Zeric turns 50, part 2

 A few days before the big day, two things had converged to make me realize that I needed to have a second celebration for Zeric: 1) Mom had sent really fun 50th birthday party stuff, and 2) I learned that Zeric was leaving for a weeklong trip to Papua at 5am Monday morning, and not Sunday afternoon.  And so, I invited a bunch of friends to join us for cake around 4pm. 

 

And when people emailed back that they were coming.. I realized how many I had invited.  About 50.

 

So... (after I panicked) I decided that I would make him a cake for each decade of his life.  And I did:

 

chocolate with raspberries

pineapple upside-down

flan

German chocolate - his request
 

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust and peanut butter topping

Somewhere around lunch, Eben spied the scones from breakfast on the table and asked, "Are those for the big surprise party for Daddy?"  Oooooooops!!  Jaffa's eyes got really big and she yelled, "Eben!!!!", then his eyes got really big and he clapped his hand over his mouth. Then Jaffa asked, "Daddy, did you hear that?"  Zeric answered (while giving me a big eyeball), "Hear what?!"  Jaffa wiped her forehead with her arm and said, "PHEW!".  Eben wiped his forehead with his arm and said, "PHEW!"

 

But really, with five cakes going on in the kitchen.. he had a hunch something was up. Before Eben's scone question, when Zeric asked what all the baking was for I told him it was around that time of the month when I was craving chocolate and he needed to leave me alone.  He didn't buy it.

 

But, as is usual for Zeric, he was a great sport about a sudden change in plans. He even put on the t-shirt that memere send for him.. and solicited signatures!! The house got fuller and fuller and finally, it was time to light ALL of the candles. Good thing we had five cakes! We recruited five people an five lighters to help..

 

 

Ta da!

 

And then he had to huff and puff

 

 

and huff and puff

and huff and puff

 

and huff and puff (face is getting red)

 

and huff and puff



 

and... blew them all out!

 

In the end, he was pretty happy about the celebration.

He helped clean up, and then brewed beer.

And then got in a cab to the airport at 3am.

Happy Birthday, Zeric, and cheers to many more!!

 

Zeric turns 50, part 1

 

It was my job to do it up for Zeric's 50th.. and I did :)

 

First was the dinner out.. the "romantic" dinner at a French restaurant that ended up being us and a dozen of our closest friends at Cassis (http://www.cassis-gourmand.com/).  I had him believing that it was just the two of us until we got into the car and I had a magnum of wine in my hand.  Me, who drinks about a half glass on a Saturday night (and three sips on a week night). Oops. 

 

 

So we got there.. and SURPRISE!!  Everyone had gotten there before us, and it was really, really nice to have them there all together and ready to celebrate him.  And everyone did a good job of keeping it hush. Here is two minutes after the surprise.. someone was even ready to hand him a martini when we walked in!

 

 

Lou, Celine, me, Lisette (imagine us without red eyes, we are really cute!!)

The meal and the service and the space was all fantastic.. we told the stories that people sent about Zeric, and laughed and told stories of our own.  There as foie gras and filet mignon and shrimp and lamb and all kinds of fun things to eat.  The menu was one where you just wanted to stay for a few days to try everything.. and honestly, that doesn't happen to me often here in Jakarta.  It was a really nice evening.. and yum!

mushroom 'cappucino' and mushroom millefeuilles

He got some great presents.. here's one of an Indonesian wayang puppet, the clowns are some of the most important characters in the plays, and this is a good one.  Doesn't look a thing like Zeric, though, right??

And then we had cake that Jaffa and all of her friends would be jealous of.. pink and purple and sprinkles!!!  Wooohooo!!

 

Stay tuned to this page for photo updates as I get them in from friends..

...and see part 2 of the birthday surprise.

How Jaffa was feeling

Perhaps a bit undecided.. or maybe not.

a new way of understanding chocolate

Okay, so maybe you know it.. but I have never before seen chocolate sweetened condensed milk.

Didn't try it.  Ain't gonna either.

 

If you didn't know, Indonesians have a tight relationship with sugar.

Ebs' first lost tooth

My baby lost his first tooth.  It's a milestone, and I'm just so glad that he's still a snuggle bunny and doesn't have BO yet.  Jeez do they grow up fast!

 

Where it was

there it is!

 

Daddy helping to pull

 

Jaffa being supportive/squeamish

 

High five!!  It's out! 

Surprise sushi

After eating angel cake, Zeric and I headed off for a surprise dinner for my birthday -- it was SUSHI.

And it was amazing!!

 

Tatemukai was hidden in a mall, and the deal is.. you go, you sit, and the sushi chef feeds you until you yell for mercy.  He feeds you what he wants.. and only tells you what it is if you ask. This was the beset sushi experience I've had so far...

 

First up, tuna.

Then--and this was my favorite--tuna seared with a metal rod,

and loaded with other delicious sauces and flakes..

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Then some choice piece of fish on ice..

yummmmmmmmmmmmm

and sparkling sake too

more yummmmmmm

check out my earrings.. made by Aunt Tirzie

 

and check out the monster-sized scallop, perfectly seared

this was the only one I couldn't eat.. it had a face.

 

but the whole evening was just incredible.. and I was so so so full when we left. 

But very happily so!  Thanks for the perfect birthday dinner, Zeric :)

Angel cake celebration

I turned 41 on Monday.. it wasn't traumatic or dramatic, thankfully.  I've had a year to get used to the 40 decade, and I've decided that it's okay.

 

As is the tradition for some birthdays in our house, we made an angel food cake--aka (according to Eben) "angel" cake .  Chef Eben helped..

 

 

 

Then Zeric, Jaffa and Eben sang..

 

.. and Jaffa and Eben helped me blow out the candles!!

 

YUM!!