Happy Birthday L & H

My good friend L has her birthday just after New Years, and her 11 yr old's just after that. On NYE we discovered, a previously unknown love of L's for champagne.  A discovery made in the worst possible way, a full glass in her hand as midnight struck and not being able to drink it as she had to drive home!!  This had to be rectified.  I decided on a joint, belated, b'day dinner with the lovely Mr & (soon to be) Mrs S too.  The boyf gallantly volunteered his chauffeuring services to pick L & H up, and the lovely S's to take them home.  L's present this year.... a lot of champagne and the ability to drink it!

As L & H have not really had to sample our new eating regime I decided on "Burger Tapas" for dinner.  A selection of veggie burgers, buns, grated cheese, lettuce and chips as the main focus of the meal with various vegan sides to spice it up for those that wanted to try (all from the bible of Hugh!): carrot hummus, spicy lemon and lime guacamole, refried beans made with the leftover Pinto Bean Chilli that I made the other week, and the glorious giant couscous salad.  Oh, and champagne!

I had planned on a vegan cheesecake for dessert but failed to read the last part of the recipe which requires overnight refrigeration... that I've made today and, after "careful" tasting, will drop a slice off to L, if there's any left!

It was a lovely evening, food went down a treat, champagne went down a treat and a great deal of giggling ensued.  People sometimes look at me as though I'm mad when I insist on cooking up an unnecessary storm, but good food makes for a good party and its so satisfying to see empty dishes and a table full of happy, talking, laughing people.  It's the moments like that that make the world just a little righter.

And, apart from cooking cheesecake the morning after the night before, we have also discovered that with the addition of a little rice and tomato salsa, refried bean, carrot hummus and guacamole burritos make a mighty fine lunch after the night before.  Particularly when breakfast was the cheesecake scrapings from the mixer bowl; I hang my head in shame... to hide the cheeky grin!

Even the dog had a burrito.  Erm, it is good or bad that she eats from a plate?!