88 Birthday's

   88 Birthdays is a lot of years celebrated in many different ways. So how do you celebrate the 88th? In Mom's case dinner out and chocolate.
   We took Mom to Charlie Browns
 a favorite restaurant of ours for celebrating birthdays. Last night had the added bonus of helping The Rancocas Nature Center
 Charlie Browns was nice enough to donate 20% of your food bill to the center, all you had to do was mention the center when you ordered and 20% went right to the nature center.            
   Finding the right gift for mom was a bit of a challenge, after all what do you get an octogenarian that has everything she needs? Normally crossword books, and yarn make her happy but I was trying for more then happy. At long last I figured it out and had everything wrapped and ready when we got to the restaurant. We sat down at the table and I sat the gift bag in the middle of the table. At times Mom is a bigger kid than any child I know and last night was one of those nights. She made a grab for the bag while I was still hanging the coats up and Bill says you better wait. Oh the pout on her face was so cute. We order our drinks and appetizers and give Mom her gift while we wait.

 The squeal heard around the restaurant as she opened the gift box with a pink necklace in it says I got the right gift.

I was trying to get a picture of her holding up the necklace and before I could click she had the new one on and the old one off. 

 When she found 10 pieces of chocolate in the bag you would have thought I gave her 10 pieces of gold.

she is checking out her chocolate

  I hope you enjoy the pictures I almost didn't take my camera knowing I don't do people well at all and I didn't want to pressure myself but, I wanted pictures so the camera came along. I  shared my favorite memories even if the picture isn't the best.

 I would rather have crisp clear focused memories but I will take blurry out of focus memories over none at all.
 " What Was Dinner"? Dinner was what ever she wanted to order. She got shrimp, chicken, & steak with broccoli. A very nice looking dish that Bill enjoyed for lunch today all except the shrimp and broccoli. No matter how full Mom was she couldn't stop sipping that virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, I think it may have been the favorite part of dinner for her, that or the famous raisin bread that Charlie Browns salad bar is known for. As you will see in this next set of pictures. I smile every time I look at them.

 Notice that bread never leaves her hand and with each bite she ummmmmmms and says how good it is, same with the Daiquiri. 
 Bill did Mussels and wings and I did steak and potatoes. All very good. The stars of the show  were our appetizers. A layered dip with Hummus as the bottom layer, a chunky salsa in the middle and guacamole on the top all sitting on a plate drizzled with a chipolte vinaigrette.

 The artichoke heart dish was so so good. Artichoke hearts deep fried and topped with a tomato mixture of I am not sure what.

 Every thing we ordered was delicious and when we were done eating we were so stuffed not even Mom could eat dessert. 
   I hope your Thursday is going well. Thanks for stopping by