when it's okay to play with your food

We have a friend who likes to play with food. Like, he and his wife hand-crushed mint-leaves and whipped up (literally) a fantastic mint-chip ice cream for Nolan for his birthday. I had 3 servings. I don't even like mint-chip ice cream! It was awesome.

He also created this little guy...who has been providing us delicious breakfast material for days:

After the party is generally Nolan's favourite part, I think. This is often what it looks like:

I can't actually remember a game night or party where Jacob hasn't been the last one to leave, and spent hours sipping wine or a G&T on the couch with Nolan, talking politics and life while I clean up (my mode of relaxation after a party).

 At the end of the night, the spoils left all fit on one handy tray for Nolan to take to the hospital with him the next morning. Considering how many of each of these we started with, I'd say we did pretty well pawning them off!

Mmmm, oreo cream cupcakes. I told you I'd get a picture of them eventually. How could I not?

 Per tradition, Nolan wanted eggs benedict for breakfast on his birthday. I think he must forget what it looks like, because I swear he takes a picture each time I make it for him. At least it's pretty! Though he obviously was hungry enough to take the picture before it was able to focus on the food.

In the morning, we had our breakfast and lattes together, opened presents, snuggled, and said goodbye for the day.

When he got home, we had another mini celebration, using his fancy new wine glasses to enjoy his favourite chilled wine, and a mini carrot cake with candles...because you have to have cake and candles on your birthday!

This weekend I stopped at Target to pick up a few things, and made a few discoveries. One: you can cut your finger swiftly and deeply on plastic wrap while inspecting a product...and not notice until you start to wonder why there is red stuff all over the items you're inspecting. Oops. Biohazard on aisle 12.

Two: 

Target is obviously thoughtful enough to manufacture special tape/handles to make carrying things like paper towels easier for customers. Strange? Yes. Genius? Yes.

Today was pretty excellent. I walked, did chores, took an hour and a half nap (supposed to be 20 minutes...whoops!) with Milo in the sun, cooked a humongous turkey meatloaf* for the week, baked banana-strawberry muffins, and just generally relaxed. I took this picture of Milo sunbathing in the office, and think it pretty much sums up how I feel too. Ahhh.

*Speaking of meatloaf: this food thing is getting weird. I added 3 more things to my list of things I didn't used to like that I now really love:

-meatloaf

-maple syrup (I know!)

-mint-chip ice cream, apparently