My 28th Birthday...

I turned 28 this year and I won't lie, I'm feeling a bit of anxiety with 30 looming so close in my future. Not because that is bad, but because 30 is a tough cookie, and she has her expectations! Know what I mean?  The thought of turning thirty causes me to analyze what I've accomplished so far and how well I've set myself up for where I'm going in life - you know, making my dreams come true.  Which I will, but I try not to let my expectations (and those of some others) get the best of me along the way.  After all, this is my life and I need to live it my way at my own pace.

Apart from thoughts about getting older, it didn't really feel like I got older.  No no, going to a rowdy movie or a hookah bar full of what now seem to me like "little" kids, or sitting in a class full of people that talk, snicker and mumble sarcastic jokes and imitations of our heavy accented professor is the kind of stuff that makes me feel older.  It makes me feel like an adult in a room full of children.  That stuff has already happened to Ivan and I several times and we just laugh and give each other that heavy sigh and bulgy eyed look, it's a funny sobering moment.  Anyway, apart from times like that here and there, turning 28 felt normal and I just wanted it to spend it with my love and my family.  I ended up getting a pre-dinner party on Saturday and then a wonderful home cooked meal on Sunday....

On Saturday night I was invited to dinner by my mother, aunt, cousin and a close family friend for a wonderful wine and tapas dinner at El Rincon Asturiano! We sat under their arched outdoor terrace and feasted on a delicious array of tapas made with red peppers, Spanish onion and potato tortilla with garlic aioli, sausage, shrimp and other seafood. I chose to order a sandwich called the Navarro, with paprika seasoned pork, Piquillo red peppers, and melted Manchego cheese on a warm fresh crispy baguette - it was pretty awesome! Oh, that's right, I almost forgot to mention all of the fresh cheeses, chorizo, and pieces of warm crispy fresh baguette I happily munched on before the sandwich. Mmmmm... I must go back there with Ivan!

After all the food and wine our good friend Jennie whipped out a secret little cake! Awwww, so sweet!  It slid over a bit in the box, that's why it looks off center on the base, but that didn't stop it from being moist and yummy! Thanks Jennie! xoxox

The night of my birthday was even more delicious, because my mother cooked for me! That's right, it was a kitchen labor of love that far surpassed any restaurant dinner we could have had. We started off with some appetizers, cheeses, meats, crackers, and various types of chutney and red pepper jelly... Mmmm....

Yes, Thai at my favorite restaurant would have been amazing, but nothing beats the shredded beef (similar to Ropa Vieja) that my mother makes in her pressure cooker! She has been making it for years because we're all addicted to the incredible flavor party that occurs when you stuff some of that shredded meat into a grilled flour (or corn) tortilla with cheese, lots of cilantro, sour cream and Sriracha sauce! Oh my.  I wish I had taken an up close photo of the meat but I didn't, it's in the big red cast iron pot below...

She also made a delicious yellow rice with peppers...

As you can see, we set up our formal dining table like a buffet. There were lots of little dishes with various toppings, such as home-made tomato salsa, freshly cut slices of lime, spicy Sriracha sauce, peppers, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream. 

I chose that gorgeous paisley tablecloth, it's a brand new one that my mother had in her hall closet, I bought it for her a few years ago at Marshalls. At the last minute, when I arrived at my mothers house with Ivan (we were at his house), I decided to use a few of my personal decor items to spruce up the dessert end of the table. This is my beloved brass peacock, found on ebay a few months ago...

Alongside the peacock are a grey soapstone incense tower, a vase of lovely flowers that my mother bought for me, and a beautiful hammered metal canister (from TJMaxx) that has a sexy Moroccan vibe to it.... 

Now for the desserts....

My cousin brought me a beautiful raspberry and almond topped cake...

...and my sweet talented Ivan made me a bunch of Guava Rugelach! He loves to bake and I love to cook, which we've been doing a lot of lately, so he made me a batch of the ones we experimented with and loved the most, the guava filled ones... 

Aren't they perfect? He is awesome...  Thank you baby, I love you!  ;)

As you can see, by the time dessert came around there weren't many left, thanks to my uncle, hahahaha... 

Wen it came time for the Happy Birthday singing we pulled the Key Lime Pie out of the freezer.  It was soooooooo cold, tart and YUMMMM!!!  I'll have to tell you all about that obsession some other time.... ;)

I'll end this post with another shot of my impromptu birthday table vignette and the beautiful pink, white and green flowers that my mother bought for me....  Thanks again for everything mom, it was very special....

Pink and white roses with some daisies and pretty green sprigs of somethin'....

I'll be back soon with photographs of the earrings I bought myself (shown in this post) and a few other amazing gifts that I received this year....

(All images in this post are my personal photographs, please do not use them without my written permission. Write to me at: InspireBohemia(at)gmail.com. Thank you!)