Monday, May 14, 2012

Good Food, Great Friends, and One Serious Hangover



Last week was my boy’s birthday. He wasn't nearly as excited about this as I was. I may have gone a little crazy trying to get him on the same page as me. Because it was the first real gathering we were having in our new place, I frantically cleaned all week and tried to find a place for everything that was in the last few boxes I was hiding in the spare bedroom. The birthday boy’s request was to have friends over for dinner and cake. On the menu: crab mac & cheese, pulled pork, spinach, and strawberry cheesecake (not one ounce of chocolate- boggles my mind). Recipes are at the end of this blog J

I had to work the day this was all occurring, so everything was prepared prior- including opening presents…again, I was way too excited for this to wait. I was prepared to do presents at midnight, so technically his birthday; however, my old man was already falling asleep at 9:30pm. I had to lure him awake with gifts (& a milkshake). Among his gifts: Ray-Bans, Javier Hernandez t-shirt & toy (for the kid in him).

Ray-Bans :)
& then he fell back asleep
Thursday rolled around and I was extremely happy with myself for having everything basically prepared for when I got home from work and was actually able to sit and relax for a bit before everyone started arriving. In the end it was a success….I’m thankful for everyone that came to celebrate & hope they enjoyed themselves as much as my birthday boy and I did.
Uncle Danny & Ryder (most popular guest)

Making a wish <3 
Recipes:

Crab Mac & Cheese: I couldn't find manchego cheese so I substituted with a colby & monterey jack blend.
Pulled Pork: Pork loin in the crock pot with about 1/2 c. of chicken broth & 1 bottle of bbq sauce on low for 6-8 hours.
Spinach: fresh spinach, chopped, and sauteed in minced garlic & EVOO

I made Chicken wrapped Asparagus this weekend:
Topping: 1/2 c. mayo, 3 tbsp brown mustard, chopped fresh basil
Pound chicken breasts out to 1/4 inch. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and 4-5 pieces of asparagus (pre-cooked in the microwave 1 1/2-2 minutes) and wrap up tightly, placing the seam side down in a baking dish. Spread some of the topping on the chicken   and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, pressing into the topping. Bake on 425 degrees for 25 minutes. #delicious I paired this with bow-tie pasta with fresh tomatoes & basil and a spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette. I received a leg massage (ran 3.2 miles that day in preparation for a 5k on Saturday) after dinner. #itwasthatgood #winning

No comments: