Happy Birthday, Dear Heidi!

So, Heidi's birthday was on Monday, but we took her out for her activity last night. We went to The Melting Pot, and excellent fondue place in Buffalo Grove (but with locations all over the place). The girls had taken me for a chocolate fondue at Ethel's for my birthday last year, but that was the only experience I'd had with it. I'd not done actual food and was excited (and a little nervous, admittedly) at the prospect.

Jane, Kim, Amy and I blindfolded Heidi and drove her to Buffalo Grove, where we were joined by Beth. We presented her with her joint gift from all of us - the pink Razor phone from Motorola. (Oooh, I am so jealous. I have a vair crappy phone and that Razor is just so gorgeous. And pink.) She loved it, of course. Then we turned to the matter at hand - deciphering the menu which was complicated and kind of overwhelming. Fortunately, Amy had been there before and made very helpful recommendations - otherwise I think we'd seriously still be sitting there, staring at the menu going "But how do I??? What do I??" Choices, choices, choices!

We started with the CHEESE. One cheddar, one Swiss, in which we dipped a variety of breads, veggies and apples. Then came the salads (no fondue activity with these.). AND THEN came the actual food. We'd gotten a special type thing that involved beef, pork, chicken, vegetable ravioli, and veggies. We'd asked for two cooking styles - coq au vin and a boullion. I was kind of nervous about sticking skewers of raw meat into this steaming hot liquid, although, truth be told, I'd originally thought you'd stuck everything in cheese, so I was very confused about how this thing with the beef was going to work. I guess I thought fondue JUST involved cheese and bread. I did not understand how you were meant to make a meal of it. How wrong could a person be?? It took a matter of minutes for the things to cook, and we all kind of asked each other - does that look done to you? What do you think, etc?

We stuffed ourselves silly - and I am still here, typing this and not sick, so I am reasonably sure that everything I ate was actually cooked and done and no food poisoning occurred. Well done, there. Dessert was the piece de resistance - chocolate fondue! We had a milk chocolate and a white chocolate with amaretto in which we dipped strawberries, pineapples, bananas, pound cake, marshmallows rolled in graham crackers, marshmallows rolled in oreos, cheesecake, and.... wait, I think that's all. We got on a total sugar high, and I seem to remember lots of raucous laughter, convesation and a rousing rendition of "She Don't Wanna Be Here" - from last week's episode of "America's Next Top Model" (whhooooo hooo - buh bye, Monique!) . Surprisingly, we didn't get kicked out - the wait staff was wonderful and helpful and nice. They must be used to people having sugar highs in their establishment.... I think, though, we scared the table full of very dressed up high schoolers on their way to homecoming that were sitting behind us. Oh well...