I won’t be hungry for days

Yesterday was my birthday and Dave spoiled me even more than usual.

I came down stairs and immediately noticed the “Happy Birthday” banner at the foot of the steps. Dave had placed banners around the house so that regardless of when I stood or sat, I would see his wish for me to have a Happy Birthday. This guy is so darned sweet!

He hasn’t mastered the espresso machine so I had to make my own latte, but he had a copy of the Australian Weekender (a national weekend newspaper), so while still in my PJs, I settled in a comfy chair with the paper, a really big Bailey’s laced latte and fuzzy blanket. That happens to be my all-time favorite wave to spend a Sunday morning. I relish spending leisurely hours reading the news of the outside world.

Eventually I showered and dressed and took a seat on bar stool to watch chef Dave slave over a hot stove for hours while making lasagna entirely from scratch (other than pasta). His lasagna is undoubtedly the best I’ve ever tasted. I wasn’t allowed to lift a finger, so I sat back drinking St. Hallet’s sparkling Shiraz. Earlier in the week, Dave had given me a shopping list of ingredients, so I can attest to the lack of healthfulness of his creation. The thought of fat and calories flew out of my head with the first bite. He used a pound of ground beef, and pound and a half of Italian sausage, 2 lbs of ricotta, 8 oz of mozzarella and 8 oz of grated Parmesan. He even made his own sauce! We paired it with a Longiew winery, Nebbiolo Reserva and began the gorging.

If I didn’t already love this man to distraction, that meal would have sealed the deal!

He even whipped up a dessert that combined cookies and cream ice cream, fresh strawberries, chocolate whipped cream and a Tim Tam. It’s now 4 pm on the following day and I’m still not hungry.