Birthday (Photo)Blog

Aside from a few dinners and lunches I still need to take people up on, my birthday festivities have come to an end. I had a really great time. I got to hang with family and friends and keep it fairly laid back. The big deal for me was that I got to drink, dance and sit all at the same place. Gee, I have gotten old! lol. I received so many great gifts that I have been showing off to anyone who slightly cares. It was definitely the year of the unique gifts. Don got me a great digital camera, so the rest of this blog is my evidence of playing around with my new camera. If you wonder why there aren't any pics from my actual birthday day it's because I didn't get it until that evening after dinner. So all of the family pictures are still waiting to be developed. We went to Buca, which is always fun. We sat at the kitchen table and I got cake, candles and the whole nine yards. I couldn't be happier.

This was me playing around with close-ups.

On the day after my birthday, my mom took me out for a manicure and pedicure.
It's great mother-daughter time.

My goofy toes and...

my beautiful fingers!

This is me later that night at the Mexican joint at the Hilton.
It wasn't that great and we were there forever.

As you can see, we introduced many more people to the wonders of the Warp Core Breach. Yum.

I love Cole's face! He must have sucked down some dry ice. Gross.

Don and Cole showed off their straw engineering skills.

This picture cracks me up! Intergalactic love.

The next few pics are courtesy of Laura, Doreen and Debbie's mad decorating skills...

Yippee! I got a birthday toilet seat.
It sure beats the Christmas hubcap!

Doreen even made a Care Bear table runner. How cute is that?

Thanks to Veronica for the pretty flowers. So sweet!

I told you I got some unique stuff!
Laura found this glass in Oregon.
It's perfect and I totally love it!

B-day dinner at Debbie and Gary's. It would take way too long to explain what went on here and why everyone is smiling so much... Get your minds out of the gutter! lol

You know it's a good time when Don gets a busted lip!
(I didn't do it this time. Gary's responsible. It was an accident.)

So, that's a small representation of all the fun we had. Of course, there were more cool people and more cool gifts than what's pictured. Thanks to everybody for all the love! For another perspective on the b-day events visit Don's blog.

Great Birthday!

Birthdays are always fabulous. It is each person's unique little holiday honoring the day that they enriched the world by being born into it. I truly get excited about everyone's birthdays- sometimes more than the actual person! Birthdays are a big cause for celebration, and guess what? Today is MINE!!!! :) I can't wait to dive into all the fun that my festival birthday provides. So, Happy Birthday to me!

Birthdays are a really, really great thing! :)

Another Great Drink

Not all of my posts are going to be about drinks, but this one is especially appropriate today because this weekend is the big Star Trek Convention at the Hilton.
Check it out! It's the Warp Core Breach at Quark's Bar in the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. What a way to celebrate a chance meeting with Spock (yes, he'll be there showing off his photography) or just about any occasion. They do offer smaller versions, but it is so fun to share the big one. It is $25.00 which seems expensive but it's really a great deal when you consider that it is a really strong drink and divided by four people it's only $6.25 per person. That's an awesome price on the Strip. One share will definitely get you tipsy and if you go for two you better not leave. Just be careful not to inhale the dry ice when you get to the end. It's yucky.

If you wanted to try to make this at home, here's the recipe. I recommend trying it at the Hilton first so you know how it's supposed to taste.

How to Replicate a Warp Core Breach
Combine 1/2 pint of Bacardi Select, 1/2 pint of Bacardi Dark
1/2 pint of Bacardi 151, 1/2 pint of Bacardi Limon, 1/2 pint of Captain Morgan
and 1/3 pint of Razzamatazz raspberry liquer. Mix well.

Add 1 part mix to 3-4 parts Sobe Power, add ice and dry ice, and enjoy
Caution: Drink with a straw unless you like frozen lips

We haven't actually tried this at home yet, but we'll let you know how it goes when we do.

The Warp Core Breach is a great and fun drink! Try it some time.

Great Drinks!

