adventures in weekending

In the circle of people that I know, most of their birthdays tend to fall between April and May (including myself).  And that means lots of dinners and gifts.  I have no problems with either of those!

On Friday, Bob's mom generously treated us to dinner at the quiet and unpretentious DeStefano's in Brooklyn.  I had never heard of it before she suggested it, but apparently it has been around for many years and is a favorite among a ton of celebrities.

And now I know why.  It was fantastic.  A bit on the pricey side, but food of excellent quality nonetheless.

 Fresh mozzarella on a bed of chopped mushrooms.

Lambchops with a pistachio crust, garlic potatoes and maple-glazed carrots.

And a shared chocolate mousse cake for me and Bob--all gone.

On Saturday, we celebrated my mom's birthday in New Jersey.  She chose Carino's for dinner, and though I tried to "gently suggest" a non-franchise restaurant, she wasn't having any of it.  There's just no reasoning with a birthday girl! 

At least, we got to make fun my Dad's giant George Castanza wallet.  He's still got PBA cards from 2000 in there!

Afterwards, I made Bob take a picture of my new favorite bag.  It was my birthday gift to myself.  And I  got it on sale for $20 down from $60.  Go me!

Looking back at all of my pictures from the weekend left me feeling grateful for all that I have.  I love being able to relive the memories (and food) through a collection of photos.  I wouldn't remember a thing without them. Though I've come to the realization that I need to start taking more pictures of people.  This will be my assignment for next time! 

-jillian m.