Another Year Older

Today is my 34th birthday! The day started out pretty uneventful...hubby woke up grumpy and left the house w/o even telling me Happy Birthday. :-( Brooke decided she didn't want to sleep late, but it was OK. Us girls got up around 7:30ish and just hung around. Most of the morning was spent nursing, changing diapers(lots of them!), playing with Brooke, and watching Noggin. Hubby finally called to wish me a "Happy Birthday" along with lots of other family and friends. So nice!
Penn promised to come home early, so that we could celebrate my special day. He arrived home around 2:00PM and we all decided to take a short nap. When we woke up, we all got dressed to head out to a family dinner at The Melting Pot. I was very excited because I had been craving some fondue all during my pregnancy with Bailey, but I didn't want to go w/o getting the chocolate, so we waited until now.
Off we go...we didn't make reservations, but thankfully the place was not too crowded.
The menu had changed since the last time I went (about 5 or 6 years ago) it was kinda overwhelming. I didn't want to pick the wrong thing since I may not be back for another 5 or 6 years. Penn was sure about what he wanted, so I let him make all the decisions. He did a great job and EVERYTHING was YUMMY!
Here is what we had:
For our appetizer~
Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue~with Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic. Served with tortilla chips, fresh breads, vegetables and apples for dipping.









The salad:
Caesar Salad~Crisp romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, shredded Parmesan cheese, crisp croutons and an added touch of Parmesan encrusted pine nuts.(The pine nuts were so good!)
The Entree:
The Fondue Feast~ A sampler of Filet Mignon Medallions, Balsamic-Marinated Sirloin, Garlic and Herb Chicken, Citrus Pork Tenderloin, White Shrimp, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni, and Fresh Vegetables. And we decided to cook it in Mojo Style Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with distinctive flavors of fresh garlic and a citrus flair! It is usually served with Cilantro also, but we got them to leave that out cause I do not like Cilantro! (The filet and shrimp were the yummiest part of the entree!)
And for DESSERT da ta ta da:
Yin & Yang Chocolate Fondue~Half milk chocolate and half white chocolate, artfully swirled for a perfect balance of flavors. It looked pretty and was delicious too! It was served with fresh strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, tasty marshmallows rolled in oreos and graham crackers, pound cake and brownies for dipping.
(The cheesecake and graham cracker marshmellows were my favs!)
Brooke and Bailey behaved themselves for the most part. Brooke really loved the cheese and chocolate fondue, but wasn't really into eating any of the meat or veges. We didn't mind~more for us grown ups! Bailey also enjoyed the family dinner. She dined on some breast milk with a little paci for dessert. Her burp let us know she was quite satisfied! After our 3 hour meal, we journeyed home for a little more celebrating.
We arrived at the house with a greeting from Teddy. He had been guarding the Strawberry Cake from Edgars and the presents while we were gone! ;-)

Penn and Brooke sang to me and Brooke helped me blow out the candles!
Next, I opened my presents, and guess what I got? Move over Starbucks...cause I got this really cool Keurig Special Edition B60 one cup coffee, tea, and cocoa brewer along with all the extra accessories. (If you haven't noticed, Penn only likes to buy presents that plug in!)
We all had a small piece of cake and got ready for bed.
All in all it was a great birthday! And what more could I have wished for when I have such an awesome little family to share it with.
Can't wait until morning when I will enjoy the 1st cup of coffee from my new machine accompanied by a huge slice of Edgar's Strawberry Cake! :-)