Surviving 50 and The Birthday Flirtini

Well it's over...I said good-bye to my 40's and hello to 50 this past weekend.  I made it.  It's been a long time coming and I'm ready to see what life has for me these next ten years.

This is how I started my birthday....

I came downstairs to giant helium balloons, crepe paper streamers and happy birthday banners strewn throughout the house.  My husband was up at 4am decorating for my special morning and I was shocked as I tried to focus on everything and the daily stagger to my coffee.

When I got everyone out of the house, my next gift was almost ready to arrive.  House Cleaners!!!! Yes, when you hit 50 the only gift you want is for someone to come professionally clean your house. What a treat!!!  It had been many years since I had a cleaning service and I missed it so!  Nothing like the smell of Clorox to put you in the birthday spirit!!

The aroma of cleaners quickly became overrun with that of flowers.  The florist, UPS and postman just kept coming all day long.  I felt like the most blessed, loved and luckiest person all day long. Truly beautiful bouquets that I wish I could freeze in time and keep everyday.

After the house was cleaned and deliveries were complete, it was time for some special girl bonding and lunch with my daughters at Cheese Importers for some decadent paninis and dessert.  They brought us our carrot cake and macaroons first...worked for me!! We indulged in our sweets before the sandwiches came...another thing you get to do in your 50's!!

Next, I was off to my hair appointment.  I had enough of my $7.99 boxed color and decided to treat myself to a real colorist to nurture me and my "highlights", we'll just say.  She foiled me up and as I sat there waiting for the miracle of modern chemistry to process I looked around and saw every other woman there was around plus/minus 60 years old getting their hair done.  I smiled to myself and thought, it's official...I am old and now part of the "Friday afternoon wash and set club".  How did this happen??!!

I went home with my new "hot momma do" and changed for cocktails and dinner.  We started with a birthday flirtini, then dinner at Bonefish Grill for an amazing night and my husband even snuck in a Black Forrest Cake from our favorite Romana Cake House.

At the end of the day, I pray for many, many more years and am so thankful and blessed for the birthdays I have been given to this point of my life.  Cheers!

This is how I ended my birthday...

Birthday Flirtinini

2 ounces white cranberry juice cocktail
1 ounce good vodka
1/2 ounce X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 ounce Prosecco sparkling wine

Combine the cranberry juice cocktail, vodka and liqueur in an ice-filled martini shaker.
Shake gently and strain into a large chilled martini glass.  Top with Prosecco.


One Year Ago: Purple Potion #49
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Layered Pudding

Lemon Drop Martini and How To Be A Grown Up

In our busy lives, it is a rare occasion that we get a half hour to sit, relax and find a television show that we enjoy.  (You would think with 300 channels that would be easy...not so much)  We came upon a new series on TruTv called "How To Be A Grown Up".  It is 30 minutes of pure laughter that sometimes puts me in uncontrollable happy tears...true comic relief for me once a week.

It is a group of comedians that make fun of who we were in our 20's and how we evolve into becoming (or trying to be) the perfect grown up.  They really have a great time telling the truths that everyone goes through and all you can do is laugh at yourself because you know exactly what they are speaking of.  Viewer warning though...make sure younger (especially teenager) ears are out of the room, their truths can get on the crude side that even make me blush sometimes.  If you have this channel and need a really good laugh, I highly recommend this one.

As we all have learned, when you become a grown up, you really shouldn't drink, dress and act the way you did in your 20's.  The nights of Kamikaze shooters and Long Island Ice Teas while dancing scantily clothed on a bar table is no longer acceptable (unless you are celebrating your 40th birthday in Las Vegas...then anything goes).

This martini is a very grown up and respectable drink.  Just don't drink 6 of them in one night, as you may end up dancing on your dining room table during your kids' birthday sleepover party.

Lemon Drop Martini

(makes 2 martinis)

3 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Triple Sec

2 tsp. superfine sugar

1-1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place martini glasses in freezer for 15 minutes.  Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended.  Remove the chilled martini glasses from freezer and take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.  Pour strained liquor into the sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon. 

Black and White Parfaits and Tinis and Back To School

Tomorrow is back to school (my third favorite day of the year)...Hallelujah !!!!  After 2-1/2 weeks of vacation, the girls are off to be with their peers, books, volleyball  and a normal routine again and I couldn't be happier.

We had about a foot of snow come in and blanket us this weekend.  I couldn't believe what I heard come out of the girls' mouth..."I hope we have a snow day tomorrow and they close school."  Are you kidding me???  No, off to school you will go..snow, hail, freezing rain...out of the house you will be !!

 The dogs had a great time playing in the snow this weekend, bouncing through all the white powder and attacking the soccer ball and anything else they can find buried in the yard.

My husband said that Theo looks so black against the white snow.  Right then, I have no idea why, but I immediately went to my mom's dessert that she used to make for us when we were little.  Two ingredients from the 70's and I always felt like she worked all day and it was the most special treat for us to have on Sunday nights after our pot roast.

This worked out great since I am trying to rid of the extra pantry items for over the holidays.  Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone, so to go with the black and white parfait I also created a black and white martini.

Black and White Parfaits
Courtesy of Mom

Cool Whip Topping
Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Layer (starting with the whip cream) in a small glass or parfait glass, the whip cream and alternating with a chocolate wafer.  Layer until you get to the top and finish with the whip cream.  Top off with one of the wafers crushed and sprinkled on top.

Cover each glass with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Black and White Tini
Celebrating Back To School

1/2 cup milk
1 mini Smirnoff "Fluffed Marshmellow" flavored vodka
1 mini Smirnoff "Vanilla" flavored vodka
1-1/2 teaspoon JELLO-O White Chocolate flavored instant pudding mix
Hershey's chocolate sauce
crushed Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Mix milk, both vodkas and JELLO-O instant pudding mix in shaker with ice.  Shake for about 30 seconds.

Dip rim of martini glass in chocolate sauce, then dip rim into crushed wafer crumbs.  Strain drink into glass.