It’s my birthday today! Are you guys big on celebrating your birthday? For as long as I remember, my birthday has been an obsession of mine. It’s probably just a bit (okay, a lot) egotistical, but I just love the idea of a day celebrating me. I like planning elaborate themed parties with tons of friends (DIY grilled cheese party anyone?), but I also love the flip side of that – spending a day celebrating, just me and my boo.
No matter what I end up doing, there is one absolute must: eat ALL the things. It’s the one day you shouldn’t hold back. I know, I know, veggie sandwiches aren’t what one usually thinks of when they’re thinking about birthday eats, but when I saw this glorious picture of the ultimate veggie sandwich on Instagram, it had to be mine. I’m all about veggie sandwiches (and pizzas too, to be honest). I love the the different textures, the crunch, and the freshness.
This sandwich was truly epic – perfect for a pre-birthday treat!
The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich Recipe
makes 1 sandwich
- 2 slices bread of choice (I used multigrain)
- mayo and mustard, to taste
- 6 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1 small carrot
- 1/2 small cucumber
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/8 head red cabbage
- 1 avocado
- handful of sprouts
- 3 slices tomato
- thin slices red onion
Start off by prepping your vegetables. Trip the lettuce leaves to the size of your bread. Julienne or shred the carrot, thinly slice the cucumber and cabbage. Pit and peel the avocado and thickly slice. Toast the bread and let cool (so it doesn’t get soggy). Spread on mayo and mustard to taste and build your sandwich: 1/2 of the lettuce leaves, carrots, cucumber, salt and pepper, cabbage, avocado, sprouts, tomato, onion, then the remaining lettuce and top slice of bread. Wrap tightly in parchment paper or wax paper and slice in half. Enjoy immediately!
i put a candle in it, because birthday :)
Giveaway: I hope you guys like chopping vegetables (and everything else) because for my annual birthday giveaway, I’m giving away a shiny sharp Shun Nakiri knife and a Walnut Boos Block Cutting Board from cuttingboard.com. I absolutely LOVE my nakiri and there’s nothing better than chopping and slicing on a beautiful wood cutting board.
To Enter: Leave a comment below with your favorite birthday memory. I want to hear ALL the details! I’ll randomly choose a winner and notify them through email. Open to US residents only. (Sorry international friends!) Also, if you’d like some extra entries (one per follow), follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest (and let me know in your comment). Contest ends September 17th at 12pm PST. Good luck!
Update: Congrats Willow! Get ready to get your knife skills on! Keep an eye out for an email :)
Yum, and HBD! Veggie sandwiches are totally underappreciated. I remember trying (with considerable difficulty) to get the sandwich ladies in my college cafeteria to slather more than a tiny dab of hummus on my sammiches. (“More.” “No, keep going.” “More…” “Just…like an inch thick, okay?” “Yes, really!”)
Favorite birthday memory is bringing my mom’s chocolate zucchini cupcakes to school in the 3rd grade (without mentioning the zucchini), and then triumphantly declaring at lunch that I’d slipped my classmates a no-good yucky vegetable! In retrospect, no wonder I didn’t make a lot of friends that year.
Happy birthday to you!!
Hands down, surprise trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I was 23. #HP4life :)
Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite memory was from my 20th birthday. I was holding a giant slice of juicy watermelon and was laughing so hard when they were singing happy birthday that I tipped my chair over and got watermelon all over myself. It was the funniest thing!
I also follow on instagram and twitter! love your blog
On my 21st birthday i went to visit my sister in Hawaii. When the clock turned 12 I didn’t go to a bar or club but rather was on the beach listening to a ukulele with a huge Bon fire and a couple new friends.
My favorite birthday memory- throwing a surprise party for my BF and BFF (I know this isn’t my birthday). It was the first time I’d thrown a surprise dinner party and it was complete with pancetta and mint stuffed pasta, grilled zucchini and a giant red velvet cake (it happened to be Valentine’s Day). Not only was it the first time I appreciated that fancy food actually cost money (!?) but it was a huge success with all our closest friends and their dates. It was lovely.
Oh, and I follow you on Instrgram (of course!)
On my 16th birthday, I had planned just to have a sleepover at a friend’s house with my three best friends. I had a soccer match that afternoon, so by the time I got home and showered, I was pretty tired. I tried to throw on jeans and a ratty sweater to go over to my friend’s house, but my mom and another friend wouldn’t let me and made me change. I couldn’t figure out why they were objecting to the sweater so much, but I think I did end up putting on a different one. So my other friend and I go over to my friend’s house and went down to the finished basement area where we usually stayed. When I got to the bottom of the steps, I heard a chorus of “Surprise!” My friends had thrown me a surprise 16th birthday party with a large group of friends. I was so thrilled and touched that they did that for me. And I had no idea or inkling of it beforehand.
My favorite birthday memory is my 21st, when my parents took me out to a nice sushi joint for my first omakase. I think we had about 27 pieces… each. The meal ended with this adorable koala made of oranges with strawberries in its arms. It was fabulous.
When we were first married, my husband threw me a big surprise party.
Followed on instagram
One of my favorite birthdays was when my mom came to visit and I was thrown a surprise party. I loved that she was able to be there since I didn’t get to see her most birthdays :) I also follow you on twitter, instagram, and Facebook!