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So, my birthday is never that big a deal. Never used to be...until I met Laurie, and she decided it was. last year she surprised me with a trip to Rhode Island, this year, a spectacular dinner/evening.

A rundown of my evening.
Came home, went for a run, showered...
...came out to this waiting next to the recliner with my favorite bumming around shorts.

Lemme see if I get this right....
Goat cheese herb spread with some white wine drizzled with olive oil. Bruschetta of shitake mushrooms, some scallions and some mint with some parmigiano-reggiano. And a Negroni cocktail. Just in time to watch my guilty pleasure....TMZ.




After TMZ and a glass of white wine, I walked into the kitchen to find this...

Farfalle with hot italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and Kalamata olives, bread, and a bottle of Montepulciano.





and....presents!


Got a food grinder for my mixer (be ready for the best burgers an sausages ever)


some much needed slippers


So I lounged around in my slippers for a while and then came dessert...

Vanilla bean panacotta with raspberry coulis. Was awesome.


The whole dinner was most excellent. Lauries a damn good cook when I'm not over her shoulders telling her she's doing it all wrong! Doh!

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