The Birthday Continues...

So...my daughter brought me this bag full of pears.  Lovely--tiny, but lovely.  I ate a few, then I had to figure out what to do with the rest.  Unfortunately, I think the pictures are stuck in my phone, which I lost three days ago, so we'll have to skip the build-up.  AFTER I realized I couldn't eat all of them, I decided to cook what was left.  I boiled the pears, skin on, for about 30 minutes, then left them in the hot water for another 45 minutes or so.  Honestly, it was probably much longer, because I pretty much forgot about them.  They were still hot when I finally got back to them, and the skin peeled off easily.  I cut the skin a little thick, so all I had was tender, sweet pear flesh.

 I had no idea what to do with them, but I decided on a puree.  It took just a minute in the blender to get it silky smooth.  I still don't know what to do with it, but I do know that one day I'll come across a recipe which asks for pear puree, and I will have a container full of it in the freezer.

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 My daughter and I both just celebrated birthdays, three days apart.  On Saturday, we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.  I left my camera in the car and it was raining.  Not going back...bummer.  The phone pics actually turned out alright.

 This trio of yellow "butter" guys was intriguing.  I'm guessing they stand about nine feet tall.  My daughter said they "creeped her out".

Cool repurposing of old furniture into a ping-pong table and paddle holder.  There was a fun exhibit that encouraged everyone to play.  Ping-pong on a glass topped table.  Note to self:  Pin This!

Guess where my old basement carpeting ended up?  Part of a pricey art exhibit...I have to admit to not getting this at all.  Even with a written explanation, I'm still apparently not "deep" enough to understand. That's my daughter posing in front of what looks exactly like the carpet she grew up pitching her Little Mermaid tent on.  

Random pic I found of my daughter as the flower girl in my niece's wedding.  The maid of honor told her to kiss the petals, and she obliged.  EVERY SINGLE ONE...She's all grown up now, and I'm happy to report that she still loves celebrating our birthdays together.

We continued our birthday celebration with dinner at Benihana.  Tip: Register online and get a birthday certificate for $30.  We each had one, so our $60 meal was free, including soft drinks and ice cream!  And two very badly sung birthday songs.  Note to the cheapskates out there:  you WILL need to tip at least 18%.  Best deal I've gotten in a long time.  I still need to collect birthday freebies from Starbucks and Baskin Robbins.  Guess where I'll be this weekend?

Tomorrow night is party night! She's going out with a bunch of girls for dinner and Salsa. I won't be joining in on that one, but I do get to pick the outfit!  As you know, few things make me happier than picking out clothes.  Decorate a room, decorate a garden, decorate a daughter.  It's all the same to me.