Three out seven family members turn 30 this year but the Frenchman was the first. Last night’s celebration was particularly noteworthy though. The Frenchman brought a new tradition to us when he first joined our family. For a birthday celebration everyone has an opportunity to express why they love the person we are celebrating. The Wee One decided the order of sharing starting with her Poppa and saving Auntie Boo for last. While her Mom was sharing, the Wee One (three years old) knew that she was next and you could see her wheels turning as to what she was going to say: “I love him because he is so nice and her loves me and he always plays with me.”

Food traditions were also recognized. D typically finds a good deal on back ribs and prepares them with a lengthy slow roasting procedure which is detailed here: My Man’s Ribs.

The Frenchman (and the entire family) also love chicken wings and so I made a batch from a well-loved recipe and served them as an appetizer:

A couple of hints:

• In order to ease back richness and expense, I cut the parmesan in half and add a cup of breadcrumbs. Since the only crumbs I could find were already seasoned, I did not add the parsley flakes or salt and pepper.

 

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• I am working very hard to lose 10% of my body weight for medical reasons and so I did not partake in the wings or ribs. Instead, I tossed a chicken breast in olive oil and then the parmesan mixture and had this with a pear, walnut & feta salad.

I was perfectly content while the rest of the family indulged in the above and also in poutine. The latter was made with real turkey gravy and Bothwell cheese curds. Even the youngest member of the family (one year) loved the wings and ribs!

Kath’s quote: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”- JRR Tolkien

Love never fails.

 

 

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