Fabulous

As I mentioned earlier, there were two ladies in our family celebrating birthdays this past weekend.

Yours truly (in the back next to my mom) and Chase’s girlfriend, Cat (next to Chase). Actually my birthday was yesterday and Cat’s is today, but with the likelihood of me being in the office on Sunday and the certainty of me being in the office at 7:00 a.m. Monday, Saturday night was the perfect time to celebrate. We had a fabulous meal at Shoreline Grill at the Four Seasons. Here’s me with my mom and brother at the entrance.

Everyone had such busy schedules we arrived in 4 cars! I brought my mom, and my brother brought his girlfriend.

Cat brought her sister who was visiting from Colorado.

And Chase came after he got off work, kind of late. I took the liberty of ordering lots of vegan dishes for Chase and me to share. That method worked out great for Chase, because they brought the food as soon as he got to the table. My pictures didn’t turn out so great, but it was so beautifully presented and all so incredibly delicious, I have to show them anyway. Here’s what I ordered.

Roasted tofu with edamame and potatoes.

Microgreens salad with dried cranberries and hazelnuts. Chase thought it was hysterical they put craisins in their salad.

Veggie stirfry on soba noodles.

I’m so sad not a single one of the pictures I took of this dish turned out. It’s potato wrapped sushi rolls! Look again at this blurry closeup.

It’s filled with rice and asparagus and came with pickled ginger and excellent wasabi. Chase and I concur it was one of the best things we have ever eaten. How I wish I had asked the chef how he prepared it.

We went back to my mom’s for dessert, which I made. I really took a risk making an ice cream pie to take a 20 minute car ride to my mom’s house when it was 103 degrees, but it arrived okay. The pie was fantastic and perfect for a hot summer night. I made an Oreo Mint cookie crust. I love how black it is. It was a little hard to cut once frozen though. It may have been a little too thick.

I filled it with So Delicious coconut based chocolate ice cream and topped with a minty fudge sauce. The crust and sauce recipes were adapted from The Everyday Vegan and Vive.

Mmmm, it was so good!

I’ve thought a lot about this birthday, and whether or not I wanted to divulge my true age. You all know my son is 23, so you probably figured out I’m pretty old. Oh, I know you’re as young as you feel, blah blah blah, and in my head I’m 35. In reality, I’m now 50. Yep, The Big 5-0. Five decades. Half a century. If I’m honest I can’t check the box on surveys for 30-49 year olds anymore. I guess it’s now 50 and over? – ugh. Most people are kind enough to say I don’t look 50. I know it’s just a number, but it’s also reading glasses, aching joints, crazy hormones, sagging skin, love handles, and what used to be fine lines but are now definitely wrinkles. I weigh the same as I did in high school, but it sure doesn’t look the same. One thing that definitely keeps me feeling young is hanging out with all you fabulous bloggers, many of you the same age as my son. Your energy and creativity continually amaze and inspire me. Enjoy your youth! It seems weird to be 50, but on the other hand, being 50 brings a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. So okay, yeah, I’m 50, but I will be 50 and Fabulous, and next year I’ll be 51 and that will be all right too. Am I where I thought I would be at 50? No. Do I have any regrets? Maybe a few, but mostly no. The best thing about my entire life is my loving family, and my proudest accomplishment is raising my son on my own. Chase is a gorgeous man, hardworking, compassionate, smart, and considerate.

And now, after working like a crazy woman the past few weeks, I get to take a vacation. I’m meeting my sister, brother-in-law, and nephews on Thursday for a week at the Florida beach – woohoo! So I’ll be back next week, 50, fabulous, relaxed, and refreshed!