Ben's Birthday Part 1; cake, dinner at The Oxo Tower.
August 31, 2015
It was Ben's birthday last week and he always says that he doesn't want a fuss but I feel that you simply cannot have a Birthday without some kind of celebration {he said he wasn't even bothered by a cake!! But when people want to bring presents round you can't not offer them some cake}. So we kept it low key, I baked a cake and we had some family round on the Monday followed by an evening in London on his actual Birthday for just the two of us. I feel that the Sky Garden deserves a post of it's own accord so that will be to follow.
If you ask Ben what his favourite cake is, he'll say either sticky toffee or carrot. I've baked those to death for him over the years that we've been together. So this year I decided on a courgette cake, very similar to a carrot cake with all the spices, nuts and raisins but we still have such a huge glut of them from the allotment that it seemed appropriate. The icing was a lemon cream cheese frosting that I made. I got the recipe from an American pumpkin and squash book that Ben's Grandma had given us to have a look at. The American's do know their pumpkins!
I always find it hard to decorate for boys without everything being too floral and girly. I really hope I have a girl when we have children simply for all the Liberty floral prettiness. So I kept everything blue, whilst still kind of pretty. I've had the cake bunting since Ben's 30th from an Etsy shop {which I can't find the link for since}. I love bunting anyway so this is extra cute. The blue hydrangea was from Columbia Road Flower Market and the napkins and candles from good old Waitrose.
I love our new chalkboard wall for writing/drawing Birthday messages on.
Present wise Ben never wants for anything, normally we take each other away for Birthdays. But this year we have so many trips planned work wise and we're off to Corfu next week so I had to think outside the box. He wanted mostly things for the allotment. And I always make him a photobook of our past year in photos from My Publisher. It's become a Birthday tradition now.
London town -
I've blogged about the Oxo Tower before for my Birthday last year so I won't say too much more about it other than it was still just as good, if not better than the first time we went. My Parents had bought us a voucher for Christmas to go back there so it seemed like a good occasion to use it.
It had poured with rain for most of the day, as it always always does on Ben's Birthday {seriously every single year that I've known him, it has rained on his Birthday. So don't plan a wedding around that time!}. But as we got off the tube it stopped, and as we walked along the South Bank and then sat in the restaurant the clouds started to clear.
The food was again delicious. We shared two starters, one squid and one prawn. Then both had seared tuna for the main with a smokey aubergine base, roasted heirloom carrots, podded beans and a sauce vierge. So so good. The dessert though was probably my favourite, a rich chocolate ganache with coconut and passion fruit.
I think we'll go back! Even though it kinds of breaks 'restaurant rules' to keep going back to somewhere without trying new places but when it's so good, why try anywhere else? There's also the Oxo Tower Restaurant, rather than the Brasserie that we went to, which would be worth trying.
Up next, The Sky Garden!
R <3 xx
1 comments
Happy Birthday, Ben! We ate here in March on your urging and we loved every minute and bite. I've since told several friends to eat here while in London and they all concur!
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