My dad is turning 60 tomorrow and last night we kicked off his birthday celebration with homemade orange cake with orange buttercream icing.
We were too impatient to wait for the cake to cool before we frosted it, so it looked pretty pathetic, but it tasted great!
My dad made sure to make a wish before blowing out his candles and opening his gift. He absolutely loved his present and I typed up a blog post all about it that I’ll be sure to publish first thing in the morning!
We spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company before bed.
Brunch at Casa Marina
This morning we took my dad out for a birthday brunch at Casa Marina, a restaurant located right on the beach in Jacksonville.
Right when we walked in, we knew we were going to leave feeling absolutely stuffed.
Check out the beautiful buffet!
With so many options to choose from, I didn’t know where to begin!
Round one included eggs Benedict served on a fried green tomato, paella, shrimp, veggies, seafood salad and creamy grits. The paella was my favorite!
Round two included a Belgian waffle with fresh whipped cream and strawberries (Ryan’s fabulous recommendation), sliced sausage and a buttermilk biscuit with gravy.
I am normally not a huge biscuits and gravy fan, but my sister’s boyfriend raved about it and convinced all of us to give it a try. Great recommendation! It was delicious!
For dessert, I started with the most decadent chocolate mousse and got through about half of it before I turned my attention to the carrot cake, pecan pie and baklava in front of me.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ate about half of everything until a serious sugar coma set in.
We had a great time at brunch, celebrating my dad’s 60th birthday as a family!
Once we got back to my parents’ place, we hung out for a few hours before Ryan, Sadie and I said our goodbyes and hit the road for Ocala. It was a short trip, but well worth it to wish my dad a very happy birthday in person.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
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