Birthday celebration, vegan style!

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I can’t believe that it has already been over a week since my birthday and I am just now writing this post. This time of year is so packed with fun things, which I love, but sometimes I feel like I don’t have a chance to stop and catch my breath!

Last week my family spoiled me with a seemingly endless (vegan) birthday celebration! My sister and I have birthdays just 6 days apart, so we did a round one celebration when our other sister was in town for Thanksgiving. Then the following weekend, on the night before my birthday Irving surprised me with a night out at my favorite Mediterranean restaurant, The Golden Beetle. This is the best restaurant! I was wined and dined, and enjoyed hummus, mujamarra (walnut and pomegranate dip), pita bread, pumpkin soup, and falafel! It was so delicious—I think I could eat there every night of the week!

The following day Irving did all of the cooking, and my parents and sister joined us for dinner. Irving made a mango ceviche for me—delicious! Mangos and cucumbers marinated in lime juice, packing a sweet and tangy punch in every bite!

He also made one of his many legendary rice and bean combinations. This time he made black beans and white rice, moro. He cooks them in a sofrito of red onion, garlic, cilantro, and sweet bell peppers. Another meal I could eat every day of the week!

When my mom and sister found out that I was planning on making my own birthday cake they told me that was unacceptable! They snatched my copy of Chloe’s Kitchen and made the Mocha Chocolate cake. This cake is amazing!!! Thanks, Mom and Hannah, for the delicious cake! I think I’m going to try a peppermint version (skip the coffee and add peppermint) for Christmas!

If all of this vegan food wasn’t enough, I also was given a few vegan gifts! I was in desperate need of a new wallet, but didn’t want to buy a leather one. So my mom went on a hunt to find a nice non-leather one. She found this cute wallet by Espe at a local store called Fireworks.

Irving got me two new cookbooks—Veganomicon and Viva Vegan!I’ve tried recipes from both of them in the last week and am so excited to work my way through them. So many great ideas to try in the kitchen!