Birthday Weekend

On Thursday afternoon, I baked a chocolate cake for Andy.

I baked the same one a couple of years ago. But it's a good one. He wouldn't mind.

We picked up his folks at the airport and then headed out to the ballpark for the evening.

Andy, his dad, and his mom's hair. I love this picture.

Burgers, beer, baseball. And the weather was just perfect.

After the game: over the bridge, then home.

On Friday (his actual birthday), we all headed to the piney woods with a picnic lunch.

Nothing like eating a layer cake in the woods.

We put layers of quilts on the soft bed of pine needles and napped and read for hours while Andy and his dad tossed a football down by the water.

This was my view, when I wasn't watching the lazy river.

Or looking up into the trees above.

That night, we had dinner with my mom at Nostrana. You should go here. Get the appetizer with the melty cheese and the mushrooms. I don't know what it's called. But OMG.

Saturday morning, we headed downtown to the farmer's market.

Don't you love that there are farmers' markets downtown, in the middle of the hustling-bustling city?

I haven't done any market posts yet. To be honest, we've been going to the PSU market every weekend since the end of March, but I just keep forgetting to bring my camera. No dogs this year, either. Less fun for us, but I can understand. No one wants to see toddlers getting clotheslined by dog leashes in the chaos, and I've seen a few. I miss Clover Meadowhoney there, though. (She's so low, her leash just trips ya, right at the shins.)

We got shrimp, creme fraiche, olive bread, chive cream-cheese, potato bread, garlic, onions, and gorgeous lettuce. That place is so awesome.We also went to Powell's and Saturday Market.

Andy's mom told me about a dessert she'd had in Italy that was made of limoncello and frozen whipped cream. So we decided to try making limoncello ice cream.

I used this recipe for vanilla custard ice cream, and just added two tablespoons of limoncello. Probably could've added a little more. But I wasn't sure.

Here's an ad for limoncello.

Kidding. It's our backyard table, ready to serve up some of Andy's grilled shrimp, which I will give you a recipe for this week (along with the book list, and pillow-patch info — I just haven't had the time to put it all together yet).

Andy got a fountain for his birthday which I'm he's really excited about. We he just has to set it up.

Roses, lamb's ear, tomato. Dill.

Limoncello ice cream, in evening light. I think it went well with my lemoncello quilt, you know? Later we watched Under the Tuscan Sun, where they drink limoncello in Portofino. [I didn't know "limoncello" was spelled with an "I" until today. Oops :-).]

It was a wonderful weekend. Boy did I pick the right family to marry into.

Comments

[cindy : quaint]

thanks to andy you all look to have had a great time! happy belated birthday!

[leanne]

sounds dreamy....

[RW]

I love these types of posts of yours.

[Lindsey]

I love this! That whole weekend sounds so nice. We just did a farmers market / Powells / dinner downtown day last weekend. No dreamy cakes in the woods, though. Divine!

[Deirdre]

Your blog is my new favorite, did ya know? :)

[Jessi]

Oh my goodness, that cake looks divine. And limoncello ice cream?? Yes, please! :)
J

[Betz]

You have a wonderfully rich life. :) Lucky you, just beautiful!

[Lisa Clarke]

I've got a severe case of farmers market envy. Just one more week, and there will be some great ones opening up in my neck of the woods. I wish they didn't take so long to start up around here!

Looks like a great birthday celebration. Makes me want to really pamper my own man on his birthday. He'll be glad to hear that, LOL!

[chicago sarah]

Wow. Any chance you'd like to adopt a 33-year-old? I have a job and everything...but no family celebrations like that. :)

[Laura]

that last sentence....wow...so true...and lucky you. Really. It is sooo important.

looks lovely, as usual....

[Hollace]

Sounds like a perfect weekend. I'm in Portland, too, and aren't we having the nicest weather! Your post makes me want to go to Nostrana now: I haven't heard of it before. And I discovered the joys of Bishop's Close, thanks to your earlier post.

[SooDarwin]

I think they did pretty well too. x

[The Antidote]

It looks like he was thoroughly spoilt!

[Natalie]

"Boy did I pick the right family to marry into... " You fit right in, just like roses and lamb's ear... lovely together!

[Tania]

An absolute DOOZY of a wonderful weekend, I would say! Aren't you lucky Andy received a birthday fountain?

[pam]

Sounds like Andy's family is lucky to have picked the right d-i-l to have married into the fam. I want to go to the Portland Farmer's Market....

[emily]

I just found your super beautiful blog and linked to it from mine. I hope that is okay? Your garden is dreamy - there is so much texture and so many little secret pots of loveliness. Lambs ear, *sigh.* xo emily

[Jennifer]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY PAULSON!!!!!

[Alison]

I love the little sign on the cake! So cute!

[april]

We have the same birthday! It looks wonderful!

[melanie]

Your weekend sounds dreamy...

[KellyA]

I am so jealous! I spent my weekend cleaning my basement. Not nearly as pretty as your weekend.

[April]

Sounds like perfection.

[sara.jane]

Sounds like a lovely weekend! I wish our farmer's market started clear back in March. Some places are May-October and some aren't until July-October. The cake looks delicious by the way.

[Kelly]

looks like a perfect birthday weekend.