Happy Days Are Here Again
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Happy Days Are Here Again

Two daughters plan a way to celebrate their mom’s 70th with a catered home party.

By Flora Rosefsky November 17, 2021, 5:49 pm Edit
  • Jeanne Simon with her teenaged grandchildren, Ian and Nessa Stukalsky, and her youngest grandchild, Connor Greene.
    Jeanne Simon with her teenaged grandchildren, Ian and Nessa Stukalsky, and her youngest grandchild, Connor Greene.
  • Nessa Stukalsky gives her grandmother a big birthday hug.
    Nessa Stukalsky gives her grandmother a big birthday hug.
  • Marcia Snyder, from Boca Raton, made sure she and her husband Ron were able to attend her sister’s 70th.
    Marcia Snyder, from Boca Raton, made sure she and her husband Ron were able to attend her sister’s 70th.
  • Grandson Ian Stukalsky uncorks the champagne for a birthday toast.
    Grandson Ian Stukalsky uncorks the champagne for a birthday toast.
  • Jeanne Simon with husband Alan and daughters Tara Greene and Shana Stukalsky.
    Jeanne Simon with husband Alan and daughters Tara Greene and Shana Stukalsky.
  • Served buffet-style, the dinner party menu provided a good selection of vegetables, including Moroccan roasted string beans.
    Served buffet-style, the dinner party menu provided a good selection of vegetables, including Moroccan roasted string beans.
  • Gluten-free crackers and pita bread accompany hummus as part of the Middle Eastern food party menu.
    Gluten-free crackers and pita bread accompany hummus as part of the Middle Eastern food party menu.
  • Celebration Syrian Rice is a mixture of white rice with almonds and golden raisins.
    Celebration Syrian Rice is a mixture of white rice with almonds and golden raisins.
  • Chef Margot Alfie provided a birthday dessert plate made up especially for Jeanne Simon.
    Chef Margot Alfie provided a birthday dessert plate made up especially for Jeanne Simon.

Chamblee resident Alan Simon turned 70 on November 11, 2020, during the early days of COVID, but a proper birthday party never materialized. “Even though we were able to give my dad the gift of video messages from family and friends, we were not able to have a traditional celebration,” said Shana Stukalsky, one of Simon’s daughters, and a Dunwoody resident. What a difference one year can make.

This fall, Stukalsky and her younger sister, Tara Greene of Alpharetta, made sure that their mother Jeanne Simon, who was turning 70, would not mark her milestone birthday the same way. Fully vaccinated, and with the pandemic no longer ruling out in-person celebrations, the two sisters planned a party for 16 guests, held on Oct. 30 at Stukalsky’s home.

Served buffet-style, the dinner party menu provided a good selection of vegetables, including Moroccan roasted string beans.

Shana Stukalsky had come across personal chef and caterer Margot Alfie through a Facebook post. After some phone and email consultations, a dinner menu with a variety of Middle Eastern delicacies was agreed upon, including a fall salad of watermelon radishes, bell peppers, carrots, artichoke hearts, and pomegranate seeds — all served over greens with a za’atar dressing. The olive oil, lemon, garlic and vinegar salad dressing is “nothing fancy, just full of flavor,” according to Alfie.

The first course came with hummus and garbanzo beans, along with fresh pita and gluten-free crackers. The main course consisted of roasted chicken in Greek spices and grilled ground beef and lamb keftas with a side of Celebration Syrian Rice — a festive mixture of white rice, almonds and raisins. Roasted Moroccan green beans tossed in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne, were also a nice surprise. The meal was crowned with a special birthday dessert plate of bite-size crepes accompanied by Mexican caramel, pecans, strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

But what would a birthday party be without a celebratory cake? Husband Alan provided the chocolate layered birthday cake. Jeanne said, “it was chocolate, and more chocolate, because that’s my favorite.” Grandson Ian Stukalsky uncorked a bottle of champagne for a birthday toast filled with good wishes.

Grandson Ian Stukalsky uncorks the champagne for a birthday toast.

Besides the birthday girl, party guests included husband Alan; children Shana and Alan Stukalsky, and Tara and Paxton Greene; grandchildren Nessa Stukalsky, Ian Stukalsky and Connor Greene; and Jeanne’s sister and brother-in-law, Marcia and Ron Snyder from Boca Raton, along with a few special friends. When asked how her mother felt about having an actual birthday party for a change, Shana said, “My mom wanted to celebrate, but not anything too big. She just wanted a nice dinner party with family and close friends.”

Jeanne added: “What makes my 70th party really special is because my sister is coming in from Florida. We’re very close, and we were used to visiting each other a lot more often, so coming to Atlanta for my party was a huge treat for both of us.” Shana added that, when growing up in Boca Raton, both families lived down the street from each other and “did everything together!” Spending time with her Aunt Marcia and Uncle Ron at the birthday party was special for both Shana and Tara, since the pandemic had curtailed more frequent visits in years past.

Marcia Snyder, from Boca Raton, made sure she and her husband Ron were able to attend her sister’s 70th.

It was only 11 years ago that the Simons, two practicing attorneys in Florida in their late 50s, decided to live closer to Shana, making the move from Palm Beach to Atlanta. Soon after, younger daughter Tara moved to the metro Atlanta area as well. Shana said her parents wanted to be part of both daughters’ lives, watching their grandchildren grow up and sharing quality time with their family throughout the year.

Jeanne said, “The decision to move here was the right one for us. To celebrate my 70th this year with Alan, Shana and Tara, their husbands and children, plus my sister and brother-in-law, and some close friends with an intimate and delicious dinner party was the best celebration I could ever ask for.”

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