if you want to know...

...how I spent my birthday, it went like this: I woke up at my usual before dawn hour (I'm an early bird, never have got that worm though) and my mother skyped me from Texas to sing happy birthday. She has sung happy birthday to me on the phone every year for as long as I can remember (whether I'd like her to or not). This was the first time via skype.  I may prefer it via telephone, slightly less cringe worthy. (This is one of those family traditions that I pretend to hate but if it ever stopped I'd be really sad).  Then I made myself a ham, egg & cheese breakfast sandwich trying to replicate the deli breakfasts of my youth. But it's not the same without a hard roll and The Poughkeepsie Journal. Fail.

After my breakfast sandwich fail I decided to treat myself to some online shopping. I scanned through piperlime.com (international delivery, I love you so) and put loads of stuff in my basket, before deciding on the far more practical Larousse Gastronomique over on Amazon. (I hate how practical I've become, I want to be frivolous just one time. I have know idea when I became such a Puritan. Although I doubt a Puritan would spend €50 on a cookbook even if it's the biggest bestest cookbook ever).

And because I was feeling so Puritanical, I mopped the floor. And then again an hour later after Fifty tracked muddy paw prints all over it. Guess that was my present from Fifty (since I'm still waiting on a card or something). Thanks Fifty.

After all my hard work (not really but whatever, it was my birthday) I spent the afternoon watching  Downton Abbey marvelling at the wonder that is Dame Maggie Smith, while sipping a bowl of hot chocolate and extra marshmallows. And since I couldn't be that lazy (being a Puritan and all), and knowing that idle hands make the devils work, I gave myself a manicure with this:

{nails inc}

And then picked out an outfit for dinner while Fifty and I danced to the Black Eyed Peas (Fifty loves that Dirty Bit song). Since The Husband was taking me to dinner at Lupin Blanc (which if you ever find yourself near, you have to try... and of course phone me up and I'll join you) I picked out a shirt I haven't worn since my Dublin days. It looks pretty much like this:

{mango}

(Please note the high buttoned up collar; re: puritan) And since I wore dark blue jeans too, that photo could practically be me except with a few more pounds stuck on, and different nail polish too.  

So at Lupin Blanc we picked a table right next to the fire place and I ordered ravioli in creamy calvados truffle sauce. Heaven. Heaven in my mouth. It was so good, I even took a doggy bag home (in France, sacré bleu!). And while I was enjoying my ravioli and wine, some people sat down at the table next to us,  and one of the people turned out to be my doctor (which isn't uncomfortable at all having a doctor whose seen your bits and pieces eating a few feet away from you). But then I had a Manzana digestif and then another one after that and then I really didn't care anymore about that doctor who had seen my bits and pieces.

And then when we got home, because I had that extra Manzana, I really didn't want any of that nice Champagne The Husband had bought me for my birthday.  But the the next morning, I had some for my breakfast along with the rest of my ravioli.  

Waste not want not.

See, Puritan like. 

bisou