Me wearing the “birthday card” my friends signed for me! How cute!

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Yesterday was a (big!) birthday of mine and I was lucky enough to celebrate it with my closest circle of girlfriends. I can’t express in words how blessed and loved I felt around them. It was the perfect afternoon– great company, great food, beautiful fall decor, and plenty of wine! We had an incredible luncheon at The Arlington Club (thank you!) prepared by Chef Laurent Tourondel. Chef Tourondel is a friend of mine and was kind enough to come in just for my birthday yesterday! It was truly an honor. The meal was beyond extraordinary and included my all-time favorite dish: roasted chicken! Everything was served family-style which created wonderful vibe of sharing and bonding. Check out some of the other dishes we enjoyed!

Seared tuna with microgreens

 

My favorite roasted chicken

My favorite! Roasted chicken

Roasted brussels sprouts-- divine!

Roasted brussels sprouts– divine!

Branzino

Grilled branzino

Desserts!

Desserts!

 

This birthday has given me the opportunity to reflect on the life I have lived and the life I am pursuing. I always ask myself: Am I living the life that I admire? Of course, I am so appreciative of all my blessings, and especially for a happy and healthy family. However even at this age, I am still searching for ways to learn, improve, and inspire. As I head into my “third act” of life (as Jane Fonda calls it!), I hope that I can continue to grow my relationships, share my joy with others, and live life without abandon. In the words of the fabulous Nora Ephron:

“Here are some questions I am constantly noodling over: Do you splurge or do you hoard? Do you live every day as if it’s your last, or do you save your money on the chance you’ll live twenty more years? Is life too short, or is it going to be too long? Do you work as hard as you can, or do you slow down to smell the roses? And where do carbohydrates fit into all this? Are we really all going to spend our last years avoiding bread, especially now that bread in American is so unbelievable delicious? And what about chocolate?”

Carpe diem chocolate! I thank you all for following me throughout the years. I’ve loved every minute with Flirting with Flavors and I hope you’ve loved it too! This past year has been an incredible one and I am looking forward to sharing the next (and many more!) with all of you.

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A big thank you to my husband for making this all possible!

Panoramic view of the girls before lunch!

Panoramic view of the girls before lunch!

 

Cheers!

Pamela