belated birthday/mother's day weekend

I've been 29 years old for 17 days now, so I guess I better get with the program and blog about it.  I took the day off from work (and apparently blogging) this year because I regretted not doing it last year.  Since I work where I was born it was kind of like, "Wow, I'm in the same place where my existence began.. I've gone nowhere in life!".  Obviously that's not true but my birthday was on a Friday so I figured I better make it a long weekend.

I met my mom for lunch at The Jayhawker in The Eldridge Hotel.  I had crab cakes and sweet potato fries and I'm pretty sure that will be exactly what I order the next time I go there.  

My husband met up with us later lookin' handsome as ever in his pink shirt.  

 

 

After going to a happy hour get together for work, we went to Teller's, which is one of our favorite restaurants in Lawrence.  It's downtown and was actually a bank at one time, hence the name.  The ambiance is incredible and the bathrooms are in the bank safe.  

Ehren had the salmon and asparagus fettuccine and I had the scallops with crab risotto. 

For dessert we had raspberry sorbet and it was the best I've ever had.  And I'm kind of a sorbet connoisseur because, ya know, I worked at Cold Stone. 

 

The day after my birthday was Saturday and my dad always comes over for coffee after he's done reading for Audio Reader (he reads the newspaper on the radio for people who are visually impaired or print-disabled).  A couple days before he came over, we had this conversation: 

I'm a sucker for my dad's biscuits and gravy if you remember from this post (recipe included).

 

In addition to making me B&G, he handed over the biscuit-cutting torch. 

Behold, the 4-eyed, green monster.  Or.... just an old piece of Tupperware that is now ventilated for the ideal biscuit cutting experience.  He's been using it since I was little and now it gets to live in my kitchen. 

 

Dad made the biscuits...

 

While Katie browned the sausage.

And then we dined on the best breakfast food ever created.  And it was wonderful. 

 

For Mother's Day we had a brunch at my house.  Normally we have a huge family get together to celebrate Mother's Day, grandma's birthday, and other May birthdays.  This was scheduled for the next weekend so we had a much lower key morning with our mom.  I made this heavenly breakfast casserole from Food & Wine.  I've made it two times before and it's always a hit.

 

We cooked up some breakfast sausages and my sister brought some fruit.  

 

And made these awesome Coffee Cake Muffins. 

The brunch was a perfect combination of savory and sweet.  And the best part?  Hearing my mom say "this was the best Mother's Day ever!  I didn't have to do anything!"  She deserves it.

 

 

So, basically, the weekend was full of eating and drinking and celebrating (which is how every weekend should be).  I feel lucky to be able to celebrate my birthday along with Mother's Day because after all, if it weren't for me, my mom wouldn't be able to celebrate Mother's Day.  You're welcome, mom.