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 :)
Wow I was just in the market for a good knife and a Boos cutting board!
I don’t celebrate birthdays bit I would still love these gifts!!
My best birthday memory was a party at the Skate Palace! Even better than the bowling alley!
When I was growing up my parents had this hand-crank ice cream machine. We’d always make the ice cream to go along with cake for birthday parties and it was so much fun as a kid.
It’s an old one! I had my fifth birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese, and when we got there, we found out the entire place was having a birthday party because (apparently) Chuck and I have the same special day. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as important in my life as I did that day.
[And I’m already following on IG, and now Twitter and FB as well! I avoid Pinterest. I don’t have enough willpower for that.]
Happy belated birthday!! This sandwich looks SO amazing and I love that you put a birthday candle in it – too cute :)
When I was 4, in the days before Pinterest, my mom and my sister created a Safari themed birthday party for me, with all the kids wearing pith helmets they decorated themself and a giant sheet of cardboard with a hole in the middle painted to look like a roaring lion for a beanbag toss. My favorite part, though, was sticking my face through the painted elephant cut out.
my favorite birthday memory were all the parties my mom threw me as a kid- they were always homemade but elaborate right down to my handmade birthday crown. Her homemade pin the tail on the little mermaid was a hit my childhood friends and I still talk about!
My best birthday memory has to be the first year my husband and I were married. We had just moved to a new city, and I didn’t know a soul… kind of a sad feeling on your birthday! We went to a small restaurant in our neighborhood and had big bowls of simple pasta, ice cream, and so much wine.
It’s easy to feel alone after a big move and a big life change, especially on your birthday… but getting home that night I remember telling my husband how completely full my life felt. Not an ounce of loneliness. The absolutely best.
Thank you so much for offering such a lovely and generous giveaway. My favorite birthday memory was the year my uncle gave me a pony. He said she belonged to me, but I knew she was really his. She lived on his land, he fed her, kept her healthy, etc., but I got to visit/ride her whenever I wanted. ;)
I also follow you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
The best birthday was probably two years ago when my husband took off work and we went to Universal Orlando for the day