Birthdaying with the Girls: Pomegranate, Persimmon & Pecan Salad

Okay, back to my favorite topic.  Me.  Or more specifically, recognition of how wonderful I am.

Since I now share my birthday with Thatbaby I have resolved myself to not getting to celebrate my birthday for the next 18 years.  Or at least resolved to not celebrating on my birthday.  And devoting my birthday to prepping for Thatbaby's birthday parties.

My girlfriends did a terrific job of making sure my birthday was recognized last year, and inspired by that I decided to start a new tradition - a girls birthday weekend.  But rather than make it all about me, I expanded it to include the birthdays of Jurisslave and Mrs. Pirate, who both have June birthdays.

This year we decided to keep it close to home, because most of us have children under 13 months and Mrs. Pirate is pregnant.  So we got a room in downtown San Diego, bid our families goodbye, and met up.

I stopped on the way to the hotel to pick up some cupcakes.  Because it's not a birthday without cake.

I'd also decided that even though this was a grown up birthday party, we still needed goody bags.  So I stuffed some tote bags with water bottles, flip flops, a fan, champagne, nail polish, and lip balm.

Jurisslave's sister had sent up a bottle of champagne to our room, so we began our weekend with a toast.

Then we headed up to the pool.  With no kids around none of us had to actually get wet.  Nor did we have to get up off our chairs to get something for anyone.  Instead we lazed about talking and catching up.  Some napped, some just enjoyed the quiet.


Eventually we left the pool and got all dolled up for dinner.  We headed to BIGA for some Italian food.  M and I both ordered the tableside fettucine.

And we shared a bottle of wine with our delicious fare.

Afterwards we tried to hit up a piano bar, but there was a line, which we were entirely unwilling to wait in.  I had heard about a relatively new bar, Rare Form, which was right near our hotel.  So that became our headquarters for the evening.

Rare form markets themselves as being one of the only schnapps bars in the country.  Inspired by that, and Horsewhisperer's exclamation of BOILER MAKERS! We each ordered a boiler maker, shot of schapps paired with a beer.  I had the apple schnapps and a Czech lager.  That night we discovered that none of us like boiler makers.  Or schnapps.  Lesson learned.

We went back to the hotel room to tuck in for the night, but not before Jurisslave and I took care of our least favorite task, pumping.  Jurisslave has a 4 month old at home and since I had just recently stopped pumping, I was still dealing with engorgement from the lack of pumping or nursing.

We stayed up late talking, just like slumber parties from my childhood.  And the next morning we packed up our things and headed home to our husbands and children.

Before we departed, Jurisslave and I decided to go for a little run.  The goal was 7 miles, as Jurisslave is training for a half marathon but it was hot.  Super hot.  We ended up cutting our run about half a mile short.

I'm such a wimp when it comes to heat.  Which is surprising, given that I grew up on the East Coast.  San Diego summers have nothing on East Coast heat.  When it's hot outside there's really nothing I want to do or eat.  I survive on smoothies and salads (and popsicles).  I'm lucky that my guys are as happy to eat a salad for dinner as I am.  Because we have them weekly over the summer.  With the boys I especially try to include fruit in the salad, because even if they avoid the lettuce, they'll still be eating something.  That and I love fruit in the summer.  Which is probably why I do so many smoothies and popsicles.

Pear is one of my favorite fruits to combine with persimmon.  I find the cinnamony quality of the persimmon perfectly complements the sweetness of the pear.  The toasted pecans add just the right amount of crunch to keep this salad from being boring.  Plus, there's something fun about a salad where most of the ingredients begin with the letter P. 

Pomegranate, Persimmon & Pecan Salad

 3 ripe persimmons

3 ripe pears

1 lime

seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate

mixed greens

1 cup toasted pecans

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 shallots, finely chopped

5 Tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix the vinegar, mustard, and shallots.
2. Season with salt and pepper.  
3. Slice the persimmons and pears into slices.  Put in a bowl.
4. Sprinkle with the juice of the lime.
5. Add the pomegranate seeds and toss gently.
6. Toss the greens with some of the vinaigrette and arrange on plates.
7. Toss the fruit mixture lightly in the remaining vinaigrette.  Arrange on top of the greens.
8. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans.