Nana was there, as she so often is for this August birthday. And, I got to choose anything I wanted for dinner. With an eye toward wearing a bathing suit next week, I opted for an ambitious array of special appetizers, delicious grilled shrimp on caesar salad, a family specialty, and crepe suzette, my favorite birthday dessert since childhood. Unlike last year, we had no fiery mishaps.
We also discussed the fun of growing up with a mom who is a gourmet. Two foodie (and drinkie) parents lends itself to interesting culinary preferences at a young age. How many 8-year-olds prefer a dessert en flambe to a birthday cake?
We reminisced over other boozy faves like cherries jubilee and cocoa amaretto mousse. We laughed about what our grade-school teachers must have thought of our creative writing assignments, peppered as they were with references to these drunken desserts, Brandy Alexanders, Golden Dreams, and Mudslides.
Stories abound of us sneaking extra servings of Cold Duck, Lancer's, or other special-occasion libations and being a little tipsy as we were sent to bed. I'm sure the 'rents are horrified by the confessions, but it's true! Besides, it's hard to keep an eye on four children during a dinner celebration and, frankly, we're none the worse for it.
Bob refused to partake, but for nostalgia's sake - and because people who say it doesn't taste good are liars - the rest of the nine of us finished three bottles of Mateus in honor of the beginning of my 39th year. That's approximately 30 flaming birthday crepes and counting, for those of you keeping track.
It's no wonder that three of the original family six-pack are now in the wine business.
And, yes, we are loving every minute of it.
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