My Birthday

I have decided that celebrations are worth sharing and so I am posting this years birthday hap's for me.

After spending the morning at work and then coming home, Daniel came around to get an alternator out of one of Harry's Isuzu's (as you do, as there are six at our place) and Harry finally got to the shower, so we made our way to Hamilton for my treat.

Well we were late and so missed both the two movies I had chosen to see before we had tea (a first and second choice depending on when we got there) so the plans had to be changed.
This time we booked the tickets and then went for tea.

We went to the Foundation Bar at the Base in Hamilton. What a lovely place with awesome food and service. We had never been there before or heard of any recommendations but would certainly recommend it now.
We had a starter of garlic rosemary pizza bread.

Harry had his

• grilled scotch fillet 
• with Potato Gratin, 
• Wilted Spinach, 
• Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms and
• Beef Reduction 

and I had

• Warm Winter Salad of Roasted Kumara, Pumpkin and Honey Glazed Carrots, 
• Spinach, 
• Red Onion, 
• Feta, 
• Radicchio Salad, 
• Orange + Cumin Dressing and 
• added Smoked Chicken.

Like I said the food was awesome and so not only could I not fit in a dessert I couldn't finish my main. I asked for a doggie bag which arrived in a plastic bag and paper carrier bag.We decided we would come back for coffee and desert after the movie.

The movie I had chosen was my second choice but it came with a good review from our Jennifer.

This Is Where I Leave You is a dramatic comedy based on the hilarious and poignant best-selling novel by Jonathan Tropper.
When the Altman family's father passes away the four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof. They don't get along, and they haven't all been together in years. But when the patriarch dies, the whole clan is expected to fulfill his final wish and sit Shiva for him for an entire week. 
Judd Altman was married to Quinn, whom he recently caught cheating on him with his boss, is now newly divorced, newly jobless and has to travel home to face his dysfunctional family. This includes: his hot-to-trot over-sharing mother, who having written a highly-successful guide to raising children, is a celebrity psychologist; 
Paul his sarcastic older brother, the no-nonsense brother who is responsible for the family business. He is married to Annie. She and Paul have been trying to have a baby for a long time;  
Wendy his unhappy sister, a responsible mother who is married to Barry and has two children. She is the ex-girlfriend of her childhood friend Horry who still lives with his mother across the street from the Altman family home due to a brain injury he suffered when he and Wendy were dating; 
and Phillip his too-perfect younger brother, the playboy of the family who is nothing like his father. He is the baby of the family who has grown into perhaps the most troubled of the lot. 
The movie tells the effort they have on one another as family bonds prevent them from killing one another!

After the movie we did go back to Foundation Bar for coffee and dessert. Wednesday nights is 'two-for-one-dessert night' so Harry ordered the truffles and I had Lime and Coconut creme brulee served with coconut gelato.

We couldn't help musing and pretending to be judges just like the cooking competition shows we had been watching on TV over the last few months. Needless to say we gave them high marks!

So then it was home for a cosy night with the fire going as a chill had descended on the night.