So if you read the previous entry you will know it was my 28th birthday last week. I was a very lucky lady and received some really fun food related gifts.
Chimena, Jeff and Chloe got me a really unusual gift, a Pink Lemonade Tree . It is a dwarf citrus tree which produces lemons with a pink hew. I’m really excited to taste the fruit from this unusual tree.

Joy and Chimena also brought me an ‘Irish Beauty’ a Baileys flavored mini chocolate cake from Just Fabulous Pastries. It was really light and moist with a really rich chocolate flavor and like me it was petite, yet big enough to share.
My sister Lynda back in Ireland without fail always gives me a cookbook with some Percy Pigs (my favorite candy or sweets as we call them at home). I always love her selections, this year it was the Ottolenghi Cookbook from a well known chain of cafes of the same name in London. I had not heard of it before but after browsing through the pages I cannot wait to make some of their recipes and desserts when I am in London next month.

Lara and Liz can up with the goods in the form of X Rated Fusion Liqueur a French Vodka based pink liqueur with a passion fruit flavor. I first tried it icy cold on an In Your Kitchen shoot at Nic’s Beverly Hills (yes my job is very hard, tasting vodka is a part of it), look out for the video coming soon. I’ve tried it since mixed with orange juice and Sky 90 vodka and straight up and it tastes so good either way….good job Lara and Liz!

Lisa and Paul sent me some wine, I had not tried either bottles and I am eager to try them this weekend. The white was a Minter Californian Viognier and the red a Darioush Cab from Napa.

Yeah with fun and interesting gifts like these it makes turning a year older a little easier.
Oh and Amy and Adam thank you for the food related birthday cards both of a similar theme a chicken and a cock!!

Last week was my birthday and to celebrate my 28 years I meet up with some friends at Lei Lounge in San Diego. As the name suggests they do use leis to decorate the restaurant but thet also have a beautiful and unexpected outdoor patio which is furnished with fun Cabanas, beds and firepits for you to lay beside. My friends arrived one by one straight from work and held up in traffic. I sipped on the great cocktails there to pass the time. There signature drink menu features over 28 different cocktails and lets just say I tried a few. Some of my favorites were the pomegranate martini, simple,sweet, you can’t go wrong, the Hawaiian mojito, along with the expected lime and mint was hibiscus juice and a splash of Champagne and the Georgeous Geisha a mix of strawberry liquer and lychee juice, topped with Champagne. All signature drinks were half price during happy hour and their collins cocktails, the lemongrass and aloe vera were half price all night on Wednesday night, the night we were there.
I did also sample the food, Lei Lounge offers a large menu of small plates, perfect for sharing. We tried the the hummus plate, the spring roll sampler and mahi mahi among others. It all tasted good but it was the cocktails that I remember…or not as the night progressed. Overall it was a really fun night but when your surrounded by great friends on your birthday how could you go wrong?