TGIF everybody (ok, all two of you...)! Since it is Friday, what better way to kick off a hot August weekend than with a couple of cool drinks? Here are two from our private collection that some of you already have become well aquainted with. First off, Don has mixed up our new favorite "easy" at home drink. It's a twist on the traditional rum and Coke idea. Just take a can of Coke's C2 with a shot or two (or three or four) of Malibu rum (any coconut rum will do. Go generic, it's cheaper) . Yum! To cut cals even more you can use Diet Coke with Lime and Bacardi's Island Breeze Coconut (1/2 cal, 1/2 carbs). This is a really easy drink to mix up quickly especially if you don't feel like putting in the effort that this next one requires.

I actually sorta' made this up from a list of ingrediants I jotted down from a restaurant's menu, so I don't feel that I need to give that restaurant credit. (tee-hee.) It's the Bananas Foster Martini (one of the few martinis we made that received the support of all the husbands and brother-in-law). It is sooooo good, but as a martini, is a little labor intensive. So break out your shakers and try it out!

Bananas Foster Martini
1pt Bacardi Vanilla Rum
1/2pt Butterscotch Schnapps
1/2pt Creme de bananes
1/2pt creame (I actually used 1% Milk and it tasted fine)
dash of cinnamon

Shake it all up and serve in a cute martini glass! I guess this probably isn't technically a martini since we use rum instead of vodka. It's still really good, though!

That's me with a finished product.

Malibu Rum and C2 and Bananas Foster Martini are both really great!

Great Pie!

In my second Great Things installment I am going to share an awesome Key Lime pie recipe. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for it. It is a Weight Watchers recipe, but don't let that scare you. I have found that the WW recipes are actually really good and good for you. This pie is no different. It is really light and refreshing and perfect for the summer! It's also super easy to make!

Key Lime Pie
1 regular tub of Fat Free Whipped Topping
2 6oz Fat Free Key Lime Pie yogurt
(I recommend Yoplait's Thick & Creamy- it does make a
difference in the consistency)
1pkg sugar free lime jello
1/4 c boiling water

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the jello in the boiling water. Once dissolved, mix in the yogurt and whipped topping. The jello will gelitize (did I make up that word?) a little (especially if you don't mix quickly enough), but that's normal since the jello immitates actual key lime pieces in the pie. If you look really closely at the pictures you can see the jello pieces. Chill and serve. It's really yummy!

This pie sets beautifully and is easy to take to pot lucks, etc.


This Key Lime Pie is really a great thing! (Yes, I'm going to hang on to the Martha rip. lol.)

Great Things!

In this new phase of blog life, I think I'm going to foray into domesticity and write about stuff I have happened upon that I think is really great. Most of my posts will probably be about food, but what's better than really good food and drink?! :) Ok, so I am capitalizing on Martha, but to avoid copyright infringement I'm going to stick with "great things". I might even use some of her ideas. (Yes, I do watch her show when I'm home in the morning, and she has some great ideas.)

Here's the inaugural great thing: (drum roll please...)

Yup, Woman's Day. I know that this magazine has existed since God was a boy. I never really considered it until yesterday when Don and I went to the eye doctor. I picked it up and my life hasn't been the same! Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but they have some very practical and creative things to offer. I have bookmarked their website and have decided to make them one of my frequently visited sites. Hopefully their content changes regularly enough to hold my interest. I can't believe that I am officially a full-fledged woman evidenced by the fact that Woman's Day is so appealing. Here's the website for anyone else who may be interested in being a domestic goddess: http://www.womansday.com Pretty obvious, hu?

Wanna' know what really clinched the deal? Do ya'? Do ya'? Hold on to your drawers and get aload of this!

It's the Water Park Cake! Isn't that amazing! I love it; it's sooo cute! I want to make it. This cake has inspired me to be more creative with my baking. Crap, I went home and made a pie last night after looking at this. Yes, I am a crazed, yet inspired woman. If you want the recipe, click here!

I just can't get enough... Here's another one:



That's the bubble bath cake. Those are chiclets. Pretty cool, hu? They have so many other recipes that are just as cute. They even have little ipod cakes. I told Don I'd make them for his birthday but he's opting for my key lime pie instead.

Woman's Day and Silly Cakes... they are great things!