Tortillas and Birria

…and much much more. Rick put the beef and many peppers and spices to cook in the slow cooker early. Not early enough as it turns out, so he transferred everything to a pot in the stove to finish. Will arrived in the midafternoon, home for the week but going back to San Diego tomorrow morning.

Dana and Jim showed up bearing bags of groceries to add to the already groaning board. I caught this picture of the four of them working on making the tortillas and cutting up condiments like radishes, green onions, Cotija (Mexican cheese) and avocado to put on top of the Birria

Peter arrived with wine and can be seen in this shot taste testing everything. They were all here for a bookended celebration of my birthday. Next weekend Matt will be here. All are under orders not to make too big a deal of it so a modest toast was made snd happy birthday was whispered with no numbers mentioned. I even had a glass of wine the first in a couple of weeks since, uncharacteristically, I have had little interest in mixing wine with narcotics and little interest in it.

Having sat on the couch observing all the activity like a queen from her throne, I joined everyone at the table for one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. As we were all sitting around digesting our dinner Mexican ice cream and, wonder of wonders, frozen bananas (a frozen banana in a stick dipped in chocolate and nuts). There is a backstory to those….

When I was a teenager, Balboa Island a wealthy enclave on a little island near Newport Beach on the Southern California coast was a popular place for groups to rent a house to gather in over spring break. Our church also had a summer camp in a big house on the waterfront. I loved frozen bananas and would head into town for one at every opportunity. It is one of those lasting memories and a connection to a certain place. I’m sure I’ve waxed rhapsodic to my family about frozen bananas because they remembered, and were rewarded for their thoughtfulness by yet more Balboa and frozen banana memories.

All in all a very special celebration of a birthday I’d just as soon forget….