Things I Like to Eat (...and Other Nonsense)

Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts

4.02.2014

My Birthday: 34

I turned 34 yesterday and I have to say, it doesn't feel much different from 33. Except that now, I expect to start receiving AARP mags and Boniva coupons in the mail.

The festivities began a little early when we had Pearl for the previous weekend. On a strong recommendation from a friend (Hi Miss), we took a little drive up the coast and had lunch at Padaro Beach Grill. It was a beautiful day and everyone and their mom was there. Literally. Eric's mom and dad met us there.

It was a burger day all around and we took our time catching up on each other's stories.

Later that night, Eric, Pearl, and I went to see a local production of Willy Wonka. It was a little hokey, but I think that's pretty much par for the course. Pearl LOVED it and it provided some family time while also inspiring Pearl's creativity. A win-win, if you ask me.

As you can see, it was a packed house.

On my actual birthday, I was surprised with some low-key decorations at work...

And office cupcakes...

And a doctor's appt.

Womp-womp.

But at least I was able to snag a good-looking recipe.

Last night, Eric took me out to a surprise dinner at a nice restaurant we'd never been to before. More on that to come...

All in all, my birthday was great. And best of all, I received a surprise gift straight out of my SkyMall dreams: The Ostrich Pillow.

34 is looking strong, my friends.

6.24.2013

DIY Craft Banner.

Here at the TILTE house, we like to celebrate our birthdays for as long as possible. Since my birthday is April 1st, Eric will put my birthday banner up about a week ahead of time and then I usually leave it up clear through the month. When May comes around, I switch to the birthday banner for Eric and Pearl since both of their birthdays are in May.

Last month, I made a new banner for the two of them. I'm really not very good at being artsy or creative or making things that look aesthetically pleasing, so I was pretty proud of myself when I managed to pull off the banner below. So proud, in fact, I'm going to pretend that these DIY things haven't already been spread all over the internet a million times and I'm going to give you the step-by-step like I just came up with it on my own.

For this completely one of a kind, crafty, "celebration" banner, you will need:

-Small booklet of scrapbooking papers (these sheets are the perfect size for creating banners)
-Twine
-Adhesive letters
-Scissors
-Hole punch

Step One: Create the flags
Cut an upside-down V, from each of the bottom corners and going up towards the middle, into the bottom of one of your crafting papers. Once you have one paper that looks like a good flag, use it as a template for the rest of your flags. The crafting paper booklet that I bought had variety of prints and colors, which worked out nicely for the "homemade, rustic, shabby chic Martha Stewart" look.

Step Two: Letter Your flags
If the store's discount bin has already been picked through and some of your letters are missing, don't fret. Just buy extra letters that you can use to make the ones you need. I did this with some Rs and an I. I also used some ampersands for the As.

Borrrrrred. Play with me.

Step Three: Hole punch
Punch two holes along the top of your flags- this is where the twine will go.

Step Four: String your flags
Line up your letters and start stringing with the very last letter, working your way backwards.

Step Five: Hang it!
Step back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Leave it up for seven weeks and high-five yourself every time you see it.

6.03.2013

The Golden State.

Eric's birthday was a few weeks ago and we celebrated at one of his favorite eateries: The Golden State.

Located on Fairfax, between Melrose and Beverly, you could totally walk right past the place without ever knowing it exists. Much like my social life in high school.

The inside of the restaurant is small. There are maybe 10 tables in the whole place, and some of them are only two-seaters.

We walked up to the counter and briefly looked over the menu. There aren't too many options, but I had looked online, so my chins were already quivering with excitement at the thought of a good burger.

The guy working the counter was friendly and welcoming. He didn't rush us as I took my time deciding on a beer. I got the Victory Swing, btw. Great summer drink.

Eric and I both ordered The Burger. With a description like "Harris Ranch beef, Fiscalini Farms cheddar, glazed applewood smoked bacon, arugula, aioli, ketchup" it seemed like the perfect choice.

I'm just going to cut straight to the chase here: This was the best burger I've ever had IN.MY.LIFE.

The meat was tender and juicy and flavorful. I didn't detect any spices in the ground beef, which meant it naturally tasted fucking delicious, which is totally crazy because I'm not a fan of "meat flavor" and guess what I totally loved it.

