Pinning and Planning Our Dinner Menu – Week of July 26

Two birthdays down and one more to go!

 

The next birthday is mine and it’s tomorrow!

Keep calm_birthday

To celebrate, I’m hosting my virutal annual #RunDMTbdayrun. This year, I would love you to run or walk 4.4 miles to celebrate me turning 44 and then share a sweaty selfie as your birthday gift to me. RSVP and learn all the details via the Facebook event page.

After the #RunDMTbdayrun, the kids and I are headed to Busch Gardens for a few hours because this mother runner has earned the right to ride a rollercoaster or two for her birthday. Not sure what celebratory plans are in store for the rest of the day but I hope it involves some sand and a sunset.

The birthday festivities will continue on Tuesday with dinner at Café Ponte and an Idina Menzel concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The concert is the ultimate birthday gift as I have been a fan of Idina since I saw her perform Defying Gravity at the Tony Awards back in 2006. Before she was Elsa, she was Elphaba (and before that, the amazing Maureen in Rent) but she has always been enchanting.

Idina- 2days REH

As for Café Ponte, that place has been on my radar since the beginning of the year when I read the best of the bay restaurant list compiled by Tampa Bay Times food editor, Laura Reiley. With our mouths watering with each delicious description, Iron Chef Allan and I set out to try as many of the restaurants on the list as possible. Over the past few months, we’ve slowly checking them off.

Speaking of exploring new grounds, the kids and I will be attending our first Tampa Bay Comic Con this Friday. Allana and I had so much geeky, fandom fun at MegaCon in April that we didn’t want to miss out on a Comic Con so close to home.

The rest of the week will be less eventful but just as flavorful. Here’s our dinner for the rest of the week:

Sunday – Red Beans and Rice with Bourbon Style Grilled Chicken Wings

Meatless Monday –  Sunset Picnic on the Beach

Tuesday –  Birthday Dinner at Café Ponte

Wednesday – Pasta with Greenwise Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage and Iron Chef Allan’s 1967 Salad.

Thursday –  Copycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls

Friday – Pizza