Bill’s Birthday Party
9 Mar
Even though Bill’s birthday is actually Wednesday, we decided to have an early birthday party at the apartment last night. We spent most of the day cleaning, cooking and getting ready for our guests. Check out the spread pre-party:
I decided to label the dips as I’ve seen on various blogs. Bill actually made these, and they turned out really well. I would highly recommend the White Bean Artichoke recipe he found on Epicurious.
And of course, we had to have a cheese and veggie platter.
And Amy offered to bring a savory appetizer, which was great. She ended up bringing the meat below (I can’t remember the name right now, but it was sort of like prosciutto) and this amazing mushroom dip. I was so happy she brought a meat-based item because (of course) I totally forgot about the meat eaters in the group. I guess that’s what happens when you eat mostly vegetarian.
It was great how once everyone showed up, we all clustered around the food table.
Kate and I were talking about the Vitamix 5200 earlier in the week, and we both thought it might be a nice idea to make some blended drinks.
… which then turned into a riot in the kitchen between Kate, Katherine and Rob (photo by Brian)…
WARNING: My friend Brian is an amazing photographer, so I stole some of his photos from facebook and credited those he took below. Bill said this was ok – and I hope that is so, Brian?! They’re just too good not to post!
The night progressed and the guys played their music (photo by Brian)…
Keith showed off not just one or two – but three drinks he had in his hands. He was all about the blended drinks.
Amy and Brian gave Bill his gift – Amy made him a “cozy” for his french press. This photo doesn’t do it justice, but it is the coolest thing…
Then it was game time with some Taboo. I can’t tell you our team names at this time….
Is Marie bored? Maybe.
A couple of heavy thinkers on this team…(photo by Brian)…
Brian was the ultimate buzzer….(photo by Brian)…
And I had to throw a picture of me in this mix – because there aren’t many. (photo by Brian)…
Then it was time for cake! But guess what? We didn’t have any candles, so we improvised….(photo by Brian)…
I made Bill an Angel Food Cake with Orange Jello – this is a family recipe my grandmother and mother both uses. It’s been passed down through the generations (unfortunately, I didn’t get any close ups..) (photo by Brian)…
We hung out for a while, finished playing Taboo, chatted, played more music – all that stuff. And then a certain someone finally came out of the bedroom and said “Hello” to Marie… (photo by Brian)…
The rest of the evening was basically spent watching Scone and trying to get him to do tricks 
Special thanks to all our friends who are reading the blog right now and came to Bill’s birthday party! You guys really made it special. He had a great time, and we’re so happy that you all made the trek to Maryland (some traveling great distances). We are so happy to have met you all in Washington (some PA) and love our group of friends
SUNDAY
Having a party the night of daylight savings time is not necessarily the best idea – but we had fun! I didn’t get to bed until VERY late and then proceeded to sleep in VERY late. We really wanted greasy food in the morning, so we went to the Diner up the street.
I had a bagel with ham and egg:
And a side of homefries - they were so good.
We went grocery shopping, then I took a little nap when I got home. My stomach was feeling very acidic from coffee, but I knew I needed to do my long run. Eventually I made it over to Rock Creek Park and put in a 6.4 mile long run in about an hour and ten minutes. It was such a good run! I am so happy that it’s staying lighter out for longer. I love summer!
Scallops were on sale at Harris Teeter today, so we cooked some up when we got back from the park.
With some golden round potatoes and asparagus…
Shoot! Talk about a mega post! I still need to finish up a bit of homework and also pack my lunch for tomorrow. Adios!
Tags: Party
Oh wow, so much fun and so tasty too! Love the spread, and the cake is awesome!
beautiful food!! i haven’t had asparagus in so long! or scallops for that matter!!
you look like you have such an AWESOME group of friends!! i love seeing and hearing about your gatherings. they always look like SO SO MUCH FUN.
That party looks like it was so much fun! Happy early birthday to Bill!!
Scallops always seem so deliciously decadent to me, yum!
happy birthday to Bill! I love that pic of you, you look so cute!
I also love food parties like you had, since there’s a lot of little stuff to nibble on!
have a great week!
It looks like you all had a great time!
I love scallops!
What a fun weekend!! I love summer too, but not losing an hour!
Congrats on your amazing run and those scallops look yummo!
The party looks like tons of fun, and your dinner tonight looks pretty awesome as well
That looks like a great time! I love how you include social/people pictures too
That one Brian took of you needs to be framed. You’re very photogenic. I love the “candle lit” cake. You guys are hilarious!
Happy Birthday Bill! Looks like a fabulous party. Totally cute pic of you (you look great in red)! Yummy scallops too. They look cooked just right
Looks like a great time! And all the food looks great! Very cute photo of you!
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What a fun celebration!
Hurray! The party spread looks awesome and I love the angel food birthday cake
It looks like such a good time. You have the best parties with your friends, Rose! Happy early birthday to Bill!
The meat is Jamón Serrano, which is imported Spanish cured ham. Delicious, melts in your mouth stuff!
Fun party! You and your friends look like a lot of fun!
Bill’s party looks fun and delicious! You look cute!