CELEBRATING NOAH'S 11TH BIRTHDAY

It seems like only yesterday!  How many times do we say or think that.  But it does seem like only yesterday when I walked into the hospital and there he was - so beautiful in the nursery and then they brought him to Jenifer's room.  What a gift from God.


How did we get from HERE TO********

cole & noah

HERE TO*****

HERE TO****

HERE TO****

HERE***

We celebrated with a delicious dinner (Noah's favorite) salmon and french fries and salad.

He got some phone calls from his friends who are away on vacation to wish him HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

He got some really great gifts such as gift cards for ToyRus, some money and a homemade certificate from me.

Of course, the cake had to be ice cream filled with those chocolate crunchies.

My sweet Noah is 11!

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

MATZO BALL SOUP - CREAMED MUSHROOMS
CREAMED MUSHROOMS ON TOAST - MATZO STUFFING

Most of my family life from a infant has been focused on food.  My great grandmother, Sophie, was a live-in chef in Russia/Lithuania before she came to the United States.  When she cooked our family actually kissed her hands.  Her dishes were loaded with butter and cream and delicious.  Her recipes were passed down to my grandmother, Edith, her only daughter, among 5 sons. Then down to my mom and now to me and my daughters. Even though Sophie died before I was born, her memory and cooking was kept alive.  Family gatherings was always food first and then the roar of everyone talking at the same time probably trying to make room for dessert.

Food became my love and comfort.  Marrying an Italian, my mom blossomed into a great Italian cook.  Eating her spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmisan and antipasto was euphoria for me and the memories linger forever. So now we are talking about great Russian food full of butter and cream and great Italian food. 

ROAST CHICKEN - MEATBALLS & SPAGHETTI - CHICKEN PARMISIAN

Fast forward all of this and I am now 60 years old, 420 lbs. and on the road to physical disaster.  Ordered by my doctor I had lap band surgery and proceeded to lose 170 lbs.  Lap band surgery is not for the weak of heart.  There is an internal device that is placed around your stomach to make it tiny and the "passage way" is also tiny.  Even swallowing medication becomes a chore.  Most of what I could eat, which wasn't much except maybe soups, came back up.  There were foods, many foods, that I could only look at and never eat. This continued for 6-1/2 years.  I realized throughout this process the psychological and emotional reasons I dealt with food.

GREEK SALAD - SALAD WITH FRUIT - MIXED GARDEN SALAD - CHICK-FIL-A SIDE SALAD
ANTIPASTO 

I have also been strengthening my relationship with God during this process and know that I can now get that same comfort from Him and His Word.  Based on this, I decided to go back to my surgeon and ask him to please reverse the tightness so that I can now eat NORMAL portions of foods that I have been missing. IMAGINE being able to have this and the LOVE of our LORD ALSO!

Still waiting to try the piece de resistance - STEAK and BURGERS. YUMMMMMM!

BURGERS WITH CHEESE BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS ON A BUN!

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STEAK AU POIS - STEAK WITH CREAMED PEPPER SAUCE!

GRILLED NEW YORK STRIP STEAK AND GRILLED T-BONE STEAK!

Chillin' at the Outback Steak House

On Wednesday, May 30, my family and I all went to the Outback Steak House to celebrate my grandson Cole's 19th birthday.  We have been doing this every year since Cole was 10. My daughter, Jodi was a server there in her senior year of High School and worked there for years.  He loves the Bloomin' Onion and their Coconut Shrimp.  His main course is always steak.
I took some photos this time.

The menu is always a hard deliberation. What to get??

We don't drink alcohol but I love the new trend of using mason jars.
I had an unsweetened ice tea.

I had the Mahi Mahi with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.  I had to bring most of it home though since I had a delicious clam chowder first.

My mom had the pork medallions which looked delicious.

Everyone else had steak.

                                                               COLE & NOAH

Although I could not get any good photos of my mom, Vito(step-dad) and Jenifer, we all had a wonderful time.  Since Cole's friend, Eric, works there, he told them it was Cole's birthday and they brought out an ice-cream Sundae with a candle in it and sang to him.  I had already packed away my camera!!