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 :)
I want this sandwich every single day and love how you can add in seasonal veggies when they’re available too. My favorite birthday memory was in Costa Rica. Nothing was better than being another year older, black sand beaches, and monkeys stealing your belongings on the beach.
My favorite birthday memory is going fishing at lake Erie with my grandpa when I was young. We caught some fish and deep fried them for supper at the party that night.
Hi Stephanie, I discovered your blog recently and have been drooling over everything! First of all, Happy Belated Birthday! As with many great memories, my best birthdays are highlighted by the food I ate and shared. My mom plays a big part in this as her elaborate birthday desserts embody the essence of a memorable birthday celebration, indulgence and love. A throwback to my 6th birthday is a good example of this. My mom iced my cake like an artists paints a canvas with a scene from my favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast. Thanks, Mom!
On my 21st birthday, my college happened to host an outdoor screening of “Moonrise Kingdom” on the lawn. I cozied up with friends, a blanket (we were outside in late October in New York), doughnuts, and a thermos of bourbon for a low-key, but memorable celebration.
This year, for my birthday (Sept 14th…. 2 days ago…. Just saying) I was in New Orleans. I literally ate and drank my way through the city and had no shame in telling everyone it was my birthday and reaping the special treatment. For the actual day, we went to Commander’s Palace, a Nola institution with $.25 martinis. Let’s just say it was a great day!
My favorite birthday memory involved my wife’s 30th birthday, not mine. I managed to have 40 of our closest friends not spill the beans and all show up in a 10 minute window before she got home from work. In the backyard, I had a grill, a keg of beer and inflatable bounce house. She opens the door, I hand her a glass of champagne and all her friends are screaming happy birthday to her. We partied till late at night, bouncing and grilling.
My first birthday with my wife. She didn’t know what to buy me. She went out shopping for a few hours and got me a shirt. It was hilarious.
My favorite birthday memory would be any one of them when I am surrounded by family!
My favorite birthday memory is of the party my mom threw me when I was turning 12. Like almost any pre-teen girl, I was a bit mall-obsessed. My amazing mother planned a scavenger hunt around the mall. Our two groups of girls each got $20 and the same list of things to buy. Whichever group came back with the most money left over won! The losing group had to sing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs in the middle of the mall atrium. Props to my mom for indulging my shop-crazy phase while teaching us to be savvy spenders!
Following on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook :)
Your sandwich looks epic!! For my 25th birthday, I went with 5 of my grad school friends to a paint-your-own-pottery place. It was really fun to see what kind of artistic designs a bunch of chemistry nerds painted on plates, cups, etc.