Purple Potatoes

 

Yes, you read that right: Purple Potatoes!  Aren't they beautiful?  These bad boys were hard to get my hands on.  So begins...

Josh's 30th birthday weekend!

 

I know, I know, I'm a "food blog".  This will all have to do with food! (mostly) I must say, I was quite proud.  Silly, I know, to be proud of my hubby for the specificity he had when it came to his birthday meals.  Even though he doesn't enjoy cooking, he enjoys eating it just as much as I do and that makes me a happy wife.

 

A couple months ago when I asked Josh what he wanted to do for his 30th birthday it didn't take him long to decide.  He wanted to go to Salina and eat pizza at one of his favorite pizza places with his friends.  It's called Scheme pizza and he goes every chance he gets.  To make it more special for him and so we could all ride together, I rented a limo.  (I know what you're thinking and yes, when I called the limo company they said, "So...if I may ask, what's in Salina?") :)

 

The sun kind of ruined this pic, but here we are getting ready to leave our house. 

 

 

 

 A HUGE thanks to everyone who made the trip and helped Josh celebrate.

 

 

Two of my three brothers even made it from KC and Manhattan!

 

Josh doesn't even like cake, but I decided since it was the big 3-0 he needed one.  I went with a golf ball and it turned out great!  (No, I did not make it...I cook, not bake, remember?!)  Poor guy, he didn't feel well at all the entire night, but made the best of it!

 

Saturday morning meant it was time to drive to Manhattan for the KState game.  Here is where the purple potato story comes in.  At one of the hospitals Josh works at they have a chef that cooks them lunch.  One of my favorite parts of my day comes around 11:15 when I get a text from Josh with a picture of what he's eating for lunch.  A couple months ago Josh sent me a picture and it had purple Peruvian potatoes as a side dish.  When he came home that day he went on and on about these potatoes and how awesome it is that they are purple.  Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I asked Josh what he wanted for the tailgate before the K-State game for his birthday.  His response: purple potatoes.  I thought it was a great idea!  Until I tried to find them.  You would have thought I was trying to get my hands on an illegal substance.  I called three stores in Wichita as well as Trader Joes and Whole Foods in Kansas City and they were nowhere to be found.  I searched online and couldn't find them.  By Wednesday, I was down to 2 days and it was crunch time.  I had to come through.  He asked for ONE thing and it was such an awesome idea.  Like Batman saving the day, I was on a mission.  It was time to get serious. It was time to call in a favor.  So, Wednesday morning I called the US Foods rep from my old job and I left him a message telling him what I needed. Within 30 minutes he called me back.  Craig saved the day!  He was not able to get them for me from US Foods, but he knew a guy who he calls for "abnormal" food items and he could get them for me.  Brian, at Indian Hills Meat and Poultry was expecting my call.  Hot dog, I was going to come through for my man!  I hung up and called him immediately and explained why I needed the potatoes.  Thankfully, he is a huge KState fan so he didn't think I was totally nuts.  (In fact, he suggested I buy a lot and sell them to the other tailgaters.  I'm always open to making money so for a moment I imagined it...I'd call myself: The Purple Peruvian Potato Girl.  I could get a cute uniform, perhaps become so popular I would soar to new stardom...just me and The Mask, putting Manhattan on the national map.  Totally kidding)  Anyway, my options were 10 lb or 50 lb boxes.  For all his trouble I didn't want to only get 10 lbs.  But, my goodness, what's a girl to do with 50 lbs?  I settled for 20 lbs. and I was able to pick them up on Friday.  Mission accomplished! 

 

We didn't even use one bag.  Guess what color the mashed potatoes will be at the Tannahill Thanksgiving this year? 

 

 

Josh wanted chicken fried steak with his mashed potatoes which I shot down in .02 seconds.  I love men sometimes...I'm tired just thinking about the amount of work it would take to make that for a bunch of people at a tailgate.  He also really wanted white gravy to make purple and white potatoes to really get the school colors on the plate.  Now, that, I could make happen.  We stopped and got some chicken tenders from a place in Salina he likes on our way along with lots of gravy.  It was a very festive and successful tailgate!

 

 

Here we are after the game with my brothers celebrating another WIN along with Josh's birthday. It was a bit of a bummer, because all day Josh could barely talk his throat hurt so bad. We went to all this effort to make his 30th memorable and I'm pretty sure he would have preferred to be in bed all weekend.  He was a good sport and tried to enjoy himself!

 

Josh's actual birthday was on Monday and unfortunately, he still felt horrible.  I had pizza shipped to our house from one of his favorite pizza places in Chicago.  (Yes, I ate WAY too much pizza last weekend, but your hubby only turns 30 once!)  A couple unfortunate things about this process.  First off, they did not deliver on Sunday or Monday.  Which meant, I had to have it delivered on Friday since we would be gone in Manhattan all day Saturday.  No big deal...except Josh was post call on Friday so he would be home all day.  I decided that was okay and he would just get it while he was home and get his present a couple days early.  It would still be a good surprise.  He got it on Friday, but then proceeded to tell me he'd known about it since earlier that week when I ordered it because he got an e-mail from UPS.  Excuse me, WHAT?!  I was so careful not to put his e-mail or contact information on anything when I ordered.  It irritates me UPS would automatically send him an email just because they recognize the address I put in.  So much for a surprise.  Present failure.  Furthermore, in my head I imagined a candle lit pizza dinner filled with good conversation, laughter and memories.  Then, reality set in and Josh was in his sweats, under a blanket in the basement and wanted to eat down there.  I totally understand, when I'm sick all I want to do is lay around, but it wasn't quite how I imagined in my head!

 

 

 

Here's a little bit of what we enjoyed Monday evening.  Sausage for Josh and spinach for me.  I also made him apple pie for dessert.  Even sick he did manage to come up and eat a piece of pie.

 

Just to recap...birthday weekend "curveballs":

 

1) Josh was sick for his birthday party.

2) Limo broke down on the way to Salina.  Oh, I didn't mention that?  Yes, it sure did.  Not a big deal, but not exactly planned.

3) Pizza couldn't get delivered on his birthday.

4) UPS sent Josh an e-mail about his pizza and RUINED the surprise.

5)  Josh was still sick on his actual birthday.

6) Lastly, see those sunglasses Josh is wearing?  The ones that make anyone look like a fly.  Those are my sunglasses I ordered for the last few KState games that have little Powercats on the side of them.  I didn't know the lenses would be yellow!  I realize that has nothing to do with his birthday, but I thought I should explain those hideous glasses in that picture.

 

  Even though it didn't go EXACTLY how we planned, it was a very memorable weekend filled with delicious food and company. Thank you to all our friends and family who helped him celebrate!