8/6/08

You say its your birthday

So Monday was my (gasp!) 25th birthday. I didn't notice it coming up, and I certainly didn't have any aspirations for a huge celebration. I just wanted a small dinner with a few friends and family- hopefully grill centered, it being August and all. It turned out that my family was willing to oblige and cook a menu that I picked out, and everything was AWESOME! Here's what we had:

-Bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and whole grain french bread

-Photobucket

-Grilled Corn with lime and garlic Earth Balance

-Grilled marinated portobello mushrooms (as usual)

-Mango and strawberry upside-down cake- my Dad's invention that I will get around to veganizing and posting soon.

Everything was super-easy and delicious, but that sweet potato salad especially was a huge hit- I would try this recipe immediately while the grills are still going. People were literally fighting over the last slices of cumin marinated and grilled sweet potato slices. My Mom admitted later that at the last step she added a tiny bit of mustard and brown sugar to the cumin oil, and that definitely made it even more delish. I would show you but the camera ran out of batteries!

So, other than having amazing food, I also got great presents. Specifically, a new bike!!!! No more tottering up hills on my 1970's classic (sorry Sebastian) I now have a wicked fast jet-black 'Specialized' to dash to law school in. So perfect too offset the amount of earth-damage I did riding in airplanes all summer...

My best friend also bought us both tickets to the DC Salsa Congress in Arlington which I think is going to be amazing.

So... a new school year and I'm starting out with awesome food, a new bike, and apparently a newfound love for salsa. Now I just need to work on a newfound love for studying the law.

*PS* And while I hate "___ is the new ___" food articles, this one got me craving some beets like crazy. And why not have spinach AND beets? With a little red wine vinagrette and some toasted pecans it sounds like lunch...

2 comments:

J said...

Happy (late) birthday T! Feel no shame in being 25 - I personally think that is THE BEST age, you are young enough to still be, well, young, and are old enough to garner respect. I'm right behind ya too, I turn 24 on Sunday.

Your dinner sounds perfect, I am going to definitely check out the sweet potato salad. Those tomatoes look glorious! I love grilled food.

Congrats on the bike, that is exciting!

And I am really, REALLY jealous that you get to attend a Salsa Congress, that is awesome. You'll have to try out some of the super spicy stuff for me!

I've been getting beet after beet in our CSA, I had run out of ideas for what to do with them so I have been boiling them, mashing them, and freezing them so I can make chocolate beet cake over the winter (when it's not too damn hot to turn on the oven). I never thought about the spinach, beet, vinaigrette, and pecan combination, that sounds fantastic!

T said...

Ooh, but chocolate beet cake sounds good too...

And you are so sweet! I'm not terrified of 25, but it will be a crazy year- being done with law school means being a grown-up in age and abilities... now that IS terrifying. Enjoy 24 while it lasts!