Saturday, September 17, 2016

Birthday Retrospective

Somehow, I overlooked posting my birthday pics from two weeks past. Call it hubris if you like, but I would like to observe the day(s) now.

The day began with me getting a new winter plaid shirt from Sue which Danica helped pick out. Did I say "helped?" I mean insisted according to all reports.


In the photo we are at Dionysos for breakfast. This Greek restaurant is named after a deity who was born of a liaison between a god, Zeus, and a mortal woman. After being killed as a child Dionysus was reborn to another woman. Anyway, we like breakfast there; they do their hash browns in a way that I would like to emulate, but I am too dumb.

The next day, by my request, we headed to the chip truck where I indulged in poutine  for the first time in 11 years. It's a concoction of fires, gravy and cheese curds. The dish came out of neighbouring Quebec, but I have even seen a poster from Minnesota showing a food stall featuring poutine at a fair. I know it looks like a killer, which is why I went a decade between noms, but I did satisfy myself with the small plate, so I deserve some credit.


The weekend also included a trip to the Hummingbird Chocolate factory. It's small plant in neighbouring Almonte in a little industrial park. It recently won a global prize award award, so we had to try it out.


Here I am holding the prize-winning golden bean.


The bar was good enough, I suppose, but give me a Mars bar or a Caramilk any day: a Canadian bar which may be sold as Caramello in the USA, but ti may also be a bit different.


Back to Hummingird, here is the bar that we chose.


There were other noms, like a fine pizza from Mr Mozzarella, and fajitas and cake at Shauna's for birthday supper.

After all of that food, I guess it's good that I got a Misfit exercise tracking watch as a gift. It has spurred me to do a little more walking, which is supposed to be good for the body and soul if not the foot and sole.

10 comments:

Marie Smith said...

It looks like a great birthday week, especially the chocolate! Poutine, not so much!

TexWisGirl said...

food treats are necessary for life. :) that fries, gravy, cheese curds is a completely new one to me! and wisconsin is the land of cheese curds! wow!

Anvilcloud said...

Marie: the poutine was the best.

Tex: poutine seems to only have taken off in the past couple of decades, and I'm sure any spread to the USA will be very gradual.

Shammickite said...

Haha, I had poutine at our local Food Truck Frenzy on Main St last week.... the first poutine eaten by me for many years. And it was greasy, with melty curds, bad for me, and really delicious!
Too late to wish you a happy birthday, it looks like you already had one.

Kay said...

Happy, happy belated birthday, Anvilcloud! I would have loved to have helped you with tasting those chocolates. I've never had a poutine before. Reminds me a little of our loco moco. Dionysus, the god of wine? But you stuck to coffee, I see. Love the shirt, love the smile and love all the photos of handsome you.

Tabor said...

Sorry, but you will not finding me eating poutine and the fact that it is unhealthy is just as well. Love the chocolate and wish in the U.S. that Hershey's did not have such lobbying power over the great European chocolate brands. American chocolate is mediocre at best. That shirt is great and belated Happy Birthday!

Kailani said...

Not sure if I knew it was your birthday, wished you happy birthday...or not. In any case, either way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)

Jim said...

Poutine, touted as HAOAP (Heart attack on an plate) is a staple at one of our local diners. I get it now and again, but not too often. Chocolate, on the other hand, well...let's not even discuss my voracious appetite for the substance!
It looks like you had a great birthday. I think Danica had good taste in the shirt. I love plaid!
Happy greeting for another year. Many more to come.

Jenn Jilks said...

A fine birthday, indeed! You have much self-control!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Belated Happy Birthday wishes, AC, from myself and Grenville. Everyone deserves treats on his/her birthday and indulgences are allowed. Only tried poutine once and it was when we visited Niagara Falls several years ago. Now, chocolate is another story...sampled that more often!