cookbook & you can find it here, among other places)

 parsley salad

 (ahem, note streamers) 

helpful keith

 homemade pasta with herbed ricotta & mushroom ragu

 matt grilled pork chops in our fireplace!

crazy, right?

they were so good-

we had a lot left over so i was dining on the best pork chops ever all week.

he also made pickled onions & the most amazing potato gratin ever

 the view from the kitchen

 i put these up early in the week to have birthday shiny love all week long!

never underestimate the power of shiny, my friends.

 matt made grapefruit campari sorbet in candied grapefruit "bowls" as a palette cleanser

(i told you my husband is crazy)

 you know how i've raved about candy bar pie before?

matt made me one.

it only took him about three days,

and let me tell you,

i died.

so. good.

 we had a little dessert toast

birthday, thanks for coming back around again!

yay for food, friends, my husband and birthdays!