Happy Grandma’s Birthday to you!

All of my grandparents have had a major impact in my life. I spent a lot of time while I was growing up with both sets of grandparents. As I got older, I realized the value in spending time with them. The lessons I learned. The great bonds that I formed with them. They helped make me the person I am today.

Back sometime around 2007 my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and she passed away on 9/11/07. To say I was crushed and heart broken would be an understatement. Jump forward a couple of years when I started dating my husband, I was truly upset that he wasn’t able to meet my grandma or my grandpa (passed away on 6/15/08) on my mom’s side of the family.

My grandma’s birthday was February 5th. Just prior to February 5th in 2010 I asked my husband (then boyfriend, dating partner, significant other, whatever you want to call him back then) if he’d go to Red Lobster to celebrate my grandma’s birthday with me. And to some people that may sound weird, but my grandma was a truly spectacular woman and she lived! So why not celebrate her life on her birthday?

This is a tradition we’ve kept going and Tuesday night was no different. We invited my parents to go with us and when my mom and dad got there, I greeted them with a “Happy Grandma’s Birthday to you.” My mom grinned at me and said it back.

Why Red Lobster? Well, that was one place that they (as in my grandparents) always loved to go. So why not!

As I was perusing through the menu, what I normally order was $15.29 (or something close to that) or I could go with the 4 course Feast for $15.99 and it had what I normally get. Sold! Besides I go to a fish house for the biscuits and chicken, duh!

It starts off with a cup of soup. I really wanted the Creamy Potato Bacon but she said they didn’t have any that day, so I let my dad have my soup. Hubby and dad both went with the New England Clam Chowder.

Course 2 is a salad. I went with the Caesar Salad. Hubby went with a Fresh Garden Salad with Ranch but no pictures of that. Sorry, but it is just a salad, right? My Caesar was fabulous. Other than a salad with Ranch, my other go to choice is a Caesar and they didn’t let me down!

Next, you select an Entree. My favorite reason, other than the biscuits, to go to Red Lobster for is the Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo. No joke! And it really isn’t spicy, don’t be fooled by that word – Cajun. The Linguini was nice and soft, the Alfredo was good, and the chicken. YUM! My only slight complaint this time was it seemed like half the noodles didn’t have sauce, the sauce and chicken was all piled on one side. Easy fix though.

Hubby went with the Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia. For once, I didn’t try a bite of his fish, I’m not sure what came over me.

A man of few words:

Me: How was it?
Hubby: It was very good. Seasoned pretty well.

For dessert, Triple-Chocolate Brownie a la mode for both of us. Oh yum! The brownie was warm and gooey, just like I like them. The Ice cream was my fave, vanilla. Just plain vanilla. And the presentation was beautiful.

Now my momma, she went with a Salad and 1/2 lb Crab Legs. I should have tried to snatch a bite of these but I didn’t. She said they were good though.

And dad went with the Pick 2 Entree. He chose Parmesan Encrusted Shrimp and Breaded Shrimp. I did snag a bite of both of those. They were good. The best kind of shrimp are the kind that don’t taste fishy! They mastered these :). Now dad and hubby said that the white sauce was a Ranch Alfredo sauce. They said I needed to try it, but by that time I was so stuffed I couldn’t eat another bite.