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 :)
ahhh! happy birthday month! this sandwich is everything – the colors, the textures, the crunch! big hugs and the best wishes for the most magical day and month! big big hugs! xo!
My favorite birthday memory was my 30th…I wanted to remember it for the rest of my life and when someone asked me “what did you do on your 30th?” I could reply…”I skydived!” It took weeks of mental prepping (since I hate flying and I’m afraid of heights) and appointment making and canceling, but finally the day came – I woke up early, told myself “This is it!”, and made it to the place without looking back. Honestly the BEST birthday ever! I overcame my fears and added a new spice on that special day…I’ll never forget it!
I remember many sleepover birthdays where the highlight was making our own sundays with whatever toppings we wanted. I think my mom did it so we would sugar crash later, but it was always what everyone was most excited about too!
*Followed you on Pinterest
My favorite birthday memory is spending it with my hubby in La Jolla! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com
MY favorite birthday memory was when I was celebrating my 21st birthday in Santiago, Chile. We had a big party with tons of empanadas, cake and avocado :)
My birthday is close to Halloween so when I was younger, my mom would throw me a combination halloween / bday party. it’s impossible to choose a favorite memory because they were always so much fun! but one year, my mom dressed up as a fortune teller and made funny little fortunes up for me and my friends. it always makes me smile.
My favorite birthday memory is my 21st. My parents drove up to my college to celebrate with me. My mom has always made me my favorite meal which is her famous braised short ribs and impossibly smooth mashed potatoes. She somehow managed to make them in my terrible apartment kitchen and they were incredible. They they came out with my friends and me and were able to hang with the college kids. I’ll never forget cutting a rug with my mom on the dance floor.
This past birthday I turned 30, and my husband and friends threw me a legit surprise party—almost a month after! So I was totally unsuspecting when we headed to a friend’s house for an adult cookout. This sandwich looks killer!
My favorite birthday memory would be my 21st. My parents drove up to my college to celebrate with my friends and me. Every year my mom makes me her famous braised short ribs and impossibly smooth mashed potatoes. I don’t know how she did it but she was able to make them in my crappy apartment kitchen and they were unbelievable. After that they both came out with my friends and me. I’ll never forget cutting a rug on the dance floor with my mom!
Not my birthday specifically, but my Mom and I have been making a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for my Dad’s birthday every year for as long as I can remember (25+ years). We both thought it was his favorite cake. Turns out that one year when I was little I told my Mom with such confidence that Dad’s favorite was Pineapple Upside-Down Cake she thought that I asked him directly. The truth finally came to light a few years ago when he requested a different birthday cake, and we compared our stories. We had never actually asked him his favorite birthday cake, and he never bothered to tell us because he liked the cake we kept making! Now we switch it up, but Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is still in the regular rotation.