A couple of ladies asked me why I planned my own birthday party. Well one, I like what I like and not what people think I like. I knew I wanted flowers and pumpkins as my decorations though a neighbor did throw up dollar store streamers and proffered a dorky spider headband. If you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all...that's okay. I still think I made some beautiful stuff. It started with spray painting some of the pumpkins at work that Friday, continued at home on both Saturday and Sunday and still not done. Wow were those gourds a lot of work.
I did manage to walk my dog at the park and made two separate giant bouquets of dahlias over the weekend: one orange and the other pink, which I used as table decorations.
And then spent most of Saturday evening and Sunday morning face painting my spray painted pumpkins.
There really was no room for these munchkins on the tables for the party, and so I'm making a pumpkin patch in the ivy by my front door. I think they're rather creepy if I say so myself. And then it was time to cook paella! First I thawed, poached, diced, chopped, sliced, and boiled all the ingredients. Chorizo...
Snap peas, green beans blanched and then added to the bowl of frozen petite peas...
A trinity of bell pepper & Anaheim peppers, red & yellow onions, and garlic.
Mussels and clams, already cooked (maybe not next time as they didn't impart much flavor to my paella)...
Strands of saffron to release their flavor and yellow color into boxed seafood broth (maybe another mistake and not as flavor as homemade fish head and shrimp shell stock)...
My friend, Cecilia brought out her propane-powered cast iron grill('cuz it's still spare the air here because of the Glass Fire up North) for me to cook the paella outside, but it burned so hot! Low and slow next time, and there will be a next time because I've made it before and it's turned out delicious. And the soccarat was burned. Again next time. It was fun to cook and be outdoors, but I'm ready for takeout...
My lovely neighbors brought sangria and appetizers and more party decor as well as hand sanitizer, and we gathered together socially distant and graciously...
And the hubs baked me a personal cake and cupcakes. Rocktober on because I'll be celebrating my birthday for the rest of the month ;-)
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