HBD, PLS

The lucky Lou had to go to an architecture seminar on his birthday weekend. It involved, from what I gather, a lot of sitting, listening, and absorbing mathematical and physics-based equations and concepts in a lecture hall someplace near Plano, from 8am to 7pm, Friday - Sunday. Welp, that's my personal hell, what about you? Anyhow, while he was here, it gave me plenty of time to shop and cook dinner and play with the dog and wrap presents and enjoy the beautiful weather outside.

On Sunday, I woke up at 6am and made Lou blueberry cornmeal pancakes and coffee in the French press before his third and final day of torture commenced. He's going to have to dress like a real architect soon (or any real professional, non-advertising person for that matter) so I helped him forget that by getting him a pair of plaid Vans. He also got this poster from a small design shop (they really need to make some more pieces because they only have a few and they're all great) You and Me The Royal We.



I'll be honest, I made recipes for dinner that I love. That's the point of cooking right? There was a request for seafood and the rest was left up to me. So I made salmon (sustainably sourced, duh), and my favorite bulgar wheat recipe (don't freak at that wholesome grain mention, you add cheese and broth and onions and spices and more cheese to it and everyone I know loves it, Lou had seconds of it). Plus I included the crowd-pleasing salad from Monday nights, featuring Girard, spinach and arugula, yellow tomatoes and avocados.

I started the night with a crab dip appetizer, also one of my favorites. It's very easy to make, and even easier to eat. Also, very fatty. The cream cheese is settling on my sides as I type this. My mom has made the recipe for years at Christmas or to take to other people's parties, and I just saw it the other day here (the first recipe, not the second). It must be as standard as Campbell's green bean casserole. But seriously, a birthday dinner is no time to try new recipes, right?

Finally, for dessert, Lou's favorite (OMG, I know, something for him, about time...) coffee ice cream - not even frozen yogurt but Haagen Dazs' full-fat Five, with broken up bits of the most expensive chocolate bar I have ever purchased from Dude, Sweet in Oak Cliff (do not go there if you are irritated by holier-than-though, aloof employees, PS. It was just one guy but still...it was the one guy semi-attempting to help us). I probably could have served him JUST coffee ice cream for every course and he'd have liked it just as much, if not more, but that'd be too easy.

And because I don't know what kind of beer goes with fish, but I do know that Shiner is good (enough) beer, I got a variety pack of Shiners.

Dinner was served. And it was delish! Success. Relief.



Tomorrow night we go to his family's house and his mom will cook something way more tasty and less healthy. I hear there are buttery rolls involved.