Joyeux Anniversaire.

Joyeux Anniversaire., originally uploaded by razzieswirl.

Last Wednesday was Laurens 21st Birthday.
We did have a drink with her at midnight at a bar downtown on her birthday, but we didn't get to properly celebrate until Sunday night. We ended up going for a french theme, mainly because I wanted to watch Amelie, drink champagne and eat creme brulee. So we ran with that idea.

Lauren has been celebrating for a good, oh, 6 nights, but did not have a birthday cake! Although I was determined to make creme brulee I knew I had to make a cake too. It's not a birthday without a cake. We planned for two appetizers, two desserts, croque monsieurs and ratatouille.

The party started at 6pm, and I wasn't home from the gorcery store until 3:30pm. Somehow I managed to make a coffee chocolate cake with a mascarpone whipped ceam filling, a homemade buttercream ganache, 6 ramekins of creme brulee, one plate of watermelon/sweet tomato skewers, a bowl full of ratatouille, and six large croque monsieurs (inlcuding the cream sauce), in about 2 1/2 hours. Not to mention halfway through Thomas' dad dropped in. Was it not for my trusty helpers, it would've never gotten pulled together so quickly.

It was lovely, we feasted on good food, managed to drink 3 bottles of lovely french wine, and watched my favorite movie of all time. Thomas had turned the tv room into an Amelie wonderland. Stars hung from a red tulle'd ceiling and candles were strewn about the room everywhere. It was magical.

I will be posting recipes and pictures from the fete here shortly.

Happy Birthday (again) Lauren!




ps.
asher you're on my shit list.
I can't believe you haven't even touched the mess in the kitchen.
seriously?