Bro's GF's Birthday Party Food

A few nights ago we celebrated my bro's GF's bday at their place. After nearly two weeks of eating mini portions, I was wondering if I'd be able to eat what they had. Turns out it was not a problem.

Among the offerings: Cucumber salad (thinly sliced cucumbers with rice vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes). This was one of my faves that night.

My bro's GF also made sauteed spinach and tomatoes. There was also a side of bagoong (fermented salted shrimp paste).

Now these were my favorite - Grilled asparagus and zucchini. I could have eaten just this. Except the problem with asparagus is that is makes your pee smell! C'mon, you know it's true!

I couldn't believe she had the time to make her own birthday food, but she also made kare kare (oxtail stew in a peanut based sauce). You can see the  long beans and eggplant in there. I didn't really have this but it sure smelled delicious.

There was also sauteed shrimp. Yeah! With the heads on too! That's where all the flavor is! We were late to dinner due to us watching the SDSU vs. UConn game,  so my everyone else got to the food before we did.

Ironically, there were no noodle based dishes that night. That is normally a traditional birthday meal item because noodles = long life. My mom thought they'd have it already so she didn't make it and instead brought Chicken kung pao from a local Chinese place. I had some of the vegetables with peanuts and a few pieces of the chicken. It wasn't that great though.

Earlier that evening, my bro grilled some rib eye and tri tip steaks and cut them up. That's also sliced mango lurking in the background. I'm glad they cut this up ahead of time. It was much easier for me to portion out what I wanted.

For the fish lovers, meaning my parents and the birthday celebrant, there was grilled bangus (milkfish)

Fruit salad (melons and kiwi):

And some sort of Filipino dessert. I forgot the name of it but it was pandan flavored cubed jelly, bits of young coconut with condensed milk and coconut milk.

My brother ordered his one of his favorite "go to" cakes for his GF, Cold Stone Creamery Red Velvet cake with strawberry ice cream.

Here was my piece.  Just kidding. I had a thin sliver.

The cake was the first kind of sweet stuff I've had for nearly two weeks. Ever since I started this nutritional program at the gym, I've been hyper aware of portion control and mine is now so much more controlled. Whereas in the past, I would just make do with 2 or 3 meals a day or eat whenever, this plan has me on 5 small meals a day spaced 2-3 hours apart with a certain proportion of my meals going to calories, carbs, and proteins. It supposed to last three months and so far I'm about two weeks in. More on that in another post.

Movies TC wants to see:
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 - Rodrick Rules" (I want to see it too!)
"Rango" - Depp can do no wrong.

Movies I want to see:
"Water for Elephants" (RPattz!)
"Paul" (I LOVE Simon Pegg and Nick Frost!)

Movies Bert wants to see:
"Thor" (I still think Skarsgard should have been Thor instead of Chris Hemsworth)
"Captain America - The First Avenger"
"Sucker Punch"

Spring break in two weeks...Can't wait!