Karen’s 2nd annual 30th birthday party

The kitchen is still a bit of a mess. We had a wonderful party and those are the remnants. We spent most of Saturday cleaning for it. Then after our birthday conversation with Jon&Claire from Germany, we hurriedly started preparing food. I cooked Ghiradelli brownies. Wayne went shopping. I chopped fruit, veggies, and prepared baked beans. Wayne returned with groceries. By 6, the doorbell started ringing in earnest. My friends from residency, Tracy&Ty/Sheila&Amir arrived from Mt. Vernon and Bellingham respectively. It was gratifying for them to make such a long drive just for an evening. We offered drinks in between mixing hamburger meat together (after washing our hands). Wayne fired up the grill. The doorbell continued it’s chiming till 7:30. All told, we had 17 people.

The spread was hamburgers grilled with choice of condiments, carmelized red onions, sizzling bacon, and cheddar cheese accompanied by Wayne’s baked beans (per mother’s recipe with bacon on the top). Cashews, pistachios, whopper malt balls, pears/apples/grapes dish, veggies with ranch dressing (broccoli, crimini mushrooms, carrots) started off the evening with a platter of Salumi meats and cheeses with rosemary sea salt bread. Desert started with brownies, decorated with green icing via Wayne and a 31 candle. I wished for lots of hiking as I blew out the candles. Soon the brownies were drowned in icecream, hot fudge, sprinkles and whip cream. There was also homemade apple pie, sour cream chocolate cake, cookies (valentine and mint), and whopper malt balls. Needless to say, we were stuffed.

I received a book called The Onion Ad Nauseum, a review of a satirical newspaper’s articles for 2001, featuring headlines like “No Jennifer Lopez News Today”. That got passed around. I also got a snowshoeing book which I hope to put into practice soon. Our friend Per had brought Danish monopoly known as Matador. He was moderator and impartial translator since all the cards were in Danish. Instead of utilities, players vied for breweries. There was lots of yelling and Comet retreated to the basement. We didn’t get to bed till one am. All in all, a wonderul birthday.