Birthday girl

It's Karen's birthday today, and it's one of those special birthdays. I'm not allowed to say exactly how special, because it's a no-no, but it's special in a life begins kind of way (as if that isn't a complete giveaway).

I took the family for lunch at The Sun Inn, in Lothianbridge, Dalkeith. It's a fair old trek to Lothianbridge from our house, and even further for the rest of the family who travelled from Stirling, Grangemouth and Falkirk, but it's worth it. The food was, as always, excellent (haggis bon-bons followed by a whole grouse for me - that's the bird, not the whisky) and it was washed down by some lovely wine and, to begin with, a bottle of Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque (2002, if I remember correctly). The perfect finish to the meal was some of Karen's birthday cake, which was made (brilliantly, I must say) by Louise at Cakes Divine. The cake was shaped to the number of Karen's birthday, with one number made as a coconut cake and the other a normal sponge.

We ended the day relaxing at home. There's not much else you can do when you have eaten as much as we did.

If you are ever in the Dalkeith area, I'd thoroughly recommend a trip to the Sun Inn. If you live in Central Scotland and are ever in need of a cake, I'd thoroughly recommend Cakes Divine.