Dinner party weekend...

So, as usual, Jen and I are a glutton for social punishment as we began the weekend looking straight into a whirlwind of dinner parties on Friday and Saturday night, both at our house.  I know, you ask why?  Well because, the maids came on Friday so the house was already really clean.  And we still have the redneck pool up and running nicely so it gives the kids something to do while the grown ups discuss important worldly manners whilst consuming a nice wine selection...that's why!

Friday Night:

Friday night started with a rather impromptu supper invitation.  My dear friend Christian, we'll call her Ish...well because that's what we call her...sent an email dinner invitation requesting the Sudduth's and Jones' join her and superhusband Todd.  We both said yes and then came the "punt" from Ish, asking whether we'd like to go out, have it at her kid unfriendly house or drive to Sugar Land to the Casa de Jones.  I spoke up, mentioned the kid friendly pool situation and suddenly the party was as Casa de Sudduth.  Bingo Bango Boingo, we've got us a dinner party!

Appetizer Selection!

Mr. Lars doing the cooking...nice!

The problems of the World being solved!

The Main Dish...and plenty of it!

The Great Carson...hip hopping with Heavy D

Mr. Todd always has something interesting to show curious young lads

Here's the great part...Lars did the cooking!  He and his lovely wife Becky are starting a food prep company and are trying out recipes, so he brought the food and cooked it all - a very nice stuffed chicken breast, creamy roasted potatoes with asparagus parts and macaroni & cheese.  Jen and I filled in the appetizer section with salmon/cream cheese crackers and prosciutto/white cheddar cheese on garlic toast...so easy and so good!  Ish brought the dessert, a chocolate bunt cake to die for! 

What's left of dessert

Heavy D and his Sidekick

The Friday Dinner Gang

So at the end of the evening, the kids had a great time, the adults solved all the world's problems and I didn't have to cook anything.  A very odd but comforting feeling nonetheless!  It's been fun kidding around with Ish and the "punt" as well.  Lars and I have known her for about 25 years and she really can do no wrong in our eyes!

Saturday Night:

We kept our weekend of dinners going on Saturday by hosting our good friends the Sakson's and their beautiful 7 year old girl Zoe, one of Daniel's favorite friends.  These are our friends that own the Kid to Kid Resale Shop in the Galleria.  If you haven't stopped in, please do so and tell them I sent you!

The Lovely Jen doing some prep work

Roquefort Sauce coming up!

We got started with appetizers of easy brushetta - a piece of toast left from Friday evening, some nice white cheddar cheese topped with a Roma tomato slice, Italian Seasoning and a nice fresh sprig of Basil...beautiful and good!  We also munched on some Central Market stuffed red sweet peppers Will procured that afternoon.  Then yes, by request, I made the scrumptious Fillet Mignon with Roquefort Sauce...again!  Sherri has read about this recipe several times here on the blog and chastises me regularly for not getting to try it.  So I gave in and made it for her.  It's not exactly trouble and eating this dish again is certainly not too tough on my palette!  We served a side salad and used some macaroni & cheese from the previous night which actually got better in day 2...I think all the stuff melds together a little nicer once it's been in the fridge overnight.  We finished everything off with a chocolate pudding pie I whipped up Saturday afternoon.  You just can't go wrong with chocolate pudding, cool whip and a chocolate pie crust!

The Last Appetizer...when we remembered to take a picture!

Zoe & Daniel dining Al Fresco...

Thanks to the Sakson's for joining us. These feisty entrepreneurs are doing great with their Kid to Kid shop located next the Luby's on Post Oak.  If you've got kids, this is the place to shop.  Lot's of brand names for less than $10!!!  Click HERE to see their website.  And No!  I'm not taking any commission for this advertising section!

So that's it!  The whirlwind dinner party weekend!  We finished off the festivities Sunday by having a Date Day.  Jen and I dropped off Daniel at my Dad's, then took in a nice lunch at D'Amico's in the Village, did some business clothes shopping for Jen and then saw "The Help"...fantastic and yes I cried so shut up!  I think it should win the Academy Award easily.  We then met my Dad for supper at Tony Mandola's new restaurant on Waugh Drive/West Gray.  Excellent!

Dinner Club Strikes Again...

So the infamous Dinner Club met once again, this time turning the Biggs' Heights Bungalow into a virtual cornucopia of laughs, giggles and good food.  Our dear friends Jennie and Gardner Biggs hosted this rendition and performed beautifully...as expected.  All the usual suspects were in attendance except our good friend Scott who was attending some kind of Woodstock flashback concert up East.

The Beautiful Table

Jennie & JG

Tara...at least she didn't try to dance again!

Ish & Todd...ain't they just crazy!

Ruthie's Mom joined us for the festivities...we're thinking of replacing Scott permanently!

Yours Truly & That Lovely Woman I live with

Hangin' with Ruthie & The 'Dre

The evening started with Lemon Drop Martini's, cocktails and some type of hot goat cheese appetizer that was all kinds of delicious.   Dinner followed with a serving of grilled pork tenderloin, asparagus, rice pilaf and some really nice artisan breads.  And finally, the piece de resistance was a dessert of chocolate fudge pie with a raspberry topping...I don't think that was the name of it, but it sure did eat good!  Jennie even pulled out the fine china!

The Starter Salad

The Main Course

The Dessert...oh my!

By 11:30 the festivities found their close and we headed home to relieve the babysitters.  Another great chapter in Dinner Club folklore concluded.  Thanks to the Biggs' for hosting and continuing the memorable tradition.  What's that?  Was their a chant?  Yes...I LOVE DINNER CLUB, I LOVE DINNER CLUB!

The Annual Frio River Trip...

Every year the Winslow's, George's and Sudduth's converge on the most heavenly of places in Texas...The Frio River for an annual family vacation consisting mostly of eating, drinking and stretching out to enjoy and beat the Texas summer heat by sitting in the cold river.

The Frio Crew - Sharon, Fred, Ally, Carlee, Marcus, Emma, MyKala, Jen, Me & Daniel

Late night Hearts game and Marcus in mid-puzzle anguish

Post supper...do we look stuffed?

If you've been to New Braunfels, which most of my readers have, you'll see some resemblance.  But think New Braunfels 50 years ago.  Nice, quiet, unfound.  Although this area has been frequented by river lovers for the past century, it hasn't received quite the following as New Braunfels.  Which is just fine with me!  Located near Leakey, Texas about 2 hours West of San Antonio, it takes a little longer to get there, but well worth the drive.  Unlike New Braunfels, where the primary motivation is sitting in a tube on the river for a few hours, Frio is more about sitting than floating.  The cottage/cabin we use is about 100 yards from the river and even with the drought still has an area of water over my head. 

Emma and Riley

Carlee and Riley...too cool!  Why do dogs always look funny in sunglasses?

Mom & Daughter - which is which?

And what's a river trip without some good sibling water wrestling?

My Father in Law Fred has been going there since he was a kid and each year he and Jen's Mom treat us to our little vacation.  We start with a hearty breakfast, then mosey to the river to sit, read, chat and partake in cheap beer whilst dangling our feet in the water and taking occasional full dunks in the river to cool off.  Each evening concludes with fabulous dinners prepared by Fred and me. And then there's Neal's, an old fashioned country restaurant set on a massive hill side next to the river.  We usually have at least one dinner and breakfast while in the area.  And they've got one of the best chicken fried steaks in Texas!

The Sudduth Family

Neal's Restaurant

Our Cabin...a little rustic but just what we need!

Nice grilling position!

The Cousins

Yours Truly & my always beautiful bride

Uncle Marcus & Aunt Ally

Our wonderful hosts Fred & Sharon

This trip of course was a little different.  We started down I-10 with a dog having bowel issues....really bad issues!  So much that she let a little go in our back seat, in the San Antonio Hotel elevator lobby, the room's balcony and several times in the hotel bathroom overnight.  By the next morning, Riley and I were on the way to the Vet's office for some anti-poop treatment.  Once we got that issue resolved we were good to go...headed on to Frio and the wild open landscape.

The Poopmaster General on the Highway after the car accident

Making an unsuccessful attempt to control the poop!  Good idea...no execution!

The rest of trip was a blast, as usual.  So we'll always have the memory of the longest San Antonio drive ever, but the memories from the rest of trip far outweigh the troubling canine poop problems.  A huge thanks once again to Fred and Sharon for hosting us!  The Sudduth Gang had another wonderful time!

Riley...wondering what caused the great bowel explosion of 2011!

Birthday weekend in Big D...

I'm 44 years old!  Wow that seems old!  But it has happened once again.  Another birthday has come and gone.  This year we ascended to the Dallas area for the big celebration.  I had to be in Dallas on business during the week and Jen and the kids followed up on Friday morning bringing with them our dear friends the Calabrese's.

We started out with several hours of pool time at the Adair Resort, otherwise known as Jen's Parent's house.  This was followed by a really wonderful meal of Bone In Prime Rib Roast (Heavenly) and all the fixin's.  The meal concluded with the usual birthday musical and a triple threat chocolate cake complete with Chocolate Chip Cookie Liqueur...Oh my! 

Jen's Folks

Yours Truly with Heavy D

The Spectacular Calabrese's

Then on Saturday evening we took our adult leave to the Warwick Hotel's Library Bar and then to Patrizio's Italian Eatery.  Both great suggestions deep in the heart of Dallas' Highland Park neighborhood.  If you're wondering what we had, mine was not very exciting...Spaghetti w/Meatballs.  The others had some fine looking pasta with assorted cream sauces.  Jen's dish had some kind of sauce with bacon included.  I just got to ask, "How do you go wrong with Bacon?"  Answer:  You can't go wrong!  It was delicious and I helped her finish it.

Daddy got some new Bow Ties and an Umbrella!

Ruthie making fun of the dork in the bar ordering shots...what a tool!

These were our seats!

The lovely pasta consumption territory!

We headed home on Sunday, back to the grind, but ready for the Houston birthday portion at Tokyohana, which I've already told you about.  A huge thanks to the Calabrese's for making the trek North and sharing in the celebration.  And thanks to all those who sent along Happy Birthday wishes.

Tokyohana and another Birthday!

That's right!  Your old buddy Britt just had another birthday!  I've now got 44 in the book and lots more to come.  Oddly, my mental state still resides somewhere in the 30 range.  Yes, I know most of you think that I act sometimes like a young lad of 20, but my brain has aged some in recent years.  Must be the wine!  Unfortunately, my body is not in touch with my brain so physically I'm starting to occasionally feel my age...about 35!  I figure as long as my body and brain are about 10 years behind I'll be in good shape.

So the Sudduth family had to endure our annual trip to Tokyohana, one of my favorite restaurants.  I just love the circus-style chefs that perform whilst we wait on our food.  Last night we had an exceptionally good chef who gave us a great performance full of knife banging, onion fired trains and several attempts to pop food in our mouths from across that table.  And of course, the food was fantastic as always.  My Dad always said that any night out could be an "Event".  And I tend to agree with him.  Life is short so go have a good time!

Thanks to Jen for arranging the dinner and to my whole family for joining me in celebration.  And thanks to Dad for picking up the tab!  My birthday was actually last Saturday and we made a big trip to Dallas to celebrate.  My next post will chronicle that excursion in detail.  I'm truly a very lucky man. Bring on 45!