Monthly Archives: December 2008

Bob’s 30th Birthday Bash

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Yep, that’s right, my husband of six-and-a-half years is now officially 30. You can either congratulate him or console him. Well, we decided to celebrate this milestone with a hockey game and a trip to the casino. It has been forever since since any of us had gone to a Blues game and I thought it would be fun to treat 18 of our friends to a game. It was cheaper than renting out a bar so people can afford to drink at the game. I know it seems crazy to pay that much money for us to go but I really wanted to do something nice for everyone. So, off we went down to the Scottrade Center to watch the Blues battle the Phoenix Coyotes. And due to Krissy’s insider knowledge, we parked at this awesome parking lot right across the street from the Center. Thanks, Krissy!

The game was pretty cool. Get it? Ice, cold? Har-har! Okay, so it was pretty fun. We got to see a fight in the first 3 seconds of the game, we won free buffets at Lumiere because our section got chosen and we won the game (4-3). Of course, I missed every one of those goals (even the Coyotes goals) and the Roulette game in which our section won (potty party). Yeah, I missed the exciting moments but that’s okay. What I did not miss was the most important thing: Bob’s name in lights. No, not really but they did flash up on the screens a couple of times welcoming “Bob’s 30th Birthday Group.” And those who saw it come up would cheer each time.

Afterwards, we all headed to Harrah’s to continue the party. It was a perfect place to be, cheap drinks for those who wanted to drink, gambling for those who wanted to gamble and if you wanted ton indulge in both, then have at it. We even got to see the I-BAR entertainment, man, those dancers were talented (heavy on the sarcasm). I even did something illegal, twice (living on the edge):


Apparently, you’re not allowed to take pictures in the casino. I didn’t know that but the guy was nice enough to me. Of course, I profusely apologized. But those were some great group shots, though. The best part of the night, I thought, was when Bob was presented with a Blues Yearbook (that was the free gift handed out at the game) with all of everyone’s signatures and well wishes.

I had nothing to do with that, it was Paul’s genius idea. Paul, you really made Bob’s day with that! You’re awesome!

Happy Birthday, honey, I hope you had a wonderful 30th! I love you so much!

Click me, click me if you want to see more pictures!

An Adventure on the Hill

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We’ve been doing a lot of cooking this past year and I’ve noticed that my cheap knives needed quite a bit of sharpening since they really can’t slice through a tomato anymore without squishing it. Katie had recommended Bertarelli Cutlery on the Hill, it’s apparently THE place that restaurants get their knives sharpened at and it’s only $3/knife. Well, heck, we might as well make it a morning adventure and hit the sights while we were there.

39. Hang out on the Hill: Drink the two-shot Italian-roast latte at Shaw’s Coffee, Ltd., watch old-timers play bocce ball at Milo’s Bocce Garden, buy the salame that made John Volpi famous at old-world Italian market J. Viviano & Sons, stop for chocolate drops at Missouri Baking Company, dine fancy at Dominic’s or, if it’s nice, on the patio at Charlie Gitto’s. Stop by Zia’s for at least one plate of toasted ravioli with marinara (their secret: more meat, less pasta). Genuflect at St. Ambrose to gain the patience to wait for a table at Cunetto’s House of Pasta. Or fall back on a gorgonzola bacon pizza and an icy fishbowl of beer at Rigazzi’s. You’d need reservations for the real pièce de résistance: the lobster risotto at Trattoria Marcella (southwest of the Hill proper, but no matter). Remember Hill baby Yogi Berra’s warning, “It’s so crowded nobody goes there anymore”? Everybody does go to Trattoria Marcella.

Well, we took their advice and off we went. After dropping off the knives, Katie, Bob and I stopped in Shaw’s Coffee for a little something to warm us up before walking the streets of the Hill.

We then headed up to Guido’s for lunch. I know that it wasn’t one of the restaurants mentioned, but I really enjoy Guido’s and they are Italian AND Spanish! I mean, come on, you have to eat there, it’s a great place. After gorging ourselves on pizza, we walked over to J. Viviano & Sons, an Italian market, just to check things out. I didn’t buy anything because I was full, but I will remember them if I ever need fancy Italian cheeses and salami. From there we went to the Missouri Baking Company.

Oh. My. Goodness. Everything in there looked AMAZING! I wanted to try every single pastry that was there but I limited myself to an Italian Boot (tee-hee) and a custard-filled puff. Delicious.

This was the first time that I had ever been down on the Hill in the daylight, usually we are there for dinner only. It was a lot of fun just seeing what is down there, I will make sure to make a trip down there again once the weather warms up. Thumbs up for the Hill!

Supper Club: December 3, 2008

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Appetizer: BLT Bites. I used slightly larger tomatoes than cherry tomatoes because they were cheaper and light mayo. It was very delicious but I had a bit of a problem getting the tomatoes to stay upright. I used the extra filling as a dip with crackers.


Entree: Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Applewood-Smoked Bacon. A perfect winter soup, I love corn chowder! By blending the potatoes, it gives it a more creamy texture without all the fat.

Side Dishes: Spinach and Pear Salad and Herb-Cheese Bread. Even though the salad did not call for bleu cheese, Kim bought some anyways and it went terrifically. And you can’t go wrong with cheese bread. You do have to eat the bread when it’s still warm so the cheese is gooey.


Dessert: One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake. Okay, the cake doesn’t really taste like mocha, it’s the frosting that does. So, for all you coffee-taste haters, you can indulge in the rich, moist chocolate cake without the frosting. But for the coffee lover, just keep adding the frosting.

Working Vacation

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I’m on vacation this week and it feels WONDERFUL. I’ve been sleeping in until 9 each morning and just been wandering around aimlessly, doing nothing but I need to get my butt into gear, I have specific goals I need to meet before I head back to work.

1. Clean my entire house – that means each room of the house has been clean. This will be the first time in forever that it’ll be that way. I don’t know if I can accomplish that. It’s already Wednesday morning and I’ve only done the hall closet, the master bath and the kitchen.

2. Watch all the episodes of Heroes. Yeah, I haven’t started watching this season and it’s taking up the bulk of my DVR space. So, I’m going to buckle down and watch it all.

3. Organize my recipes. Right now, they are in this pile, a pile of magazines, printed paper and 4×6 cards all in disarray. How do I function?

4. Get some photos printed and framed. I have all these new picture frames that I want to show off but no pictures. How sad.

I can keep going but I won’t bore you anymore. I lead a dull life. But at least I’m not at work.