Happy Belated Birthday!

Wednesday, Febuary 15th was Vince's 39th birthday. Getting close to 40, too close. He's handled it very well. So our tradition is to stay in on Valentine's Day, and go out on his birthday. I hate going out on Valentine's Day. I used to wait tables, and I just remember how extra tables were packing into the dining room, and even the bar area. Being treated like cattle is not how I want to spend my Valentine's Day. So we stayed home, and I made us a four-course dinner. We started out with a classic Shrimp Cocktail. Then a Mache Salad with Seared Scallops and a Spicy Pecan Praline. Our dinner was Crab Cakes with a Chili Mayo, sauteed corn and fresh tomatoes. For dessert I tried my hand at Chocolate Souffle Cakes from Roy's served with French Vanilla Ice Cream and fresh raspberries. For my first attempt, they turned out pretty good. I just need to get my cooking time right. Vince bought me the rings that they're cooked in for Christmas, so having the proper equipment is helpful. So the big dilemma was where to go for Vince's birthday. He likes to be suprised. Oh, the pressure. So I chose the Four Seasons for cocktails. We have a special place in our hearts for that place since we had our wedding reception there. And really, who couldn't love the Four Seasons anyway? Then on to Pamplemousse for dinner. Pamplemousse used to be our special occasion place, but we hadn't been there in over four years. Too many other restaurants to try. I ordered my old favorite, the mixed grill of game. They do have the best truffled mashed potatoes ever. Unfortunately I was woken up at about 2am with a stomach ache, that quickly turned into a rush to the bathroom so my dinner could come back up. Let me tell you, it was much more enjoyable going down than it was coming back up. Since then I've been pretty much useless with nausea. I've been home, no catering for the past two days, and I've gotten nothing done on this house. And I think the part that bothers me most is paying that much money for a dinner that didn't even make it completely through my digestive process. I feel cheated.

In other news, Annamaria is feeling a little better. She still has a runny nose, but at least it's clear now. And her coughing is much less congested. She should be back to her old self in a couple more days.