Birthday party time - warning, long post!

Well the birthday party is over but what a wonderful time we had.  The birthday person was delighted with all and sundry much to my relief.  One of the things I enjoy about hosting a party is the fun of planning the food, a colour scheme for decorations (I have to have a colour scheme) and of course the cake.  Here are the decorations.

The streamers and balloons were strung throughout the living areas of the house.  I certainly had fun getting up and down on chairs for an hour or two while hanging them.

You must have a big birthday banner to rub the age thing in a bit more!  :-)

Thanks to Miss G for adding streamers to the banner to add more impact.

I love the subdued light of candles and had plenty dispersed around the rooms.  With the two up lights and the lamps on, the lighting was perfect.

 No party is complete without party blowers and poppers!

The birthday person was greeted at the front door with all of us blowing blowers.  This caused the desired result, lots of laughter.

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On the menu

Nibblies to start

cheese platter with crackers, grapes and fresh dates

sun dried tomato and hummus dips

cashew and pistachio nuts

chips (crisps)

To drink

sparkling white wine (we aren't allowed to called it champagne anymore)

white wine

beer

ginger beer

lemonade

Adams ale

Main meal

beef stroganoff

chicken, leek and corn casserole (a new recipe I tried and totally corrupted it in a good way :-)

roasted root vegetables (potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato) with whole garlic cloves, olive oil, fresh rosemary, sage and thyme from the garden and seasoned with salt and pepper

tossed salad with green oak leaf lettuce, baby Roma tomatoes, red capsicum (pepper), continental cucumber and parsley from the garden

Dessert

birthday cake - lemon curd cake with lemon butter icing

fresh fruit platter with strawberries, mandarin and kiwi fruit

Hot beverages

tea and coffee

I decided on a lemon curd cake for the birthday cake as it was a little bit different and the birthday person's favourite colour is yellow, so that tied in quite nicely with the colour theme.  We also have two lemon trees in the backyard providing plenty of lemons and our three chooks have been giving us some more eggs now that we are getting some more daylight hours.

 I bought some interesting bits and pieces for decorating the cake.

Lovely glossy lemon curd.

The cakes.

The assembling!  Eeek

At this stage I'm in serious doubt that this cake will ever have the slightest resemblance to the image I have in my mind.

O.k., so now we are getting somewhere.  There's more to come though.

Setting the table buffet style.  The cloth place mat under the cutlery is one of a set four found in an op. shop  for 50 cents each.  The brightly coloured serviettes are from a local supermarket.

Birthday person and I let our hair down  grooving to 70's music we grew up with.  Miss C and Miss G, assorted nephews and nieces were highly amused to see our dance moves.  We certainly taught them a move or two not seen for a couple of decades.  :-)

Miss G and one nephew had a few crazy moves of their own.
 

 Cousins clowning around on the sofa as only cousins can.

We had a lovely night together celebrating the birthday person's half a century.  Here's to the next 50.