Birthday Bonanza 2013!

I'm another year older as of yesterday, and that means it's time for my annual birthday post!

This year feels like a new beginning, a rebirth, winter melting into spring...

Sweet Potato Birthday Blondiefly with Vanilla Glaze 

Isn't she pretty? 

Blondie recipe was from Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar.

Store bought Chocolate Butterfly Cake.  So pretty!

 Birthday Eve Pizza.  All vegan, all organic, CSA and homemade!

Roasted CSA Peppers and Fennel with CSA Home Dried Herbs and CSA Marinara

Onto the birthday meal...

Birthday Beans!  

Organic Red Kidney Beans, Georgian Style with Walnut Cilantro Pesto and Jasmine Rice.

These are SO good.  

OK, on to the gifts!

I shopped at Wegmans for some cute kitchen gifts to myself...I love Wegmans!

 Cute kitchen towels (winter--citrus and spring--flowers themed!) and a bunch of winter/spring themed Ann Clark cookie cutters!

 

 The Dragonfly

 

 The Pineapple

A nice Mountain Bear waking from his winter hibernation, ready to emerge into a forest blush with green.

The King's Crown and the classic Butterfly.  Also, what I call "chef's socks," padded running socks that I layer over my regular socks to support my feet for longer hours in the kitchen (inside my Crocs, of course).

Raw Revolution...Rabbit Food? :-)  

The Vegan Easter Bunny probably gives them out!

JK.  I wanted to try these raw, vegan bars. They look great!

And I had to try Kettle's Spicy Thai chips.  OML.  They are fantastic. 

A lid from hubby for my biggest cast iron pan that he gave me for Xmas, an awesome loaf pan with a matching lid by Anchor (I really like this U.S. based company and their products) and my chef's socks again :-)

And what did Grandma Margie get me?

 Hmmm...Unopened padded envelope.

 Taped with some kind of rainbow, hippie, mail tape? :-)

 What could they be?

 Home drawn card :-) We all love Grandma Margie's cards!

Cute zip up, workout shirt, and, um, yup! More socks! Another kind I like to layer for working in the kitchen.

My mom is psychic that way.

At this point, Ollie could take it no longer...

She had to visit the gift table to see what was going on...

Yeah, she only looked when I called her :-)

Lastly, what did hubby get me?

This super cool bracelet! It's Rainbow Flourite and Amethyst (my birthstone).

It's from this cool shop a town over called The Crystal Tree.  Thanks, Michelle!

And a few more fun things from our local kitchen supply store: 

Syrup dispenser, squeeze bottles (for my sauces!) and a dough scraper!

And, drum roll, please...courtesy of Mom B...

Ta-dah! The Excalibur!

Huzzah!

Watch out, CSA! Here comes the Excalibur to dehydrate your behind!

A huge thanks and many hugs to Mom B.!  All my dehydrated happenings will be chronicled here soon...but, for now, what's next?

Well, how about re-hydrating something dried?

 XL Favas! Never made 'em before, but can't wait...

They are soaking right now.

Thinking I may make Fava Beans with Spiced Salt, a recipe from Mediterranean Street Food, my newest library procurement, a hubby's pick (great choice, hubby!).

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special, it was a great one!

And, now, onto my birthday weekend!  

(Don't birthdays last at least a week? )