The bacon was thick and cooked perfectly. It wasn't soggy or charred.

The combination of the aioli and ketchup added just the right amount of savor and sauciness that it enhanced, not overpowered, the burger itself.

Also, I'm pretty sure the bun was a brioche. A freshly baked, almost-sweet, carby piece of brioche heaven.

The whole thing just tasted clean and naturally delicious. Not heavy or pumped full of flavorings.

Not much talking took place once our food was delivered.

If you're in the area, try to stop in. Let me know what you think. Seriously. Those burgers are the shiznit.

4.26.2013

A Party Weekend with Friends.

Recently, we celebrated a friend's birthday with a daylong tour of several wineries and vineyards in the Paso Robles area. A party bus was involved with a stripper pole running the length of the ceiling, as were "Redneck Wine Glasses." Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

This was my first visit to a vineyard, outside of that time I nannied for a crazy family and they took me to their vacation estate in Napa, but I left early because the kid got a concussion while he was in the mom's care and it's totally something I don't even like to acknowledge because that mom was one of those TYPE-A LOCO MOMS and why do you always make me talk about things I'm uncomfortable with?

The day started out when Eric and I joined up with the rest of the group at Donati Vineyard. We got there a tad late and I spent most of the time catching up with friends whom we hadn't seen in a while, Unfortunately, not much tasting was had here. Fortunately, they have a really great lawn and gazebo area off to the side of the property where you can set up picnics, BBQs, etc. Which is exactly what we did. And you know how much I like eating.

The staff at Donati was totally cool about letting me leave my car here overnight while we continued on way to Blackoutville. They also also allow dogs in their establishment. Yay for Donati!

Next on the itinerarie was Jada Winery and Vineyard. The owner of Jada was a really nice guy who gave us the whole backstory behind the vineyard and it's name and how it's a family-owned establishment that began with a conversation in Sicily. He gave us a full tour, which was pretty informative.

Baby grapes: The distance between each sprout is approximately the size of a fist.

Retrieving samples: The owner explained that they use red wine to stain the middle section of their barrels as a sort of design. Apparently in the wine biz, the look of a wine barrel is a good indicator of how well the vintner takes care of his wine.

The purpose of the dark brown wood going around the edge of the barrel is to attract wood beetles to that specific type of wood, and not to the actual barrel itself. This way, the beetle works its way through a throw-away piece and the barrels stay pristine. Interesting!

The birthday boy is second from the left.

A cheese and wine tasting- sooo good! There are two options for the cheese and wine pairing; both come with five wines and five cheeses. I'd highly recommend.

Again, Jada's owner was a super nice guy and they also allow dogs in their establishment. They even have their own winery dog named Ginger. Yay for Jada!

Last on the itinerary was Villacana Winery and Vineyard. By this point, I was starting to get a little bit of a headache and decided to take it easy on the tastings. Instead, I rehydrated with water, while enjoying the beautiful weather.

The stains left behind on the side of the glass are referred to as the wine's "legs."

This particular winery also makes vodkas, limoncello, and brandies. I decided to try the limoncello since I've had it before and I know it's basically like a lemon drop candy. I was the first one to go in for the kill and, like an asshole, I totally choked all over the place. Smooth.

The grassy area outside of Villacana.

From there, we rode the party bus back into the main part of town and ate dinner at Villa Creek. I got the salmon with legumes and Eric got the roast chicken with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Both were excellent. So excellent, in fact, I ate equally from both plates. BECAUSE I LIKE TO EAT, OKAY.

Low lighting = unappetizing photos. They were good, trust me.

After dinner, everyone was pretty much wasted. The fake mustaches came out and next thing I knew, Mario and Luigi had joined the party.

Blurry, but you get the idea.

The party bus ride back to the party cabin was, like, my worst nightmare. I'm pretty sure the driver was either tired of us assholes or had also been wine tasting all day because it was basically the bumpiest/ rockiest/ curviest/ fastest/ dizziest/ spinningest/ barfiest ride I've ever had. Plus, our cabin was way out in the middle of nowhere, by a lake, and the ride was a torturous 45 minutes long. Mark my words, party bus: NEVER AGAIN.