Hub's Birthday Lunch

Hub's Birthday Cake

The birthday is really tomorrow, but you need a Sunday to celebrate it. Not even a Saturday since they all want to play golf. We had a small affair this year and invited only 2 families making us 6 adults and 7 children - manageable if the weather is good.

Our lovely guests

It was touch and go where the weather was concerned since it had rained the whole of Friday and Saturday. But I was optimistic that the weather would be fine come Sunday noon and my faith had been rewarded. Lovely afternoon today.

I made a simple lunch :

For the adults :

Mini-Quiches

Bacon-red onion-cheese-tomato-basil-egg

Champagne Dom Pérignon

Foie Gras Raviolis in a light Broth

Freshly-wrapped

In its broth

Château Pipeau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2000

Cumin and Coriander Beef Curry

Tandoori Prawns

In its marinade

Freshly baked

Jeera Rice

Amarone della Valpolicella

Cheese Platter

Home-made Bread

Strawberry Cake

Vanilla sugar

Mascarpone, vanilla bean, rum and whipped cream filling

Un peu de masonry (Hub's contribution)

Fraisier léger (I need the right moulds)

Champagne Moët et Chandon

For the children :

Sausages

Raw Vegetable Platter

Roast Free-range Chicken

Garlic-butter-herbs

Out of the oven

Fusilli with Butter

Chocolate Swissroll (made by GA - forgot to take a picture)

I did the bulk of the cooking today, though I half-cooked the curry, made the sponge for the cake and kneaded the bread yesterday. I haven't bought Hub a present since I buy him stuff all through the year whenever I come across something that he would need or like and at the moment he has everything he needs (except a diet that works and maybe more free time). But he loves spending time eating, chatting (and especially drinking) with friends so I figured that it would be best to throw him a Birthday lunch.

Time flies, he turns 44 tomorrow. Sometimes it feels funny knowing that you've met someone when he was in his early 30s and in the blink of an eye he's now in his mid-40s. Without quite realising it, we've walked quite a bit of the way together. It is not easy living with anyone least of all someone of the opposite sex and we've had (and still have) our ups and downs. But as I've known then, he's a steady, intelligent and good guy with whom I can spend and construct my life and I've not been wrong.

Many a lesser man would have entered a few years ago into mid-life crisis, but Hub's optimistic outlook and progressive nature see him taking many things in his stride, enjoying what each stage in life has to offer. I hope that things would continue as such, as I already have a teenager in crisis and am not sure that I'll be able to handle a grown man in crisis too.

Hub blowing his candles with Baby Boy

I wish him the best of health, much happiness, a successful and fulfilling career, good luck in his coming golf exams and lots of love from all those who love him anyway.

Happy 44th, my beloved Hub!