Jeff's Birthday (Part 1)

My 33rd birthday on Block Island

Jeff and I have a somewhat unique idea about birthdays and anniversaries: we think they're far better spent having experiences than getting things. Though some of our friends think that's crazy, as adventures seem fleeting and intangible, we find that we continually unwrap the places we've been, meals we've eaten, and bed and breakfasts where we've stayed, even months and years later.

So, since Jeff's birthday is next week, it's my turn to get creative! The idea started as a little seedling, thanks to one of our favorite summer country songs: Little Big Town's "Pontoon." Notorious for his constant desire to spend weekend days on a boat, Jeff has over and over asked me why we can't just own a pontoon for the (tiny) lakes in Reston. While I can't afford a boat, I was able to find a large lake about two hours to our south that had a 6-person pontoon boat available for tomorrow. Add a couple of good friends who were all too happy to clear their schedules, and we were good to go!

Well, except for the food, that is.

So, I've spent most of today preparing lots of goodies for tomorrow. The back of the car (which Jeff won't be allowed to look into in the morning) looks like this:

All the right snacks: beef jerky, really good salami, chips, and popcorn.

Since chips would be no good without something to dip them in, I whipped up a batch of homemade guacamole:

The picture above doesn't do it justice, but this summery combination of avocados, tomatoes, a tiny bit of chopped onion, cilantro, salt, and lime juice always hits the spot! Of course, I needed something a little more substantial than just chips & dips and cheese & crackers, so I put together our favorite summer tortellini salad:

Nothing more than tortellini, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, this is always a massive hit at parties (if it makes it there at all... usually it gets finished at home before I can get it out the door!). Our friends will be contributing some fresh fried chicken in the morning as the main protein, but I thought I should probably make a little something else with some sustenance:

Deviled eggs! I followed Paula Deen's traditional recipe, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. The odd presentation above is the result of my research on how to travel with deviled eggs--particularly ones made in advance. When we get on the boat tomorrow, I'll just take out the filling, snip off an end of the plastic bag, pipe the filling into the halves, and voila! (Or, I hope it'll be that easy and beautiful--I'll let you know in the "Part 2" post!)

Hmmm... is that everything? Oh, wait--we have a birthday on our hands here!

When I was a little girl, I never took cupcakes to school on my birthday; instead, my mum and I always made "Birthday Brownies." They're quick and easy--even though the brownies are made from scratch. Two of my containers above are iced and decorated with Jeff's favorite candy (Reese's Pieces) while the other one is, well, for me (M&Ms). Can't wait to dive in!

So, with the beer and wine stashed at the neighbors' (who are coming with us tomorrow) and all the yummy treats hidden in the fridge (behind "don't peek!" boxes that have been artfully arranged), Jeff has no clue what's going on and I can't wait for tomorrow morning!