My Dad's 90th Birthday Party

Saturday (April 28th)was my Dad's 90th birthday.  His initials are RAM and my brother, Carter, and many of his male friends have always called him Ram.  So I decided to have a big blue ram pinata made just for the occasion!  When my Dad, Bob, first saw it, he just roared.

I invited some of my friends that have known my parents for ever and have spent time with them when they are at my home in Denver.  Many of these friends have visited my parents in Scottsdale and some have even spent time with all of us at our home in San Miguel de Allende.  
Denny and Judy were some of the first to arrive for the big birthday party.

I made an array of hors d'oeuvres.  The bruschetta above consists of cambozola cheese, fig preserve, chopped sun dried cranberries and roasted pine nuts.  
I hired a couple that has helped at a few of my larger parties.  It is such a treat not having to be in the kitchen during the party and NOT having to wash all the dishes. 
The other served hors d'oeuvres were  individual shots of gazpacho,  smoked salmon served on a crostinni with mascarpone cheese and mushroom croustades.

I made my Dad's favorite, my famous Tuna Carpaccio served in Chinese soup spoons.  Each spoon consists of a few layers of ingredients.  First 3 mini croutons made from a baguette, a slice or two of lean fresh tuna fillet, a dollop of wasabi mayonnaise topped with a mixture of sliced scallions, chopped pickled ginger and chopped jalapenos and then sprinkled with black roasted sesame seeds.  Pure heaven.

The only hors d'oeuvre that I did not pass was my goat cheese that had drizzled a combination of thinly sliced garlic, chopped rosemary, brandy and olive oil over it a few hours before everyone arrived.  And the good old stand by, I had a big bowl of the mixed nuts from Costco out on the patio.  Of course the weather was in the 80's the week before they arrived and I was holding my breath that the weather that evening would hold out.  It turned out to be a pretty nice evening, a tad cool but thank goodness it was not windy like the day before and it did not rain.  Being under the covered patio helped tremendously too.

Bob was eating up all the attention... hugs, kisses, stories, a limerick from Judy and Denny, a limerick from my Dad...  Laura was hilarious that evening, but what's new...

Suzy was hugging and smooching my Dad too.  Her hands were freezing and while he was loving the attention, her cold hands were not that welcome.

 

Of course all the husbands were there but I am sure Bob would rather have a photo with all the ladies than with all the men.  Top row: Judy, Kathy, Laura, Karen and Suzy. Then Me and my parents, Bob and Lorraine.

I know everyone had a good time.  The time on invitation was from 5 to 7.  Everyone left around 8:45 and they seemed reluctant to leave!  

Happy Birthday Dad!